Harris: Americans will 'incur some costs' from Ukraine crisis as energy costs, inflation soar
The comments come as Americans have already seen prices on common good rise thanks to a four-decade high in inflation
Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street - Friday, February 18
Russia tension, Clinton probe, Biden Putin
Vice President Kamala Harris warned that Americans could feel some "costs" of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, unwelcome news to many who are already bearing the costs of soaring inflation.
"When America stands for principles, and all of the things that we hold dear, it requires sometimes for us to put ourselves out there in a way that maybe we will incur some cost," Harris said Sunday after a meeting with NATO leaders in Germany.
A RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR WOULD MEAN GLOBAL ENERGY SHOCK
Harris said some of the costs to hit American pocket books "may relate to energy cost," with Russia being one of the world's leading producers of oil.
The vice president's comments come as Americans have already seen prices on common good rise thanks to a four-decade high in inflation, according to the consumer price index. Those price increases have been spread across almost all common goods, including medical care, clothing, transportation, food, and shelter.
Gas pump. Americans are experiencing the highest prices at the pump in years. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File / AP Newsroom)
But Harris stressed the need to push back against Russia's plans for invasion, saying that there was "the real possibility of war" in Europe not seen since the end of World War II.
"We’re talking about the potential for war in Europe. I mean, let’s really take a moment to understand the significance of what we’re talking about," Harris said.
"It’s been over 70 years, and through those 70 years ... there has been peace and security," she added. "We are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe."
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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP / AP Newsroom)
The administration has been warning for weeks that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, with CBS reporting Sunday that U.S. intelligence officials say Russian commanders have received their orders to proceed with the invasion.
But the White House has not yet written off the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the stand-off, with Biden planning a meeting with Group of Seven leaders on Thursday to discuss the situation in Ukraine and a scheduled meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the works for this week