President Joe Biden did not mince words in response to Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.“Who in the Lord's name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belonged to his neighbors? This is a flagrant violation of international law and demands a firm response from the international community,” Biden said.The president issued a number of sanctions directed at Russian financial institutions and oligarchs.Jody Neathery-Castro, an associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska Omaha, is watching Russia closely, saying the Kremlin could be on the brink of war.“Sending sort of critical supplies like blood, that to me became ... this may really be the conflict that we've all been trying to avoid for a long time,” Neathery-Castro said. “What the United States has been trying to explain is this kind of thing could be a real a ploy for (Russia) to look like it's a defensive action as opposed to an aggressive action.”She said the United States' moves, along with its allies like Germany halting a natural gas pipeline send a strong message."What you've seen are real efforts on the part of the United States and allies to give every opportunity to Russia to save face, so that a diplomatic solution looks like the statesman-like thing to do,” Neathery-Castro said.“Russia has been uncomfortable at every turn, with the prospects of, particularly Ukraine, moving into the fold of the west. What we have here is the Biden administration even showing its hand on intelligence information, saying we think that Russia is imminently going to attack. They are going to make it look like a peacekeeping mission. What we have seen really is sort of, at every stage, what the administration has been telling us might happen, has been happening," she said. Neathery-Castro said the U.S. is not signaling that it will send troops into Ukraine, but is willing to put more sanctions in place hoping to push Vladimir Putin to step back.She said invasion may not stop at Ukraine’s borders. "This potentially could be a conflict that wouldn't be contained sort of regionally,” Neathery-Castro said. “And I think that that's really the crucial part. I mean, we wouldn't be getting European Allies lined up to take such a strong stance if they didn't feel really threatened by this. This is not the kind of buildup that you would typically see as just a show of strength (from Russia). This is the kind of buildup that you would see for potential hot war,” Neathery-Castro said.She said Russia’s actions are a challenge to NATO and a global threat.“The most immediate thing that Americans might see are more already sort of seeing some instability in energy prices,” Neathery-Castro said.But it could also cost lives which is why serious step-by-step sanctions are the path of action for allies.“The tools that we have, short of actual physical conflict are things like economic sanctions," Neathery-Castro said.Neathery Castro said Russia's move into the Ukrainian areas it declared independent may be used as a "defense" invasion, not aggressive action, which is part of a major disinformation campaign.She adds Russia's cyber warfare tactics will also likely prompt international cyber warfare decrees or treaties down the road.