Officials from several countries, including the United States, have warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine may be imminent after Moscow began deploying tens of thousands of troops last November in areas on the northern, eastern, and southern border with Ukraine.
In December 2017, Karimova was sentenced to a 10-year prison term, but the sentence was later reclassified to house arrest and shortened to five years.
During a 10-minute speech to the nation on February 15, Biden held out hope that diplomacy would work but said the United States would be ready to hit Russia hard with sanctions if it invades Ukraine.
The United States has said Russia's massive troop buildup near Ukraine appears to be a prelude to an invasion.