Washington (AFP) – The United States said Tuesday that Russia’s move into eastern Ukraine amounts to the “beginning of an invasion” and warned that “severe” sanctions would be announced shortly. President Joe Biden will address the nation at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Russia’s actions, the White House said. The sterner message followed an initially more hesitant US response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of two rebel-held enclaves in Ukraine as independent, along with reluctance to say that “invasion” was underway after Putin ordered troops there. For weeks, the United States and…