Putin is manufacturing threats that don’t exist to justify further aggression in Ukraine: White House
India Today
The US will stand up for it and may slap energy sanctions on Moscow, said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is manufacturing threats that do not exist in order to justify further aggression in Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki alleged on Sunday, vowing that the US will stand up for it and may slap energy sanctions on Moscow.
The US and its allies have imposed tough sanctions on Russia to cripple its economy for invading Ukraine.
Psaki said those sanctions were on par with Iran, cutting them off from a banking system with the global community.
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"We have now also sanctioned 80 per cent of their banks and their financial sector. This makes it very difficult for President Putin and the Russian government not only to do business, but also to help fund a greater expansion of their military and innovation in their country. So, we have taken severe steps already. But, of course, there's more we can always consider doing,” Psaki said.
Responding to a question, she said the energy sanctions against Russia were also on the table.
“This is really a pattern that we've seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don't exist in order to justify further aggression. And the global community and the American people should look at it through that prism. We've seen him do this time and time again,” Psaki told ABC News in an interview.
