Obama: ‘We Don’t Know Yet Whether Sanctions Are Working’

JANSING Thank you Mr ░░░░░░░░ Russia said today that ░░░░░░░░ is going to ban ░░░░░░░░ and agricultural product imports ░░░░░░░░ was about 1 3 ░░░░░░░░ last year At the ░░░░░░░░ time Defense Secretary Chuck ░░░░░░░░ said that the massing ░░░░░░░░ troops along the border ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine increases the likelihood ░░░░░░░░ an invasion Are sanctions ░░░░░░░░ working OBAMA Well we ░░░░░░░░ t know yet whether ░░░░░░░░ are working Sanctions are ░░░░░░░░ as intended in putting ░░░░░░░░ pressure and strain on ░░░░░░░░ Russian economy That s ░░░░░░░░ my estimation If you ░░░░░░░░ at the markets and ░░░░░░░░ look at estimates in ░░░░░░░░ of capital flight if ░░░░░░░░ look at projections for ░░░░░░░░ growth what you re ░░░░░░░░ is that the economy ░░░░░░░░ ground to a halt ░░░░░░░░ between 100 billion and ░░░░░░░░ billion of capital flight ░░░░░░░░ taken place You re ░░░░░░░░ seeing a lot of ░░░░░░░░ coming in new to ░░░░░░░░ businesses inside of Russia ░░░░░░░░ it has presented the ░░░░░░░░ to President Putin as ░░░░░░░░ whether he is going ░░░░░░░░ try to resolve the ░░░░░░░░ in eastern Ukraine through ░░░░░░░░ and peaceful means recognizing ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine is a sovereign ░░░░░░░░ and that it is ░░░░░░░░ ultimately to the Ukrainian ░░░░░░░░ to make decisions about ░░░░░░░░ own lives or alternatively ░░░░░░░░ on the course that ░░░░░░░░ s on in which ░░░░░░░░ he s going to ░░░░░░░░ hurting his economy and ░░░░░░░░ his own people over ░░░░░░░░ long term And in ░░░░░░░░ sense we are doing ░░░░░░░░ what we should be ░░░░░░░░ And we re very ░░░░░░░░ that our European allies ░░░░░░░░ partners joined us in ░░░░░░░░ process as well as ░░░░░░░░ number of countries around ░░░░░░░░ world Having said all ░░░░░░░░ the issue is not ░░░░░░░░ yet You still have ░░░░░░░░ in eastern Ukraine Civilians ░░░░░░░░ still dying We ve ░░░░░░░░ seen some of the ░░░░░░░░ of this conflict in ░░░░░░░░ loss of the Malaysian ░░░░░░░░ airliner or jetliner And ░░░░░░░░ sooner that we can ░░░░░░░░ back on a track ░░░░░░░░ which there are serious ░░░░░░░░ taking place to ensure ░░░░░░░░ all Ukrainians are heard ░░░░░░░░ they can work through ░░░░░░░░ political process that they ░░░░░░░░ represented that the reforms ░░░░░░░░ have already been offered ░░░░░░░░ the government in Kyiv ░░░░░░░░ implemented to protect Russian ░░░░░░░░ to assure decentralization of ░░░░░░░░ the sooner that we ░░░░░░░░ on those and the ░░░░░░░░ that President Putin recognizes ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine is an independent ░░░░░░░░ it s only at ░░░░░░░░ point where we can ░░░░░░░░ that the problem has ░░░░░░░░ been solved But in ░░░░░░░░ meantime sanctions are working ░░░░░░░░ way they re supposed ░░░░░░░░