State Dept. Still Thinks Sanctions Are ‘Most Effective Tool’ for Dealing with Russia

MOHAMMED But here s ░░░░░░░░ thing You talked about ░░░░░░░░ the United States and ░░░░░░░░ partners have imposed escalating ░░░░░░░░ on Russia and how ░░░░░░░░ have increasingly had an ░░░░░░░░ on capital flight and ░░░░░░░░ projections and so on ░░░░░░░░ the same time you ░░░░░░░░ out that you have ░░░░░░░░ a pattern of escalating ░░░░░░░░ on the part of ░░░░░░░░ in Ukraine So it ░░░░░░░░ clear that your economic ░░░░░░░░ policy whatever it may ░░░░░░░░ impact it may have ░░░░░░░░ on the economy has ░░░░░░░░ had any impact on ░░░░░░░░ s thinking If anything ░░░░░░░░ your own words they ░░░░░░░░ escalated their aggression over ░░░░░░░░ What makes you think ░░░░░░░░ any level of economic ░░░░░░░░ is going to get ░░░░░░░░ to change its mind ░░░░░░░░ invading and supporting separatists ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine PSAKI Well Arshad ░░░░░░░░ s hard for us ░░░░░░░░ predict what President Putin ░░░░░░░░ do And I know ░░░░░░░░ re not asking me ░░░░░░░░ do that but I ░░░░░░░░ the challenge or I ░░░░░░░░ one of the factors ░░░░░░░░ is certainly how these ░░░░░░░░ impact the Russian people ░░░░░░░░ impact the economy in ░░░░░░░░ and impact how businesses ░░░░░░░░ functioning And certainly our ░░░░░░░░ is not to continue ░░░░░░░░ escalate sanctions Our preference ░░░░░░░░ for Russia and President ░░░░░░░░ to make a decision ░░░░░░░░ pulling back and de ░░░░░░░░ So again as this ░░░░░░░░ becomes more and more ░░░░░░░░ a significant choice that ░░░░░░░░ Putin has to make ░░░░░░░░ whether the future and ░░░░░░░░ impact on his own ░░░░░░░░ is more important than ░░░░░░░░ desire to take escalatory ░░░░░░░░ into Ukraine MOHAMMED But ░░░░░░░░ that it hasn t ░░░░░░░░ so far why should ░░░░░░░░ work in the future ░░░░░░░░ Well I think Arshad ░░░░░░░░ you ve seen there ░░░░░░░░ been times where there ░░░░░░░░ been some engagement there ░░░░░░░░ been some pullback there ░░░░░░░░ been ups and downs ░░░░░░░░ this process what we ░░░░░░░░ seen There s been ░░░░░░░░ escalatory escalatory actions that ░░░░░░░░ certainly grown over time ░░░░░░░░ you referenced MOHAMMED But ░░░░░░░░ said PSAKI And I ░░░░░░░░ and I said as ░░░░░░░░ We think that this ░░░░░░░░ the most effective tool ░░░░░░░░ best tool A military ░░░░░░░░ is not what we ░░░░░░░░ is the appropriate approach ░░░░░░░░ so we re taking ░░░░░░░░ tool we can to ░░░░░░░░ if we can reach ░░░░░░░░ conclusion here through diplomatic ░░░░░░░░