US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday that any sanctions the West might impose on Russia now would hinder any aggression by Moscow against Ukraine.
-Advertisement-
“When it comes to sanctions,” Blinken added in an interview with CNN.
The goal of these sanctions is to deter Russian aggression, so if they are announced now, you lose the deterrence factor.”
The US secretary waved “a sharp, rapid and united US and European response if one additional Russian force enters Ukraine.”
He also reiterated that “his country is ready, in cooperation with Europe, for a quick and good response.”
The US administration recently warned its European allies of a possible Russian military attack, claiming that Moscow was planning an operation using secret agents to justify the invasion of Ukraine.
-Advertisement-
Western countries have accused Russia of mobilizing its forces recently near the Ukrainian border.
Washington has threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if it “launches” an attack on Ukraine.
For its part, Russia rejected the accusations about the movements of its forces inside its territory, and denied the existence of any “aggressive” plans it had towards Ukraine.
