The US has announced that it will not hit Russia with new sanctions unless Moscow initiates an invasion of Ukraine, with a top official stating that the possibility of economic punishment is a more effective deterrent from aggression than “preemptive” measures.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that Washington believes there is a high likelihood of a Russian attack on Ukraine in the near future, but that imposing sanctions now would only lower the stakes for Moscow.
“If it’s a deterrent and you use it before the aggression is made or the transgression is made, then you lose your deterrent effect,” Kirby explained. “If you punish somebody for something that they haven’t done yet, then they might as well just go ahead and do it. So we believe there’s a deterrent effect by keeping them in reserve and we have been very clear with the international community and with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin about the severity of the economic consequences that he could face.”
However, Kirby acknowledged that even the current threat of sanctions did not seem very effective, and warned Americans in Ukraine that they should leave the country due to the possibility of war. “We believe that a major military action could be only days away – could happen any day now, quite frankly,” he cautioned. “So now’s not the time to be in Ukraine, you should make plans to leave immediately.”