White House defends Russian sanctions amid criticism it’s failed to stop Putin

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday pushed back at criticism that the administration’s actions have failed to stop Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military onslaught against Ukraine.

“I would say at this moment in time, we have hardly been sitting on the sidelines. We have been leading this effort around the world to respond to every step and every escalatory step that President Putin and the Russians are taking,” Ms. Psaki told reporters.

“The steps that the president has taken and led the world in taking has essentially led the Russian financial system to the brink of collapse,” she said.

Since Mr. Putin attacked Ukraine, the Biden administration in coordination with its allies in Europe has unleashed a series of sanctions designed to cripple Russia’s economy. The punishments have ranged from seizing Russian oligarch’s assets to banning oil imports from Moscow to revoking its trade status.

Still, Mr. Putin’s war machine shows no sign of slowing down.

Ms. Psaki insisted the U.S. has gone beyond sanctions to aid Ukraine. She said the U.S. has provided more military assistance to Ukraine this year than any other country.

She also noted that the U.S. is providing information to the global community and the media to combat Russian misinformation.

If Russia escalates its attacks on Ukraine by using chemical weapons, Ms. Psaki said the world would respond with “severe consequences.”

She declined to spell out what steps the U.S. and its allies would take.

She also reiterated that President Biden would not send U.S. troops directly to Ukraine to fight Russians.

“Starting World War III is certainly not in our national security interests,” she said. “Putting troops on the ground in Ukraine to fight a war with Russia is not in our security interests.”

Republicans on Capitol Hill have been hesitant to criticize Mr. Biden’s moves against Russia, but have called for more punitive sanctions.

But the moderation has drawn out Mr. Biden’s critics.

Sen. Ben Sasse, Nebraska Republican, criticized the sanctions as “too little, too late,” arguing that they should have been imposed before Mr. Putin sent troops into Ukraine.

GOP Reps. Mike McCaul of Texas and Mike Rogers of Alabama last month argued that Mr. Biden’s sanctions haven’t gone far enough and urged the House to hold a vote on a Republican bill that would impose harsher penalties on Russia.