US Ambassador spoke about choosing Obama between sanctions and the war with Russia

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The sanctions imposed by the United States over the Crimea have become an alternative to the military clash between Washington and Moscow, said US Ambassador John Tefft. In addition, this is a way for the United States to convey to Russia a message that the "attack on democracy" is unacceptable, writes RBC.

The US ambassador to Russia, John Tefft, said during an interview with Echo of Moscow radio station that the anti-Russian sanctions imposed by US President Barack Obama were an alternative to the US-Russian military clash.

“The choice that was presented to the Obama administration:“ Do you want to wage war with Russia? ”Nobody wanted that. And Russia did not want to go to war with the United States, as I understand it, ”said Tefft.

Answering the moderator’s question about whether he considers the imposition of economic sanctions effective, Tefft said that economic restrictions are a “stupid tool” and “everybody understands this,” however, despite this, they are “effective.”

"The choice that was presented to the Obama Administration was: 'Do you want to go to war with Russia?' Nobody wanted this. And Russia did not want to go to war with the United States, as far as I understand,” says Tefft.

He also added that the US needed to “express disagreement with what was described as a violation of international law,” and the subsequent economic restrictions imposed by the United States on Russia were introduced as a reaction to cyber attacks on the US electoral system.

“As far as I understand, 30 of 50 states experienced attacks by Russian hackers against election commissions. And it is just very discouraging for Americans: if the Russians can do this, they perceive it as a direct attack on the electoral system, ”said Tefft. That is why, the ambassador stressed, “the voting was unanimous in the Senate and in the House of Representatives on sanctions”.

Tefft also called the introduction of the latest anti-Russian sanctions "an attempt to convey information to Russia" that she "should not be engaged in this [cyber attacks]."

“We are not the only ones: the French, the French system was also under attack. I don’t know what is happening with regard to Germany, where there will be elections next month, but in any democracy the attack on the democratic system is discouraging for everyone, ”concluded Tefft.

In early August, US President Donald Trump signed a law on sanctions against three countries at once - Russia, the DPRK and Iran. In particular, he suggests introduction New sanctions against Russian state-owned companies operating in the railway, metallurgy and mining sectors, as well as restricting the transfer of American technology for the exploration and production of Russian oil in deep water, on the Arctic shelf and in shale formations. The same law restricts the president in the right to lift sanctions from the listed countries - henceforth the US president will need to obtain the consent of the congress.

Even earlier, January 14, 2017 of the year, former US President Barack Obama, before his resignation, extended the sanctions regime imposed on Russia because of the Crimea for a year.

Also in late December 2016, the Obama introduced new sanctions against Russia "for Russia's intervention in the US election." They included, in particular, the FSB and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of Russia (the former Main Intelligence Directorate, the GRU), as well as three companies that, according to the text of the decree on sanctions, "provide material support for cyber actions" of the special services. Washington also declared Russian diplomats persona non grata 35, obliging them to leave the USA within 72 hours, and deprived the Russian Embassy in the USA of diplomatic real estate in Maryland and New York.

In response, Russia 1 August deprived The US embassy in Moscow has the right to use the “diplomatic cottage” in Serebryany Bor and a warehouse on Dorozhnaya Street, and also advised Washington to reduce the number of diplomats working in Russia to 445 people.

Read more about the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy in the text. ForumDaily “Carnegie Moscow Center: What the New US Sanctions Mean for Russia”.

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