US has no real military option in Ukraine: Gates
Iran Press TV
Mon May 12, 2014 10:17AM GMT
Former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that President Barack Obama's options in Ukraine are limited and that his country has no "military option" there.
Gates described Washington's position in Ukraine as 'a tough spot' where Obama has 'few tactical options' and 'no real military option.'
'In the short term, there's not a lot we can do,' Gates said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS's 'Face the Nation.'
He said that Russian presence in Ukraine is a 'done deal,' adding that the Russian president will not wait to see he has lost all his supporters in Ukraine.
'I don't think [Russian President Vladimir Putin] will rest until there's a pro-Russian government in Kiev or a federated Ukraine where the eastern part of the country, for all practical purposes, looks to Russia,' he stated.
Tensions between Moscow and Washington have been escalating over the crisis in Ukraine. However, despite repeated threats, the US has not yet announced any sanctions that would target sectors of the Russian economy.
US sanctions have so far targeted 45 individuals and 19 entities, including SMP Bank and Bank Rossiya. The sanctions involve a US travel ban and a freeze on any assets these individuals and entities hold in the United States.
The Obama administration has so far failed to nudge European leaders towards sanctions against Russia's economy because targeting Russia's entire economy would most likely ricochet and harm US allies in Europe.
AT/AGB
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