State Department called an alternative to “unprecedented” sanctions against Russia – RBK

The State Department expressed the hope that Russia “will choose diplomacy” and that there will be no need to impose sanctions

Washington hopes that Moscow will choose a diplomatic route to resolve the situation with Ukraine, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a briefing on Wednesday.

“We have clearly defined what the alternative will be. The alternative that we and our NATO partners talked about is a tough response with unprecedented consequences for the Russian economy. <...> We hope that this [альтернатива] will remain hypothetical, ”Price stressed.

He noted that the American side has not yet seen signs of de-escalation on the Russian-Ukrainian border, which, as the United States has repeatedly stressed, is a key condition for progress in negotiations with Russia.

In response to a journalist’s question about what Washington will do if there is no de-escalation, but no escalation, that is, the alleged Russian invasion of Ukraine, Price said: “If the status quo remains, we will continue to use diplomacy and dialogue … But we clearly said that diplomacy and dialogue can only have results in the context of de-escalation. “