The administration of US President Barack Obama has once again threatened Russia with "sanctions" and "additional costs" if Moscow "continues down the path that it is currently on" over the crisis in Ukraine.
"There will be additional costs if Russia chooses not to work with the international community to resolve these issues in a manner that's consistent with international law and that respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty," White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday.
"I don't want to limit the actions we may take, but certainly sanctions would be part of the action," he added.
The new threats from the White House followed reports that said Russia has gathered thousands of its troops near its border with Ukraine to conduct military exercises.
On Tuesday, Carney also said that Washington’s military exercises in Romanian and Bulgarian warships in the Black Sea "speak in a clear voice" to Russia.
A US Navy destroyer is set to take part in joint military drills in the Black Sea while in Poland, US fighter jets and hundreds of American troops are planned to participate in military exercises.
Before a Senate hearing earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State John Kerry also threatened Russia with sanctions if Moscow recognized the results of a planned referendum on Sunday which will ask Crimeans’ view on whether the region should break away from Ukraine and join Russia.
"There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself," Kerry said. "If there is no sign [from Moscow] of any capacity to respond to this issue ... there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday."
(Press TV)
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