It's becoming more and more difficult for Putin to fund Ukrainian war every single day, says WH
Washington(PTI): It is becoming more and more difficult for Russian President Vladimir Putin to fund his war in Ukraine, the White House said Tuesday adding that more tough sanctions are to be announced on Wednesday.
What we are doing and we're already seeing effectively happen is the financial system in Russia is near the brink of collapse. I mean, they're projecting 15 per cent inflation, a contraction of 15 percent in their economy. Private sector businesses are pulling out of the country. It is more and more difficult for President Putin to fund this war every single day. That has an impact, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.
But what we're also doing is providing a historic amount of military and security assistance, which is what they've been using effectively over the last few weeks to fight this war and push back the Russians, she said.
At the same time, Psaki reiterated that the United States is not calling for regime change.
That has not been our policy and continues not to be our policy. But again, our view is that he is a war criminal and he is somebody who should be looked at by the international system which evaluates war crimes, she said.
The White House is planning another set of sanctions on Russia. This is likely to be announced on Wednesday.
In coordination with the G-7 and the EU, an additional sweeping package of sanction measures that will impose costs on Russia, send it further down the road of economic, financial, and technological isolation, she said.
This will include a ban on all new investment in Russia and increased sanctions on financial institutions and state owned enterprises in Russia and sanctions on Russian government officials and their family members. These measures will degrade key instruments of Russian state power and pose acute and immediate economic harm on Russia and hold accountable the Russian kleptocracy that funds and supports Putin's war, she said.
The US is working to rally the world and taking steps to hold Russia accountable.
It does not mean they're identical. It doesn't mean they'll all happen on the exact same timeline. But that is what we're continuing to work to do from here, she said.
Responding to a question, Psaki said the US is coordinating with the G-7 and the EU, which is about 50 per cent of the global economy, which is still a significant unified entity in holding Russia accountable.
In our conversations, obviously, we had our Deputy National Security Advisor travel to India recently to convey the implementation of our own sanctions, she said when told that major countries like China, India and Brazil are not participating in the sanctions.
Our expectation is not only that other countries will abide by but that they will also be a constructive part of holding Russia accountable, she said.
Observing that Putin is a pariah, Psaki said that this has all been the result of a coordinated global effort to put in place economic and financial consequences that are having an incredible effect.
In addition, we have made it much more difficult because of export controls and other limitations on the type of materials that President Putin and the Russians can purchase to build the technological systems and capacities to fight wars in addition to funding wars. Those are all components that had been the result of the efforts to date, she said.
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Bengal: On way to PM's rally, 3 mowed down by train amid dense fog
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons died and three others were injured after being hit by a train amid dense fog on Saturday, while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Taherpur in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior official said.
The incident occurred between Taherpur and Badkulla railway stations under the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section of Eastern Railway, he said.
Modi, whose helicopter could not land at Taherpur due to dense fog and low visibility, condoled the death of the “BJP workers” in his virtual address from Kolkata airport.
“I have come to know that some BJP workers, while travelling to the rally, lost their lives in a rail accident. My condolences are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi said.
The Eastern Railway official told PTI that the incident occurred in the morning when these people, who were travelling by a bus, had stopped the vehicle and walked to the railway tracks to answer nature's call.
"While three persons died on the spot, two others with injuries were admitted to a local hospital," he said.
Another person with minor injuries was released after having been administered first aid, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Shaktipada Sutradhar (55) and Gopinath Das (38).
Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district, alleged that the BJP ignored the incident and went ahead with the rally.
"Terrible tragedy hushed up at altar of @narendramodi ego. @BJP4India supporters brought from far Murshidabad for PM rally in Ranaghat today," she said in a post on X.
"4 went to answer nature's call and were killed by 31814 down local train near Taherpur. BJP ignored, blacked out & went ahead with rally," Moitra claimed.
Reacting to her remarks, the West Bengal BJP, in a post on X, asserted that the TMC "has always been adept at milking tragedies", and was being "disrespectful to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy".
The TMC alleged that BJP leaders have not shown "neither concern nor compassion" over the mishap.
"The loss of three lives in Taherpur should have united everyone in grief. But @BJP4India leaders showed neither concern nor compassion," it said in another post on X.
"At this painful moment, Smt @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc put humanity above party lines and stood beside the families of the deceased," the party said.
TMC’s on-ground leaders promptly reached out to the grieving family members, ensuring them of help and assistance, it said.
"While Delhi’s rulers chase Bengal with arrogance, our leadership chose empathy. This is the difference between politics of power and politics of people!" the TMC added.
