President Obama on Thursday said that the U.S. will not take military action in Ukraine despite recent Russian advances in the region.
“We are not taking military action to solve the Ukrainian problem,” he said during a press briefing. “A military solution to this problem is not going to be forthcoming.”
The president reiterated that Russia is “responsible for the violence in eastern Ukraine,” as the government has armed, trained and funded pro-Russia separatists in the region.
U.S. sanctions against Russia have been effective, Obama said, adding that further action by Russia “will only bring more consequences.”
Obama will attend the NATO summit in Wales next week and will also separately meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.