Arshad Mohamed

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken rejected calls for immediate economic sanctions against Russia on Sunday. He said that this would undermine the West’s ability deter Russian aggression towards Ukraine.

Russia is reportedly en masseding troops at its border to Ukraine, sparking Western fears that Russia might invade. Russia could invade Ukraine, and the West is threatening severe sanctions. Moscow claims it does not intend to invade.

The purpose of sanctions is deterring Russian aggression, says Blinken. “If they’re triggered now, it loses the deterrent effect,” Blinken said to CNN.

Blinken stated that if a Russian force enters Ukraine aggressively, it would trigger an immediate response.

Following accusations by Britain that Russia wanted to install pro-Russian leaders in Ukraine, Russia has been threatened with sanctions.

Volodymyr Zeleskiy, President of Ukraine, stated to the Washington Post that he was in favor of imposing sanctions right away. Republican lawmakers endorsed this view on Sunday.

“We must take action now. “When it comes to Russia pushing back, we must show strength, not be in position of… appeasement,” Republican Senator Joni Ernest, who is a member the Senate Armed Services Committee said to ABC News.

Democratic Senator Chris Coons is an ally of U.S. president Joe Biden. He argued that bipartisan U.S. legislation should be passed to show resolve and determination. However, it would be best to retain the most powerful sanctions in reserve.

According to him, “The most severe sanctions are the ones that we used to bring Iran into the table. This is something we should maintain as a preventative.”

When asked if the U.S. was tied to Ukraine due to Russia’s support for talks regarding Iran’s nuke program, Blinken told CBS News that “Not at all.”