Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday characterized Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a “brazen act of aggression.”
“It’s a 19th-century act in the 21st century that really puts at question Russia’s capacity to be within the G-8,” Kerry told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
Pressed on whether Putin would pay a price for his incursion into sovereign territory, Kerry said, “We’re busy right now coordinating with our counterparts in many parts of the world.” He emphasized that “we don’t want this to be a larger confrontation” and that the administration is “not looking for a U.S.-Russia, East-West redux.”
While the secretary of state said that the president is keeping all options on the table, he indicated that at the moment that the administration is contemplating diplomatic rather than military measures to deal with the crisis.
“We call on Russia to engage with the government of the Ukraine. We’re prepared to work very closely with Russia in order to address whatever legitimate concerns may exist,” Kerry said. “We believe there are many alternatives before you get to an invasion and none of those have been tried at this time.”