Time a Press conference on Thursday Following an urgent NATO summit in Brussels to address the war in Ukraine, President Biden was pressured by CBS News correspondent Christina Rufini that economic sanctions had failed to deter Russian dictator Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, Biden angrily denied that sanctions were ever a form of resistance and accused Rufini of “playing a game” with him.
“Sir, resistance did not work. Do you think Vladimir Putin will change based on what you do today? Rufini asked at the end of the brief press. Biden nodded in response: “Let’s get straight to the point, do you remember, if you cover me, I didn’t say from the beginning that sanctions would actually stop him.” Then he announced: “Prohibition never stops. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never stop. ”
Discouraging himself, Rufini followed: “Do you believe that today’s steps will have the effect of transforming Russia in Ukraine?” Biden became even more excited: “It’s not what I said, you’re playing a game with me, I know. The answer is no. “
As the press conference drew to a close, CBS correspondent Major Garrett, who was anchoring the network’s special coverage, immediately verified the president’s lie: “History will record that before the aggression began in Ukraine, several administrative officials representing US President Joseph Biden said that sanctions could prevent that attack.”
Garrett noted: “The president has just said, again, emphatically, they don’t stop, all they do is keep up the pressure over time in the hope of achieving a different outcome.” He then turned to White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe, who traveled to Europe with Biden, who called for a major change in the administration’s position on sanctions: “Well, you made a good point there, that yes, in the face of all this, the administration said it was designed to prevent, and the story has changed since they were enacted.”
As reported by The Hill on February 20, just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken explicitly told multiple media outlets that the economic sanctions were intended to deter Putin. “In the first instance, the purpose of the sanctions is to try to stop Russia from going to war,” he told CNN. Union State 7 days. On NBC Meet the pressBlinken similarly argued that sanctions were part of an international effort to “create what we can to prevent them.” [Putin] From the course he is setting now. “
This is not the first time that Biden has reprimanded a journalist for asking a valid question. In January, the president notoriously called Fox News White House correspondent Peter Dusi “a dog’s stupid boy” and asked about the political impact of rising inflation on the Democratic Party’s chances in the Democratic midterm elections.
In addition to Rufini’s grilling, Biden also got one Tough question from ABC’s Cecilia VegaWho challenged: “You don’t want to see World War III, but is it possible to express that … so quickly that you were too quick to deny direct military intervention in this war? Could Putin have dared not know that you would not be directly involved?” ? In response, the President simply proposed the word “no and no”.
Here is Rufini’s transcript of March 24 with Biden, including fact-checking by Garrett and O’Keefe:
1:49 PM ET
(…)
Joe Biden: Someone I haven’t called before. You. Who are you
Christina Rafini: I am Christina Rufini from CBS. Thank you, sir.
Biden: All right.
Rafini: Sir, resistance did not work. Do you think Vladimir Putin will change based on what you do today?
Biden: Let’s get straight to the point, do you remember, if you cover me, I didn’t say from the beginning that sanctions would stop him. Prohibition never stops. You keep talking about that. Prohibition never stops. The maintenance of sanctions, the maintenance of sanctions, the escalation of pain, and the protests – why I say this for the NATO meeting today – must ensure that we maintain what we are doing one month later, not just next month, next month, but for the rest of this whole year. That is what will stop him.
Rufini: Do you believe that today’s steps will have an impact on paving the way for Russia’s transformation in Ukraine?
Biden: Not what I said, you’re playing a game with me, I know. The answer is no. I think what happens is we have to show – purpose – the single most important thing for us is to stay united and continue to focus on how brutal this world is and how the lives of all innocent people are being ruined and destroyed and what is happening. Going. This is the important thing.
But look, if you are Putin and you think – that Europe is going to explode in a month or six weeks or two months, why not – they can take something for another month. But we have to show. For the reason I said for the meeting, we have to be fully, completely, thoroughly united. Thanks.
Major Garrett: CBS correspondent Christina Rufini got that last question from President Biden. History will show that before the invasion of Ukraine began, several administrative officials representing US President Joseph Biden said that sanctions could prevent that invasion. The president just says, again, emphatically, they don’t stop, all they do is keep up the pressure over time in the hope of achieving a different outcome.
Ed O’Keefe, our White House correspondent, who is out of NATO headquarters, has now joined us. Ed, what are you thinking?
ED O’KEEFE: Well, you made a good point there, that yes, in the face of all this, the administration said it was designed to stop, and the story has changed since they became legal.
(…)