A White house spokesmen said Wednesday that Russia is "paying a price for their actions in Ukraine" responding to a report that the Russian economy could be the lowest output since 2009 mainly because of western sanctions.
Press Secretary for the White House Josh Earnest added in a briefing today that "the sanctions regime that was put in place by the United States in close coordination with our European partners has imposed a significant economic cost on the Russians for their inappropriate interference in the affairs of the sovereign nation of Ukraine".
"That is an indication of a successful policy implementation" he added.
Earnest was responding to a report by the Wall Street Journal which referred to Russia's economy stalls amid western sanction and oil price drop as well as a record low for the Ruble against the dollar and euro.
"We have not seen as much as we would like in terms of abiding by the terms of the cease-fire and an indication that the Russians are prepared to respect basic international norms and particularly the borders of sovereign countries" he stated.
"So we continue to have concerns, but it's also clear that the sanctions regime that the United States has put in place has taken a toll on the Russian economy and the Russians are paying a price for their actions in Ukraine" Earnest acknowledged.