WASHINGTON, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - The US-led economic sanctions against Russia are a toll to affect the country's economy, but are not helping to change its behavior towards the Ukrainian crisis, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
"We're still waiting to see whether or not those costs on the Russian economy will have an influence over the actions of Russia in that region of the world," Earnest said during a briefing Wednesday.
Earnest said that the indication of a successful sanctions implementation would depend on whether Moscow starts to accept the terms to the ceasefire and basic international norms.
"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."
The United States, the European Union and other Western countries have already imposed several rounds of economic sanctions against Russia over its alleged involvement in the crisis in Ukraine. The economic sanctions have been targeting individuals in the country as well as its banking, defense and energy sectors.
The economic sanctions are still in force despite Moscow's denial of involvement in the Ukrainian crisis.
