Tongue Slip: Ukraine Freedom Support Act Still Not Signed by Obama, US Says

© AP Photo / Jacquelyn Martin US President Barack Obama has not yet signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, which envisages sanctions against Russia and lethal weapons support for Ukraine, a source in the White House told RIA Novosti Thursday.
US President Barack Obama has not yet signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, which envisages sanctions against Russia and lethal weapons support for Ukraine, a source in the White House told RIA Novosti Thursday. - Sputnik International
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A source in the White House and an official of the US Department of State stated that US President Barack Obama has not signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act yet and US Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki misspoke during the daily press briefing on Wednesday.

Obama Likely to Sign Russian Sanctions Bill: White House - Sputnik International
Obama Likely to Sign Russian Sanctions Bill: White House
MOSCOW, December 18 (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama has not yet signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, which envisages sanctions against Russia and lethal weapons support for Ukraine, a source in the White House told RIA Novosti Thursday.

"The President has not yet signed the bill," the source said.

US Department of State spokesperson misspoke during the daily press briefing on Wednesday, stating that President Barack Obama had signed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act, the department's official said.

"Jen [Psaki] actually misspoke during today’s briefing, so we will be correcting this with a footnote on the transcript found on the website in a few minutes," the representative said.

Jen Psaki said during the press briefing that Obama had signed the bill yesterday.

US President Barack Obama - Sputnik International
Obama Signs Ukraine Freedom Support Act: Psaki
However, a December 17 update to the White House website still shows the legislation is pending Obama's signature.

The bill authorizes, but does not mandate the president to provide lethal and non-lethal aid to the Ukrainian government and impose a new round of economic sanctions on Russia’s defense, energy and finance sectors.

White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said Tuesday that Obama intended to sign the Ukraine Freedom Support Act by the end of the week.

In September, during his visit to the United States, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko pressured the Congress and US President Barack Obama to provide more lethal and non-lethal military equipment to the Ukrainian forces, but the White House rebuffed his request for weapons.

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