Obama: We have to focus on job creation
President Obama makes a statement about the job numbers in a news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. More from CNN at To license this and other CNN/HLN content,. No description...
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Reporting from Washington
President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday ratcheted up the threat of economic backlash against Russia, saying they are preparing broader sanctions if Moscow continues to stoke violence in eastern Ukraine in the run-up to elections later this month.
The Russian leadership must know that if it continues to destabilize eastern Ukraine and disrupt this month's presidential election, we will move quickly on additional steps, including further sanctions that will impose greater costs, Obama said during a joint news conference in the Rose Garden.
After weeks of threatening to impose sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy, Obama and Merkel appeared to be refining the trigger point for enacting the tougher penalties that could cause pain to Europe as well as Russia. In previous remarks, Obama had only specified that the sanctions would come if Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine.
The new red line comes as violence in eastern Ukraine has increased with the fledgling government in Kiev struggling to subdue pro-Russian separatists. Western powers say Moscow is behind the insurgents and has broken its promise to urge them to stand down.
Talk of the U.S. and European response to the continuing crisis dominated Merkels brief visit to Washington on Friday. The two leaders sought to present a united front against Russia, despite the open rift between the nations on another hot topic -- U.S. spying.
Revelations that U.S. intelligence agencies listened in on Merkels phone calls have caused sustained tensions between Berlin and Washington. Attempts to craft a new agreement outlining the rules of the road for spying between U.S. and Germany have so far failed.
Merkel raised the issue in the news conference, noting that the two sides had not yet reached a deal and that the matter will require further discussion.
Obama sought to reassure German citizens that the U.S. is not vacuuming up all of their phone conversations and email correspondence, saying, Ordinary Germans are not subject to continual surveillance. He also pushed back on reports that the U.S. had offered and then rescinded a no-spy agreement to the French, which has angered Germans who have sought similar assurances.
We do not have a blanket no-spy agreement with any country, with any of our closest partners, Obama said, adding that the United States was working with various allies to address concerns that have arisen after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents that disclosed the extent of U.S. spying.
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Obama, Merkel threaten broader sanctions against Russia over Ukraine
President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are putting on a display of trans-Atlantic unity against an assertive Russia, even as sanctions imposed by Western allies seem to be doing little to change Russian President Vladimir Putin's reasoning on Ukraine.
Days after the United States and the European Union slapped Moscow with a new round of sanctions, Merkel was to hold meetings, a working lunch and a joint news conference with Obama on Friday. The German chancellor comes to the White House buoyed by a decisive re-election victory late last year but facing pressure from all sides as Europe seeks to toe a hard line against Russia on Ukraine without harming its own economic interests.
As the crisis in Ukraine has deteriorated, Merkel has spoken to Putin perhaps more frequently than any other European leader. As such, the U.S. sees her as a critical channel of communication with the unpredictable Russian leader, as well as a key player in the effort to prevent other EU nations from going soft on sanctions.
"There's no question that the situation in Ukraine, the continued failure by Russia to abide by its commitments in the Geneva Agreement will be a focus of the conversation," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a reference to the diplomatic deal struck two weeks ago in the Swiss city to calm tensions between pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine and the central government in Kiev.
U.S. and German officials said ahead of the Obama-Merkel meeting that part of the discussion probably would focus on how the U.S. and Europe would coordinate harsher punishments -- including sanctions targeting broad sectors of Russia's economy -- should Moscow further provoke tensions in Ukraine, such as by sending military forces into restive eastern Ukraine. The White House is concerned that Europe's deep economic interests in Russia and dependence on Russian energy could deter EU nations from following through with sanctions that could ricochet onto their own economies.
"She's getting enormous pressure from German industry not to harm their interests," said Heather Conley, a Europe expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "She has to start laying the political groundwork for this because it requires some sacrifice."
Merkel, like Obama, has ruled out military action to deter Putin from seizing more of Ukraine. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has urged Obama to send weapons to Ukraine's government, said he planned to tell Merkel during a private meeting that he was embarrassed but unsurprised by her country's failure of leadership.
"The leaders, they're being governed by the industrial complex of Germany," McCain said Thursday. "They might as well have them in the government. It's shameful."
A troubled EU-U.S. trade agreement, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, is also on the agenda, as well as joint efforts to deal with climate change, Syria's civil war and nuclear negotiations with Iran, said Laura Magnuson of the White House's National Security Council.
But the German leader may also be bringing her concerns over U.S. spying programs -- an issue that's continued to erode the U.S.-German relationship despite Obama's assurances that the National Security Agency would stop eavesdropping on Merkel's cellphone.
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Obama, Merkel aim to display unity against Russia
President Obama warned Friday that western leaders are preparing "broader-based" sanctions aimed at whole sectors of the Russian economy if Moscow does not calm the flaring crisis in Ukraine.
Following another round of U.S. sanctions earlier this week, Obama said the next step will be sanctions aimed at sectors of the Russian economy, including the energy, arms and finance sectors. Obama said he hopes not to have to use such sanctions, but will if Russia's disruptions threaten Ukraine elections scheduled for May 25.
The president spoke alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Rose Garden following a meeting with his German counterpart. Obama said the two allies are "united" in support for Ukraine and "unwavering" in their commitment to defending NATO nations.
They spoke as Ukrainian security forces and pro-Russian separatists clashed violently Friday in key cities. At least two helicopters were shot down, and the interim president said "many" pro-Russian rebels had been killed.
Obama voiced support for the Ukrainian government on the day of its first major offensive aimed at driving out the insurgents occupying government buildings across the east. He said Kiev is moving to "restore order."
"The last thing we want is disorder and chaos in the center of Europe," Obama said.
The president reiterated that Russia needs to use its influence over paramilitary groups to disarm them. He said the notion that these are spontaneous protests in eastern Ukraine is "belied by all the evidence."
He said the country will face "increasing costs" if it does not.
"There are a range of approaches that can be taken," he said.
"Further sanctions will be unavoidable," Merkel said.
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Obama warns Russia may face 'broader' sanctions as Ukraine unrest flares
Putin "needs to be dissuaded from his current course," Obama said.
The two leaders met as the European Union announced it would hold talks with Ukraine and Russia later this month on the price of natural gas, an attempt to avoid any disruption in supplies. Moscow recently hiked the price of gas shipped to Ukraine to $485 per thousand cubic meters from $268.50, and threatened to limit deliveries if Kiev does not meet the new price and repay a debt of $3.5 billion.
More forebodingly, pro-Russia forces shot down two Ukrainian helicopters Friday and Ukraine reported many rebels dead and wounded as the interim government in Kiev launched its first major offensive against an insurgency that has seized government buildings across the east.
Obama also said violence escalating in eastern Ukraine is making it obvious to the world that pro-Russia militants there are not peaceful protesters.
Obama voiced support for the Ukrainian government on the day of its first major offensive aimed at driving out the insurgents occupying government buildings across the east. He says Kiev is moving to "restore order."
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Obama: More sanctions if Russia disrupts election