President Obama announced Friday that the U.S. and its European allies would “deepen and broaden” sanctions against the Russian banking, energy and defense sectors, even as Russia and Ukraine united behind a cease-fire to halt the violence between the two nations.
Obama, at the close of a NATO summit in Wales, welcomed the cease-fire but was skeptical of how long peace would last.
“The cease-fire announced today can advance that goal, but only if there is follow-through on the ground,” he said.
“We are hopeful but based on past experience, also skeptical,” the president added. “It has to be tested.”
