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Biden Snaps At Reporter, Says Sanctions Never Meant To Deter Putin – Multiple Top Officials Said Otherwise

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At a NATO Headquarters press conference on Thursday, President Biden rebuffed a journalist for suggesting that sanctions are meant to discourage Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The President was confronted by a reporter who stated flat-out, “Sir, deterrence didn’t work.”

He responded by saying that it was not the original plan.

“Let’s get something straight,” Biden said. “You remember, if you’ve covered me from the beginning, I did not say that in fact, the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. It’s all you hear. Sanctions never deter.”

The reporter continued pressing, asking if the President believes “the actions today will have an impact on making Russia change course in Ukraine.”

“That’s not what I said. You — you — you’re playing a game with me,” Biden shot back before catching himself and ending the conversation with, “The answer is no.”

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Biden Slams Reporter For Asking About Sanctions

Biden could not have believed that sanctions would stop Putin but high-ranking officials at multiple times suggested the contrary.

Vice President Kamala Harris, in her infamous interview in which she gave a “layman’s” explanation of the Russian invasion, explained that sanctions were akin to punishing children for doing something bad so they don’t do it again or do something worse.

“So you know if you’re a parent and you tell your children to do this, the punishment is gonna be that, right?” she explained.

“And we hope that by doing that it will deter our children from doing the wrong thing, right?” Harris continued. “So that’s deterrence, so that’s where we started with the sanctions.”

Harris believed sanctions were intended to discourage and then fail, but the President said otherwise. They are not in the same boat when it comes down to major foreign policy issues that impact Russia, Ukraine and America.

RELATED: Majority Of Americans Think Biden Isn’t Tough Enough On Putin

White House in Odds With Biden

The White House’s website contains multiple references to senior Administration officials who discuss how sanctions can be used to stop Vladimir Putin taking action, or worsening the situation.

There is literally a section titled: “Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on Russia Ukraine Economic Deterrence Measures.”

In another briefing segment involving “a Senior Administration Official,” the effect and purpose of sanctions on Russia are discussed.

“Sanctions are meant to serve a higher purpose, which is to deter and prevent,” the official explained.

CNN’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that sanctions were intended to dissuade Putin in a CNN interview.

“The purpose of the sanctions, in the first instance, is to try to deter Russia from going to war,” Blinken said.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan relayed that “the President believes that sanctions are intended to deter.”

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that “there is a deterrent effect by keeping [the sanctions] in reserve.”

Nancy Pelosi (House Speaker), although she isn’t a member, discussed how sanctions could be used to discourage Putin from taking action.

Pelosi insisted the United States strategy was about “diplomacy” and “deterrence.”

“So if Russia doesn’t invade, it’s not that he never intended to. It’s just that the sanctions worked,” she added.

The sanctions so far have not succeeded.