White House press secretary Josh Earnest speaks during his daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014 (Photo: AP)
US President Barack Obama will sign into law a bill passed by Congress to tighten sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine, the White House said Tuesday, amid a dramatic run on the ruble.
"The president does intend to sign the bill," spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters, while adding "it does preserve the president's flexibility to carry out this strategy."
Obama had formerly opposed the new sanctions, arguing that it would be a mistake to take unilateral US action without coordinating with Washington's European Union allies.
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