The decision was made late Monday night after President Barack Obama met with key members of his national security staff for over two hours at the White House regarding the ongoing crisis in eastern Europe.
During the meeting, Obama and top national security advisers “discussed what steps we can take with our international partners to further isolate Russia and reinforce that the Russians still have an opportunity to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation,” according to a National Security Council official.
That said, Kirby dismissed claims that the decision to cut military ties with Moscow is the first step toward possible U.S. military action against Russian forces in Crimea or elsewhere.
“There has been no change to our military posture in Europe or the Mediterranean,” he said.
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