White House Press Secretary Jay Carney struggled through questions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during Thursday’s press briefing, trying to explain that the international crisis "doesn’t have to be a negative thing" for Russia.
Carney said that while it is "a mistake in the long run" for Russia to reject Ukraine’s move to the West, he hoped the two could coexist should the Ukrainian people opt for stronger ties with the European Union.
As of press time, it was unclear whether the White House position had translated into Secretary of State Kerry patting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the head and telling him America wasn’t mad, just disappointed.