WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Spicer noted that President Donald Trump is confident in the ability of acting National Security Adviser Joseph Kellogg to perform his duties until a final appointment is made for a new person to assume the post.
"There is no change in our current sanctions strategy with Russia. I've got nothing for you on that," Spicer told reporters.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also reaffirmed in the briefing that punitive measures against Russia are currently in place. He emphasized that sanctions are important tool that the Treasury Department will "continue to look at for various different countries."
The latest round of sanctions was introduced at the end of December by the administration of former President Barack Obama in response to Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.
Russia has repeatedly refuted the US claims as absurd and intended to deflect public opinion from revealed instances of corruption and other pressing domestic concerns.
On Monday night, now former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn stepped down amid reports about leaked information that he misled Trump administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about engaging in conversation with the Russian ambassador to the United States in December.
The reports claimed Flynn talked to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak about anti-Russia sanctions prior to Trump being inaugurated on January 20.
The Logan Act prohibits US citizens from privately engaging with foreign countries on issues concerning foreign policy disputes. No US citizen has been penalized for violating the Logan Act since its passage in 1799.
