Could this selfie stop Vladimir Putin?

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki indicates her support for Ukraine in a Twitter post Thursday. Picture: New York Post Source: New York Post

RUSSIAN leader Vladimir Putin sent in troops and tanks to invade neighbouring Ukraine and the United States is coming to the rescue with selfies.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki was mocked Thursday after posting a photo of herself on Twitter holding a sign that read #UnitedForUkraine @StateDeptSpox."

Psaki, who has worked closely with President Obama since his 2008 campaign and is the chief communications adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry, is smiling and giving a thumbs-up in the photo.

But the cheerleading for beleaguered Ukraine wasn't trending or scaring off bully Putin, said critics in the blogosphere.

"Presenting The Latest US Strategy to Counter 'Russian Aggression,'" a snarky blogger posted on zerohedge.com. "#Selfies!"

Russia's President Vladimir Putin's soldiers have seized Crimea. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Russian soldiers fire a tank at a former Ukrainian military base in Perevalne, in Crimea. Picture: AP Source: AP

Critics said the photo from America's chief diplomatic perch was embarrassing.

"No wonder Putin covers his mouth when speaking to Obama, perhaps to hide his laugh?" wrote another blogger.

"How flippin' sad has the USA become?" wondered a third critic.

Psaki defended her photo.

"The people of Ukraine are fighting to have their voices heard and the benefit of communicating over social media is it sends a direct message to the people that we are with them, we support their fight, their voice and their future," she said.

"We are going to do everything we can to support Ukraine": US President Barack Obama has pledged tough action against Russia. Picture: AP Source: AP

World leaders and the US Congress tried to provide Ukraine with more than selfie support Thursday to help contain Russia.

The International Monetary Fund pledged up to $18 billion in loans to Ukraine and the UN voted overwhelmingly to condemn the Russian-sponsored vote in Crimea that drove it toward the Kremlin.

For its part, Congress approved harsher sanctions against Russia.

Yet even with such intensive help to prop up Ukraine's teetering economy, its prime minister warned of painful times ahead to implement economic reforms.

In a passionate address to parliament in Kiev, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk warned that Ukraine was "on the brink of economic and financial bankruptcy" and laid out the fixes needed to put the country back on track.