Ukraine conflict: west extends sanctions against Russia
Western leaders agree to extend sanctions against Russia for failing to abide by the Ukraine peace accord agreed in Geneva.
Following a conference call between US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and the French, German and Italian leaders, the British government said in a statement that they “continued to hold open the door to a diplomatic solution to the crisis, based on the Geneva agreement”.
But the statement added: “The five leaders agreed that in the light of Russia’s refusal to support the process, an extension of the current targeted sanctions would need to be implemented, in conjunction with other G7 leaders and with European partners.”
The Geneva agreement, struck by Russia, Ukraine, the US and EU, was supposed to have led to the disarmament of pro-Russian paramilitary groups which have been occupying government buildings in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces killed up to five pro-Moscow rebels on Thursday as they closed in on the separatists’ military stronghold in the east, and Russia launched army drills near the border in response, raising fears its troops would invade.
‘Bloody crime’
The deaths prompted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to claim that the Ukrainians were waging “war on their own people”, adding: “This is a bloody crime and those who have pushed the army to do that will pay, I am sure, and will face justice.”
The world has not yet forgotten world war two, but Russia already wants to start world war three Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian Prime Minister
US and EU sanctions designed to punish Moscow for its role in Ukraine are having an adverse effect on the Russian economy, reflected in Standard and Poor’s decision on Friday to downgrade the country’s credit ratings.
Mr Lavrov said Russia was prepared to abide by the Geneva agreement, but said the US was making “one-sided demands”.
President Obama, who accuses Moscow of sending agents to Ukraine to co-ordinate unrest in the east of the country, is planning to talk to European leaders on Friday about extending sanctions imposed on Russia after the February annexation of Crimea.
‘World war three’
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk accused Russia of wanting to start a new world war, saying: “Attempts at military conflict in Ukraine will lead to a military conflict in Europe.The world has not yet forgotten world war two, but Russia already wants to start world war three.”
On Friday, Ukrainian troops launched the second phase of their so-called “anti-terrorist” operation by mounting a full blockade of the rebel-held city of Slaviansk.
US Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of “distraction, deception and destabilisation” in eastern Ukraine. He said: “The window to change course is closing.
“Following [Thursday’s] threatening movement of Russian troops right up to Ukraine’s border, let me be clear … if Russia continues in this direction, it will not just be a grave mistake, it will be an expensive mistake.”
Mr Kerry said Russia was using propaganda to hide what it was trying to do in eastern Ukraine – destabilise the region and undermine next month’s Ukrainian presidential elections – and denounced its “threatening movement” of troops up to Ukraine’s border.
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Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, slid into unrest in late 2013 when Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a pact to build closer ties with Europe.
In response, protesters took over central Kiev and he fled the country in February. Days later, Russian troops seized control of Crimea.
