President Barack Obama continued to put pressure Tuesday on Russia to reverse course in Ukraine, dismissing an earlier press conference by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a smokescreen to justify an illegal invasion. There is a shared belief around the world that “Russia’s action is violating international law,” Obama said in brief remarks . “President Putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations but I don’t think that is fooling anybody,” Obama said. Obama said Russia had legitimate interests in what happens in Ukraine, but doesn’t have the right to use force. At his earlier press conference, Putin had portrayed Russia’s military steps as necessary to protect Russian speakers in the south and east of Ukraine. At a press conference in Kiev after a tour of the city’s charred Independence Square, Secretary of State John Kerry responded to Putin by saying that Russia was “out of excuses, hiding its hand behind falsehoods, intimidations and provocations.” Kerry said Russia had been searching unsuccessfully to find a pretext to expand its “unilateral invasion” from Crimea into eastern Ukraine. he best way to protect Russian speakers was for Putin to directly to engage with the interim Ukrainian government, Kerry said. Prior to his press conference, Putin ended military exercises in the border regions of Ukraine, sending stocks higher. He also said Russia has been simply defending its military installations on the Crimean peninsula. On his arrival in Ukraine, Kerry pledged $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine. Kerry later said the Treasury Department was working with U.S. allies on a broader package to aid the Ukrainian economy that would also provide them with the technical assistance. Kerry called on Russia to “de-escalate” the crisis, but quickly added the U.S. would take steps to further isolate Russia if its military did not step back.. The New York Times said the U.S. was prepared to impose sanctions on high-level Russian officials involved in the military occupation of Crimea. Kerry said over the weekend that Russia could be removed from the G-8 if it did not end its foray into Ukraine but European officials appear cool to the idea, according to reports.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 06:34:07 +0000
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