Obama holds talks with top leaders
Attacking Russia for the escalation of tensions in Ukraine, the United States and its G-7 allies have announced plans to impose broader, coordinated sanctions against Moscow. After President Barak Obama’s telephonic talk with top leaders on Friday, the G-7 nations announced that they would “act urgently to intensify targeted sanctions and measures to increase the costs of Russia’s actions”.
“Given the urgency of securing the opportunity for a successful and peaceful democratic vote next month in Ukraine’s presidential elections, we have committed to act urgently to intensify targeted sanctions and measures to increase the costs of Russia’s actions,” the G-7 said.
Some reports mentioned that a part of the newer sanctions could come as early as Monday amid speculation in some quarters that Russia might be preparing to invade Ukraine. The Pentagon said late Friday that Russian aircraft had entered Ukrainian airspace “on several occasions in the last 24 hours” and called on Moscow to take “immediate steps” to defuse the situation.
The G-7, comprising the US, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, issued a strongly-worded statement, accusing Russia of not doing its part to implement the deal brokered in Geneva on April 17 to defuse the situation in Ukraine.
“Russia has taken no concrete actions in support of the Geneva accord. It has not publicly supported the accord, nor condemned the acts of pro-separatists seeking to destabilize Ukraine, nor called on armed militants to leave peacefully the government buildings they’ve occupied and put down their arms. Instead, it has continued to escalate tensions by increasingly concerning rhetoric and ongoing threatening military manoeuvres on Ukraine’s border,” the statement said.
It maintained that the Ukraine Government, in contrast, has acted with restraint in dealing with the armed bands illegally occupying Government buildings and forming illegal checkpoints.
While preparing for the new set of coordinated sanctions that could include “sectoral measures should circumstances warrant”, the G-7 said it is committed to taking further steps to ensure a peaceful and stable environment for Ukraine’s May 25 presidential election in the face of “continued efforts by separatists backed by Russia to destabilise eastern Ukraine”.
The statement, however, sought to keep the door ajar for any further efforts for “a diplomatic resolution of the crisis on the basis of the Geneva accord”, adding: “We urge Russia to join us in committing to that path.”
A senior US official, speaking on background, was quoted as saying: “Each country will determine which targeted sanctions they will impose. These sanctions will be coordinated and complementary, but not necessarily identical. US sanctions could come as early as Monday.”