Amid the spurt in violence in eastern Ukraine, US President Barack Obama has warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin against any further escalation, urging him to withdraw his troops massed on the border and intercede with pro-Russian militants who have seized Government buildings.
In a “frank and direct” telephone conversation with Putin, Obama expressed “grave concern about Russian Government support for the actions of armed, pro-Russian separatists who threaten to undermine and destabilise the government of Ukraine”.
All irregular forces in the country need to lay down their arms, said a White House readout of the conversation, noting that Obama urged Putin to “use his influence with these armed, pro-Russian groups to convince them to depart the buildings they have seized”.
Putin, however, asserted that Russia was not behind the ongoing incidents and asked Obama in turn to discourage the Ukrainian Government from using force against the protesters, according to a Russian version of the conversation between the two leaders.
During the phone call, initiated at Moscow’s request, Obama also reiterated the call for withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine’s border in order to defuse tensions, taking the stand that despite the “rhetoric” of Russian officials, the Ukrainian Government has acted with restraint.
Obama went on to praise the Ukrainian Government’s efforts to “unify the country by holding free and fair presidential elections on May 25, pursuing inclusive constitutional reform and proposing concrete steps toward the decentralisation of power”.
The White House said that President Obama spoke of Russia’s growing political and economic isolation as a result of its actions in Ukraine and made clear that the “costs” Russia has already incurred would increase if those actions persisted.
While noting the upcoming contact group meeting in Geneva, Obama said he continues to believe that a diplomatic solution is still possible, but it “cannot succeed in an environment of Russian military intimidation on Ukraine’s borders, armed provocation within Ukraine, and escalatory rhetoric by Kremlin officials”.
Obama has been coming under increasing pressure from the Republicans for a more muscular response on the Ukraine issue. Senator John McCain, known for his hawkish stance, wants the US to send small arms to the Ukrainians to defend themselves. He also wants the US and Europe Union to slap far more stringent sanctions on Russia.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US was closely monitoring the situation. As he put it, “We are actively evaluating what is happening in eastern Ukraine, what actions Russia has taken, what transgressions Russia has engaged in, and we are working with our partners and assessing for ourselves.”
Ahead of his conversation with Putin, Obama also spoke with French President Hollande, during which both “underscored that Russia will face significant additional costs if it continues this behaviour”.