Kerry draws red line on Ukraine, says ‘world’ will make Russia pay for transgressions
By Dave Boyer and Guy Taylor
Ignoring Obama administration threats of stiffer sanctions, Russia began military exercises near its border with Ukraine on Thursday after Ukrainian forces killed at least five pro-Russia insurgents in a drive to recapture occupied buildings in the country’s tumultuous east.
The Russian posturing prompted a harsh rebuke Thursday evening from Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who defended the Ukrainian government and lambasted Moscow for taking “an active role in destabilizing eastern Ukraine with personnel, weapons, money, operational planning and coordination.”
Mr. Kerry accused Russia of flouting a U.S.-brokered agreement to ease tensions in Ukraine and declared that the “window for Moscow to change course is closing.”
“If Russia chooses the path of de-escalation, the international community, all of us, will welcome it. If Russia does not, the world will make sure that the costs for Russia will only grow,” he said. “As President Obama reiterated earlier today, we are ready to act.”
He did not elaborate on what actions the White House would take, but his comments were among the strongest by the administration and were made on a day of heightened violence and fears of a widening conflict in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian posturing prompted a harsh rebuke Thursday evening from Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who defended the Ukrainian government and lambasted Moscow for taking “an active role in destabilizing eastern Ukraine with personnel, weapons, money, operational planning and coordination.”
Mr. Kerry accused Russia of flouting a U.S.-brokered agreement to ease tensions in Ukraine and declared that the “window for Moscow to change course is closing.”
“If Russia chooses the path of de-escalation, the international community, all of us, will welcome it. If Russia does not, the world will make sure that the costs for Russia will only grow,” he said. “As President Obama reiterated earlier today, we are ready to act.”
He did not elaborate on what actions the White House would take, but his comments were among the strongest by the administration and were made on a day of heightened violence and fears of a widening conflict in eastern Ukraine.
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