Ukraine: The brink of war
■ Cameron and Obama warn Russia to change course or face significant costs
■ Nato says Putin has broken the UN charter and threatens peace in Europe
THE US Secretary of State John Kerry will fly to Kiev tomorrow, as Russia faces off against the West over its interests in Ukraine.
David Cameron has vowed to pursue “all avenues” in order to de-escalate “a very dangerous situation”, as Russian troops surrounded a number of Ukrainian army bases last night.
Kerry warned yesterday that Russia could be expelled from the G8 unless President Vladimir Putin puts an end to his “incredible act of aggression”and withdraws from Ukraine. Kerry warned that the US is prepared to issue economic sanactions if Putin refuses to back down. Visa bans, asset freezes and trade isolation were raised as possible options.
Meanwhile US treasury secretary Jack Lew, who has urged Kiev to seek assistance from the IMF, told a conference that Washington could give as much financial support as Ukraine needs.
Amid fears that Russia is preparing for military action against the troubled state, the Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen accused Putin of violating the UN charter and of threatening peace and security in Europe. He called for a de-escalation to “move away from this dangerous situation”.
Russian President Putin sought permission for military intervention in the country on Saturday, after Sergei Aksyonov, the non-recognised Prime Minister of Crimea, called on Russia to help maintain order in the region, which is part of Ukraine but has its own regional government.
Recent unrest in the country, which culminated in the deposition of President Yanukovich, has exposed a deep rift in a nation that is split between Russian influence in the east and Europe in the west.
The standoff in Ukraine reached crisis point yesterday, as Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk warned that Russia has declared war on the country, telling journalists: “We are on the brink of disaster.”
He called on the international community to help prevent military action against Ukrainian forces and to protect its nuclear power plants. UK foreign secretary William Hague also flew to Kiev last night in a show of support.
As the government prepared to mobilise its armed forces, Ukraine’s new naval commander Denys Berezovsky, who had only been in post for one day, defected to Crimea.
Meanwhile, the UK and France became the latest G8 nations to pull out of preparatory talks scheduled to go ahead this week in Russia. America has also withdrawn from the discussions. A Downing Street spokesman said: “In current circumstances, the Prime Minister is clear that the focus of our engagement with Russia must be the situation in Ukraine, rather than other normal business.”
Cameron has issued a ban on government ministers travelling to the Paralympic games in Sochi, but added that British athletes competing in the games have the full support of the UK.
Late last night, Nato’s Rasmussen urged the two countries to seek a peaceful resolution. “We call on Russia to honour all its international commitments to withdraw its force to bases and to refrain from any interference elsewhere in Ukraine,” he said.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch also sought to reassure investors last night, saying that “a military conflict or war is unlikely, in our view.” Analysts went on to suggest that Putin still has leverage over Ukraine, which he will seek to exploit.