Ukraine conflict: west extends sanctions against Russia

F R I D AY 25 APRIL 2014 Western leaders agree to extend sanctions against Russia for failing to abide b t!e "#raine $eace accord agreed in %ene&a'

Following a conference call between US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and the French, German and talian leaders, the British government said in a statement that the! "contin#ed to hold o$en the door to a di$lomatic sol#tion to the crisis, based on the Geneva agreement"% B#t the statement added& "'he five leaders agreed that in the light of (#ssia)s ref#sal to s#$$ort the $rocess, an e*tension of the c#rrent targeted sanctions wo#ld need to be im$lemented, in con+#nction with other G, leaders and with -#ro$ean $artners%"

'he Geneva agreement, str#ck b! (#ssia, Ukraine, the US and -U, was s#$$osed to have led to the disarmament of $ro.(#ssian $aramilitar! gro#$s which have been occ#$!ing government b#ildings in eastern Ukraine% Ukrainian forces killed #$ to five $ro.Moscow rebels on 'h#rsda! as the! closed in on the se$aratists) militar! stronghold in the east, and (#ssia la#nched arm! drills near the border in res$onse, raising fears its troo$s wo#ld invade% ()lood cri*e( 'he deaths $rom$ted (#ssian Foreign Minister Sergei /avrov to claim that the Ukrainians were waging "war on their own $eo$le", adding& "'his is a blood! crime and those who have $#shed the arm! to do that will $a!, am s#re, and will face +#stice%" +!e ,orld !as not et forgotten ,orld ,ar t,o- but Russia alread ,ants to start ,orld ,ar t!ree0rseni! 1atsen!#k, Ukrainian Prime Minister US and -U sanctions designed to $#nish Moscow for its role in Ukraine are having an adverse effect on the (#ssian econom!, reflected in Standard and Poor)s decision on Frida! to downgrade the co#ntr!)s credit ratings% Mr /avrov said (#ssia was $re$ared to abide b! the Geneva agreement, b#t said the US was making "one.sided demands"% President Obama, who acc#ses Moscow of sending agents to Ukraine to co. ordinate #nrest in the east of the co#ntr!, is $lanning to talk to -#ro$ean leaders on Frida! abo#t e*tending sanctions im$osed on (#ssia after the Febr#ar! anne*ation of Crimea% (World ,ar t!ree( Ukrainian Prime Minister 0rseni! 1atsen!#k acc#sed (#ssia of wanting to start a new world war, sa!ing& "0ttem$ts at militar! conflict in Ukraine will

lead to a militar! conflict in -#ro$e%'he world has not !et forgotten world war two, b#t (#ssia alread! wants to start world war three%" On Frida!, Ukrainian troo$s la#nched the second $hase of their so.called "anti.terrorist" o$eration b! mo#nting a f#ll blockade of the rebel.held cit! of Slaviansk% US Secretar! of State 2ohn 3err! acc#sed (#ssia of "distraction, dece$tion and destabilisation" in eastern Ukraine% 4e said& "'he window to change co#rse is closing% "Following 5'h#rsda!)s6 threatening movement of (#ssian troo$s right #$ to Ukraine)s border, let me be clear %%% if (#ssia contin#es in this direction, it will not +#st be a grave mistake, it will be an e*$ensive mistake%"

Object 1

Mr Kerry said Russia was

using propaganda to hide what it was trying to do in eastern Ukraine - destabilise the region and undermine next month's Ukrainian presidential elections - and denounced its "threatening movement" of troops up to Ukraine's border Ukraine, a former Soviet re$#blic, slid into #nrest in late 789: when Moscow.backed President ;iktor 1an#kov!ch re+ected a $act to b#ild closer ties with -#ro$e% n res$onse, $rotesters took over central 3iev and he fled the co#ntr! in

Febr#ar!% Da!s later, (#ssian troo$s sei<ed control of Crimea%