Under pressure from events and a passionate appeal from the Ukrainian prime minister, EU leaders have warned of “far-reaching” consequences if Russia fails to ease the crisis in Crimea.
An emergency summit of EU leaders agreed a tougher than expected, three-phase package of punitive measures – some immediate and some threatened – to persuade Moscow to enter talks with the new government in Ukraine. The EU move against Russian interests was accompanied by similar moves from the US.
Under the terms of the agreement reached in Brussels, negotiations with Moscow on new visa and trade deals with the EU are to be broken off immediately. A travel ban and asset freeze on senior Russian figures will be imposed unless Moscow agrees “contact talks” with Kiev “within a few days”.
Finally, the EU warned that – despite grave reservations expressed by some leaders in six hours of heated discussions – there would be “severe and far-reaching” sanctions “in a broad range of economic areas” if Russian troops invaded others parts of eastern Ukraine.
The package disappointed some of the more hawkish EU states in eastern Europe but Prime Minister David Cameron said that it went “much further” than many observers had expected.
“Illegal actions committed by Russia cannot pass without a response. It cannot be business as usual with Russia,” Mr Cameron said.
The French President, François Hollande, said that Russia could expect “extremely serious consequences” if it failed to enter talks or took any further action to destabilise Ukraine.
The EU leaders had gathered in Brussels determined if possible to “de-escalate” the crisis and cajole rather than bully Russia into negotiations with Kiev. By the end of the day, the European leaders found themselves wrong-footed – or shamed – into taking tougher action than many had wanted or expected.
“We have experienced very much disappointment in recent days and now we are ready to act,” said the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Talk of the need for a softly, softly approach had cloaked the fact that there was little stomach amongst large EU countries for an economic cold war with Moscow which could damage recovering European economies. Berlin, in particular, feared that Russia could sever its gas exports, which amount to 40 per cent of the gas used in Germany.
By the end of the day, President Hollande said, the mood of the summit had “shifted” during the day towards cautious confrontation.
Hopes that Russia might be backing off had been dashed by the vote of the Crimean regional parliament, strongly under Moscow’s influence, to become part of Russia and to hold an “annexation” referendum on 16 March.
The move towards a referendum prompted a strong reaction from the US. Speaking tonight, President Barack Obama said any decisions on Crimea, a pro-Russian area of Ukraine, must include the country’s new government.
“The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the constitution and violate international law,” Mr Obama said.
The US Secretary of State John Kerry echoed that sentiment shortly after. “Crimea is part of Ukraine. Crimea is Ukraine,” he said.
Rapid moves by Washington had threatened to leave EU leaders looking feeble or indecisive. The US government has approved a tough package of measures – visa restrictions and possible asset seizures. The US navy also announced that it was sending a destroyer into the Black Sea (but insisted that this had been long planned).
Summit sources said that the atmosphere was also radically changed by a passionate speech by the interim Ukrainian Prime Minister, Arseny Yatseniuk. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, had arrived intending to scale down EU threats of sanctions (under pressure from German business leaders). Officials said that, after a private meeting with Mr Yatseniuk, she appeared to change sides.
In a press conference, Mr Yatseniuk pleaded with Russia not to build a new Iron Curtain in Europe. “Mr Putin, tear down this wall,” Mr Yatseniuk said, echoing remarks made by Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Moscow could not hope, he said, to rebuild “a wall of intimidation and a wall of military aggression” in the 21st century. The referendum scheduled on Russian “annexation” of Crimea on 16 March was “illegitimate”, he said.
“We are ready for cooperation but not for surrender or to be subordinate to Russia,” he said. Asked if Ukraine was ready to defend itself militarily, he replied: “We still believe that we can solve it in a peaceful manner but in case of further escalation and military intervention into the Ukrainian territory …we are ready to protect our country. We have less arms, no nuclear bombs but we have the spirit… of freedom and liberty.”
Meanwhile, Interpol said it was reviewing a request by Ukrainian authorities for it to issue a “red notice” for the arrest of Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted as president. îÿüÿ a
An emergency summit of EU leaders agreed a tougher than expected, three-phase package of punitive measures – some immediate and some threatened – to persuade Moscow to enter talks with the new government in Ukraine. The EU move against Russian interests was accompanied by similar moves from the US.
Under the terms of the agreement reached in Brussels, negotiations with Moscow on new visa and trade deals with the EU are to be broken off immediately. A travel ban and asset freeze on senior Russian figures will be imposed unless Moscow agrees “contact talks” with Kiev “within a few days”.
Finally, the EU warned that – despite grave reservations expressed by some leaders in six hours of heated discussions – there would be “severe and far-reaching” sanctions “in a broad range of economic areas” if Russian troops invaded others parts of eastern Ukraine.
The package disappointed some of the more hawkish EU states in eastern Europe but Prime Minister David Cameron said that it went “much further” than many observers had expected.
“Illegal actions committed by Russia cannot pass without a response. It cannot be business as usual with Russia,” Mr Cameron said.
The French President, François Hollande, said that Russia could expect “extremely serious consequences” if it failed to enter talks or took any further action to destabilise Ukraine.
The EU leaders had gathered in Brussels determined if possible to “de-escalate” the crisis and cajole rather than bully Russia into negotiations with Kiev. By the end of the day, the European leaders found themselves wrong-footed – or shamed – into taking tougher action than many had wanted or expected.
“We have experienced very much disappointment in recent days and now we are ready to act,” said the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Talk of the need for a softly, softly approach had cloaked the fact that there was little stomach amongst large EU countries for an economic cold war with Moscow which could damage recovering European economies. Berlin, in particular, feared that Russia could sever its gas exports, which amount to 40 per cent of the gas used in Germany.
By the end of the day, President Hollande said, the mood of the summit had “shifted” during the day towards cautious confrontation.
Hopes that Russia might be backing off had been dashed by the vote of the Crimean regional parliament, strongly under Moscow’s influence, to become part of Russia and to hold an “annexation” referendum on 16 March.
The move towards a referendum prompted a strong reaction from the US. Speaking tonight, President Barack Obama said any decisions on Crimea, a pro-Russian area of Ukraine, must include the country’s new government.
“The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the constitution and violate international law,” Mr Obama said.
The US Secretary of State John Kerry echoed that sentiment shortly after. “Crimea is part of Ukraine. Crimea is Ukraine,” he said.
Rapid moves by Washington had threatened to leave EU leaders looking feeble or indecisive. The US government has approved a tough package of measures – visa restrictions and possible asset seizures. The US navy also announced that it was sending a destroyer into the Black Sea (but insisted that this had been long planned).
Summit sources said that the atmosphere was also radically changed by a passionate speech by the interim Ukrainian Prime Minister, Arseny Yatseniuk. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, had arrived intending to scale down EU threats of sanctions (under pressure from German business leaders). Officials said that, after a private meeting with Mr Yatseniuk, she appeared to change sides.
In a press conference, Mr Yatseniuk pleaded with Russia not to build a new Iron Curtain in Europe. “Mr Putin, tear down this wall,” Mr Yatseniuk said, echoing remarks made by Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Moscow could not hope, he said, to rebuild “a wall of intimidation and a wall of military aggression” in the 21st century. The referendum scheduled on Russian “annexation” of Crimea on 16 March was “illegitimate”, he said.
“We are ready for cooperation but not for surrender or to be subordinate to Russia,” he said. Asked if Ukraine was ready to defend itself militarily, he replied: “We still believe that we can solve it in a peaceful manner but in case of further escalation and military intervention into the Ukrainian territory …we are ready to protect our country. We have less arms, no nuclear bombs but we have the spirit… of freedom and liberty.”
Meanwhile, Interpol said it was reviewing a request by Ukrainian authorities for it to issue a “red notice” for the arrest of Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted as president. îÿüÿ a
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