"We call upon the Russians to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation," Warren said.
The statement came as the United States and other nations in the Group of Seven announced they have agreed to "move swiftly" to impose additional economic sanctions on Russia in response to its actions in Ukraine.
In a joint statement released on Friday night by the White House, the G-7 nations say they will act urgently to intensify "targeted sanctions." The statement adds that the G-7 will also continue to prepare broader sanctions on key Russian economic sectors if Moscow fails to back down.
The White House says U.S. sanctions could be levied as early as Monday.
- Earlier on Friday, pro-Russian separatists seized a bus carrying international military observers who were working for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), according to Ukrainian officials.
The team was being held in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk, according to Stella Khorosheva, a spokeswoman for the town’s self-proclaimed separatist mayor.
The detention of the observers is likely to heighten Western unease about lawlessness and arbitrary rule in separatist-held areas.
It may also increase Western leaders’ pressure on Russia, which they accuse of backing the separatists. Earlier in the day, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy said that they were weighing fresh sanctions against Russia over its role in Ukraine’s crisis.
- The Kremlin denies interfering in eastern Ukraine.
- The German foreign ministry said earlier the group included military observers from the Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden and Denmark.
The Interior Ministry in Ukraine’s capital Kiev said the detained group included seven OSCE representatives and five members of the Ukrainian armed forces who were accompanying them.
“At the moment, talks are going on with representatives of pro-Russian forces. They have refused to free the hostages, saying they want to speak to ‘competent organs’ of the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian interior ministry spokesman said..........[france24.com]
26/4/14
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German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said late Friday that four Germans were among the international military observers who had been reportedly detained in eastern Ukraine...
ReplyDeleteEarlier in the day, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Kiev had lost contact with a military mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) deployed in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk.
A spokesman of the ministry said preliminary information suggested the OSCE observers might have been kidnapped by pro-Russia protesters who took control of several cities in Donetsk.
Ursula von der Leyen said increased clues were showing that a 13-member OSCE group had been detained, adding that three German observers and their interpreter were on the mission, according to the Bild newspaper.
The minister said the German Foreign Ministry had set up a crisis management team and the German government would use all its diplomatic channels to establish contact with the missing people again.
A leader of pro-Russia protesters in Sloviansk told the Bild Friday that they seized a bus of OSCE observers in the east Ukrainian city, including five Ukrainian soldiers who were accused of spying.
"They are not hostages but prisoners of war," he claimed.
The OSCE said the military observers came from five European countries: three are from Germany, and one each from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Sweden.
They were sent to Ukraine last month to monitor political and security situation in the country following pro-Russia protests in its eastern region.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/856953.shtml#.U1s-CqJql5Y
26/4/14
El Pentágono acusa a Rusia de haber violado el espacio aéreo de Ucrania...
ReplyDeleteObama acuerda con Europa nuevas sanciones contra Rusia por no cumplir lo acordado en Ginebra respecto a la soberanía de Ucrania.
El Pentágono ha informado la noche de este viernes que aviones rusos han entrado repetidamente en el espacio aéreo de Ucrania y ha pedido a Moscú que tome “los pasos necesarios para frenar la escalada” bélica que ha sido calificada por Kiev como la antesala de la Tercera Guerra Mundial.
“Puedo confirmar que en varias ocasiones en las pasadas 24 horas, aviones rusos han entrado en el espacio aéreo ucraniano”, ha informado el coronel Steven Warren, portavoz del Pentágono. El militar no aportó más datos ni informó sobre qué tipo de aviones habían sido los utilizados o si se habían producido incidentes concretos.
La violación del espacio aéreo de Ucrania es una gota más en el ya desbordado vaso que está llevando al límite la paciencia de Washington. Desde el jueves, el secretario de Defensa norteamericano, Chuck Hagel, está intentando en vano comunicarse con el ministro de Defensa ruso, Sergei Shoigu. Pero Moscú sigue sin contestar las llamadas de Hagel. Por su parte, el jefe del Estado Mayor Conjunto, el general Martin Dempsey, hablaba este viernes con su contraparte ruso, pero hasta el momento no han transcendido detalles de la conversación..........http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2014/04/25/actualidad/1398446330_103905.html
26/4/14
Kontaktaufnahme zu OSZE-Beobachtern scheitert...
ReplyDeleteDie von prorussischen Separatisten festgehaltenen OSZE-Beobachter sind weiter nicht erreichbar. Anrufe der Bundeswehr auf ihren Handys scheiterten. Unklar ist auch die genaue Zahl der Festgehaltenen......http://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article127332897
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said late Friday that four Germans were among the international military observers who had been reportedly detained in eastern Ukraine.....
ReplyDeleteEarlier in the day, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Kiev had lost contact with a military mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) deployed in Ukraine's eastern region of Donetsk.
A spokesman of the ministry said preliminary information suggested the OSCE observers might have been kidnapped by pro-Russia protesters who took control of several cities in Donetsk.
Ursula von der Leyen said increased clues were showing that a 13-member OSCE group had been detained, adding that three German observers and their interpreter were on the mission, according to the Bild newspaper.
The minister said the German Foreign Ministry had set up a crisis management team and the German government would use all its diplomatic channels to establish contact with the missing people again.
A leader of pro-Russia protesters in Sloviansk told the Bild Friday that they seized a bus of OSCE observers in the east Ukrainian city, including five Ukrainian soldiers who were accused of spying.
"They are not hostages but prisoners of war," he claimed.
The OSCE said the military observers came from five European countries: three are from Germany, and one each from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Sweden.
They were sent to Ukraine last month to monitor political and security situation in the country following pro-Russia protests in its eastern region.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/856953.shtml#.U1uNZqJql5Y
26/4/14
Selon le New York Times, plusieurs banques et sociétés énergétiques européennes lobbyisent le relâchement des sanctions imposées par les pays occidentaux à la Russie à cause de la situation en Ukraine.....
ReplyDeleteLe journal note que les chefs d'entreprise expriment d'une manière ouverte ou implicite leur scepticisme eu égard à l'efficacité des sanctions déjà introduites et nouvelles contre la Russsie et qu'ils lobbyisent activement dans les couloirs leur relâchement et même leur suppression.
Selon le quotidien, les sociétés européennes du secteur énergétique s'opposent plus que les autres aux sanctions car les liens économiques entre la Russie et les pays d'Europe sont particulièrement forts dans ce domaine.
Lire la suite: http://french.ruvr.ru/news/2014_04_26/Le-patronat-europeen-prone-le-relachement-des-sanctions-contre-la-Russie-2573/
26/4/14
Ukraine's PM Accuses Russian Military of Airspace Violations ...
ReplyDeleteUkraine's prime minister says Russian military aircraft have repeatedly crossed into Ukraine's airspace, in what he called Russian aggression designed to undermine global security.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk told reporters Saturday that Russian forces had "violated" Ukrainian airspace seven times overnight.
He commented in Rome, after announcing he was cutting short a trip to Italy that included talks with Pope Francis.........http://www.voanews.com/content/ukraines-pm-accuses-russian-military-of-airspace-violations/1901777.html
26/4/14
There have been no violations of Ukraine’s air space by Russian warplanes, the Russian Defence Ministry has stated.....
ReplyDeleteRussian systems of objective monitoring of the air situation have not detected any violations of air borders of states neighbouring Russia, including Ukraine, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday in response to the statements of Pentagon officials that a Russian fighter allegedly had violated Ukraine’s air space.
http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/729673
26/4/14