Debaltsevo pretext for US to talk new sanctions, exert pressure on Russia (FM Lavrov)

Vice-President Joseph Biden’s statement on possible new sanctions against Russia, if the Minsk accords on a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine are not fulfilled, confirm Washington’s unconstructive approach, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"We treat this statement as a pronouncement traditional for Joe Biden containing new threats. Probably, he means that the US will demand from Russia to pay the price, including by forcing EU states to toughen their position," Lavrov said.

"Debaltsevo is a pretext and we have signaled the need to settle this problem back on February 11 but we were told that this problem did not exist. But as it turns out, it does exist. That is why, I would treat this as a new confirmation of Washington’s unconstructive approach, in this case displayed by the US vice-president," Lavrov said.

On Tuesday, spokesman of the Donetsk People’s Republic defense ministry Eduard Basurin told journalists that around 5,000 Ukrainian servicemen were encircled in Debaltsevo. The head of administration of the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic's leader on Wednesday reported that the government forces trapped near Debaltsevo were en masse laying down arms to militias..................http://tass.ru/en/world/778389
18/2/15
--
-
Related:

• US Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday blamed separatist fighters and Russian forces as he condemned the violation of a three-day-old ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and warned of increased "costs" to Russia...

• Kiev troops may be allowed to leave Debaltsevo trap with no arms (LPR leader)

• El presidente ucraniano, Petró Poroshenko, anunció este miércoles que la retirada de las tropas ucranianas cercadas en la localidad Debáltsevo ha concluido...

• In einem Telefongespräch mit US-Vizepräsident Joe Biden hat der ukrainische Präsident Pjotr Poroschenko die Notwendigkeit dringender Maßnahmen zur Einstellung der Eskalation des Konflikts im Osten der Ukraine betont.