EU Says Ties with Russia at Risk as Obama Says Moscow Broke Int'l Law in Ukraine
The European Union warned on Monday that EU-Russia ties were at risk if Moscow failed to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting on the crisis.
"In the absence of de-escalating steps by Russia the EU shall decide about consequences for bilateral relations of EU and Russia," said a statement obtained by Agence France Presse that was agreed by the bloc's 28 foreign ministers at hastily-convened crisis talks on Ukraine.
The statement cited as an example talks that have long been under way with the Russian authorities on easing EU visa requirements for the country's citizens, as well as a new cooperation agreement.
It made no mention of an arms embargo or other punitive measures suggested in the original draft statement put to the ministers, which was also seen by AFP earlier.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at the close of the talks that "if Russia does not decide credible and fast contributions for de-escalation we will have to take decisions which will concern the relations between Russia and the EU."
The statement also condemned "the clear violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity".
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that failing swift and concrete measures, "a whole series of contacts will be cut".
"If there is no de-escalation before Thursday, these measures will take effect," he said, confirming that the EU is likely to call a crisis summit gathering its heads of state and government in Brussels that day.
The UN Security Council is to hold the latest in a series of emergency meetings on the crisis in Ukraine later on Monday at the request of Russia.
Luxembourg, which holds the chairmanship of the council, plans to convene the meeting at 3:30 pm (2030 GMT), diplomats said.
This will be the council's third emergency meeting in four days on Ukraine, where the government says Russian troops are still pouring into Crimea, in violation of international accords.
Saturday, a meeting of the envoys from council's 15 member states ended in disagreement between the West and Russia, with Washington and London urging Moscow to pull back its military reinforcements from the strategic Black Sea peninsula with a majority ethnic Russian population.
Saturday's open meeting also resulted in a two-hour standoff over procedure as Moscow fought the presence of cameras and of Ukraine.
According to a diplomat on the council, Russia "was taken aback Saturday and wants to give its read on events, especially as things go south on the ground."
Meanwhile, Russia's top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, in Geneva on Monday strongly denounced the threat of "sanctions and boycotts" following Moscow's actions in Ukraine, as Western powers ponder whether to kick Moscow out of the G8.
Lavrov repeated accusations that the new Ukrainian government was threatening the lives of ethnic Russians and defended the creation of self-defense groups to protect the Russian and Russian-speaking population.
The Russian parliament gave its blessing Saturday to use force in Ukraine, including in Crimea -- a strategic Black Sea peninsula with a majority ethnic Russian population.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she would hold talks in Madrid on Tuesday with Lavrov, as the bloc announced an emergency summit on the crisis.
"Extraordinary summit of EU presidents & prime ministers called for Thursday to help de-escalate situation in Ukraine," EU President Herman Van Rompuy wrote on Twitter.
Ashton said after chairing the Ukraine crisis talks gathering the EU's 28 foreign ministers that she would travel on to Kiev on Wednesday.
Later on Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama warned on Monday that most of the world believes that Russia has violated international law by intervening in Ukraine.
The American leader said Moscow had put itself "on the wrong side of history" by mobilizing forces within Ukraine after the country's pro-Russian president was ousted in a popular revolt.
"I think the world is largely united in recognizing the steps Russia has taken are a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty ... a violation of international law," Obama said.
Obama said he had told Russia that "if in fact they continue on the current trajectory, that we are examining a whole series of steps -- economic, diplomatic -- that will isolate Russia."
Source: Agence France Presse
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