US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are preparing for key talks on Ukraine in London, as a disputed referendum in Crimea looms on Sunday. Mr Kerry is expected to warn Mr Lavrov that the referendum and Russias military intervention in Crimea could trigger concerted US and EU sanctions. He has warned of very serious steps if Russia annexes the region. Russia insisted at the UN on Thursday it did not want war with Ukraine. During an emergency meeting of the Security Council, Moscows ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin defended the right of Crimea, which is predominantly ethnic Russian, to decide whether or not to join the Russian Federation. Russias military intervention followed the fall of Ukraines pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych on 22 February. Serious steps BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says that London is now the stage for a revival of Cold War tensions. The American and Russian foreign ministers will meet at the US ambassadors residence in central London. Our correspondent says they will have very different accounts of events in Ukraine. Mr Kerry will try to persuade Russia that it risks paying a heavy price in political and economic damage from American and European measures which could be triggered by Sundays referendum. If there is no sign of any capacity to be able to move forward and resolve this issue, there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday in Europe and here [in Washington] with respect to the options that are available to us, Mr Kerry said prior to leaving for London.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 06:54:43 +0000
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