'Crimea is Ukraine'
US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday insisted that "Crimea is Ukraine", after pro-Moscow lawmakers on the tense peninsula voted to have their region become part of Russia.
"Crimea is part of the Ukraine. Crimea is Ukraine. And we support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the government of Ukraine needs to be involved in any decision" on whether the peninsula would split off, he told journalists in Rome.
"It's my understanding that the constitution of Ukraine requires an all-Ukraine referendum. Every part of Ukraine, all Ukrainians, would have to be part of a referendum," he said.
His comments came after US President Barack Obama warned that a referendum in Crimea on joining Russia would violate Ukrainian sovereignty and international law.
The president spoke hours after the United States imposed visa bans on certain senior Russian officials and moved towards wider sanctions against individuals and entities in Moscow, to punish the Kremlin's incursion into Ukraine.
"The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the Ukrainian constitution and violate international law," Obama told reporters at the White House.
"Any discussion about the future of Ukraine must include the legitimate government of Ukraine," Obama said.
"In 2014, we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders," the US president said.
Obama also said, on a day that the European Union also readied sanctions against Russia, that the world was united in its opposition to Russia's action and in its support for Ukraine.
However, Kerry said the United States' priority was to "continue the intense discussions with both sides in order to try to normalize and end this crisis".
T
hough the United States would "keep faith" with sanctions already put in place -- such as visa bans and the freezing of assets belonging to those deemed to have played a part in destabilizing Ukraine -- the emphasis in "the next few hours and days" was for dialogue that could lead to a de-escalation of the situation.
His comments came hours after bilateral two-day talks between him and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov failed to show any sign of progress.
Lavrov yesterday said there was so far no agreement between Moscow and Washington on the situation in Ukraine.
"For the moment we cannot report to the international community that we are in agreement," Lavrov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying, adding that he would inform President Vladimir Putin about the talks on his return.
Lavrov strongly criticised US visa restrictions imposed against Russians and Ukrainians it blames for the current crisis, saying they were "a threat".
The top Russian diplomat also criticised Nato's announcement on Wednesday that it was reviewing its cooperation with Russia including the suspension of a joint mission to destroy Syrian chemical weapons.
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