US: Putin has ‘weeks’ to change Ukraine course

Pro-Russian militants guard a checkpoint on the outskirts of Donetsk.

DPA/Brussels

Russian President Vladimir Putin has two to four weeks to change tack in Ukraine or face more sanctions, US President Barack Obama said yesterday, amid a whirlwind of European diplomacy aimed at defusing the region’s worst crisis since the Cold War.

A partial pull-back of Russian troops from Ukraine’s border and the fact that Moscow is not “overtly” destabilising its neighbour “does not mean that we can afford three months or four months or six months of continued violence and conflict in eastern Ukraine”, Obama said.

He made his comments in Brussels, where the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) agreed during two days of talks to a common set of demands for Russia, while upholding the threat of sanctions if Moscow further destabilises the situation in Ukraine.

They said Russia must recognise the results of Ukraine’s recent elections and co-operate with its new president; withdraw all troops from the border; stop weapons and militants from entering Ukraine; and pressure pro-Russian separatists to give up arms.

The international community would be watching what Putin does over the next “two, three, four weeks”.

Obama added that “if he remains on the current course”, Russia will face “additional costs”.

G7 nations have targeted individuals and companies in Russia and Ukraine with asset freezes and travel bans for their role in the Ukraine crisis, but so far have shied away from economic sanctions.

Such measures would be “more significant”, Obama said, adding that US and EU teams had been consulting to identify “sanctions that would maximise impact on Russia and minimise adverse impacts on European countries”.

Economic sanctions would “inevitably hit Russia a lot worse than it hits Europe”, he added.

The G7 talks replaced a Group of Eight (G8) summit in Russia that was snubbed by Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US because of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.

“Russia’s actions are completely unacceptable and totally at odds with the values of this group of democracies,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron. “That is why Russia no longer has a seat at the table here with us.”

But despite the post-Cold War lows in Russia’s relationship with the West, Putin flew to France yesterday to take part in World War II commemorations.

There, he is to hold the first face-to-face talks with Western leaders since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March.

He was due to meet French President Francois Hollande and Cameron in Paris. Putin will also meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Normandy today, where the D-Day ceremonies will take place.

Merkel said she would not raise the issue of sanctions with the Russian leader.

“It is not about threats,” she said in Brussels. “It is about making clear that we want solutions through dialogue.”

G7 leaders have been intent on speaking with one voice.

“I think it’s been very striking, actually, over the last few months how we’ve been able to stay as unified as we have,” Cameron said, adding: “I think it surprised people. And I hope it surprised President Putin.”

Obama has not formally arranged talks in France with the Russian leader, but said he had “no doubt that I’ll see Mr Putin”.

The strained relations with Russia also spilled into discussions yesterday on energy issues.

Europe has redoubled efforts to curb its dependence on the country’s gas supplies. Ukraine is a major transit country for Russian gas deliveries to Europe, prompting fears that escalating tensions may lead Moscow to cut off supplies.

“The use of energy supplies as a means of political coercion or as a threat to security is unacceptable,” the G7 leaders said in their statement.

Kiev abandons border posts after night assaults

AFP/Dolchansky, Ukraine

Ukraine said yesterday that it had abandoned three checkpoints on the Russian border after a series of night-time attacks by separatists, and AFP reporters on the scene said at least one had been taken over by the militants.

The decision to leave the border posts came as the government vowed to beef up its security presence to counter pro-Russian rebels amid reports of continued fighting in the country’s east.

The three checkpoints, all in the volatile Luhansk (also spelled Lugansk) region, were targeted in attacks by pro-Russian rebels overnight on Wednesday to Thursday, the border guards said in a statement.

“After an exchange of fire, the threat to the lives of people crossing the border prompted the evacuation of civilians and border guards at the checkpoints,” the statement said.

By afternoon yesterday, Ukraine’s blue-and-yellow flag no longer flew over the border post at Dolzhansky after it had been taken over by about 10 armed pro-Russian rebels who allowed vehicles to pass in both directions.

Numerous civilians were also crossing into Russia on foot with suitcases and bags of belongings, seeking refuge from the hostilities on the Ukrainian side.

“The Ukrainian border guards numbered about 50 and left towards 5am today,” said Vitaly Bliznyuk, the commander of a group of pro-Russian fighters.

“When we got here, we noticed that the border guards had already left and had detonated their ammunition beforehand,” he told AFP.

Ukraine’s border guards have been a prime target of recent rebel attacks and had to abandon their regional headquarters in the city of Luhansk after an insurgent onslaught on Monday.

Kiev says combatants are crossing frequently from Russia, some having travelled from the Caucasus region.

Russia says several thousand refugees cross the border in the other direction every day, a claim which Ukraine denies.

“Instead of opening up its borders to all who wish to escape from the combat zone, they have closed it. It’s a complete scandal and unacceptable,” said Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.

Sporadic gunfire continued across the restive eastern region yesterday, with rebels still controlling key administrative buildings in the main city of Donetsk.

“The night passed relatively quietly. According to residents in the village of Shyroke, gunshots could be heard,” the self-proclaimed “People’s Republic of Donetsk” said in a statement.

Donetsk, home to about 1mn people, has been reduced to a state of near-anarchy following heavy fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels around its international airport.

The fighting has left about 40 dead, mainly separatists.

The airport will remain closed at least until the end of the month as the security of flights cannot be guaranteed.

The streets of Donetsk are nearly deserted and under the control of insurgents, who man numerous checkpoints in the area.

Ukrainian forces launched an “anti-terrorist operation” nearly two months ago. They intensified their activities on Tuesday, concentrating their efforts on the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk (also spelled Slavyansk and Slaviansk), around 100km north of Donetsk.

Two Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives in this week’s fighting, while numerous insurgents have been killed, according to Kiev.

The fighting has also damaged the water supply to five cities in the combat zone, including Sloviansk.

Ukrainian forces said on Wednesday that they had destroyed a rebel ammunition depot in the area.

The interior ministry said yesterday that it would send a third National Guard battalion to the east.

The National Guardsmen, volunteers supporting the regular army, are expected to arrive within 10 days.

In a separate report, Ukraine’s defence ministry said T-64 tanks had been deployed near Sloviansk.

“Terrorists have been damaging the tanks in every possible way,” the ministry said. “They are repaired on the spot, and put right back into action.”