By Carol E. Lee, Alexander Kolyandr
Ukraine accused pro-Russian separatists of torturing and killing a local politician loyal to Kiev and shooting at a Ukrainian military plane Tuesday, threatening an escalation of violence even as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden warned Russia to pull back or face potential new sanctions.
Mr. Biden met in Kiev with acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and other Ukrainian officials, saying the U.S. won’t allow the multilateral agreement reached last week in Geneva to immediately begin easing tensions to instead become “an open-ended process.”
“It is time for Russia to stop talking and start acting—act on the commitments they made,” Mr. Biden said. “We need to see these kinds of concrete steps,” he added. “Time is short in which to make progress.”
At the same time, interim President Oleksandr Turchynov was calling for a renewal of the government’s military operation in eastern Ukraine, after two bodies were found near Slovyansk, one of several cities in the hands of pro-Russian militants. Both had been “brutally tortured” before being killed, he said.
“The terrorists, who have taken hostage the whole region of Donbas, have crossed the line when they started to torture and kill Ukraine patriots,” Mr. Turchynov said, referring to the eastern Donets Basin.
One of those found dead was Volodymyr Rybak, a local politician from Mr. Turchynov’s party. According to Ukrainian media, he had been kidnapped in Kiev after a rally in support of the new pro-Western government several days ago. The identity of the other victim wasn’t immediately known.
Separately, the Ukraine defense ministry said one of its planes, an Antonov-30, was shot at from the ground during a reconnaissance flight over Slovyansk. The ministry said the plane was hit by several bullets but landed safely.
Mr. Turchynov accused Russia of giving the separatists its “full support and indulgence.”
He said the Ukrainian security forces should relaunch the operation begun last week, but suspended after the Geneva deal, “to protect Ukrainian citizens living in eastern Ukraine from the terrorists.”
Previous attempts by the central government to retake separatist-held cities in the region were unsuccessful, however.
Mr. Biden’s visit to Kiev comes as the U.S. is making a determination on whether Russia is abiding by the Geneva agreement.
U.S. officials have expressed concern in recent days that Moscow hasn’t taken the required steps under the agreement, including vacating pro-Russian forces from government buildings.
At the same time, Mr. Biden said that Ukraine had held up its end of the agreement, including by offering amnesty to pro-Russia forces if they abandon the occupied public buildings in the east.
The U.S. is preparing a new round of sanctions against Russia in response that could be enacted by the end of the week.
Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said Russia was behaving “like an armed bandit.”
“Russia should stick to its international commitments and obligations,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said. “They should not behave as gangsters in the modern century.”
Mr. Biden, in his talks with Ukrainian officials, stressed the need for national unity at a time when Russia is “trying to pull Ukraine apart.”
“Ukraine is in a struggle for its very future,” Mr. Biden said, insisting it remain one country. “No nation has the right to simply grab land from another nation, and we will never recognize Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.”
Mr. Biden said Ukraine’s elections late next month may be the most important in the country’s history and strongly urged government officials to eradicate corruption.
The pressure to adopt critical constitutional changes came as the U.S. announced a new, $50 million aid package to Ukraine, including roughly $11 million to assist in the country’s May 25 elections.
Speaking to Ukrainian lawmakers from various regions, Mr. Biden in particular stressed the need for Kiev to create a trustworthy judicial system and move toward energy diversity.
“You have to fight the cancer of corruption that is endemic in your system right now,” Mr. Biden said.
He told the lawmakers that Ukraine would be in a much stronger position today if it could “tell Russia to keep its gas” and said they face some difficult personal decisions amid the current unrest and uncertainty.
“You face very daunting problems and, some might say, humiliating threats,” Mr. Biden said. “But the opportunity to generate a united Ukraine and getting it right is in your grasp. And we want to be your partner and your friend in the project.”
Mr. Biden arrived in Kiev on Monday for discussions with Ukrainian officials. His first meetings Tuesday were with the acting president, as well as a group of nine Ukrainian legislators.
Mr. Biden is also scheduled to meet with Ukrainian civil society leaders before returning to Washington.
His 24-hour long visit to Kiev was largely intended to send a signal to Russia of U.S. support for Ukraine ahead of its elections.
In addressing Ukrainian lawmakers, including several presidential candidates, the vice president noted there are similarities between the U.S. and Ukraine, including ethnic diversity. But, in a remark that could rile America’s neighboring Canada and Mexico, he noted there are also differences.
“We’re not sitting against the border of another powerful nation,” he said.
Write to Carol E. Lee at carol.lee@wsj.com
Source: Top Stories - Google News - http://ift.tt/1id1so3
0 comments:
Post a Comment