Yahoo Finance Cameron: talk to Ukraine or face sanctions
PRIME Minister David Cameron has warned of economic sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin does not agree to meet with Ukrainian government officials in the next few days.
The message comes as UK and EU officials begin drafting a plan to freeze the assets of Russian citizens, in a bid to encourage the Kremlin to step back.
In a statement in the House of Commons yesterday, Cameron set out the UK’s position as tensions continue to mount in Crimea, where Ukrainian military bases are still being held against the nation’s will by Russian forces.
Cameron said the situation in Ukraine is “completely indefensible” and set out a three pronged plan agreed by the European Council, following a meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday.
The Prime Minister called on Putin to agree to talks immediately in order to diffuse the situation, or face sanctions. “We agreed that if Russia did not co-operate there would need to be further measures, the so-called second phase – which would need to start rapidly. These include asset freezes and travel bans,” he added.
A third stage of measures, agreed by Europe and America, would include “further, far reaching consequences,” understood to mean economic and political sanctions on Russia.
Cameron has already embarked on the first stage of measures and suspended talks with Putin and his government on its relationship with the EU; pulled the plug on plans to attend the G8 summit in Sochi and ordered an urgent review of all government business with Russia. Last week Cameron said ministers are also reviewing licenses for arms exports to the country.
American officials stepped up rhetoric against Russia yesterday, warning that the Obama government would not recognise elections in Crimea later this week on whether to become part of Russia proper, as legitimate.
America’s ambassador in Kiev, Geoffrey Pyatt, said Washington would take further tough steps against Putin if he sought to recognise the poll and use it to justify Russian troops in the region.
UK and EU leaders have also warned that the vote will not be recognised as legitimate, and are using the election as a yardstick to judge Russia’s willingness to resolve the crisis.
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