As Western nations ratchet up diplomatic efforts to thwart Russian military aggression in Ukraine, US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned that Moscow may face the repercussions in form of economic sanctions and it may be shown the door ahead of G8 summit in Sochi, which might not take place.
The US on Sunday claimed that 6000 Russian troops had successfully occupied Crimea adding that Russian forces now had “complete operational control” of the Crimean peninsula.”
The top industrial nations are scheduled to meet in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi in June for the G8 Summit.
However, miffed with Moscow over its overtures in Ukraine, the UK, the US and France have pulled out of preparatory talks ahead of Sochi Summit.
John Kerry threatened that the top industrial nations were ready to “go to the hilt” to isolate Russia with a set of options that included economic sanctions, asset freezes, visa bans, trade isolation, etc.
Speaking to the NBC channel, Kerry said, “He is not going to have a Sochi G8, he may not even remain in the G8 if this continues”.
Kerry added that American business may pull out of Russia thus hitting Russian trade leading to “a further tumble of the ruble”.
Kerry, who is set to reach Kiev on Tuesday to show support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, on Sunday appeared in a series of chat shows on US news channels, reiterating threat of sanctions against Russia if it went ahead with its “incredible act of aggression” in Ukraine.
Lashing out at Putin, Kerry said that even in the 21st century, Russia was behaving in an obsolete fashion by invading another country and that inasion was a sign of a weak nation.
“You just don’t in the 21st century behave in by invading another country on completely trumped-up pretext,” Kerry said on CBS news channel’s show “Face the Nation.”
“It is really a stunning, wilful choice by President Putin to invade another country. Russia is in violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine. Russia is in violation of its international obligations,” Kerry added.
