John Kerry says Russia could face additional sanctions

The United States and its allies are discussing imposing more sanctions against Russia for undermining a European-brokered truce in eastern Ukraine, US secretary of state John Kerry said on Saturday.

Mr Kerry made the comments as he began talks with his British counterpart Philip Hammond in London, accusing Moscow of "extraordinarily craven behaviour at the expense of the sovereignty and integrity of a nation".

The Kiev military accused Russia on Friday of sending tanks and troops into eastern Ukraine despite a ceasefire that went into force last Sunday, brokered by France and Germany in a bid to end a conflict that has killed more than 5,300 people.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to the allegation but has always denied accusations in the past that its forces are fighting in Ukraine.

Mr Kerry, however, said the United States “knows to a certainty” of Russia’s involvement in the conflict and support it was giving to the separatists.

“Russia has engaged in an absolutely brazen and cynical process over these last days,” the secretary of state said.

“We are talking about additional sanctions, about additional efforts, and I’m confident over the next days people will make it clear that we are not going to play this game,” he added.

“We’re not going sit there and be part of this kind of extraordinarily craven behaviour at the expense of the sovereignty and integrity of a nation.”

Pro-Russian separatists are building up forces and weapons in Ukraine’s south east and the Ukrainian military said on Saturday it was braced for the possibility of a rebel attack on the port city of Mariupol.

Badly shaken

The ceasefire has already been badly shaken by the rebel capture on Wednesday of Debaltseve, a railway junction in eastern Ukraine, forcing a retreat by thousands of Ukrainian troops in which at least 20 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.

Mr Hammond said the ceasefire had been “systematically breached” and he would discuss with Kerry how Europe and the United States could remain united in tackling the challenge in Ukraine.

US president Barack Obama’s administration previously said it is considering deepening sanctions against Moscow and is also weighing the possibility of providing weapons to Ukraine’s military, although officials stress the priority is to find a political solution.

While Ukraine is expected to dominate the talks in London, Kerry and Hammond said they would also discuss the threat from Islamist militants in Syria, Iraq and Libya.

Reuters