Kerry Accuses Russia Of Destabilision
In a strongly worded statement , he called on Moscow to help defuse the crisis there or face further sanctions
Earlier Russia called on the U.S. to make Kiev stop raids on Pro Moscow separatists in the East , Russia ordered new military exercises on it's border following the raids , drawing condemnation from Ukraine
Mr. Kerry was speaking amid an increasing war of words between the U.S. and Russia over events in Eastern Ukraine
Pro Russian separatists are occupying key buildings in a dozen Eastern Ukrainian towns , defying the Central government
On Thursday the Ukrainian government said that it had retaken control of the city hall in the South Eastern city of Mariupol
Mr. Kerry praised the interim authorities in Kiev , saying they had honoured the agreement struck in Geneva on April 17th to de escalate the crisis , but he said Russia had "put it's faith in distraction , deception and de stabilision"
"Not a single Russian official has called on the separatists to support the stand down , to give up their weapons and get out of the Ukrainian buildings" he said
Kerry accused Russian media of promoting President Vladimir Putin's "fantsy" about events in Ukraine and said Moscow continued to "fund , coordenate and fuel a heavly armed separatists movement in Donetsk"
Mr. Kerry said U.S. intelligence was confident that Russia was "playing an active role in destabilising Eastern Ukraine" with personnel , weapons , money and operational planning" he added , that the window for Russia to change course was closing and that if it did not choose to de escalate , the U.S. was ready to impose further sanctions
Earlier, the Russian foreign minister urged the U.S. to use its influence with Kiev to "convince it to refrain from rash steps that will plunge Ukraine even deeper into the depths of crisis"
The Geneva agreement states that illegal armed groups , including those who have seized public buildings , must return home
On Friday reports from the port city of Odessa indicated that an explosion at a checkpoint injured at least seven people
On Thursday morning , raids by Ukrainian commandos on Pro Russian checkpoints around the town of Sloviansk left at least two separatists dead
On hearing of the raids , President Putin warned there would be "consequences" adding "if Kiev has really begun to use army against the country's population , that is a very serious crime against it's own people"
Russian television quoted the ambassador to the U.N. Vitaly Churkin , as saying that Moscow would have "international legal grounds"to deploy "peacekeepers" to Ukraine , as it had done during the Russia/Georgia conflict of 20008
Ukraine's acting President , Olexander Turchnov , called on Russia to pull back it's ttroops and end what he calls it's "blackmail"