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Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Ukraine crisis: Kerry says Russia 'hiding hand behind falsehoods' – live
Just left Ukraine. Reminded everything happening around world affects #US security,economy & values. #2015ForeignAffairsBudget reflects this
— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) March 4, 2014
Legislation being drafted by Republicans in Congress could seek to force the president’s hand
in imposing sanctions, visa restrictions and other penalties on Russian
officials, Guardian Washington correspondent Paul Lewis (@PaulLewis) reports:
The White House is encouraging Congress to quickly pass legislation to
authorise an aid package consisting of $1bn in loan guarantees that was
announced by the secretary of state John Kerry in Kiev on Tuesday. [...]
But administration officials are anxious about developments on Capitol
Hill, and keen to ensure Obama maintains free hand to decide what kinds
of sanctions are introduced and when.
Adam Kinzinger, a moderate Republican congressman on the foreign relations committee, told Paul that Obama, as the executive, should take the lead
on sanctions. But he added:
“To the extent that we think he is not being
tough enough, I think you’ll see Congress coming in and potentially
doing something.”
To protect a diplomatic initiative,
the White House tries to slow a congressional move toward sanctions on a
perceived bad actor. Ring any bells? Update: Paul asked Jen Psaki, press secretary for the State Department, whether
hawks in Congress might seek to compel the Obama administration to take a
tougher approach to sanctions than it is comfortable with.
She replied: “Of course Congress can take steps, or may take steps, as it sees appropriate.”
“That’s
a diplomatic response,” Paul writes,
but the truth is the White House will not want
the House and Senate to start shaping policy toward Russia. And it isn’t
only Republicans who are pushing for a forceful response from
Washington.
Just over an hour ago Chris Murphy, a Democratic member of the Senate
foreign relations committee, stood on the Senate floor and said:
“We
need to send a clear message to every facet of Russian society that if
you take part in this illegal, extraterritorial activity, your entire
country will suffer consequences. I’m not sure that Russia will pay
attention if we simply provide visa sanctions on government officials
that have ordered this march on Ukraine.”
“The discussion underway today is about the extent of the
sanctions and whether or not they will be included in the aid package or
a separate authorising legislation. There is a question now as to
whether the sanctions are going to be limited to individuals that are
participating in the illegal occupation of Ukraine or whether the
sanctions will be broader, for instance to include sanctions against the
petrochemical industry.”
Updated
Via Guardian Witness: A reader sends footage said to show Russian soldiers at Feodosia military base in eastern Crimea.
The Guardian’s Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7), who interviewed Ukrainians inside the base at the weekend, says the footage appears to show Russian soldiers outside Feodosia. “When I was there the Russians had been in and out repeatedly for negotiations,” Shaun writes.
Please note that the reader-submitted captions describe the Russian military as “on” the base, but, in these frames at least, the military appears to be outside the base.
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