Ukraine row
Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov twice in a day on the importance of peacefully resolving the security situation in eastern Ukraine and rejecting the use of force for political objectives.
“In a second phone call today, Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov discussed the importance of resolving the security situation in key cities in Eastern Ukraine peacefully and through dialogue and they both rejected the use of force to obtain political objectives,” State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
The two leaders also discussed the effort to remove chemical weapons from Syria, she said. This was the second phone call between the two leaders, the first one was made earlier on Wednesday.
“When he spoke with Lavrov, he reiterated his concerns about escalating tensions in the east. They discussed the possibility of a quad meeting next week that you all saw EU High Representative Ashton refer to yesterday,” Psaki said. Kerry also spoke with the Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, during which they discussed the ongoing efforts by the Ukrainian government to address the situation in eastern Ukraine peacefully.
They also discussed the possibility of the quad meeting. Kerry is scheduled to meet Lavrov next week. “This is a very fluid situation. So I don’t want to make a prediction of that. Beyond efforts to engage the parties discussing at the same table, the Ukrainians and the Russians, and beyond sanctions, there’s also an ongoing process that the legitimate government of Ukraine has going on the ground which we’re supporting them in and that is leading up to an election that is the effort at constitutional reforms,” Psaki said.
“So it is not as if we are all holding our breath waiting for this meeting. This meeting is a part of many steps that we are taking in working closely with the government of Ukraine in their efforts to go through this transition period,” she said. Psaki said there have been concerns expressed by the Russians about issues like support for ethnic minorities in Ukraine.
Earlier, the White House also expressed its concern over the situation in Russia. “We are following the situation in Eastern Ukraine very closely. We are concerned about it and we continue to condemn any violence. The Ukrainian authorities continue to act professionally and with restraint. We admire that approach in a very difficult situation,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said. “The Ukrainian government has made clear that it is offering to resolve that situation through dialogue and we support that approach. There is ample evidence both in traditional and social media and elsewhere, that some of the protesters are being paid, that they’re not locals, and that is certainly of concern to us,” he said. “But again, we support the Ukrainian authorities’ approach to this matter,” Carney said. He said it is clear that Russia has not played a helpful role in trying to reduce tensions in Ukraine but has sought to destabilise the situation in the country. (PTI)
Russia rejects US warnings over Iran oil deal
Moscow: A senior Russian diplomat has angrily rejected US warnings against striking an oil-for-goods contract with Iran, saying that Moscow wouldn’t be intimidated by threats. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov yesterday said in remarks carried by the state RIA Novosti news agency that an increase in Russian-Iranian trade is a “natural process that doesn’t involve any elements of political or economic challenge to anyone.”
Russian business daily Kommersant has reported that Moscow plans to buy 500,000 barrels of Iranian oil a day, a deal that would shatter an export limit defined by an interim nuclear agreement world powers and Iran reached last year. Iran has agreed to temporarily limit its atomic work, which the West fears could be a cover for developing nuclear weapons, in return for some sanctions relief.
Six world powers, including Russia, and Iran are working on a fuller deal that would place long-term restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for an end to all economic sanctions. The six-month interim agreement, which went into effect in January and expires in July, allows Iran to continue exporting a total of 1 million barrels a day of oil to six countries: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. The promise didn’t apply to Russia, which wasn’t an existing customer of Iran’s petroleum industry.
If Russia reaches the oil-for-goods contract with Iran, it would challenge Western efforts to secure a comprehensive agreement. US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Washington could impose sanctions if Russia and Iran move forward with the oil contract. Ryabkov said he was unaware of any specific agreements, adding that a “normal exchange of opinions with Iranian colleagues has been going on to determine which sectors of economy are best suited for further development of ties.” (AP)