President Barack Obama bluntly warned Russia on Friday that it's going to face worldwide condemnation in addition to unspecified "costs" for any military intervention in neighboring Ukraine. A senior U.S. official stated Washington could boycott a major worldwide summit to be hosted by Russia in June and reject Moscow's efforts to advertise trade with the United States.
"We at the moment are deeply concerned by experiences of army actions taken by the Russian Federation within Ukraine," Obama said in a unexpectedly arranged public assertion from the White House briefing room.
"Just days after the world got here to Russia for the Olympic video games, it would invite the condemnation of nations around the world. And certainly, the United States will stand with the worldwide group in affirming that there shall be costs for any navy intervention in Ukraine," the president warned.
His remarks got here after prime Ukrainian officers charged that Russian troops had taken over the two predominant airports within the strategic Crimean peninsula.
The president did not affirm Moscow's obvious function in the deployments, but he declared that "any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity" would be "deeply destabilizing" and amount to a "profound interference" in its neighbors' affairs, as well as a violation of international laws.
"All through this disaster, we've got been very clear about one elementary principle: The Ukrainian individuals deserve the chance to determine their own future," he said.
"Right now, the state of affairs stays very fluid," Obama said. "Vice President Biden just spoke with the prime minister of Ukraine to assure him that on this tough moment, the United States supports his government's efforts and stands for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and democratic future of Ukraine.
"We will proceed to coordinate intently with our European allies, we will proceed to communicate instantly with the Russian government, and we'll proceed to maintain all of you within the press corps and the American people informed as occasions develop," he said.
Obama's remarks were the newest signal that the crisis over Ukraine, where protesters and the parliament pushed professional-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych from power, won't finish quietly or anytime soon. Top U.S. officers have reached out to their Russian counterparts in recent days, together with Obama calling Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Hours earlier than Obama's surprise assertion, Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned he had mentioned the scenario with Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"I asked specifically that Russia work with the United States and with our buddies and allies with a purpose to support Ukraine, to rebuild unity, safety, and a wholesome financial system," Kerry said. Lavrov "reaffirmed President Putin’s assertion that Russia will respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Kerry said.
It was unclear what kind of motion Obama would possibly take or what restricted strategy would deter the Russians.
The United States is consulting with its European allies on subsequent steps, a senior administration official informed Yahoo News. One choice: Boycott the Group of Eight summit due to be held in June in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. An alternative choice: Reject Russian efforts to advertise trade with the United States. Putin despatched a crew of officials to Washington this week for just that purpose.
And Russia will face different possible costs, equivalent to a worsening of its already shaky worldwide reputation, and a drop in the value of its foreign money, the ruble, making imports dearer and lowering the relative value of its exports.
