Kerry on Ukraine: 'We're not going to play this game'
The United States and its allies are discussing another round of sanctions against Russia after violations to a cease-fire agreement continued a week after it was supposed to go into effect in Ukraine, Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday.
Kerry accused Moscow of "extraordinarily craven behavior at the expense of the sovereignty and integrity of a nation." He made the comments as he began talks with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond.
Ukraine's military says Russia has sent tanks and troops into eastern Ukraine despite a truce brokered by France and Germany to end the conflict that has killed more than 5,000 people.
"I'm confident that over the course of the next days, people are determined to make it clear we're not going to play this game," said Kerry, who charged Russia with "land-grabbing."
It was unclear whether European allies are prepared to increase economic pressure on Russia. Europe has much deeper economic ties with Russia. Economic sanctions have undermined Russia's economy but have not influenced the policies of President Vladimir Putin's government.
Hammond condemned Russia's "continued aggression" but did not specifically mention sanctions, according to the Associated Press.
"We will talk about how we maintain European Union unity and U.S.-European alignment in response to those breaches," Hammond said.
Last week, the State Department accused Russia of supplying separatists with weapons and of using its own forces to lay siege to Debaltseve, a strategic railway hub. Ukrainian troops were forced to abandon the town, and now the U.S. is worried that the port city of Mariupol may be next.
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to Kerry's allegations. It has denied allegations in the past that its forces are involved in Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces said attacks over the past day killed a serviceman and wounded 40, while rebels said Ukrainian forces shelled 15 locations overnight, including parts of Donetsk, the largest separatist-controlled city, according to the Associated Press.
Ukraine's military and pro-Russian separatists on Saturday began exchanging scores of prisoners, AFP reported.
The rebels said they were trading 139 Ukrainian soldiers for 52 of their fighters held by the other side.