Posted on 03/14/2014 11:10:42 AM PDT by McGruff
Top US diplomat John Kerry arrived in London on Friday on an 11th-hour mission to head off a possible Russian annexation of Crimea on the heels of a breakaway vote by the Ukrainian region.
With the clock ticking down to Crimea's referendum on Sunday, Kerry was to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov seeking to put the brakes on any moves by Russian President Vladimir Putin to swiftly annex the peninsula.
Shortly before leaving the United States, the secretary of state admitted that it was all but impossible to stop the referendum organised by Crimea's self-declared leaders from going ahead and warned there was no question that the pro-Russian ethnic majority would vote to move closer to Moscow.
Shortly after arriving in London, Kerry paid a visit to British Prime Minister David Cameron at his Downing Street residence ahead of his talks with Lavrov.
Cameron urged Russia and Ukraine to negotiate over Crimea and warned that failure to do so could trigger sanctions from the West.
He said: "We want to see progress as much as you do. We want to see Ukrainians and the Russians talking to each other.
"And if they don't then there are going to have to be consequences."
Kerry said: "Hopefully, I think we're all hoping that we don't get pushed into a place where we have to do all this. But we'll see what happens."
World attention is now focused on what moves Putin may make on Monday following the vote. There are growing concerns that he may have further ambitions to seize other swathes of Ukraine.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.in ...
Obama Foreign Policy: Squawk Loudly and carry a limp wrist....
Now that it appears one of our drones has been intercepted over Crimea,,so bold of Kerry to make such a statement.
Liberals look at themselves as enlightened- and look at conservatives as evil.
Sorry but I can’t explain how your thinking is wrong. Because it isn’t. Strange days man, strange days.
How long will it take Putin to crown himself czar?
He has already expanded the empire, with great success.
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