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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promised a firm response today if its citizens or interests come under attack after Kiev threatened to renew its “anti-terror” campaign in eastern Ukraine.
“Russian citizens being attacked is an attack against the Russian Federation,” Mr Lavrov told TV channel RT.
“If our interests, our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians, have been attacked directly, as they were in South Ossetia, I do not see any other way but to respond in full accordance with international law.”
Ukraine’s coup-installed President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered resumption on Tuesday of an “anti-terrorist operation” against pro-Russia forces that have seized police stations and government offices in at least 10 Ukrainian cities and towns.
Mr Lavrov said that the regime in Kiev had gone back on pledges of non-violence agreed in quadripartite talks on April 17.
“In Geneva we agreed there must be an end of all violence. Next afternoon, Turchynov declared almost a state of emergency and ordered the army to shoot at the people,” he said.
The Russian foreign minister said the build-up of troops on the border with Ukraine was within the bounds of international law and denied the presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
He suggested that Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk would be better served by visiting the south of his country to meet anti-Maidan protesters rather than swanning off to the Vatican, as he did yesterday.
Mr Lavrov discerned the hand of Washington behind Ukraine’s ongoing crisis, declaring: “There is no reason not to believe that the Americans are running the show.”
He highlighted US Vice-President Joe Biden’s visit to Kiev and its coincidence with the renewed counter-terror threat in eastern Ukraine.
“It’s quite telling they chose the moment of the US vice-president’s visit to announce the resumption of this operation because the launching of this operation happened immediately after CIA director John Brennan’s visit to Kiev,” he said.
Pro-Russia forces in Slovyansk confirmed today that they were holding US journalist Simon Ostrovsky on suspicion of spying for the fascist Right Sector “and other enemy organisations.”
