France warns of anti-Russia sanctions over Ukraine issue
Iran Press TV
Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:31AM GMT
France says sanctions against Russia could come as early as this week if Moscow does not respond to Western proposals on finding a solution to the crisis in Ukraine.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Inter radio on Tuesday that if "they (Russians) respond positively, [US Secretary of State] John Kerry will go to Moscow."
"If they do not respond or if they respond negatively, there will be a series of sanctions that could be taken as early as this week," the French foreign minister stated.
Moscow says it will respond to any EU sanctions with its own punitive measures. The measures may include a freeze of foreign companies' accounts in Russian banks and also confiscation of foreign companies' properties in Russia.
Fabius also said a referendum expected to be held in Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula on March 16 is illegitimate.
"The only legitimate vote is that of May 25 for the president of … Ukraine. The vote of March 16 has no legitimacy."
In an apparent reference to the ouster of Ukraine president, Viktor Yanukovich, by the parliament on February 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that proposals made by Washington on solutions to the crisis are "unsuitable" as they take the "situation created by the coup (Yanukovich ouster) as a starting point."
The Russian foreign minister also said the Kremlin had decided to draft counter proposals to resolve the situation on the basis of international law.
Russia has sent forces to Ukraine's southern region of Crimea after the Russian parliament gave the green light to President Vladimir Putin to use armed forces "to protect Russia's interests in that region."
Earlier last week, Crimean lawmakers voted in favor of joining Russia. Local Crimean administration is expected to hold the March 16 referendum on the region's separation from Ukraine.
MOS/HSN/HRB
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