Russia involved in Ukraine, Kerry claims
Iran Press TV
Thu May 1, 2014 2:39PM GMT
The US secretary of state claims Washington has obtained intercepted phone calls proving Russia's involvement in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, a report says.
"Intel is producing taped conversations of intelligence operatives taking their orders from Moscow… We know exactly where they are coming from," the Daily Beast quoted John Kerry as saying.
Kerry, who made the remarks to a closed-door meeting of the think-tank Trilateral Commission on Friday, did not name specific Russian officials.
The intercepts prove that Moscow is deliberately fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine, he claimed.
"It's not an accident that you have some of the same people identified who were in Crimea and in Georgia and who are now in east Ukraine," Kerry said.
However, the US Department of State spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, played down the leaks, saying Kerry has already made similar claims about Russia.
Last week, Kerry said, "Our intelligence community tells me that Russia's intelligence and military intelligence services and special operators are playing an active role in destabilizing eastern Ukraine with personnel, weapons, money, operational planning and coordination."
On Wednesday, Ukraine said it has arrested the Russian defense attaché in the capital, Kiev, declaring him persona non grata.
The relations between the two neighboring countries deteriorated after Crimea declared independence from Kiev and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16.
The move led to pro-Russia protests in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. The government in Kiev accuses Moscow of supporting the protesters, a claim which Russia denies.
KA/HSN/SL
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