US at loggerheads with Russia over Ukraine

As eyes stay on Ukraine where the ultimatum is shortly to expire for occupiers of government buildings to clear out or be "forced out", the US reiterated its position on this thorny dossier and condemned Russian "propaganda and misinformation campaigns" aimed to justify its involvement with the turn of events in the neighboring country. The government in Kiev insists Russia is behind those who seized the state buildings, who were moving in very organized manner, wearing distinctive camouflage, carrying weapons of Russian origin, and rapidly setting up roadblocks around the buildings they lay hands on. The authorities are also reporting there had been several takeover attempts on state buildings, some of which were foiled. In support of this Ukrainian government position, the US State Department Sunday stated that, "the Ukrainian Government detained an individual who said that he was recruited by the Russian security services and instructed to carry out subversive operations in eastern and southern Ukraine, including seizing administrative buildings." Also on this dossier, the State Department issued a statement titled, "Russian Fiction the Sequel: 10 More False Claims About Ukraine." The statement lists Russian claims regarding the situation and the latest developments and responds with counter-facts. The document mentions claims of Russia not having agents in Ukraine and recalls arrest of more than a dozen suspected Russian intelligence agents in recent weeks, some armed at time of arrest. It also responds to the claim of wide popular support for separatist calls in Ukrainian cities now gripped with tension. It recalls that, "A large majority of Donetsk [where populists protests have appeared] residents (65.7 percent) want to live in a united Ukraine and reject unification with Russia, according to public opinion polls conducted at the end of March by the Donetsk-based Institute of Social Research and Policy Analysis." Russia also claims to have executed a "Partial drawdown" of troops from the border line with Ukraine. "No evidence shows significant movement of Russian forces away from the Ukrainian border. One battalion is not enough. An estimated 35,000-40,000 Russian troops remain massed along the border, in addition to approximately 25,000 troops currently in Crimea," the State Department commented. The statement also stressed Russia is using energy and trade as tactic against Ukraine. "Russia raised the price Ukraine pays for natural gas by 80 percent in the past two weeks. Russia's moves threaten to increase severely the economic pain faced by Ukrainian citizens and businesses," it said. The international community is still anxious over this dossier as diplomacy remains unable to bring about a solution. The emergency UN Security Council on this dossier, called by Russia, was scene of exchanged accusations with Moscow on one side and western nations on the other. Beyond denying involvement with the separatists, Moscow went as far as to say it is the Ukrainian Government that was in violation of law and Human Rights, saying the threat to attack separatists in state buildings was a "criminal act" in itself. The head of Ukraine's state security service (SBU) was meanwhile quoted saying government forces would respond ruthlessly if pro-Russian separatists opened fire once the ultimatum expired. "If they open fire, we will annihilate them. There should be no doubt about this," Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said, in a televised interview.