Russia called on the UN to condemn
Ukraine after its armed forces on Tuesday recaptured a military
airfield from pro-Moscow separatist militias in the country's
Russian speaking east.
Also on Tuesday, the White House said Ukraine acted within
its rights, and the international community must hold Russia
accountable for encroaching on its neighbor.
"The Ukrainian government has a responsibility to uphold
law and order, and the provocations in east Ukraine are creating
a situation to which the government must respond", said White
House Press Secretary Jay Carney.
"The US and its allies must be willing to impose stiff new
sanctions against those personally responsible and against key
sectors of Russia's economy, such as energy, banking and
mining", said Kathleen Doherty, the deputy mission chief at the
US embassy in Rome.
While such sanctions could have short-term repercussions on
the economies of Italy and other EU countries, they will be
little compared to the long-term consequences of allowing
countries who annex their neighbors' territories to go
unpunished, Doherty added.
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