MOSCOW, April 24 (RIA Novosti), Daria Chernyshova – The US has done nothing to persuade Kiev authorities to follow the agreement reached in Geneva last week to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine, Jon Hellevig, co-author of the book “Putin's New Russia,” told RIA Novosti.
“The Americans have not done anything to persuade the Kievan regime to follow the road map from the Geneva talks,” Hellevig, who is also a managing partner at the Moscow-based Awara Group, said. “On the contrary, we have heard aggressive statements from the leading politicians behind the junta, such as Oleh Tyahnybok from the Svoboda party, and indeed increased armed hostilities and repression against the population of the East,” he added.
On Thursday, US President Barack Obama accused Russia of failing to comply with the Geneva deal.
“So far we have seen them not abide by the spirit or the letter of the agreement in Geneva,” Obama told journalists after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. The American President warned further sanctions could be imposed on Russia in a matter of days. “There will be further consequences and we will ramp up further sanctions,” Obama said.
Kiev has resumed its special operation in the eastern city of Slaviansk, leaving at least five activists dead and one policeman injured. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Kiev’s use of military forces in Slaviansk is “a very serious crime against its people.” He also noted that if the reports are true, “these events will have an aftermath for Moscow-Kiev intergovernmental ties.”
“Unfortunately, the situation in Ukraine has now deteriorated. The risk for larger armed conflict and even Russia's intervention has increased,” Hellevig said. “Russia is becoming increasingly frustrated with the realization that the US is not genuine in its efforts to broker peace and work for stability and constitutional reform,” he said, adding that the Americans might have used the Geneva talks “as an effort to showcase to the world that they try,” while in fact pushing for their own agenda.
“The US elite wants to establish world hegemony and Russia is their biggest obstacle on the road, therefore they seek this conflict,” Hellevig said. “From the misconceived US point of view they are in a win-win position. They either want to regain full control of Ukraine, or permanently antagonize Russia,” he added, concluding that the US is engaged in traditional war mongering.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday Kiev must disarm radical groups and start national dialogue, thus fulfilling the conditions of the Geneva agreement.
The West imposed sanctions on Russia last month, and has warned of further sanctions ever since. After the talks in Geneva on April 17, Washington said tighter sanctions could be imposed on Russia if the situation in Ukraine deteriorates.
Days after the Geneva meeting, a curfew was announced in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk after a group of unknown gunmen launched a deadly attack on a checkpoint near the city as people were celebrating Easter.
