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           Kerry Visiting Ukraine as West Considers Russia Sanctions

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is reinforcing U.S. support for
   Ukraine`s sovereignty Tuesday, as he visits Kyiv amid a growing crisis
   over Russia`s military presence in the Ukrainian region of Crimea.
   U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says Kerry is meeting
   members of the interim government to discuss Ukraine`s economic and
   political needs and see "what additional support" the United States can
   provide.
   The United States and its European allies are considering sanctions
   against Russia for its troops movements into Ukraine.
   As Kerry was on his way to the Ukrainian capital, Russian President
   Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops taking part in
   military exercises in western Russia, near the Ukrainian border, to
   return to base. The exercises were scheduled to end, so it is unclear
   whether the move was intended to help ease tensions.
   Moscow has denied that the exercises, started last week, were related
   to the situation in Ukraine.
   On Monday night, U.S. President Barack Obama met with Kerry, Defense
   Secretary Chuck Hagel and other members of his national security team
   at the White House to discuss policy options.
   Earlier Monday, President Obama called on Congress to approve an aid
   package for the new Ukrainian government.
   In tandem with the diplomatic push, the U.S. Defense Department said
   Monday it is suspending military-to-military contacts with Russia.
   Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the move is aimed at
   prodding Moscow to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis, and said the
   suspension covers maneuvers, bilateral meetings, port visits and
   conference planning.
   European Union foreign ministers have issued a Thursday deadline for
   Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull back his troops or face
   punitive measures.
   Russia, meanwhile, is calling on Ukraine to return to a February 21
   agreement between ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition
   that involved forming a national unity government.
   But State Department spokeswoman Psaki said Monday that while the
   agreement could be used as a "basis," the dramatic change in
   circumstances since then means it is not usable as it is.
   President Obama accused Russia Monday of violating international law
   with its actions in Ukraine. He said the country is "on the wrong side
   of history."
   Russia says its military movements in Ukraine are to protect its
   citizens there. But the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha
   Power, told an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council Monday
   that Russia`s intervention is an "act of aggression," and not the
   humanitarian mission it is seeking to portray.
   U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke Monday by telephone with Russian
   Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The White House said Biden urged Russia
   to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, support the immediate deployment
   of international monitors and begin a "meaningful political dialogue"
   with the Ukrainian government.
   Crimea is a Black Sea peninsula placed under Ukrainian control in 1954
   by then-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. It remained part of Ukraine
   when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Crimea has a tiny border with
   Russia on its far eastern point, and the Crimean port of Sevastapol is
   home to Russia`s Black Sea fleet. Most of the people living in Crimea
   are ethnic Russians, but the region also is home to ethnic Muslim
   Tatars, who generally show disdain for Russia.
   Ukraine`s troubles began in November, when President Yanukovych backed
   out of a trade deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties and
   economic aid from Russia. The move triggered weeks of pro-Western
   anti-government demonstrations in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine, and
   forced the pro-Russian Yanukovych to flee the capital in late February.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-visiting-ukraine-as-west-considers-russia-sanctions/1863562.html