This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/world/group-of-7-condemns-its-absent-partner-russia.html
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| With Group of 7 Backing, Obama Gives Russia One-Month Ukraine Deadline | With Group of 7 Backing, Obama Gives Russia One-Month Ukraine Deadline |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BRUSSELS — With the backing of other world leaders, President Obama effectively set a one-month deadline for Moscow to reverse its intervention in Ukraine and help quash a pro-Russian separatist uprising or else he said it would face international sanctions far more severe than anything it had endured so far. | BRUSSELS — With the backing of other world leaders, President Obama effectively set a one-month deadline for Moscow to reverse its intervention in Ukraine and help quash a pro-Russian separatist uprising or else he said it would face international sanctions far more severe than anything it had endured so far. |
| Mr. Obama and other leaders of seven major democracies meeting here demanded that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia recognize and negotiate directly with the newly elected leader of Ukraine, stop the flow of fighters and arms across the border and press separatists to disarm, relinquish seized public buildings and join talks with the central authorities in Kiev. | Mr. Obama and other leaders of seven major democracies meeting here demanded that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia recognize and negotiate directly with the newly elected leader of Ukraine, stop the flow of fighters and arms across the border and press separatists to disarm, relinquish seized public buildings and join talks with the central authorities in Kiev. |
| “Russia continues to have a responsibility to convince them to end their violence, lay down their weapons and enter into a dialogue with the Ukrainian government,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference alongside Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain after a meeting of leaders of the Group of 7 industrial powers. “On the other hand, if Russia’s provocations continue, it’s clear from our discussions here that the G-7 nations are ready to impose additional costs on Russia.” | “Russia continues to have a responsibility to convince them to end their violence, lay down their weapons and enter into a dialogue with the Ukrainian government,” Mr. Obama said at a news conference alongside Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain after a meeting of leaders of the Group of 7 industrial powers. “On the other hand, if Russia’s provocations continue, it’s clear from our discussions here that the G-7 nations are ready to impose additional costs on Russia.” |
| For the first time, Mr. Obama laid out a time frame, saying that the process could not drag out. | For the first time, Mr. Obama laid out a time frame, saying that the process could not drag out. |
| “We will have a chance to see what Mr. Putin does over the next two, three, four weeks,” Mr. Obama said, “and if he remains on the current course, then we’ve already indicated what kinds of actions that we’re prepared to take.” | “We will have a chance to see what Mr. Putin does over the next two, three, four weeks,” Mr. Obama said, “and if he remains on the current course, then we’ve already indicated what kinds of actions that we’re prepared to take.” |
| So far, the United States and European allies have imposed only limited sanctions, aimed at individual Russians and a handful of their companies, in retaliation for the Russian annexation of Crimea and the violence in eastern Ukraine. The next stage would be broader, cutting off dealings with sectors of the economy like finance and energy. | So far, the United States and European allies have imposed only limited sanctions, aimed at individual Russians and a handful of their companies, in retaliation for the Russian annexation of Crimea and the violence in eastern Ukraine. The next stage would be broader, cutting off dealings with sectors of the economy like finance and energy. |
| European leaders have resisted such an escalation at least in part because their countries have much deeper economic ties to Russia than the United States does. Germany receives about one-third of its natural gas from Russia. Britain has extensive banking ties. France does a thriving arms business with Moscow. | European leaders have resisted such an escalation at least in part because their countries have much deeper economic ties to Russia than the United States does. Germany receives about one-third of its natural gas from Russia. Britain has extensive banking ties. France does a thriving arms business with Moscow. |
| Mr. Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany had threatened to impose sectoral sanctions if Russia disrupted the May 25 election in Ukraine that produced Petro O. Poroshenko as the new president. Pro-Russian separatists worked to stop the voting in the east, but the United States and European leaders chose not to see the problems as grave enough to merit following through on the threat. | Mr. Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany had threatened to impose sectoral sanctions if Russia disrupted the May 25 election in Ukraine that produced Petro O. Poroshenko as the new president. Pro-Russian separatists worked to stop the voting in the east, but the United States and European leaders chose not to see the problems as grave enough to merit following through on the threat. |
| American and European officials are hoping that Mr. Putin’s decision to pull some troops back from the border signals that he wants to defuse the confrontation, either because of the damage done so far to his own economy or because he did not find as much popular support for joining Russia in eastern Ukraine as he did in Crimea. | American and European officials are hoping that Mr. Putin’s decision to pull some troops back from the border signals that he wants to defuse the confrontation, either because of the damage done so far to his own economy or because he did not find as much popular support for joining Russia in eastern Ukraine as he did in Crimea. |
| In a small sign of a thaw, Moscow announced on Thursday that its ambassador to Kiev, Mikhail Zurabov, would return to Ukraine in time to attend Saturday’s inauguration of Mr. Poroshenko. Mr. Zurabov was withdrawn in February when Russia objected to the overthrow of President Viktor F. Yanukovych. | In a small sign of a thaw, Moscow announced on Thursday that its ambassador to Kiev, Mikhail Zurabov, would return to Ukraine in time to attend Saturday’s inauguration of Mr. Poroshenko. Mr. Zurabov was withdrawn in February when Russia objected to the overthrow of President Viktor F. Yanukovych. |
| It remained unclear what the West would do if Russia largely left matters as they were, neither escalating the situation nor reining in the separatists. France has said that as things stood, it intended to go ahead with a $1.6 billion sale of warships to Russia; Mr. Obama took issue with that decision again on Thursday before leaving Brussels for Paris to dine with President François Hollande of France. | It remained unclear what the West would do if Russia largely left matters as they were, neither escalating the situation nor reining in the separatists. France has said that as things stood, it intended to go ahead with a $1.6 billion sale of warships to Russia; Mr. Obama took issue with that decision again on Thursday before leaving Brussels for Paris to dine with President François Hollande of France. |
| The Group of 7’s summit meeting was the first in two decades to exclude Russia, which began attending as a guest in 1993 and joined as a full-fledged member in 1998 but was suspended after annexing Crimea. Even so, Mr. Hollande, Mr. Cameron and Ms. Merkel all scheduled individual meetings with Mr. Putin for Thursday or Friday; Mr. Hollande, in fact, hosted him for a light supper just after dining with Mr. Obama. | The Group of 7’s summit meeting was the first in two decades to exclude Russia, which began attending as a guest in 1993 and joined as a full-fledged member in 1998 but was suspended after annexing Crimea. Even so, Mr. Hollande, Mr. Cameron and Ms. Merkel all scheduled individual meetings with Mr. Putin for Thursday or Friday; Mr. Hollande, in fact, hosted him for a light supper just after dining with Mr. Obama. |
| The issue of meeting with Mr. Putin generated a “very detailed discussion” during the leaders’ private session, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, who, like Mr. Obama, opposed doing so. “We’re all agreed on what the next steps would be should we not see appropriate change in Putin’s behavior,” Mr. Harper said afterward. | The issue of meeting with Mr. Putin generated a “very detailed discussion” during the leaders’ private session, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada, who, like Mr. Obama, opposed doing so. “We’re all agreed on what the next steps would be should we not see appropriate change in Putin’s behavior,” Mr. Harper said afterward. |
| Mr. Cameron defended meeting separately with Mr. Putin. “It’s right to have this dialogue, particularly if you have a clear message and a clear point to make,” he said. “I think there’s a world of difference between having a dialogue with President Putin and excluding someone” from the summit meeting. | Mr. Cameron defended meeting separately with Mr. Putin. “It’s right to have this dialogue, particularly if you have a clear message and a clear point to make,” he said. “I think there’s a world of difference between having a dialogue with President Putin and excluding someone” from the summit meeting. |
| Mr. Hollande likewise brushed off the dispute. “The important thing is, we have the same language, the same arguments on Ukraine all together,” he told reporters. “We are seven.” | Mr. Hollande likewise brushed off the dispute. “The important thing is, we have the same language, the same arguments on Ukraine all together,” he told reporters. “We are seven.” |
| But his dinner with Mr. Obama was already fraught with another fresh source of tension, an American investigation that may result in a multibillion-dollar fine to be paid by the giant French bank BNP Paribas for helping countries like Sudan evade sanctions. | |
| “It has an impact on the French economy; it has an impact on the European economy,” Mr. Hollande said. But Mr. Obama said he had no control over the inquiry. “Those are decisions that are made by an independent Department of Justice,” he said. | “It has an impact on the French economy; it has an impact on the European economy,” Mr. Hollande said. But Mr. Obama said he had no control over the inquiry. “Those are decisions that are made by an independent Department of Justice,” he said. |
| The careful choreography of diplomatic dinners extended to Berlin, where Ms. Merkel returned after Thursday’s meetings to host Mr. Poroshenko for the second time in less than a month. Ms. Merkel was unusually effusive, stressing that “Germany would like to be very helpful” as he tackles the huge tasks of maintaining national unity, sovereignty and stability in a shaky economy. | The careful choreography of diplomatic dinners extended to Berlin, where Ms. Merkel returned after Thursday’s meetings to host Mr. Poroshenko for the second time in less than a month. Ms. Merkel was unusually effusive, stressing that “Germany would like to be very helpful” as he tackles the huge tasks of maintaining national unity, sovereignty and stability in a shaky economy. |
| “Your help is needed as never before,” Mr. Poroshenko replied. “Ukraine is paying a heavy price” for its turn toward Europe. | “Your help is needed as never before,” Mr. Poroshenko replied. “Ukraine is paying a heavy price” for its turn toward Europe. |
| In Brussels, Mr. Obama skated lightly over the disparate positions regarding Mr. Putin. “Do I expect unanimity among the 28 E.U. members?” he said. “I’ve now been president five and a half years, and I’ve learned a thing or two about the European Union.” There will be disagreements among members, he said, and “we take that for granted.” | In Brussels, Mr. Obama skated lightly over the disparate positions regarding Mr. Putin. “Do I expect unanimity among the 28 E.U. members?” he said. “I’ve now been president five and a half years, and I’ve learned a thing or two about the European Union.” There will be disagreements among members, he said, and “we take that for granted.” |
| Mr. Obama used the occasion to pledge again to help the European Union combat attempts by Russia to use energy resources as a weapon. But he emphasized the need to bear some losses to defend shared values. | Mr. Obama used the occasion to pledge again to help the European Union combat attempts by Russia to use energy resources as a weapon. But he emphasized the need to bear some losses to defend shared values. |
| “Europeans have to stand up for those ideals and principles even if it creates some economic inconvenience,” he said, adding that “if we have sectoral sanctions, I think it will inevitably hit Russia a lot worse than it hits Europe, which have much more diversified and resilient economies.” | “Europeans have to stand up for those ideals and principles even if it creates some economic inconvenience,” he said, adding that “if we have sectoral sanctions, I think it will inevitably hit Russia a lot worse than it hits Europe, which have much more diversified and resilient economies.” |