US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in London on Saturday for meetings with his British counterpart, and a senior official said they would discuss possible penalties that could be imposed against Russia if violence in eastern Ukraine continues.
The senior US official said the Ukrainian conflict was expected to dominate the talks between Kerry and British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Reuters reported.
The discussions would also cover the fighting in Syria and Iraq, Nigeria’s upcoming election as well as the Israeli-Palestinian situation, the official said.
Ukraine accused Moscow on Friday of sending more tanks and troops into eastern Ukraine despite a European-brokered truce that went into force last Sunday. Moscow has consistently denied accusations that its forces are fighting in Ukraine.
“There is no question there have been a huge number of violations (of the ceasefire),” the senior US official told reporters. “The question is what is the status of where we think this is going from here and what are the costs that should be imposed,” the official added.
Washington warned Russia on Friday that the continued support of separatists fighting in Ukraine was a direct threat to the “modern global order.”
US President Barack Obama’s administration has said it is considering deepening sanctions against Moscow and is weighing the possibility of arming Ukraine’s military to defend itself.
The US official said the London discussions would also focus on Nigeria’s upcoming election on March 28, which was postponed earlier this month, and increased violence by militant group Boko Haram. The US has said it is concerned with the delay.
Kerry will travel to Geneva on Sunday for two days of talks with senior Iranian officials on Tehran’s nuclear program as the sides try to resolve differences before a March 31 deadline for a basic framework agreement.
