US urges Guyana to support sanctions against Russia over Ukraine crisis

Apr 16, 2014 News

The government of the United States of America is urging the Guyana government to get off the fence and join in the imposition of targeted sanctions on those who are involved in destabilising Ukraine, and also against those who are providing support to the Russian leadership.
The request comes several days after the armed takeover of government buildings in Kramatorsk, Slovyansk and other cities in eastern Ukraine.

US President
Barack Obama

It also comes weeks after Guyana abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution which declared as invalid, Crimea’s Russia-backed referendum which resulted in its declaration of secession from Ukraine.
A statement from local United States Embassy said that the evidence of Russian support was apparent in the recent armed takeovers, as it was before in Crimea, and in the regional capitals of Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk last week.
The embassy stated that Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, its illegal occupation of Crimea, and its ongoing efforts to destabilize the Ukrainian government by fomenting unrest in the east are violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a breach of Russia’s core obligations under international law.
The Americans are maintaining that Russia’s actions are a threat to international peace and stability.
“It is critical that the international community stands together in challenging these violations of international law and in imposing costs on Russia for its actions. The United States and many of our partners have made clear – including at EU meeting and UN Security Council meetings in recent days – that we are very concerned about evidence of Russian support for a concerted, orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage to undermine and destabilize the Ukrainian state,” the US embassy statement said.
It stated that to this end, US President Barack Obama has issued three Executive Orders and the United States has imposed targeted sanctions on three tranches of persons most directly involved in destabilizing Ukraine and those who have provided material support to Russian leadership.
Additionally, the EU Council likewise strengthened sanctions against persons responsible for misappropriating Ukrainian state funds and targeted four additional persons with asset freeze and visa bans.

Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, walk outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol.

“The United States urges the Government of Guyana to take similar measures against individuals and entities sanctioned by the United States. Given the signs we are seeing that are similar to those that preceded the invasion of Crimea, we also need to be prepared for the possibility of Russian military intervention in eastern or southern Ukraine. G7 leaders agreed we should respond to any invasion with broad sanctions against major sectors of the Russian economy. We urge Guyana to join us in preparing such measures,” the statement said.
When asked about the recent US request, Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said that the country’s position remains the same as it was when it abstained from voting at the United Nations on the issue regarding the Ukraine.
The United States said it remains committed to a diplomatic solution to this crisis, but such a solution can only be achieved if Russia ends its destabilizing and provocative actions.
Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Geneva, Switzerland, on April 17 to participate in a multilateral meeting among the United States, Ukraine, Russia, and the European Union to discuss the ongoing situation in and around Ukraine.
Secretary Kerry will continue efforts to deescalate the situation in Ukraine and find a diplomatic path forward.
The United States said it is committed to supporting Ukraine, and helping the Ukrainian people build a stable, democratic, and prosperous country.

Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

On April 14, the United States signed a $1 billion loan guarantee agreement with Ukraine.
“We ask other countries to extend their support as well,” the statement said.