respect to territory and behaviour,” Kerry said.
“He has empowered, encouraged, and facilitated directly land grabs in order to try to destabilise Ukraine itself.
“To date, neither Russia nor the forces it is supporting have come close to complying with their commitments,” Kerry added, renewing warnings that Moscow could face further sanctions.
But Moscow says threats of new punishment are evidence that the West is not interested in the success of the latest effort to stop fighting that has cost at least 5,800 lives since April.
“Behind these calls lies the unwillingness of these figures, these relevant countries, the United States, the European Union, to seek the implementation of what was agreed,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Russia has itself ratcheted up the pressure by warning it could cut off gas supplies to Ukraine — and, by extension, to parts of the European Union.
Putin said on Wednesday that Ukraine had paid only enough for three or four more days of gas deliveries and that state-run energy giant Gazprom would “terminate the supply” if it didn’t receive money fast.
The West says the best hope for a negotiated solution to the 10-month conflict lies with the truce, which last week won unanimous backing from the UN Security Council.
But breaches by rebel forces — especially their assault on Debaltseve, a strategic transport hub, and attacks on Ukrainian army positions near the port city of Mariupol — have exasperated the EU and US.
The peace plan also entails a series of subsequent steps including the start of discussion on handing over greater autonomy to the rebel regions and the reinstatement of Kiev’s control over swathes of its border with Russia.
British Prime Minister David Cameron this week announced his country will send up to 75 soldiers to Ukraine on a “training mission” but that they would not operate in the conflict zone.
Up to 2,000 Russian soldiers were meanwhile taking part in drills near the Russian border with Estonia and Latvia, in a show of strength likely to alarm the EU neighbours.