Kerry Statement
"If there is no sign of any capacity to be able to move forward and resolve this issue, there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday in Europe and here with respect the options that are available to us," Kerry said at a Senate panel hearing on his agency's budget for fiscal year 2015".
"Now our choice is not to be put in the position of having to do that," he added. "Our choice is to have a respect for the sovereignty and independence and integrity of the country of Ukraine. Our hope is to have Russia join in respecting international law."
"Russian parliament leaders have said that Russia would respect the choice made in Crimea's plebiscite, while Washington and its European allies have rejected the upcoming vote as running contrary to the international law and Ukraine's constitution".
"I don't think there's much doubt, given the circumstances, what the vote is going to be," Kerry said. "Nobody doubts that. So this is not a question mark."
"The question mark is, is Russia prepared to find a way to negotiate with Ukraine, with the contact group, with the other countries involved in order to be able to resolve this in a way that respects their legitimate interests, and they have legitimate interests, but respects them in a way that doesn't violate international law and isn't at the butt of a rifle and of massive military imprint?" he added.
Source: ChinadailyUSA
