White House responds to Russian Foreign Ministry’s attempt to recognize separatist ‘elections’

Washington has expressed concern about the intentions of the Russian leadership to recognize as legitimate the vote organized by separatists in eastern Ukraine and has threatened to raise the costs to Moscow for “its destabilizing and dangerous actions.”
The White House said this in a statement released in Washington on Monday, Ukrinform’s correspondent reported.
“We are concerned by a Russian Foreign Ministry statement today that seeks to legitimize these sham ‘elections.’ We also continue to be concerned by reports that Russia is once more moving its troops and military equipment to portions of the international border,” the U.S. presidential administration said.
The statement notes that “the Russia-Ukraine border remains unmonitored and outside of Ukrainian government control despite Russia’s commitment to facilitate the establishment of an effective international monitoring mission.”
Moscow’s continued failure to fulfill its obligations under the Minsk agreements calls into question its commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine, reads the statement.
“We call on Russia’s leaders to adhere to the commitments they made in Minsk to include the full withdrawal of foreign forces, the restoration of Ukrainian control of its sovereignty over the border with OSCE monitoring, and local elections in accordance with the special status law, which set these for December 7,” the document says.
The White House said that Russia has a choice.
“If it supports the peace process and adheres to its Minsk commitments, the costs for Russia’s destabilizing actions against Ukraine will lessen. Should Moscow continue to ignore the commitments that it made in Minsk and continue its destabilizing and dangerous actions, the costs to Russia will rise,” reads the statement.

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