Putin likens Ukraine's forces to Nazis and

threatens standoff in the Arctic

Russian president hits back at invasion accusations as Nato accuses Kremlin of 'blatant
violation' of Ukraine's sovereignty
Russia's president Vladimir Putin. Photograph: tar!"ass#$arcroft %edia
Shaun Walker in %ariupol& Leonid Ragozin in %osco'& Matthew Weaver and
agencies! (riday )* +ugust ),-.
"he Russian president& Vladimir Putin& has hit back at accusations that he has
effectively invaded Ukraine& accusing Ukrainian forces of behaving like Na/is in the
conflict in the east and ominously threatening to take his standoff 'ith the 'est into the
disputed +rctic.
0ours after $arack 1bama accused Russia of sending troops into Ukraine and fuelling
an upsurge in the separatist 'ar& Putin retorted that the Ukrainian army 'as the villain
of the piece& targeting residential areas of to'ns and cities like 2erman troops did in
the former 3oviet Union.
0e added that Russians and Ukrainians 4are practically one people4& reprising a theme
of an earlier statement in 'hich he referred to the disputed areas of south!eastern
Ukraine as Novorossiya 5 a thro'back to tsarist times 'hen the area 'as ruled from
%osco'.
+nd he made a pointed reference to the +rctic& 'hich 'ith its bounteous energy
reserves and tha'ing 'ater'ays is emerging as a ne' potential conflict
bet'een Russia and its 'estern rivals. 41ur interests are concentrated in the +rctic.
+nd of course 'e should pay more attention to issues of development of the +rctic and
the strengthening of our position&4 Putin told a youth camp outside %osco'.
Russia's latest alleged interventions in Ukraine& in 'hich it stands accused of sending
as many as -&,,, soldiers and military hard'are across the border to bolster the
flagging separatist insurrection& has prompted a flurry of emergency meetings.
+ satellite image sho'ing
'hat Nato claims are self!propelled Russian artillery units inside Ukraine. Photograph:
Nato#6igital2lobe#7P+
Nato ambassadors emerged from a meeting on (riday morning to accuse Russia of a
4blatant violation4 of Ukraine's sovereignty. 46espite %osco''s hollo' denials& it is no'
clear that Russian troops and e8uipment have illegally crossed the border into eastern
and south!eastern Ukraine&4 its secretary general +nders (ogh Rasmussen said.
$arack 1bama convened his national security council on "hursday& and emerged to
say that %osco' 'as responsible for the recent upsurge in violence& in 'hich a ne'
front has opened up in Ukraine's far south!east close to the city of %ariupol.
3peaking at a ne's conference in 9ashington& the U3 president said Russia 'as
encouraging& training& arming and funding separatists in the region and 'arned
%osco' that it faced further isolation.
0e said: 4Russia has deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Ukraine and the ne' images of Russian forces inside Ukraine
make that plain for the 'orld to see. "his comes as Ukrainian forces are making
progress against the separatists.4
$arack 1bama: 'Russia
has deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
Ukraine'. Photograph: %anuel $alce :eneta#+P
1bama again ruled out U3 military action& but threatened a further tightening of
sanctions.
4+s a result of the actions Russia has already taken& and the ma;or sanctions 'e've
imposed 'ith our 7uropean and international partners& Russia is already more isolated
that at any time since the end of the cold 'ar&4 he said. 4:apital is fleeing. nvestors
are increasingly staying out. ts economy is in decline.4 (inancial markets echoed his
'ords& and the ruble fell to an all!time lo' against the dollar on (riday morning.
Putin hit back by saying it 'as the Ukrainians 'ho had failed to make peace happen.
4t is necessary to force the Ukrainian authorities to substantively begin these talks 5
not on technical issues < the talks must be substantive&4 Putin said. 43mall villages
and large cities =are> surrounded by the Ukrainian army& 'hich is directly hitting
residential areas 'ith the aim of destroying the infrastructure < t sadly reminds me
the events of the second 'orld 'ar& 'hen 2erman fascist < occupants surrounded
our cities.4
(or its part& Ukraine raised the stakes further on (riday morning 'hen the prime
minister& +rseny ?atseniuk& said he 'ould try to take the country into Nato. Ukraine
has formally maintained a position of non!alignment since its independence in -**-@
the current crisis started over deep divisions in the country over 'hether to align itself
more closely 'ith the 7U or turn to'ards the Russian camp.
Russian soldiers near the
border 'ith Ukraine. Photograph: +leAander 6emianchuk#Reuters
"he UN security council met on "hursday night& 'here the $ritish ambassador& %ark
Byall 2rant& repeated Nato assertions that Russia had deployed more than -&,,,
troops in Ukraine. 4(ormed units of the armed forces of the Russian federation are
no' directly engaged in fighting inside Ukraine against the armed forces of Ukraine.
"hese units consist of 'ell over -&,,, regular Russian troops e8uipped 'ith armoured
vehicles& artillery and air defence systems&4 he said.
3tate department spokes'oman Cen Psaki amplified 1bama's comments 'ith details
of Russia's involvement in Ukraine.
4Russia has < stepped up its presence in eastern Ukraine and intervened directly 'ith
combat forces& armoured vehicles& artillery& and surface!to!air systems& and is actively
fighting Ukrainian forces as 'ell as playing a direct supporting role to the separatists'
proAies and mercenaries&4 she told a media briefing.
3amantha Po'er& U3 ambassador to the UN& accused Russia of lying about its
involvement in Ukraine. 4t has manipulated. t has obfuscated. t has outright lied&4 she
said.
4"he mask is coming off. n these acts& these recent acts& 'e see Russia's actions for
'hat they are: a deliberate effort to support& and no' fight alongside& illegal separatists
in another sovereign country.4
Russia's UN ambassador& Vitaly :hurkin& responded: 4"here are Russian volunteers in
eastern parts of Ukraine. No one is hiding that.4 Russia has denied that its troops are
in Ukraine helping separatists fight the Ukrainian army.
$ut back at home& relatives of soldiers have started to break ranks&publicising the fact
that their kin are in Ukraine.
1ne grandfather& %ikhail 3mirnov& has told the 2uardian that his ))!year!old
grandson& 3tanislav 3mirnov& sent a message from the Ukrainian border on -* +ugust
saying his motor rifle brigade 'as 4being deployed4. "hey have heard nothing since.
41ur government has gone too far 5! it has lost its head&4 the grandfather said. 9hen
reminded that %osco' claims it has no troops in Ukraine& he added: 40ey& 'e are not
blind.4
Posted by Thavam