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2014-03-01 Europe
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Obama Could Pull Russia Trip Amid Ukraine Tumult
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WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials said Friday that President Barack Obama may scrap plans to attend an international summit in Russia this summer and could also halt discussions on deepening trade ties with Moscow, raising specific possible consequences if Russia should intervene in Ukraine.
| Yes, it would be a tad awkward for Champ to bow to Putin right about now... |
Obama himself bluntly warned of unspecified "costs" for Russia.
"Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing," Obama declared. Such action by Russia would represent a "profound interference" in matters that must be decided by the Ukrainian people, he said.
While the president spoke only of "reports" of military movements inside Ukraine, the officials said the U.S does believe that Russia is intervening.
| But if we acknowledge it openly we have to do something about it, and Champ is all about doing nothing, be it Ukraine, Benghazi or anything else... |
Separately, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he would not address specific U.S. options, "but this could be a very dangerous situation if this continues in a provocative way." Asked about options in a CBS News interview, he said that "we're trying to deal with a diplomatic focus, that's the appropriate, responsible approach."
| Since we don't have any other viable approach... |
As Obama prepared to speak late Friday, a spokesman for the Ukrainian border service said eight Russian transport planes had landed with unknown cargo in Crimea. Serhiy Astakhov told The Associated Press that the Il-76 planes arrived unexpectedly and were given permission to land, one after the other, at Gvardeiskoye air base. The State Department urged U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel plans in the country because of "the potential for instability."
In Washington, it was unclear whether the administration's threats to pull trade talks or cancel presidential travel might have any impact on Russia's calculations. Obama canceled a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin last year after Russia granted asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, though Obama still attended a separate international meeting in Russia.
Putin is scheduled to host the Group of Eight economic summit in June in Sochi, the site of the recently completed Winter Olympics. The U.S. is in discussions about the summit with European partners and it is difficult to see how some of those leaders would attend the summit if Russia has forces in Crimea, according to the administration officials.
| They'll change their minds if Vlad turns off the natural gas... |
The administration's warning that trade talks could be halted came as Russian officials were in Washington for economic discussions with Obama advisers.
For the U.S., levying punishments on Russia is complicated by the myriad of issues on which the White House needs Moscow's help. Among them: ending the bloodshed in Syria, negotiating a nuclear agreement with Iran, and transporting U.S. military troops and equipment out of Afghanistan through Russian supply routes.
| Nice box you built for us, Champ. Thanks... |
At the White House, a somber Obama decried the situation in Ukraine and warned about deeper outside intervention.
"Just days after the world came to Russia for the Olympic Games, that would invite the condemnation of nations around the world," he said. "The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine." 
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Posted by Steve White 2014-03-01 00:00||
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