Foreign Secretary William Hague has warned Russia it is not simply facing "short-term pain" of limited sanctions, but long-term "isolation and stagnation" following its decision to claim Crimea from Ukraine.
Mr Hague's comments come amid continuing tensions in Crimea, where pro-Russian forces have seized control of more Ukrainian military sites.
In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, he wrote: "The European Commission are working now on more far-reaching economic measures that will be imposed if Russia takes further steps to undermine Ukraine."
He said Britain and its allies had "never given up on diplomacy or sought a path of permanent confrontation with Russia".
"But nor should European nations run scared before bullying behaviour," he added.
Mr Hague said it was now necessary to "contemplate a new state of relations with Russia that is very different to the last 20 years".
Armed men seized the navy ship Slavutich On Saturday, several hundred protesters raised the Russian flag after storming a Ukrainian airforce base in the western Crimean town Novofedorivka while pro-Kremlin forces watched.
In the main city of Sevastopol, armed men seized control of the Slavutich, one of the last navy ships in Crimea still flying Ukraine's flag.
Armoured carriers smashed their way into the airbase near Sevastopol But the most dramatic episode saw Russian special forces break into the Belbek air base, near Simferopol, which has long been the pride of Ukraine's air force.
Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay was inside the sprawling compound as the attack took place.
"They came through the walls in armoured personnel carriers," he said, adding that the forces were "all balaclaved" and wore "slightly different uniforms to regular Russian soldiers".
The base is in a key strategic position on Crimea's Black Sea coast Ramsay also heard "big explosions" which he said were probably blast bombs to disorientate the Ukrainian troops, who were then made to line up on a parade ground.
He said the Ukrainians were "massively outnumbered and outgunned" by the Russians, with just small arms and a few machine guns.
Ukraine's defence ministry later confirmed its men had left the base and said a journalist and a Ukrainian soldier had been wounded during the takeover.
Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley said the base was an important capture for the Russians.
The Ukrainian troops were 'outnumbered' "It is a base that is home to a significant number, possibly a third, of the main combat aircraft of the Ukrainian air force - the MIG-29s - and their support aircraft and the structures that go with them," he said.
"If you look at that and the blockage of the Ukrainian Navy in the shared port of Sevastopol in Crimea, what you see here is the Russians doing two things.
"The first is to seize territory that they now lay claim to and the second is to cripple the Ukrainian armed forces.
"That is extremely important to them if they want to move into the Ukrainian eastern provinces where there are a predominance of Russian speakers."
The Foreign Office has extended its travel warnings and is advising against all but essential travel to Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lugansk due to increased tension in eastern Ukraine.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
UK Warning As Russia Tightens Grip On Crimea
Dengan url
http://malurasanya.blogspot.com/2014/03/uk-warning-as-russia-tightens-grip-on.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
UK Warning As Russia Tightens Grip On Crimea
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
UK Warning As Russia Tightens Grip On Crimea
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar