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| Kerry, in Kiev, pledges $1 billion in U.S. aid | Kerry, in Kiev, pledges $1 billion in U.S. aid |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| KIEV, Ukraine — Secretary of State John F. Kerry, visiting Ukraine with a pledge of $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees for Kiev’s new anti-Russian leadership, pushed back hard Tuesday against Moscow’s assertion of a right to intervene in the neighboring country. | |
| Reacting to comments Tuesday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kerry said, “It is clear that Russia has been working hard to create a pretext for being able to invade further.” | |
| In Washington, President Obama made similar remarks, saying that far from acting out of concern for Russian nationals or Russian speakers in Ukraine, Moscow was “seeking through force to exert influence on a neighboring country.” He said there has been “no evidence of serious violence” that would provide a rationale for intervention under international law. | |
| In a news conference in Kiev, Kerry commended the new Ukrainian government for showing “restraint despite an invasion of the Ukrainian homeland.” He said Russia was “out of excuses” for its intervention in Ukraine’s Crimea region and was “hiding behind falsehoods, intimidation and provocations.” | |
| He called on the Russians to “de-escalate rather than expand their invasion.” | |
| Kerry made the comments during a trip to show solidarity with Ukraine’s former opposition leaders who are now facing a military standoff with Moscow. | |
| U.S. officials hope his talks in Kiev will help the interim leaders in Ukraine prepare for elections and recover looted assets. | |
| Kerry is the highest-level American official to come to the former Soviet republic since the ouster of Ukraine’s Russian-backed leadership 10 days ago and Russia’s move to occupy Ukraine’s strategic Crimean Peninsula. | Kerry is the highest-level American official to come to the former Soviet republic since the ouster of Ukraine’s Russian-backed leadership 10 days ago and Russia’s move to occupy Ukraine’s strategic Crimean Peninsula. |
| Kerry is pledging economic and technical help for the new leadership, but no military backing now. | Kerry is pledging economic and technical help for the new leadership, but no military backing now. |
| New economic sanctions against Russia are coming in “days, not weeks,” a U.S. official traveling with Kerry said. | New economic sanctions against Russia are coming in “days, not weeks,” a U.S. official traveling with Kerry said. |
| The United States watched with alarm as the confrontation with Moscow over Ukraine escalated in recent days, including with an apparent Russian attempt to fly military aircraft into Ukrainian airspace Monday. | The United States watched with alarm as the confrontation with Moscow over Ukraine escalated in recent days, including with an apparent Russian attempt to fly military aircraft into Ukrainian airspace Monday. |
| Moscow has sent as many as 16,000 troops onto the streets to guard Russian military assets in Crimea, U.S. officials said. | Moscow has sent as many as 16,000 troops onto the streets to guard Russian military assets in Crimea, U.S. officials said. |
| Kerry was not planning to travel to Crimea. | Kerry was not planning to travel to Crimea. |
| In Washington, a senior lawmaker expected to help steer a Ukrainian aid package through Congress said Tuesday that the pledge of $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees was “welcome news.” | In Washington, a senior lawmaker expected to help steer a Ukrainian aid package through Congress said Tuesday that the pledge of $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees was “welcome news.” |
| “The time to act is now,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward R. Royce (R-Calif.) said in a statement shortly after Kerry announced plans for the aid package. “We must place crippling sanctions on Russian high-ranking officials, state owned banks and commercial enterprises, and key individuals behind the Russian intervention. Only by forcing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to reverse aggression and by supporting Ukraine in this time of national crisis can we hope to restore peace in the region.” | “The time to act is now,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Edward R. Royce (R-Calif.) said in a statement shortly after Kerry announced plans for the aid package. “We must place crippling sanctions on Russian high-ranking officials, state owned banks and commercial enterprises, and key individuals behind the Russian intervention. Only by forcing [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to reverse aggression and by supporting Ukraine in this time of national crisis can we hope to restore peace in the region.” |
| In Kiev, Kerry visited a memorial to some of the scores of civilians killed when government forces opened fire last month on street protests against the Moscow-backed government of President Viktor Yanukovych. | In Kiev, Kerry visited a memorial to some of the scores of civilians killed when government forces opened fire last month on street protests against the Moscow-backed government of President Viktor Yanukovych. |
| Yanukovych fled to Russia more than a week ago and maintains he is still Ukraine’s legitimate leader. Putin agreed Tuesday, justifying Russian intervention in Crimea as a legal response to a request from Yanukovych as president. | Yanukovych fled to Russia more than a week ago and maintains he is still Ukraine’s legitimate leader. Putin agreed Tuesday, justifying Russian intervention in Crimea as a legal response to a request from Yanukovych as president. |
| Kerry has argued that Yanukovych lost his claim on power when he fled, and he said the new government deserves solid Western backing to begin work and to recover stolen national assets. | Kerry has argued that Yanukovych lost his claim on power when he fled, and he said the new government deserves solid Western backing to begin work and to recover stolen national assets. |
| Although Kerry’s trip was a firm symbolic boost to the new leadership, U.S. officials traveling with him said the United States and other Western states are trying to give Russia a graceful way to back down. | Although Kerry’s trip was a firm symbolic boost to the new leadership, U.S. officials traveling with him said the United States and other Western states are trying to give Russia a graceful way to back down. |
| Sending international monitors to Crimea to ensure that Russian speakers are not mistreated is one option, officials said. | Sending international monitors to Crimea to ensure that Russian speakers are not mistreated is one option, officials said. |
| The $1 billion Kerry is offering is pending approval by Congress. It would help protect Ukraine from likely price increases for energy if Russian supplies are slashed. | The $1 billion Kerry is offering is pending approval by Congress. It would help protect Ukraine from likely price increases for energy if Russian supplies are slashed. |
| During a tour of Kiev, Kerry walked along a muddy Institutska Street, the site of dozens of deaths from sniper or automatic weapons fire last month. Piles of soggy flowers, many snarled with barbed wire, lined the street. Remnants of barricades built of tires, packing crates, garden gates and a mattress remained. | During a tour of Kiev, Kerry walked along a muddy Institutska Street, the site of dozens of deaths from sniper or automatic weapons fire last month. Piles of soggy flowers, many snarled with barbed wire, lined the street. Remnants of barricades built of tires, packing crates, garden gates and a mattress remained. |
| Kerry spoke to groups of people, most of whom appeared to be supporters of the new government. | Kerry spoke to groups of people, most of whom appeared to be supporters of the new government. |
| “We are helping you,” Kerry told one woman. “President Obama wants to help you. I want to help you.” | “We are helping you,” Kerry told one woman. “President Obama wants to help you. I want to help you.” |
| A few moments later, a group of people who identified themselves as Russians called out to Kerry, and he also told them that the United States wants to help. | A few moments later, a group of people who identified themselves as Russians called out to Kerry, and he also told them that the United States wants to help. |
| “We are poor people,” a woman told Kerry in Russian, before Kerry moved down the street in a chaotic throng of security, cameras and bystanders. He placed a candle at a makeshift shrine erected to slain protesters, some of whose young faces looked out from sodden photographs. | “We are poor people,” a woman told Kerry in Russian, before Kerry moved down the street in a chaotic throng of security, cameras and bystanders. He placed a candle at a makeshift shrine erected to slain protesters, some of whose young faces looked out from sodden photographs. |
| The shrine is near the site of the heaviest gunfire on Feb. 20, the deadliest day of three months of demonstrations against Yanukovych. At least 98 people died during the protests — many of them along the route Kerry walked. | The shrine is near the site of the heaviest gunfire on Feb. 20, the deadliest day of three months of demonstrations against Yanukovych. At least 98 people died during the protests — many of them along the route Kerry walked. |
| Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox and other clergy were there to greet Kerry on the street, invited by the U.S. Embassy in what organizers hoped would be a display of unity and calm. One of the Orthodox prelates was part of the Kiev patriarchate, another from the Moscow division of the church. | Roman Catholic, Ukrainian Orthodox and other clergy were there to greet Kerry on the street, invited by the U.S. Embassy in what organizers hoped would be a display of unity and calm. One of the Orthodox prelates was part of the Kiev patriarchate, another from the Moscow division of the church. |
| Later, Kerry met leaders of the interim government that took power when Yanukovych fled and that has pledged quick elections and a return to full democracy. The United States, however, is concerned by signs of at least mild recriminations against Russian speakers or those who identify with Moscow. | Later, Kerry met leaders of the interim government that took power when Yanukovych fled and that has pledged quick elections and a return to full democracy. The United States, however, is concerned by signs of at least mild recriminations against Russian speakers or those who identify with Moscow. |
| Walking into Ukraine’s parliament, Kerry passed a long table lined with photographs of those killed in the protests. | Walking into Ukraine’s parliament, Kerry passed a long table lined with photographs of those killed in the protests. |
| He met with acting President Oleksandr Turchynov, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and other officials who, until two weeks ago, were part of opposition protests calling for Yanukovych’s ouster. | He met with acting President Oleksandr Turchynov, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and other officials who, until two weeks ago, were part of opposition protests calling for Yanukovych’s ouster. |
| Ed O’Keefe in Washington contributed to this report. | Ed O’Keefe in Washington contributed to this report. |