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From Washington, this is VOA news. The United States warns Russia to reduce tensions in Ukraine, or face more U.S. sanctions, and the new U.S. ambassador to China has a warning for Beijing in his first major remarks on bilateral ties since taking the post. I'm Michael Lipin reporting from Washington.
The Obama administration says Russia faces tougher U.S. sanctions targeting its banking, energy and defense sectors unless Russian President Vladimir Putin deescalates the crisis in Ukraine. VOA White House correspondent Luis Ramirez reports. With Russia maintaining a buildup of its forces along the Ukraine border and evidence that Moscow continues to support separatists in eastern Ukraine, there was an expectation that sanctions might be announced on Wednesday. Secretary of State John Kerry, however, speaking at a NATO foreign ministers' summit in Brussels said the U.S. and its European partners would delay announcing any new sanctions but would continue to work to get them ready. He said it is critical for Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the flow of weapons and fighters to Ukraine, to call on separatists to lay down their arms and to pull back forces and equipment. "Until Russia fully makes that kind of commitment to the peace process and to the stability of Ukraine, the United States and Europe are compelled to continue to prepare greater costs, including tough economic sanctions, with the hopes that they will not have to be used. But that is dependent on the choices that Russia and its president make in the next days and weeks." The delay in an announcing new sanctions comes as President Putin shows some signs of backing down. This week, he asked Russia's upper parliament to revoke his authority to use military force in Ukraine. Luis Ramirez, VOA news, at the White House. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has rejected U.S. calls for him to form a national unity government to help counter an insurgency by Sunni Islamist militants. Mr. Maliki said Wednesday during a televised address that a unity government would undermine the Iraq constitution and the results of an April 30th parliamentary election that his faction won. Mr. Maliki and other Iraqi leaders say they will try to form a Shiite-led post-election government by July 1st. The United States has been urging Iraq to install a government that is inclusive of Iraq's Sunni and Kurdish minorities. The United States' new ambassador to China says Beijing's alleged online theft of U.S. trade secrets represents a "major threat" to U.S. national security. Wednesday's comments were Max Baucus' first substantive remarks on U.S.-China relations since he became ambassador in March. In a speech to U.S. business leaders in Beijing, Baucus also took a conciliatory tone toward China. "People said there we should hold China at arm's length. They were worried about labor standards, PLA issues, environmental standards, China's record on human rights. I believed then, as I do now, that turning away from China and refusing to engage would do nothing to alleviate those concerns." Baucus said Washington does have strong disagreements with China about permissible behavior in cyber space. But he said the United States will continue to use diplomatic and legal means to encourage Beijing to stop hacking attacks. Nigerian authorities say a bombing at a shopping center in the capital, Abuja, has killed at least 19 people and wounded 52 others. The bomb went off on Wednesday at Emab Plaza in Abuja as shoppers were getting ready to watch Nigeria's World Cup match with Argentina. Police said one person has been arrested. Some witnesses said a person riding a motorcycle threw the bomb. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but suspicion has fallen on Boko Haram, the Islamic militant group that has killed thousands of people in a campaign to turn northern Nigeria into an Islamic state. And in Wednesday's World Cup action in Brazil, four more teams have advanced to the tournament's second round knock-out stage. They include Argentina and Nigeria. The Argentineans beat Nigeria by three goals to two to win their group. But Nigeria still advanced by taking second place in the group, thanks to already eliminated Bosnia-Herzegovina beating Iran by three goals to one, eliminating the Iranians in the process. In other first round matches, Switzerland beat Honduras by three goals to nil. That gave Switzerland second place in the group and France finished top by beating.... That's the latest world news from VOA. |