Russia Threatens Military Response in Ukraine
Top news: On the heels of Ukraine's decision to resume military operations in the country's east, Russia applied further pressure on the government in Kiev, threatening that if Russian interests are attacked then Moscow would have no choice but to respond.
Comparing the current stand off in Ukraine's east, where it is widely believed Russian agents and special forces soldiers have deployed, to Russia's 2008 invasion of Georgia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that "if we are attacked, we would certainly respond." He added: "If our interests, our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians have been attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia for example, I do not see any other way but to respond in accordance with international law."
On Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden pledged additional support to the government in Kiev, where he told lawmakers that they face "very daunting problems, and some might say, humiliating threats." Biden urged the lawmakers to tackle corruption and engage in structural reform. "The opportunity to generate a united Ukraine, getting it right, is within your grasp. And we want to be your partner and friend in the project," he said.
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