(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) White House National Security Council said the convoy should have been overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and alleged that pro-Russian rebels had blocked legitimate aid shipments.The United States on Friday demanded Russia “immediately” withdraw a convoy of vehicles from Ukraine and warned of further international sanctions if Moscow did not respect Kiev’s sovereignty.
Russia says the trucks are a humanitarian convoy shipping aid to the beleaguered civilian population in war-torn eastern Ukraine but Kiev had not authorised their entry and has dubbed the move an invasion.
“We condemn this action by Russia for which it will bear additional consequences” said Caitlin Hayden spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council.
“This is a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by Russia. Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately.”
Hayden said the convoy should have been overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross and alleged that pro-Russian rebels had blocked legitimate aid shipments.
“At the same time as Russian vehicles violate Ukraine’s sovereignty Russia maintains a sizable military force on the Ukrainian border capable of invading Ukraine on very short notice” Hayden said.
“It has repeatedly fired into Ukrainian territory and has sent an ever-increasing stream of military equipment and fighters into Ukraine.”
Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby also condemned the Russian actions and warned that Russia would face further isolation or international sanctions.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately. Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation” he said.
He described the convoy as a violation of Ukraine’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity by Russia” and questioned whether the convoy was really on a humanitarian mission.
“Russia should not send vehicles persons or cargo of any kind into Ukraine whether under the guise of humanitarian convoys or any other pretext without Kiev’s express permission” he said.
It was unclear what cargo was being ferried to eastern Ukraine he added.
“We don’t have a perfect picture of what’s in those trucks” Kirby said.
Local officials in Ukraine said 20 trucks rolled into the pro-Moscow rebel bastion of Luhansk despite objections from Kiev.
At the United Nations in New York Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin hotly denied that any Russian troops were inside Ukraine.
After spending hours driving up and down winding country roads apparently to avoid any Ukrainian troops the convoy began pulling into Luhansk on Friday evening. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
In the past few days Ukraine said its troops had recaptured significant parts of Luhansk and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kiev’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city Donetsk with dozens of casualties.
Speaking on national television Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the half-empty trucks Russia sent into Ukraine were not going to deliver aid but would be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself creating an international incident.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the Russian convoy a “direct invasion.”
Asked about that Yatsenyuk replied that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began back in March when it annexed Crimea and has been going on ever since.
Nato’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Russia’s unilateral decision “a blatant breach of Russia’s international commitments” and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
The swiftness with which Russia set the aid mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions.
The move came as the UN Security Council planned to hold emergency consultations on the convoy. For more news from Khaleej Times follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/khaleejtimes and on Twitter at khaleejtimes Follow khaleejtimes ->
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