US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Kiev this week in a high-profile show of support for the embattled Ukrainian leadership, as Washington begins to implement punishing cuts in normal ties with Moscow.
The announcement came after Kerry warned Russia risked being stripped of its coveted seat among the prestigious G8 nations, as well as faced economic turmoil and sanctions, for the “brazen act of aggression” on the Crimean peninsula.
The surprise stop was added onto the top US diplomat’s planned trip to Rome and Paris amid growing alarm at fast-moving events in Ukraine, with senior officials saying Russian forces now had complete control of southern Crimea, New Zealand Herald informs.
