President Barack Obama wants Vladimir Putin to take steps to rebuild the trust shattered by Russia's actions in Ukraine.Obama's comment came as
he visited Poland on Tuesday, the first stop on his three-country
European trip which is intended, in part, to reassure allies in Eastern
Europe unnerved by Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.Putin "has a choice to
make" on Ukraine, Obama said during a news conference in Warsaw, calling
on the Russian President to continue to pull back troops from the
border with Ukraine, persuade pro-Russian separatists to stand down and
back Ukraine's recent presidential election.If the United States sees
"responsible behavior" from Russia, Obama said, "I think it is possible
for us to try to rebuild some of the trust that has been shattered."
But he warned that it will take "quite some time."
Kiev and the West have said the separatists in Ukraine are coordinated and supplied by Russia, a claim that Moscow denies.Obama's visit comes a day
after a deadly attack on a regional headquarters building in Donetsk
that has been taken over by separatists calling themselves the People's
Republic of Luhansk. Five women and three men, all of them civilians,
were killed in the attack, which Kiev has blamed on separatists.A munitions expert who
accompanied a CNN crew to the scene, however, said the damage to the
building was indicative of an airstrike.Social media video shows
an aircraft overhead after the attacks, trees are splintered as if they
were hit from above and craters in a nearby square leading to the
building appear to have been the result of heavy cannon fire from the
air.
A meeting in France?
Obama, speaking
alongside Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, said he had always had a
"business-like relationship" with Putin and that he had conveyed the
same messages to him in private conversations as were made in public.He said Washington
wanted good relations, but added that sanctions imposed over Russia's
Crimea excursion would be maintained and that more have been drawn up in
case of further destabilization in the east.Obama added that he was
"sure" he would cross paths with Putin while both are in France at the
end of the week for events to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day
landings.
Obama said he was
looking forward to meeting with Ukraine's President-elect Petro
Poroshenko on Wednesday, adding that his election last month "gives us
some momentum to build on as we move forward."He also stressed the
need for Ukraine to pursue economic as well as political reform,
including taking steps to reduce its reliance on natural gas from
Russia.
At the same news
conference, Obama announced that he is asking Congress for a fund of up
to $1 billion to allow for a "European Reassurance Initiative" to
bolster the security of NATO allies.
This would help the
United States undertake increased training exercises, explore the
pre-positioning of military equipment, and build the capacity of
Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to partner with the United States and NATO.More U.S. Air Force and Army personnel will be rotated through allied countries in central and eastern Europe, Obama said.He urged all NATO
nations to live up to their commitment to the alliance when member
states are threatened, and commended Poland for its contribution.
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