President Barack Obama has signalled that he was prepared to significantly increase US sanctions against the Kremlin, saying Saturday’s attack by separatist rebels on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol was clearly backed, equipped and financed by Russia.
Mr Obama’s statement, made on Sunday at a news conference in New Delhi with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, came as Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, met his security council in Kiev and urged the international community to increase pressure on Russia.
Mr Obama said the US was “deeply concerned” about the latest break in the ceasefire and the separatists had received “Russian backing, Russian equipment, Russian financing, Russian training and Russian troops”.