Ukraine: Russia Warns US Over More Sanctions

Russia has warned the United States that its threat to take out more sanctions against it is "absolutely unacceptable".

US President Barack Obama threatened more sanctions against Moscow if an international agreement to calm tensions in Ukraine failed.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian television: "Our Western colleagues are trying to push responsibility towards our side. But it must be underlined: it is a collective responsibility."

He pointedly declared that "there are troops close to the Ukrainian border".

"Some are based there, others have been sent as reinforcements due to the situation in Ukraine," he added.

The comments appeared to be a warning shot to Washington that the situation could quickly degrade if Moscow were punished for a failed implementation of the accord.

The White House said it was watching Moscow to see if it is holding up its end of the deal.

"We expect and we will be watching whether Russia does or does not uphold its responsibility to use its very considerable influence to restrain and withdraw those irregular militia from the buildings and spaces that they've occupied," said National Security Advisory Susan Rice.

Pro-Russians occupying public buildings in 10 eastern Ukrainian cities have been told to leave in the next few days or face "more concrete actions" from the interim government.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia gave no details of the likely actions, but  said: "Hopefully, if those people are ready to leave the buildings, to surrender weapons, today, tomorrow, so we can encourage the OSCE (European security) mission to negotiate, to mediate and implement this.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

"But if this will not start in a few days, I think that after Easter there will more concrete actions."

Separatists occupying government buildings in eastern Ukraine say they will only leave if the interim government in Kiev resigns.

Denis Pushilin, a leader of the self-appointed Donetsk People's Republic, said insurgents do not recognise the Ukrainian government as legitimate.

Ukraine and Russia agreed on Thursday to take tentative steps toward calming tensions along their shared border after more than a month of bloodshed.

But Mr Pushilin said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "did not sign anything for us, he signed on behalf of the Russian Federation".

He said because the deal specifies all illegally-seized buildings should be vacated, the government in Kiev - which replaced democratically-elected President Viktor Yanukovich - is occupying public buildings illegally.

Acting Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told parliament a law offering amnesty to all those willing to lay down their arms and leave occupied buildings had been drafted.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Donetsk, said there was no sign of anyone there acting on the deal reached in Geneva at talks attended by the US, Russia, the European Union and Ukraine.

She added: "None of those at the talks directly represented those on the ground, particularly those occupying the buildings."

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