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Americans are pussies, but we're known for dropping that hammer at the slightest hint of disrespect
Another Big Win For Putin!!!
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PoliticsMore: FBI
FBI: We Busted A Russian Spy Ring In New York City
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
See Also
Here's How To Spot A Real-Life Spy
Poisoned KGB Agent Said Putin Has A 'Good Relationship' With One Of The World's Top Mobsters
Russia Sent A Spy Ship To Havana While US Diplomats Are Visiting
The FBI announced on Monday that it had busted a Russian spy ring that was allegedly focused on obtaining economic information including details about US markets and sanctions on Russian banks.
According to a federal complaint filed by FBI special agent Gregory Monaghan in a Manhattan federal court on Friday, an alleged spy, Evgeny Buryakov, posed as a banker in the New York office of an unnamed Russian bank.
Buryakov is reportedly being arraigned in the Southern District of New York.
Monaghan said Buryakov (aka"Zhenya") was on "deep cover" and working for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) to gather intelligence and transmit it back to Moscow. The SVR used multiple forms of cover.
The complaint includes several stunning revelations, including claims that staffers at an unidentified Russian news organization in the US are engaged in spying; and indications that American law enforcement bugged the New York office of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
According to the complaint, Buryakov worked with two other men who were involved in intelligence-gathering activities for the SVR: Victor Podobnyy and Igor Sporyshev. The complaint said Sporyshev served as a trade representative to the Russian Federation in New York. Podobnyy was allegedly an attaché to the permanent mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations.
A statement sent out by the office of the US attorney for the Southern District of New York said Podobnyy and Sporyshev "no longer reside in the United States and have not been arrested."
The complaint said Buryakov was charged with one count of "conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign government" and another count of "acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government." These charges stem from the fact Buryakov was allegedly posing as a private citizen while working for the SVR.
US regulations require people working on behalf of foreign governments in this country to register with the Department of Justice and Buryakov allegedly did not. Due to their government postings, the complaint said Podobnyy and Sporyshev seemed to be exempt from this registration requirement. Additionally, the statement from the US attorney's office said they had diplomatic immunity that prevented them from being arrested.
According to the complaint, Buryakov, Sporyshev, and Podobnyy all worked for "a particular division of the SVR known as 'Directorate ER,' which focuses on economic issues." In addition to transmitting reports from Buryakov to Moscow Center, the SVR headquarters in Russia, the complaint said Podobnyy and Sporyshev engaged in other intelligence activities including "attempting to recruit New York City residents as intelligence sources for the Russian Federation."
The people they tried to recruit were described in the complaint as "several individuals employed by major companies, and several young women with ties to a major university located in New York" as well as a "number of other Russian-origin individuals associated with" the unnamed university.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said Buryakov was attempting to get "economic and other intelligence information."
"The attempt by foreign nations to illegally gather economic and other intelligence information in the United States through covert agents is a direct threat to the national security of the United States, and it exemplifies why counterespionage is a top priority of the National Security Division," Carlin said.
The complaint claims Buryakov had "over four dozen meetings" where he used "clandestine methods and coded messages" to communicate with the other SVR spies. It describes several alleged meetings in some detail and said they typically involved Buryakov "passing a bag, magazine, or slip of paper to Sporyshev."
"These meetings typically took place outdoors, where the risk of effective surveillance was reduced relative to an indoor location," the complaint said.
In communications monitored by the FBI, the complaint said Sporyshev and Buryakov regularly discussed the "need to meet to transfer 'tickets'" even though they have "never been observed attending, or discussing in any detail, events that would typically require tickets."
Wikimedia Commons
The complaint described one instance where Sporyshev did not meet with Buryakov in person and they talked on the phone. In that conversation Sporyshev allegedly asked Buryakov for "help in formulating questions to be used for intelligence-gathering purposes by others associated with a leading Russian state-owned news organization."
Though the news outlet was not identified, the complaint referred to it as having been "publicly identified by former SVR agents as an organization that is sometimes used by Russian intelligence to gain access to and gather intelligence under the cover of the news media." The complaint said Sporyshev specifically asked Buryakov for questions about subjects that would be "of interest to the Russian economic intelligence community."
In transcripts identified in the complaint as coming from this conversation between the two men, Buryakov was quoted encouraging Sporyshev to have the news organization ask about Exchange Traded Funds. These funds are a basket of securities traded like individual stocks.
"You can ask about the ETF," Buryakov was quoted saying. "How they are used, the mechanisms of use for destabilization of the markets."
It seems Buryakov also allegedly recommended having the news organization ask about high-frequency trading and trades involving Russian products.
"Then you can ask them what they think about limiting the use of trading robots," he was quoted saying. "You can also ask about the potential interest of the participants of the exchange to the products tied to the Russian Federation."
The complaint said Buryakov was also monitored by the FBI agents in conversations with a confidential source who "posed as the representative of a wealthy investor." This source allegedly told Buryakov their employer wanted to work with his bank "to develop casinos in Russia."
In these meetings, the complaint said Buryakov made statements indicating "his strong desire to obtain information about subjects far outside the scope of his work as a bank employee, and consistent with his interests as a Russian intelligence agent," and his "willingness to solicit and accept" confidential US government documents.
In one instance, the complaint said the source gave Buryakov what he described as a list of Russian banks the US might impose sanctions on. In the past year, the US and its European allies have imposed sweeping economic sanctions against Russian banks in retaliation for their government's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
The bank where Buryakov allegedly falsely posed as an employee was not named in the complaint. However, the website of Russia's Vnesheconombank identifies a man named Evgeny Buryakov as a "deputy representative" at the bank's office on Manhattan's Madison Avenue. According to the site, that office is the "representative office of Vnesheconombank in the USA."
The man named Evgeny Buryakov who worked at Vnesheconombank did not immediately respond to messages sent to his email address. Business Insider also called Vnesheconombank's Manhattan office on Monday. A woman who answered the phone would not confirm whether an employee there had been arrested and referred us to the bank's press office in Russia.
"I'm authorized to give you no comment," the woman said.
Vnesheconombank's office in Russia did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The US and Russia have experienced a number of spying spats in recent years. In 2013, Russia expelled an American suspected of being a CIA agent trying to recruit intelligence officers in Moscow. In an even more prominent 2010 incident, the US arrested 10 alleged Russian spies who were part of the so-called "Illegals Program." Those arrested included Anna Chapman, the "femme fatale" who was subsequently released as part of a prisoner swap with Russia.
Based on the complaint, it seems the charges against Buryakov may have stemmed from the 2010 incident. It noted the investigation that eventually led to the charges was opened "within a few months" of the guilty pleas entered by the "Illegals."
The charges also seem to have involved surveillance of an SVR office in New York City. According to the complaint, the SVR's office in the city "is located within an office maintained by the Russian Federation in New York." The complaint included transcripts of conversations between Sporyshev and Podobnyy that allegedly occurred inside this office.
One of these conversations involved the pair allegedly discussing the Illegals Program. In another, Podobnyy was quoted describing Sporyshev as his boss who was under cover at the trade mission. A third conversation detailed in the complaint included the pair complaining about their jobs with Podobnyy lamenting that it wasn't like "movies about James Bond." He was quoted saying he knew he "wouldn't fly helicopters," but thought he would "pretend to be someone else at a minimum."
"I also thought that at least I would go abroad with a different passport," Sporyshev was quoted saying in response.
Read the full complaint below:
US v. Evgeny Buryakov, Et Al Complaint
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-we-arrested-a-russian-spy-in-the-bronx-2015-1#ixzz3PyqF3Uu3
FBI: We Busted A Russian Spy Ring In New York City
- JAN. 26, 2015, 2:27 PM
- 68,393
- 60
See Also
Here's How To Spot A Real-Life Spy
Poisoned KGB Agent Said Putin Has A 'Good Relationship' With One Of The World's Top Mobsters
Russia Sent A Spy Ship To Havana While US Diplomats Are Visiting
The FBI announced on Monday that it had busted a Russian spy ring that was allegedly focused on obtaining economic information including details about US markets and sanctions on Russian banks.
According to a federal complaint filed by FBI special agent Gregory Monaghan in a Manhattan federal court on Friday, an alleged spy, Evgeny Buryakov, posed as a banker in the New York office of an unnamed Russian bank.
Buryakov is reportedly being arraigned in the Southern District of New York.
Monaghan said Buryakov (aka"Zhenya") was on "deep cover" and working for Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) to gather intelligence and transmit it back to Moscow. The SVR used multiple forms of cover.
The complaint includes several stunning revelations, including claims that staffers at an unidentified Russian news organization in the US are engaged in spying; and indications that American law enforcement bugged the New York office of the Foreign Intelligence Service.
According to the complaint, Buryakov worked with two other men who were involved in intelligence-gathering activities for the SVR: Victor Podobnyy and Igor Sporyshev. The complaint said Sporyshev served as a trade representative to the Russian Federation in New York. Podobnyy was allegedly an attaché to the permanent mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations.
A statement sent out by the office of the US attorney for the Southern District of New York said Podobnyy and Sporyshev "no longer reside in the United States and have not been arrested."
The complaint said Buryakov was charged with one count of "conspiracy to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign government" and another count of "acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government." These charges stem from the fact Buryakov was allegedly posing as a private citizen while working for the SVR.
US regulations require people working on behalf of foreign governments in this country to register with the Department of Justice and Buryakov allegedly did not. Due to their government postings, the complaint said Podobnyy and Sporyshev seemed to be exempt from this registration requirement. Additionally, the statement from the US attorney's office said they had diplomatic immunity that prevented them from being arrested.
According to the complaint, Buryakov, Sporyshev, and Podobnyy all worked for "a particular division of the SVR known as 'Directorate ER,' which focuses on economic issues." In addition to transmitting reports from Buryakov to Moscow Center, the SVR headquarters in Russia, the complaint said Podobnyy and Sporyshev engaged in other intelligence activities including "attempting to recruit New York City residents as intelligence sources for the Russian Federation."
The people they tried to recruit were described in the complaint as "several individuals employed by major companies, and several young women with ties to a major university located in New York" as well as a "number of other Russian-origin individuals associated with" the unnamed university.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said Buryakov was attempting to get "economic and other intelligence information."
"The attempt by foreign nations to illegally gather economic and other intelligence information in the United States through covert agents is a direct threat to the national security of the United States, and it exemplifies why counterespionage is a top priority of the National Security Division," Carlin said.
The complaint claims Buryakov had "over four dozen meetings" where he used "clandestine methods and coded messages" to communicate with the other SVR spies. It describes several alleged meetings in some detail and said they typically involved Buryakov "passing a bag, magazine, or slip of paper to Sporyshev."
"These meetings typically took place outdoors, where the risk of effective surveillance was reduced relative to an indoor location," the complaint said.
In communications monitored by the FBI, the complaint said Sporyshev and Buryakov regularly discussed the "need to meet to transfer 'tickets'" even though they have "never been observed attending, or discussing in any detail, events that would typically require tickets."
The complaint described one instance where Sporyshev did not meet with Buryakov in person and they talked on the phone. In that conversation Sporyshev allegedly asked Buryakov for "help in formulating questions to be used for intelligence-gathering purposes by others associated with a leading Russian state-owned news organization."
Though the news outlet was not identified, the complaint referred to it as having been "publicly identified by former SVR agents as an organization that is sometimes used by Russian intelligence to gain access to and gather intelligence under the cover of the news media." The complaint said Sporyshev specifically asked Buryakov for questions about subjects that would be "of interest to the Russian economic intelligence community."
In transcripts identified in the complaint as coming from this conversation between the two men, Buryakov was quoted encouraging Sporyshev to have the news organization ask about Exchange Traded Funds. These funds are a basket of securities traded like individual stocks.
"You can ask about the ETF," Buryakov was quoted saying. "How they are used, the mechanisms of use for destabilization of the markets."
It seems Buryakov also allegedly recommended having the news organization ask about high-frequency trading and trades involving Russian products.
"Then you can ask them what they think about limiting the use of trading robots," he was quoted saying. "You can also ask about the potential interest of the participants of the exchange to the products tied to the Russian Federation."
The complaint said Buryakov was also monitored by the FBI agents in conversations with a confidential source who "posed as the representative of a wealthy investor." This source allegedly told Buryakov their employer wanted to work with his bank "to develop casinos in Russia."
In these meetings, the complaint said Buryakov made statements indicating "his strong desire to obtain information about subjects far outside the scope of his work as a bank employee, and consistent with his interests as a Russian intelligence agent," and his "willingness to solicit and accept" confidential US government documents.
In one instance, the complaint said the source gave Buryakov what he described as a list of Russian banks the US might impose sanctions on. In the past year, the US and its European allies have imposed sweeping economic sanctions against Russian banks in retaliation for their government's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
The bank where Buryakov allegedly falsely posed as an employee was not named in the complaint. However, the website of Russia's Vnesheconombank identifies a man named Evgeny Buryakov as a "deputy representative" at the bank's office on Manhattan's Madison Avenue. According to the site, that office is the "representative office of Vnesheconombank in the USA."
The man named Evgeny Buryakov who worked at Vnesheconombank did not immediately respond to messages sent to his email address. Business Insider also called Vnesheconombank's Manhattan office on Monday. A woman who answered the phone would not confirm whether an employee there had been arrested and referred us to the bank's press office in Russia.
"I'm authorized to give you no comment," the woman said.
Vnesheconombank's office in Russia did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The US and Russia have experienced a number of spying spats in recent years. In 2013, Russia expelled an American suspected of being a CIA agent trying to recruit intelligence officers in Moscow. In an even more prominent 2010 incident, the US arrested 10 alleged Russian spies who were part of the so-called "Illegals Program." Those arrested included Anna Chapman, the "femme fatale" who was subsequently released as part of a prisoner swap with Russia.
Based on the complaint, it seems the charges against Buryakov may have stemmed from the 2010 incident. It noted the investigation that eventually led to the charges was opened "within a few months" of the guilty pleas entered by the "Illegals."
The charges also seem to have involved surveillance of an SVR office in New York City. According to the complaint, the SVR's office in the city "is located within an office maintained by the Russian Federation in New York." The complaint included transcripts of conversations between Sporyshev and Podobnyy that allegedly occurred inside this office.
One of these conversations involved the pair allegedly discussing the Illegals Program. In another, Podobnyy was quoted describing Sporyshev as his boss who was under cover at the trade mission. A third conversation detailed in the complaint included the pair complaining about their jobs with Podobnyy lamenting that it wasn't like "movies about James Bond." He was quoted saying he knew he "wouldn't fly helicopters," but thought he would "pretend to be someone else at a minimum."
"I also thought that at least I would go abroad with a different passport," Sporyshev was quoted saying in response.
Read the full complaint below:
US v. Evgeny Buryakov, Et Al Complaint
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-we-arrested-a-russian-spy-in-the-bronx-2015-1#ixzz3PyqF3Uu3
Russia
Domingo Halliburton
Handmade in USA
this isn't news but I saw this on reddit: compilation of russian gifs.
(I can't embed the gif for some reason).
http://i.imgur.com/TKQi6c6.webm
(I can't embed the gif for some reason).
http://i.imgur.com/TKQi6c6.webm
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
this isn't news but I saw this on reddit: compilation of russian gifs.
(I can't embed the gif for some reason).
http://i.imgur.com/TKQi6c6.webm
the fishing with the hand grenade is just
someone posted a youtube vid of people attacking each other in cars "gta" in the locker room earlier, I really wonder how common it is...
humble forever
All Star
Russia getting sonned right now and all they can do about it is attack ukraine
today got their bond rating cut to straight up junk, meaning investment firms in some places aren't even allowed to hold them or buy them anymore
today got their bond rating cut to straight up junk, meaning investment firms in some places aren't even allowed to hold them or buy them anymore
Hans Wurst
Pro
0:20-0:25
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Putin isn't Isolated with friends like Kim Jong-un
28 January 2015 Last updated at 06:57 ET
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un to visit Russia
Kim Jong-un has made no overseas visits since inheriting the North Korean leadership
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Russia says North Korea's leader has accepted an invitation to travel to Moscow in May for World War Two anniversary celebrations.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his presence had been confirmed, and Russia was preparing for his visit.
However, Mr Peskov did not mention Kim Jong-un by name, sparking speculation that another official may attend.
Kim Jong-un has not made any overseas visits since taking power in North Korea in late 2011.
South Korea's Unification Ministry told Yonhap that the reference to the leader could be ambiguous, as Kim Yong-nam is the nominal head of state.
'Not finalised'
Earlier this month, reports emerged suggesting Russia could be the site of Mr Kim's first official visit.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists on 21 January that Russia had invited Mr Kim to the 9 May celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2.
He said that the "first signal was positive" from the North Korean government.
Late leader Kim Jong-il made few overseas visits and did not confirm them ahead of departure
Mr Peskov told Interfax news agency on Wednesday: "The participation of the North Korean leader has been confirmed, we are preparing for his arrival."
However, Yonhap reported earlier that the Kremlin had not finalised the list of guests, and there has been no statement from North Korea.
Kim Yong-nam, whose official title is president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, has more traditionally represented North Korea at overseas events.
Visits by Kim Jong-un's father Kim Jong-il, the former leader who died in December 2011, were never announced ahead of his departure.
Kim Jong-il visited Russia in August 2011, but he paid more regular visits to China. Under his leadership, China was seen as the North's closest ally.
If Kim Jong-un did choose to visit Moscow ahead of Beijing, the decision could be seen as a sign of growing distance between China and the North.
In recent years, China has come under pressure from Japan, South Korea and the US to exert more pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme.
Beijing has, on some occasions, expressed exasperation with its northern neighbour via official media channels.
It also backed UN resolutions strengthening sanctions on Pyongyang after its recent missile and nuclear tests in 2013.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31015079
how fitting
28 January 2015 Last updated at 06:57 ET
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un to visit Russia
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Russia says North Korea's leader has accepted an invitation to travel to Moscow in May for World War Two anniversary celebrations.
Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his presence had been confirmed, and Russia was preparing for his visit.
However, Mr Peskov did not mention Kim Jong-un by name, sparking speculation that another official may attend.
Kim Jong-un has not made any overseas visits since taking power in North Korea in late 2011.
South Korea's Unification Ministry told Yonhap that the reference to the leader could be ambiguous, as Kim Yong-nam is the nominal head of state.
'Not finalised'
Earlier this month, reports emerged suggesting Russia could be the site of Mr Kim's first official visit.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists on 21 January that Russia had invited Mr Kim to the 9 May celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of WW2.
He said that the "first signal was positive" from the North Korean government.
Mr Peskov told Interfax news agency on Wednesday: "The participation of the North Korean leader has been confirmed, we are preparing for his arrival."
However, Yonhap reported earlier that the Kremlin had not finalised the list of guests, and there has been no statement from North Korea.
Kim Yong-nam, whose official title is president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, has more traditionally represented North Korea at overseas events.
Visits by Kim Jong-un's father Kim Jong-il, the former leader who died in December 2011, were never announced ahead of his departure.
Kim Jong-il visited Russia in August 2011, but he paid more regular visits to China. Under his leadership, China was seen as the North's closest ally.
If Kim Jong-un did choose to visit Moscow ahead of Beijing, the decision could be seen as a sign of growing distance between China and the North.
In recent years, China has come under pressure from Japan, South Korea and the US to exert more pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear programme.
Beijing has, on some occasions, expressed exasperation with its northern neighbour via official media channels.
It also backed UN resolutions strengthening sanctions on Pyongyang after its recent missile and nuclear tests in 2013.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31015079
how fitting
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
29 January 2015 Last updated at 00:16 ET
Ukraine conflict: EU to debate fresh Russia sanctions
Rebels are pressing government troops around the city of Debaltseve which has a key railway hub
Continue reading the main story
Ukraine crisis
EU foreign ministers are due to meet in Brussels to discuss imposing further sanctions on Russia following an upsurge in fighting in east Ukraine.
The meeting was called after pro-Russian rebels attacked the port of Mariupol at the weekend.
The EU and the US have already slapped asset freezes and travel bans on Russian individuals and businesses as well as Ukrainian separatist leaders.
Nato says hundreds of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are in east Ukraine.
Moscow denies direct involvement but says some Russian volunteers are fighting alongside the rebels.
BBC Europe Correspondent Damian Grammaticas says EU ministers will discuss fresh sanctions as well as extending the duration of existing measures.
EU leaders meeting on 12 February will have to confirm any new measures. They may also discuss possible new financial sanctions on Russia, co-ordinated with the US, our correspondent adds.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told the BBC that European values were under attack in Ukraine.
These houses in the eastern city of Donetsk were hit during an artillery exchange
"If we see no signs of improvement we should proceed with further sanctions," he said. "How many people should be killed in order to realise that lines were crossed many times?"
The White House gave a strong signal on Wednesday that it was considering further sanctions against Russia over its support for the separatists.
US Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke on the phone after which the US condemned "Russian-backed separatists" and the "heavy toll that the Russian-backed offensive in the east was having on Ukraine's civilian population".
"As long as Russia continues its blatant disregard of its obligations... the costs for Russia will continue to rise," Mr Biden was reported to have told Mr Poroshenko.
EU leaders issued a rare joint statement on Tuesday instructing foreign ministers "to consider any appropriate action" after the violence in Mariupol.
Many civilians in Donetsk are living in underground shelters to escape the fighting
Fighting continued on Wednesday with separatists accusing Ukrainian forces of shelling civilian areas.
Rebels have almost fully encircled government troops in the city of Debaltseve in the Donetsk region, which has a strategic railway hub.
Witnesses said the town appeared deserted on Wednesday with many buildings damaged. Shell fire could be heard in the background.
Also on Wednesday, the Russian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe resumed its boycott in protest at Ukraine sanctions.
The Strasbourg-based Council, the oldest Europe-wide political body, is tasked with upholding rights, democracy and rule of law across the continent.
It suspended Russia's voting rights last year after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and renewed the ban on Wednesday.
In response, Russia said it would boycott sessions until the year's end.
More than 4,800 people have been killed and some 1.2 million have fled since rebels took control of parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in April.
It followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31033924
Ukraine conflict: EU to debate fresh Russia sanctions
Continue reading the main story
Ukraine crisis
EU foreign ministers are due to meet in Brussels to discuss imposing further sanctions on Russia following an upsurge in fighting in east Ukraine.
The meeting was called after pro-Russian rebels attacked the port of Mariupol at the weekend.
The EU and the US have already slapped asset freezes and travel bans on Russian individuals and businesses as well as Ukrainian separatist leaders.
Nato says hundreds of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles are in east Ukraine.
Moscow denies direct involvement but says some Russian volunteers are fighting alongside the rebels.
BBC Europe Correspondent Damian Grammaticas says EU ministers will discuss fresh sanctions as well as extending the duration of existing measures.
EU leaders meeting on 12 February will have to confirm any new measures. They may also discuss possible new financial sanctions on Russia, co-ordinated with the US, our correspondent adds.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told the BBC that European values were under attack in Ukraine.
"If we see no signs of improvement we should proceed with further sanctions," he said. "How many people should be killed in order to realise that lines were crossed many times?"
The White House gave a strong signal on Wednesday that it was considering further sanctions against Russia over its support for the separatists.
US Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke on the phone after which the US condemned "Russian-backed separatists" and the "heavy toll that the Russian-backed offensive in the east was having on Ukraine's civilian population".
"As long as Russia continues its blatant disregard of its obligations... the costs for Russia will continue to rise," Mr Biden was reported to have told Mr Poroshenko.
EU leaders issued a rare joint statement on Tuesday instructing foreign ministers "to consider any appropriate action" after the violence in Mariupol.
Fighting continued on Wednesday with separatists accusing Ukrainian forces of shelling civilian areas.
Rebels have almost fully encircled government troops in the city of Debaltseve in the Donetsk region, which has a strategic railway hub.
Witnesses said the town appeared deserted on Wednesday with many buildings damaged. Shell fire could be heard in the background.
Also on Wednesday, the Russian delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe resumed its boycott in protest at Ukraine sanctions.
The Strasbourg-based Council, the oldest Europe-wide political body, is tasked with upholding rights, democracy and rule of law across the continent.
It suspended Russia's voting rights last year after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and renewed the ban on Wednesday.
In response, Russia said it would boycott sessions until the year's end.
More than 4,800 people have been killed and some 1.2 million have fled since rebels took control of parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in April.
It followed Russia's annexation of Crimea in March.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31033924
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Ukraine conflict: US warns of more sanctions on Russia
Fighting flared up in eastern Ukraine and spread along the front line
Continue reading the main story
Ukraine crisis
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has said sanctions against Russia could be extended because of the escalation of violence in east Ukraine.
He was speaking on a visit to Kiev, after European Union leaders saidthey would consider "further restrictive measures" on Russia's government.
Pro-Russian separatists have pushed back Ukrainian forces in several areas in the past week.
But the number of casualties has steadily mounted.
Shelling by Ukrainian forces killed 16 civilians in the rebel-held region of Luhansk and four in Donetsk, according to officials quoted by Russian state news agency Tass on Wednesday. More than 100 others were reportedly wounded.
Ukrainian officials said the separatists had targeted 55 towns and villages in the past 24 hours. There were no details of civilian casualties but they said three soldiers had been killed.
A main focus of rebel attacks is the town of Debaltseve, a road and rail hub near Donetsk, which separatist leader Eduard Basurin has described as a "wedge" between rebel-held areas.
Thirty civilians were killed in an attack on the south-east Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Saturday
Mr Lew said Washington's first choice was a diplomatic resolution to lessen sanctions, but "we are prepared to do more if necessary".
His remarks came hours after President Barack Obama spoke on the phone to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and issued a statement saying the two leaders were concerned about "Russia's materiel support for the separatists".
They "agreed on the need to hold Russia accountable for its actions".
'Foreign legion'
Russia denies involvement in eastern Ukraine, saying if any Russians are fighting there they are doing in a voluntary capacity.
EU foreign ministers will hold a special meeting in Brussels on Thursday to consider how to respond to the current escalation, including the killing of 30 civilians in the south-east Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Saturday.
"We note evidence of continued and growing support given to the separatists by Russia, which underlines Russia's responsibility," EU leaders said.
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew signed a loan guarantee deal with Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalia Yaresko
The ministers could ask the European Commission to draw up further sanctions, which would then go before EU leaders, most likely at a summit scheduled for 12 February.
However, Greece's new government said on Tuesday that the statement issued by EU leaders did not have its approval.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias are known to be opposed to sanctions on Russia and could prevent the EU's 28 member states from reaching a unified position on further measures.
The US treasury secretary was in Kiev to sign a $2bn (£1.3bn; €1.75bn) loan agreement, which is conditional on the government making fiscal reforms and tackling corruption.
IMF officials are also in Kiev to discuss extending last year's $17bn bail-out package. The government is estimated to need a further $15bn in funding.
More than 5,000 people have been killed in fighting since the rebels seized swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions last April, according to UN estimates. More than a million people have been displaced.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31018092
Continue reading the main story
Ukraine crisis
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has said sanctions against Russia could be extended because of the escalation of violence in east Ukraine.
He was speaking on a visit to Kiev, after European Union leaders saidthey would consider "further restrictive measures" on Russia's government.
Pro-Russian separatists have pushed back Ukrainian forces in several areas in the past week.
But the number of casualties has steadily mounted.
Shelling by Ukrainian forces killed 16 civilians in the rebel-held region of Luhansk and four in Donetsk, according to officials quoted by Russian state news agency Tass on Wednesday. More than 100 others were reportedly wounded.
Ukrainian officials said the separatists had targeted 55 towns and villages in the past 24 hours. There were no details of civilian casualties but they said three soldiers had been killed.
A main focus of rebel attacks is the town of Debaltseve, a road and rail hub near Donetsk, which separatist leader Eduard Basurin has described as a "wedge" between rebel-held areas.
Mr Lew said Washington's first choice was a diplomatic resolution to lessen sanctions, but "we are prepared to do more if necessary".
His remarks came hours after President Barack Obama spoke on the phone to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and issued a statement saying the two leaders were concerned about "Russia's materiel support for the separatists".
They "agreed on the need to hold Russia accountable for its actions".
'Foreign legion'
Russia denies involvement in eastern Ukraine, saying if any Russians are fighting there they are doing in a voluntary capacity.
EU foreign ministers will hold a special meeting in Brussels on Thursday to consider how to respond to the current escalation, including the killing of 30 civilians in the south-east Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Saturday.
"We note evidence of continued and growing support given to the separatists by Russia, which underlines Russia's responsibility," EU leaders said.
The ministers could ask the European Commission to draw up further sanctions, which would then go before EU leaders, most likely at a summit scheduled for 12 February.
However, Greece's new government said on Tuesday that the statement issued by EU leaders did not have its approval.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias are known to be opposed to sanctions on Russia and could prevent the EU's 28 member states from reaching a unified position on further measures.
The US treasury secretary was in Kiev to sign a $2bn (£1.3bn; €1.75bn) loan agreement, which is conditional on the government making fiscal reforms and tackling corruption.
IMF officials are also in Kiev to discuss extending last year's $17bn bail-out package. The government is estimated to need a further $15bn in funding.
More than 5,000 people have been killed in fighting since the rebels seized swathes of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions last April, according to UN estimates. More than a million people have been displaced.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31018092
88m3
Fast Money & Foreign Objects
Remember Russia? It’s still doomed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...7/remember-russia-its-still-doomed/?tid=sm_fb
pretty brutal summary
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...7/remember-russia-its-still-doomed/?tid=sm_fb
pretty brutal summary