John Kerry: Russia has until Monday to reverse course in Ukraine(update pg1)

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The U.S. and Europe on Monday would then unite to impose sanctions on Russia, Kerry told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee Thursday during a hearing on the State Department's budget.

“There will be a response of some kind to the referendum itself,” Kerry said. “If there is no sign [from Russia] of any capacity to respond to this issue ... there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday.”

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Talks between U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the crisis in Ukraine reached an apparent impasse Friday, with Lavrov indicating afterward that the two had reached no “common vision” and Kerry saying that Moscow is determined to let a Crimean secession vote go ahead.

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Kerry told reporters that after six hours of talks with Lavrov, “the foreign minister made it clear that President [Vladimir] Putin is not prepared to make any decision regarding Ukraine until after the referendum on Sunday.” He referred to a Crimean vote on independence, which Crimean officials have said would be a prelude to joining the Russian Federation.

Kerry warned that “there will be consequences if Russia does not find a way to change course.” And he said there would be “an even greater response” if Russia were to “threaten the Ukrainian people,” such as by sending forces into eastern Ukraine.

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