--- title: Kerry Lays Out Case Against Russia as U.S. Readies New Sanctions description: Secretary of State John Kerry accuses Moscow of "distraction, deception and destabilization" in eastern Ukraine, calling its operation there "well planned" canonical: https://time.com/76764/kerry-lays-out-case-against-russia-as-u-s-readies-new-sanctions/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-04-24T22:52:35.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:01:23.589Z article:section: Politics og:title: Kerry Lays Out Case Against Russia as U.S. Readies New Sanctions og:description: Secretary of State John Kerry accuses Moscow of "distraction, deception and destabilization" in eastern Ukraine, calling its operation there "well planned" og:url: https://time.com/76764/kerry-lays-out-case-against-russia-as-u-s-readies-new-sanctions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbeeff777765e57e6/69868c7c810bbb9ebdc913e5/485319029.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: Crisis Talks On Ukraine Are Held In Geneva og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Kerry Lays Out Case Against Russia as U.S. Readies New Sanctions twitter:description: Secretary of State John Kerry accuses Moscow of "distraction, deception and destabilization" in eastern Ukraine, calling its operation there "well planned" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbeeff777765e57e6/69868c7c810bbb9ebdc913e5/485319029.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Kerry Lays Out Case Against Russia as U.S. Readies New Sanctions > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Kerry Warns Russia Against Moving Troops Into Ukraine [Watch (HLS stream): Kerry Warns Russia Against Moving Troops Into Ukraine](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5fpSX7wJ.m3u8) (1:43)  _Published 2014-04-25. As tensions smolder in eastern Ukraine, the U.S. sent a warning. Saying Russia was using “the barrel of a gun and the force of the mob,” Kerry accused Russian intelligence and special ops of actively working to destabilize eastern Ukraine._ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Apr 24, 2014 10:52 PM UTC  Secretary of State John Kerry Secretary of State John Kerry Harold Cunningham—Getty Images by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Apr 24, 2014 10:52 PM UTC Secretary of State John Kerry laid out the case for additional American sanctions on Russia for promoting instability in Ukraine, warning on Thursday that Russia’s “window to change course is closing” before sanctions are imposed on its economy. Adopting the tone of a prosecutor, Kerry detailed the interim Ukrainian government’s compliance with last week’s Geneva agreement to de-escalate the situation, adding “Russia has refused to take a single concrete step in the right direction.” Kerry firmly laid out alleged Russian actions in eastern Ukraine, from deploying special-operations forces and spies in plainclothes to funding and arming separatist groups. “Russia has put its faith in distraction, deception and destabilization” in eastern Ukraine, Kerry said. “What is happening in eastern Ukraine is a military operation that is well planned and organized.” Kerry also rejected a range of claims from Russian President Vladimir Putin, including his assertion Thursday that the Internet is a project of the CIA, while criticizing the network Russia Today as a “propaganda bullhorn” for the Russian government’s “fantasy” in Ukraine. “We have seen this movie before; we saw it most recently in Crimea,” he said. For weeks American officials have been preparing to impose additional sanctions on Russia if it does not reverse course, working to reassure reluctant European allies that broad-based sanctions on sectors of Russia’s economy may be necessary despite the costs to their own economies. On Thursday in Japan, President Barack Obama said sanctions against Russia were now “teed up” but did not specify what specific sanctions may be imposed. Earlier this month, Obama signed an Executive Order authorizing sanctions should they be needed on Russia’s financial services, energy, mining, defense and engineering sectors. “Let me be clear,” Kerry said. “If Russia continues in this direction, it will not only be a grave mistake, it will be an expensive mistake.” ## Transcript As tensions smolder in eastern Ukraine, the U. S. sends a warning. Almost instantly, the analysis started on whether Russia was even listening to U. S. Secretary of State, John Kerry. Let me be clear. If Russia continues in this direction, it will not just be a grave mistake, it would be an expensive mistake. Saying Russia was using the barrel of a gun and the force of the mob, Kerry accused the Russian intelligence and special ops of actively working to destabilize Ukraine. Meanwhile Ukraine continued its anti- terrorist operation in eastern cities like Slovyansk, killing some of the pro Russian militants who taken control of the city and set up road blocks around it. That's the kind of violence that puts these tensions, as one CNN correspondent put it, extraordinarily close to open conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin had already warned any aggression against ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine would have consequences. If the Kiev regime has started to use the army against the population inside the country, it's, it's a very serious crime. Russian citizen being attacked. It's an attack against the Russia Federation. Russia continued its military exercises involving tens of thousands of troops on the Ukrainian border. As a writer for BBC points out, if you analyze the tough language coming out of Moscow in recent days, and look at the way this conflict is being portrayed by Russian TV channels, as Kiev sending in troops against innocent civilians, there is no sign that the Kremlin is prepared to change its view. The US has warned economic sanctions against Russia could come as soon as Friday. And Standard and Poors cut Russia's credit rating to the agency's lowest possible investment grade rating. Thanks for watching. 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