Ukraine Crisis: Russia out of excuses, operating on falsehoods and intimidation

FXStreet (Barcelona) - Secretary of State John Kerry is presently speaking in Kiev, offering a rebuttal to Russian President Putin's earlier press conference.

- US supports Ukraine's right to freedom, and condemns Russia's act of aggression.

- Ukraine on the eve of a great transformation and the US will stand with people of Ukraine as they demand a government based on consent.

- Greatly admires the restraint of the transitional Government despite invasion of Ukrainian homeland and Russian governments acts of aggression and intimidation.

- Russia has run out of excuses, operating on falsehoods and intimidation.

- No mass defections of Ukrainians to Russia or attacks on Churches in Eastern Ukraine. Ethnic Russians are not under threat

- Obama would prefer to see this deescalated through legal and international institutions, designed to deal with this kind of crisis

- If russia not willing to deescalate and deal with government of Ukraine, then US has no choice to expand measures to isolate russian politically and economically.

- Not something of choice, but US may be forced.

- US working with IMF to provide support package with an immediate $1bln to support Ukraine's economy, and a broader more comprehensive plan at hand.