US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a press conference following the Friends of Syria meeting in London, on May 15, 2014. The United States warned Russia of punishing new sanctions if the Kremlin and its allies in Ukraine disrupt crucial presidential elections. PHOTO/AFP
KIEV
The United States warned Russia of punishing new sanctions if the Kremlin and its allies in Ukraine disrupt crucial presidential elections in the former Soviet republic less than 10 days away.
Kiev's interim leaders are battling to keep Ukraine from disintegrating ahead of the May 25 vote, pressing on with a military offensive to put down a bloody pro-Moscow insurgency in the eastern industrial heartland.
"Our message is really, quite simple: 'Let Ukraine vote. Let the Ukrainian people choose their future'," US Secretary of State John Kerry said at a meeting with European counterparts in London.