Rising anti-Russia sentiment threatens Europe stability

MOSCOW, Apr 11 (AFP): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday warned that European stability was being threatened by rising anti-Russian sentiment over the Ukraine crisis.
"The current inflaming of anti-Russian sentiments takes place against the background of a spike of racism and xenophobia in many European countries, an increase in the number of ultra-radical groups and turning a blind eye to neo-Nazi phenomena, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere," he said.
Russia's top diplomat, quoted by the state RIA Novosti news agency, added that this "carries an obvious threat to European stability."
Lavrov spoke after US President Barack Obama threatened a third round of sanctions against Moscow if it escalates tensions over Ukraine, whose government it does not recognise.
Washington has already imposed targeted sanctions on some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies over Moscow's takeover of Ukraine's Russian-speaking peninsula of Crimea last month.
Speaking at a meeting with Russian non-governmental organisations, Lavrov said attempts to "legitimise the Maidan government at any cost" should be stopped in order to deescalate the crisis in Ukraine.
A pro-Western popular uprising often called the Maidan after the name of Kiev's central square in February ousted Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovych, who has since taken refuge in Russia.
Moscow does not recognise the new authorities in Kiev, accusing them of supporting neo-Nazis and pursuing anti-Russian policies.
Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's promise during an unannounced visit to the blue-collar coal mining region of Donetsk came as militants armed with Kalashnikovs barricaded themselves inside the local administration building and demanded a referendum on joining Russia.
A similar occupation of the state security office of the hardscrabble eastern city of Lugansk has confronted the untested leaders with their biggest challenge since their February ouster of a Kremlin-backed president and decision to strike an alliance with the West.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin-his troops already massed along Ukraine's eastern frontier following their seizure of Crimea-only upped the stakes on Thursday by threatening to cut off Ukraine's gas over unpaid bills.
The decision could limit the supplies of at least 18 European nations for the third time since 2006. Each of the previous interruptions also coincided with attempts by Kiev to pull itself out of the Kremlin's historic sphere of influence.