Lawmakers back Obama’s warning to Russia

Key lawmakers backed president Obama's warning to Russia yesterday that "there will be costs" for any military intervention in Ukraine.

They also offered to support sanctions and other measures to deter Russia from escalating tensions in the region, Fox News reported.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Obama said the US government was  "deeply concerned" by reports of Russian "military movements" inside Ukraine, and warned that any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty would be "deeply destabilizing."

"There will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine," he said, though he stopped short of detailing what those costs might be.

A group 12 members cutting across party lines, of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressing support for US assistance in Ukraine, raised concerns over the Russian government's ''provocative and dangerous tactics'' in response to the happenings in Ukraine.

''We do not seek confrontation with President (Vladimir) Putin and his government, but simply to ensure that Russia abides by its commitments and adheres to core principles of international law. A peaceful, democratic, stable, and sovereign Ukraine is in our national interest,'' the senators wrote.

The lawmakers, including senators John McCain, Republican-Arizona, Robert Menendez, Democrat-New Jersey, and Marco Rubio, Republican-Florida, said they were prepared to work with the Obama administration on imposing ''targeted sanctions to ''dissuade individuals who would foment unrest to undermine Ukraine's territorial integrity .''

Meanwhile, the new pro-Moscow leader of Ukraine's autonomous Crimea region has asked Russian president Vladimir Putin for help to ensure peace.

BBC reported, citing a Kremlin source as saying it would "not leave unnoticed" the request from Sergiy Aksyonov.