Obama Warns Ukraine of ‘Consequences’ for Bloody Crackdown on Protesters

While meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Wednesday as part of a summit with North American leaders, President Barack Obama spoke out on the increasingly violent crisis in Ukraine. The president stressed that the people of Ukraine must be responsible for their country’s future and urged both the anti-government protesters and the country’s military to deescalate the violence.

“We have been deeply engaged with our European partners as well as both the Ukrainian government and the opposition to try to assure that violence ends,” the president asserted.

He added that the United States holds the Ukrainian government “responsible” for the safety of “peaceful protesters.”

RELATED: WATCH LIVE: Massive Protests in Kiev, Ukraine

“We will monitor the situation and recognizing that, along with the European partners and the international community, there will be consequences if people step over the line,” Obama said. “That includes making sure that the military does not step into what should be resolved by civilians.”

Watch the clip below via CNN:

[Photo via screen grab]

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