RFE/RL's news desk has issued this item on Obama's reaction to the rocket attacks on Mariupol:
U.S. President Barack Obama has expressed alarm over cease-fire violations in eastern Ukraine following rocket assaults that killed 30 people and injured more than 90 in the government-held city of Mariupol.
"We are deeply concerned about the latest break in the cease-fire," Obama said at a press conference in New Delhi on January 25.
Obama blamed "separatists with Russian backing, Russian equipment, Russian financing, Russian training and Russian troops" for the escalation of the situation in eastern Ukraine.
Obama pledged to "ratchet up the pressure on Russia" in cooperation with U.S. allies, saying he would look at all options short of military confrontation.
Kyiv said Mariupol had been targeted on January 24 with three separate strikes by Grad rockets fired from separatist-held areas.
The rebels claimed Ukrainian forces were behind the attacks.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said the rockets came from rebel-held areas.
(AFP, unian.net, tsn.ua)