U.S., Britain dismiss "zero-sum" game in Ukraine

The United States and Britain said Tuesday that they do not see "a zero-sum" game in Ukraine, where a pro-Russia president was replaced with a West-leaning leadership in a series of dramatizing events over the weekend.

Both U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his British counterpart William Hague called for joint efforts with Russia to stabilize and keep Ukraine intact.

"This is not a zero-sum game, it is not a West versus East," Kerry said while joining discussions on ending sexual violence and conflict at the State Department with Hague, who was on a visit to Washington.

"We want to work with Russia, with other countries, with everybody available to make sure this is a peaceful from this day forward," the top American envoy added.

One day after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders signed a deal on Friday meant to quell surging violence in the country, the opposition took control of the parliament and voted to dismiss Yanukovych from his office. An arrest warrant was issued on Sunday for the president now on the run.

Russia has called back its ambassador to Ukraine for "consultations," a serious move in bilateral relations. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday questioned the legitimacy of Ukraine's new authorities, saying "masked and armed people are not the partners for a dialogue."

For his part, Hague said what is taking place in Ukraine is "about the rights of a free people, a free democratic people to make their own decisions and we don't see it in a zero-sum way in international affairs."

"This is a country that needs financial assistance from many sources, including from Russia," Hague added. "It's not about pulling them away from Russia. It's about enabling them to make their own choices."

He called it "extremely important" to preserve the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as the country's interim president warned Tuesday of "dangerous signs of separatism" in pro-Russian eastern regions.