In an interview with RFE/RL's Arifa Kazimova in Baku today, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker said it was unacceptable for Russia to violate the borders of a sovereign nation "under the guise of protecting ethnic Russians:"
Remember that gold loaf of bread that was discovered after Yanukovych hastily departed the scene? Well, "The Moscow Times" has been reporting on where it might have come from:
Ukraine media outlets have tracked down the mysterious gift-giver behind a 2-kilogram pure gold "bread loaf" found at the abandoned estate of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.
Citing prosecutors, news website Unian.org said Monday the head of Ukrainian machinery maker JSC Sumy Frunze NPO had been linked to the loaf in notes written by the head of security at Yanukovych's Mezhyhirya residence, outside Kiev.
Vladimir Lukyanenko presented the 2-kilogram paperweight to Yanukovych last year as a birthday present, the report said.
Pictures of the "gold loaf" went viral immediately after protesters found it at the abandoned Mezhyhirya residence, which also reportedly sports gold-plated toilets.
Read the entire article here.
We're now closing the live blog for today. Before we go, we'll leave you with this update from our news desk. Don't forget you can follow all RFE/RL's ongoing coverage of the Ukraine crisis here.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called a meeting of his security chiefs to decide whether to extend a shaky cease-fire in the country’s east.
Reports said Poroshenko went into a session of the national security and defense council before the truce was due to expire at 10 p.m. Kyiv time today.
Earlier in the day, Poroshenko had a telephone conference with the leaders of Russia, France, and Germany.
The French president's office said Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed to work on the adoption of a cease-fire and the quick establishment of effective border controls.
The Kremlin said Putin stressed the need to extend the truce and create a monitoring mechanism that would involve the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The Ukrainian presidential office said Poroshenko expressed regret that the agreements reached during the previous four-party talks have not been fulfilled.
Good morning. We'll start our live blog today with the latest from RFE/RL's news desk:
President Petro Poroshenko has said he will not renew a cease-fire and Ukrainian forces will go on the offensive against rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The cease-fire, which was part of his plan to end a pro-Russia insurgency in the east, expired late on June 30. Poroshenko had extended the cease-fire from the initial seven days to 10 days.
A video statement from Poroshenko on his website says the cease-fire is being halted and that "we will attack and we will free our land."
The statement came after Poroshenko met with his security chiefs.
Both sides have accused each other of breaking the cease-fire.
A statement tweeted by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said 27 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the cease-fire began on June 20.
And the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted pro-Russian militia as saying Ukrainian forces had resumed shelling the city of Kramatorsk.
Poroshenko's decision followed four-way talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande on June 30 before the deadline expired.
Hollande's office said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to work together to establish a bilateral cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.
But Poroshenko issued a statement after the talks ended, saying the key conditions needed to extend the cease-fire had not been fulfilled.
However, Poroshenko said he was willing to return to a cease-fire "at any moment" if it became clear that all sides were ready to carry out all aspects of the peace plan, including the freeing of hostages and creating effective border controls.
Poroshenko has said the cease-fire was part of a peace plan and was to be followed by an amnesty for fighters who had not committed serious crimes and political concessions such as early local and regional elections and protection for Russian-speakers.
In the longer term, the plan would have provided for changes to the constitution to decentralize power to the regions.
Highly interesting that both Belarus and Kazakhstan are now opposing Moscow threats against Ukraine. But Moscow say it doesn’t care.
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) June 25, 2014
Poroshenko says his decision not to extend ceasefire is Kiev's "response to terrorists, insurgents & looters". No response yet from Moscow.
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) July 1, 2014
Detainment of journalist @StankoNastya of @HromadskeTV and cameraman in #Luhansk unacceptable, journalists' safety must be ensured
— Dunja Mijatovic (@OSCE_RFoM) July 1, 2014
Price of ceasefire in #Ukraine: 108 attacks by separatists, 27 dead & 69 injuried in Ukr army Disrespect must be duly rewarded.#sanctions
— Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL) June 30, 2014
Ukr journo Mustafa Nayyem says Stanko is now safe in Kharkiv. RT @mefimus: Настя Станко в Харькове и с ней все ок. https://t.co/wkqwzONFJW
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 1, 2014
After #Poroshenko ends ceasefire, #Ukraine army goes on the offensive, using fighter jets and artillery against pro-Russians in the East
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) July 1, 2014