Russia, separatists criticize Ukraine bill on autonomy:
Russia and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have criticized a Ukrainian draft law granting the rebel-held areas special status.
Denis Pushilin, a separatist leader in the Donetsk region, described the bill as "a crude violation" of the cease-fire deal reached in Minsk last month.
Russia said the bill raised "serious" concerns.
"The way things have developed shows that the Ukrainian leadership has chosen the course of rejecting key principles of the Minsk process," the Foreign Ministry said.
The text of the bill says rebel-held areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be granted their special status after holding elections in accordance with Ukrainian law and under international observation.
It states that armed groups and weapons would also have to disarm or leave Ukraine.
Ukrainian parliament speaker Volodymyr Hroysman said lawmakers would vote in the coming week on the draft law. (Interfax, AFP)
Washington reiterates support for Crimea as part of Ukraine:
The United States reiterated on March 16 that it won’t recognize Russia’s “attempted annexation.”
In a statement, State Department Jen Psaki said that "sanctions related to Crimea will remain in place as long as the occupation continues."
"Over the last year, the human rights situation in Crimea has deteriorated dramatically, with mounting repression of minority communities and faiths, in particular Crimean Tatars, and systematic denial of fundamental freedoms," she added.
And in a meeting with Ukraine's Finance Minister Natalia Jaresko in Washington, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the United States would be ready to "increase the costs" to Russia if it fails to comply with the terms of cease-fire agreement.
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