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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a news conference at his country residence of Novo-Ogaryova outside Moscow on March 4.
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a news conference at his country residence of Novo-Ogaryova outside Moscow on March 4.

Live Blog: Ukraine On The Brink

Summary

-- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kyiv as U.S. officials announced Washington is preparing a $1 billion aid package for Ukraine.

-- Speaking at a press conference at his residence, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the change of government in Ukraine an "unconstitutional overthrow and an armed seizure of power."

-- Putin also said there are no considerations to annex Crimea and no intentions to provoke separatist sentiment. He said it is up to the citizens of Crimea to determine their own future.

-- In Crimea, there are standoffs between Russian and Ukrainian troops in their bases, with conflicting reports of ultimatums given to Ukrainian troops to surrender that come and pass.

-- Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin has said that Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin requesting that he use the Russian military to restore law and order in his country.

-- In eastern Ukraine, pro-Russian demonstrators have occupied part of the regional government building in the city of Donetsk. Meanwhile, a few hundred pro-Russian activists tried but failed to force their way into the regional administration building in the southern city of Odesa.

NOTE: Live blog updates are listed according to local time in Kyiv

-- Glenn Kates / Luke Allnutt / Coilin O'Connor / Dan Wisniewski
17:00 21.2.2014
16:30 21.2.2014
Parliament votes to free Yulia Tymoshenko

The former prime minister has been imprisoned since 2011. The yes vote included 54 members of the Party of Regions.


A Tymoshenko timeline.

16:24 21.2.2014
Meanwhile, in Sochi.

16:23 21.2.2014
Parliament votes in favor of assistance for victims of protest violence.
16:20 21.2.2014
16:19 21.2.2014
Ukrainian Prime Minister Donald Tusk has called for Poles to light candles in solidarity with Ukraine protesters.

In a statement posted on his website, the prime minister said by placing candles by their windows at 8 PM poles would provide "a symbolic gesture to commermorate the Ukrainian victims and express solidarity with the country."
14:58 21.2.2014
14:39 21.2.2014
14:23 21.2.2014
According to Mustafa Nayyem, a well-known Afghan-Ukrainian journalist, opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk says parliament will take up the measure to restore the 2004 constitution tonight. The 2004 constitution limited presidential powers.
14:20 21.2.2014

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