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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.
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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
11:54 25.2.2014
BREAKING: Ukraine's parliament has voted in favor of having ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and others brought to trial before the International Criminal Court in The Hague for serious crimes.
11:29 25.2.2014
11:14 25.2.2014
From the wires. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, has called on Russia to behave like a good neighbor toward Ukraine and let it move forward in the way it chooses.

Ashton, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Kyiv, voiced "strong support" for Ukraine's new leaders.

She is the first foreign leader to visit Ukraine after parliament ousted President Viktor Yanukovych on Saturday following three months of antigovernment protests.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday in Moscow that Ukraine must not be forced to choose between close ties with Russia or the West.

10:48 25.2.2014
The street shrines of Kyiv.

10:39 25.2.2014
Our Ukrainian Service is live streaming from Kharkiv:

10:15 25.2.2014
While speaking, the Right Sector leader puts his assault rifle and knife down on the table.
10:10 25.2.2014
So the vote on the government pushed back to Thursday:

Ukraine's parliament has put off plans to vote on the formation of a national unity government until Thursday.

The vote had been expected on Tuesday, but Oleksander Turchynov, the speaker of the assembly and the country's acting president, told the chamber the vote was put off to allow more time for consultations.

08:51 25.2.2014
08:49 25.2.2014
Tweet from RFE/RL's Tom Balmforth.

08:45 25.2.2014
Good morning. Kicking off the live blog again. Powerful photos from Lviv, where local riot police kneel as they apologize to residents for taking part in an operation against antigovernment protesters in Kyiv.


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