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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
16:24 28.2.2014
A topical "New Yorker" cartoon:

15:22 28.2.2014
15:14 28.2.2014
Our newsdesk has also issued this update regarding the airports in Crimea that were reportedly seized by armed men on February 28:

The head of Ukraine's Security Council says two airports in Crimea are "de facto" under Ukrainian control, despite attempts by armed men to seize them on February 28.

Andriy Parubiy said armed men had set up checkpoints outside the airports.

Ukraine's interior minister, Arsen Avakov, previouslysaid the airports in Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based, and the regional capital, Simferopol, were controlled by Russian navy troops.

The Ukrainian parliament urged Moscow to halt moves that could undermine Ukrainian national sovereignty.

The Black Sea Fleet denied its troops had moved into the airports, and the Russian Foreign Ministry said it considers events in Crimea the result of internal political differences.

Tensions have been rising in Crimea, which has a majority ethnic Russian population, since the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Earlier on February 28, Ukraine called for a UN Security Council meeting to consider the situation in Crimea, after describing the seizure of the two airports as a "military invasion" by Russian forces. (Reuters, AP, Interfax)
15:04 28.2.2014
Meanwhile, RFE/RL's newsdesk has issued this item on some EU reactions to the situation in Crimea:

Germany, France, and Poland say they're "deeply concerned" over developments in Ukraine's Crimea region and have called on all sides to do "everything to reduce tensions" and promote dialogue.

The appeal came in a joint statement on February 28 by the foreign ministers of the three EU countries.

The three ministers played a key role in negotiations on the agreement signed one week ago by ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and the former opposition aimed at ending Ukraine's deadly unrest.

Yanukovych fled Kyiv a short time after the signing and the deal, which called for early presidential elections and a unity government, has not been implemented.

On February 28, the EU's executive body, the European Commission, on all parties involved in the Ukrainian crisis to show "maximum restraint" and respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and unity. (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
14:49 28.2.2014
The 'Kyiv Post" has published this English transcript of the Yanukovych press conference.
14:13 28.2.2014
14:12 28.2.2014
14:11 28.2.2014
14:10 28.2.2014
14:09 28.2.2014

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