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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
11:11 2.3.2014
Confirmation from AP and Reuters that Ukraine is mobilizing its reservists:

The head of Ukraine's national security and defense council, Andriy Parubiy, says Ukraine is to call up all military reservists.

Parubiy told reporters that the council had ordered the defense ministry to "call on all those that armed forces need at the moment across Ukraine," adding that the mobilization was to "ensure the security and territorial integrity of Ukraine."

The statement comes after Russia upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, on Saturday gave President Valdimir Putin approval to deploy troops to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine and Russian naval forces based in the country's Crimea region.

Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh accused Russia of sending 6,000 troops and 30 armored personnel carriers into Ukraine's Crimea region since Friday "without warning or Ukraine's permission."
11:26 2.3.2014
11:32 2.3.2014
Meanwhile in Moscow, there has been a small (couple of hundred maybe) antiwar protest.
11:44 2.3.2014
11:46 2.3.2014
The website of the pro-Kremlin RT was hacked.

11:49 2.3.2014
The key events so far today.

-- Ukraine has called up reservists.
-- NATO will hold an emergency meeting later.
11:57 2.3.2014
Video from Kharkiv yesterday showing a pro-Russian crowd take over the regional government HQ, beating Maidan supporters.

12:36 2.3.2014
BREAKING: Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says "We are on the brink of disaster"; urges Putin to pull back his military.
12:44 2.3.2014
More on Yatsenyuk's press conference from the agencies.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk says, "We are on the brink of disaster" and has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull back his military from the country.

Speaking to foreign reporters in English in Kyiv on Sunday, he also said that Russian actions constitute "a declaration of war to my country."

His remarks come a day after Russia's parliament approved the deployment of troops to Ukraine and Kyiv has responded by ordering the mobilization of reservists.

The head of Ukraine's national security and defense council, Andriy Parubiy, said the council on Sunday had ordered the defense ministry to "call on all those that armed forces need at the moment across Ukraine," adding that the mobilization was to "ensure the security and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
12:44 2.3.2014

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