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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
16:32 3.3.2014
BREAKING. The commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet Aleksandr Vitko has given Ukrainian military forces in Crimea until 05:00 local time (04:00 Prague Time) Tuesday to surrender or bases in the Crimea would be stormed. (Via Interfax and Ukrainskaya Pravda)
17:07 3.3.2014
Getting more confirmation on the ultimatum from the Black Sea Fleet.
17:45 3.3.2014
Some economic ripples in Central Europe.

The Czech defense minister has said he couldn't imagine Russia involved with the country's Temelin nuclear power plant because Russia is no longer a democratic state.

A Russian consortium is bidding against Westinghouse for a tender to build new reactors at the plant.

Will Hungary do the same?
18:46 3.3.2014
Russia has denied reports of an ultimatum for tomorrow morning. We have updated our story accordingly.
18:50 3.3.2014
19:54 3.3.2014
20:33 3.3.2014
20:37 3.3.2014
BREAKING: Barack Obama said Russia is "on the wrong side of history" on Ukraine and that Russian actions in Ukraine violate international law. Speaking Monday at the White House, Obama said Russia's decision to deploy troops in Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula would prove a "costly proposition for Moscow" and added the situation in Crimea was "deeply troubling." He urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to allow international monitors to mediate a deal that would be acceptable to Ukraine's people. Obama also called on the U.S. Congress to provide an assistance package to the Ukrainian people quickly.
20:54 3.3.2014
Lots of people have been saying that China's remarks on Ukraine were a little bizarre. Seem fairly standard diplo-speak to me. Here they are.
07:44 4.3.2014
From the wires:
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered all troops that took part in surprise military exercises near Ukraine to return to their bases. Russian news agencies quote Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Tuesday that the drills had been a success. Putin ordered the drills across western Russia last week amid high tensions in Ukraine following the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Officials said some 150,000 troops, nearly 900 tanks, and scores of aircraft and navy ships were participating. Moscow denied that they were linked to the crisis in Ukraine.

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