12:35
7.3.2014
Polish political analyst Marek Menkiszak has published a piece looking at "Russia's strategy in the Ukrainian crisis."
"Russia’s maximum plan is apparently to bring about a reconstruction of the Ukrainian government that would involve including pro-Russian politicians, and a change of the country’s system of government, with the eastern and southern regions gaining broad political and economic autonomy," Menkiszak writes. "f those plans fail, Russia will probably seek to partially neutralise its defeat by backing the independence of Crimea or even its incorporation into the Russian Federation in the longer term, without giving up further attempts at destabilising Ukraine."
"Russia’s maximum plan is apparently to bring about a reconstruction of the Ukrainian government that would involve including pro-Russian politicians, and a change of the country’s system of government, with the eastern and southern regions gaining broad political and economic autonomy," Menkiszak writes. "f those plans fail, Russia will probably seek to partially neutralise its defeat by backing the independence of Crimea or even its incorporation into the Russian Federation in the longer term, without giving up further attempts at destabilising Ukraine."
12:30
7.3.2014
RFE/RL's Balkans Service has a feature today (in Serbian), including video, on Serbian volunteers who have gone to Crimea to support the pro-Russian side there. The commander of the volunteer force, Milutin Malisic is quoted as saying "Know, brother Russians, that we are one people and the same Slavic blood runs through our veins."
Serbian analyst Izabela Kisic is quoted as saying "these are people who go from war zone to war zone and who are getting louder today, not only in Serbia but throughout Europe."
"Are certain political movement or political parties behind them?" she asks. "Such people, and we have numerous documents in domestic war crimes courts and in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, are the ones who committed the worst crimes."
Serbian analyst Izabela Kisic is quoted as saying "these are people who go from war zone to war zone and who are getting louder today, not only in Serbia but throughout Europe."
"Are certain political movement or political parties behind them?" she asks. "Such people, and we have numerous documents in domestic war crimes courts and in the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, are the ones who committed the worst crimes."
12:24
7.3.2014
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang spoke in Beijing about Ukraine today. Here are some bites:
"China has consistently opposed the easy use of sanctions in international relations, or using sanctions as a threat. In the present situation, we hope that all sides can take steps that avoid a further worsening in tensions and work hard to find a way for a political solution to the crisis. This is the fundamental way out [of this crisis]."
"We call on all sides in Ukraine to peacefully resolve the relevant issue within a legal, orderly framework via dialogue and negotiations and earnestly safeguard the interests of all the people in Ukraine and bring order back as soon as possible and maintain peace and stability in this region."
"China has consistently opposed the easy use of sanctions in international relations, or using sanctions as a threat. In the present situation, we hope that all sides can take steps that avoid a further worsening in tensions and work hard to find a way for a political solution to the crisis. This is the fundamental way out [of this crisis]."
"We call on all sides in Ukraine to peacefully resolve the relevant issue within a legal, orderly framework via dialogue and negotiations and earnestly safeguard the interests of all the people in Ukraine and bring order back as soon as possible and maintain peace and stability in this region."
12:23
7.3.2014
Some bites from Ukrainian Prime Minister Areniy Yatsenyuk's press conference in Kyiv:
"No one in the civilized world will recognize the results of a so-called referendum carried out by these so-called authorities."
"We have clearly declared our readiness to hold talks with the Russian government. But in order for that to happen, our Russian neighbors have to become [our] Russian partners. Firstly, they have to withdraw [their] troops; secondly, fulfill the bilateral and multilateral agreements that Russia has signed; thirdly, to halt support for the separatists and terrorists who are on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea."
"No one in the civilized world will recognize the results of a so-called referendum carried out by these so-called authorities."
"We have clearly declared our readiness to hold talks with the Russian government. But in order for that to happen, our Russian neighbors have to become [our] Russian partners. Firstly, they have to withdraw [their] troops; secondly, fulfill the bilateral and multilateral agreements that Russia has signed; thirdly, to halt support for the separatists and terrorists who are on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea."
11:32
7.3.2014
11:31
7.3.2014
Russian analyst and head of the Moscow Carnegie Center Dmitry Trenin says Washington's adoption of visa sanctions for Russian politicians is "a return to a Cold War situation."
11:28
7.3.2014
RFE/RL's Ukraine Service is reporting that nationalist Right Sector leader Dmitro Yarosh will run in the May 25 presidential election.
11:26
7.3.2014
Here are the questions from the released ballot form for the scheduled Crimean referendum. There are two questions, each presented in Russian, Ukrainian, and Crimean Tatar.
The first question reads: Do you support the unification of Crimea with Russia in the status of a subject of the Russian Federation?
The second question reads: Do you support the reinstatement of the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea from 1992 and are you for the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?
The instructions state that voters must choose one of the two variants. Ballots that have both boxes marked or neither box marked will be considered invalid.
The first question reads: Do you support the unification of Crimea with Russia in the status of a subject of the Russian Federation?
The second question reads: Do you support the reinstatement of the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea from 1992 and are you for the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?
The instructions state that voters must choose one of the two variants. Ballots that have both boxes marked or neither box marked will be considered invalid.
11:23
7.3.2014
In case you missed it, here is RFE/RL's story from yesterday about how Russia's Duma and Crimean lawmakers are working in tandem to push ahead with annexation.
11:16
7.3.2014
There have been many joke ballots for the scheduled Crimean referendum going around the last couple of days. This one appears to be the real deal: