18:27
14.3.2014
America's first sign of help to #Ukraine: Pentagon is sending 25,000 cases of military prepackaged meals.
— Paul Waldie (@pwaldieGLOBE) March 14, 2014
18:03
14.3.2014
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State has also been speaking to journalists after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Here's what he had to say:
Kerry said he and Lavrov talked for "a good six hours' about Ukraine. However, Lavrov told Kerry President Putin is not prepared to make any decision on Crimea until after the referendum.
He said Washington and international community will not recognize the outcome of the Crimea referendum.
Kerry said he and Lavrov have agreed to stay in touch in the coming days.
Kerry said he and Lavrov talked for "a good six hours' about Ukraine. However, Lavrov told Kerry President Putin is not prepared to make any decision on Crimea until after the referendum.
He said Washington and international community will not recognize the outcome of the Crimea referendum.
Kerry said he and Lavrov have agreed to stay in touch in the coming days.
17:21
14.3.2014
Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama says he continues to hope for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine, but warned of "consequences" for Russia if none is found and should Moscow refuse to loosen its grip on Ukraine’s Crimea region.
17:17
14.3.2014
It was always implied that Crimea is Russia's late revenge against the West for Kosovo. Now Lavrov has made that explicit.
— Simon Shuster (@shustry) March 14, 2014
17:15
14.3.2014
The head of RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service, Rim Gilfanov, is on Reddit and ready to answer any and all questions on Crimean Tatars:
What's the stand of Crimean Tatars in latest crisis? I'm ready to answer your questions. Ask me anything! http://t.co/eLZmON5W3S
— Rim Gilfanov (@guilfanr) March 14, 2014
17:05
14.3.2014
The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group reports that Crimea's Russian-installed prime minister, Sergei Kasyanov, has acknowledged that activists who have been reported abducted in recent days are in fact being held in custody by Crimean security forces, to prevent "subversive activities" in the days leading up to the peninsula's independence referendum March 16.
Kasyanov specifically mentioned Andrey Shchekun, the head of Crimea's Ukrainian Council, who was abducted in Simferopol on March 9, shortly before the start of a rally he had helped organize to protest Russian occupation. Kasyanov said Shchekun was alive and in good health, but like other activists would have his liberty "restricted" until after the referendum.
Here's how Kasyanov defended the preemptive detentions: "What should we do with such people? Simply sit back and watch the situation? I'm sorry, but this is a war situation. That requires the adoption of certain harsh measures. If somebody wants to infringe and destabilize the situation, that means they will have their freedom restricted. We have no other possibility."
Read the full Kharkov report (in English) here:
17:01
14.3.2014
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been speaking to journalists after holding talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The main points thus far:
Lavrov says U.S. and Russia 'diverge' in their views about Ukraine. He says Russia will 'respect the will of the Crimean people on March 16' referendum.
Lavrov says Moscow has no plans to invade southeastern Ukraine.
Lavrov says Western partners are well aware sanctions are counterproductive, 'Kerry did not threaten Russia with anything,' he said.
Lavrov says if Kosovo was treated as a 'special case', Crimea should be 'a special case, too.'
Lavrov says U.S. and Russia 'diverge' in their views about Ukraine. He says Russia will 'respect the will of the Crimean people on March 16' referendum.
Lavrov says Moscow has no plans to invade southeastern Ukraine.
Lavrov says Western partners are well aware sanctions are counterproductive, 'Kerry did not threaten Russia with anything,' he said.
Lavrov says if Kosovo was treated as a 'special case', Crimea should be 'a special case, too.'
16:43
14.3.2014
An update regarding last night's fatality in Donetsk:
Russia's Foreign Ministry says violence in eastern Ukraine overnight demonstrates that authorities in Kyiv are losing control and that Russia reserves the right to protect its citizens.
In a statement issued today, the ministry said radical right-wing groups attacked peaceful protesters who were rallying against the "destructive positions of people who call themselves the Ukrainian authorities."
Organizers of the pro-EU rally said the man who was stabbed to death in the violence was from their group.
In a reference to Russia, Donetsk Governor Serhiy Taruta told journalists that "a lot of people concentrated there who were not from Ukraine
Taruta also said the Russian statement "distorts the real situation."
In a statement issued today, the ministry said radical right-wing groups attacked peaceful protesters who were rallying against the "destructive positions of people who call themselves the Ukrainian authorities."
Organizers of the pro-EU rally said the man who was stabbed to death in the violence was from their group.
In a reference to Russia, Donetsk Governor Serhiy Taruta told journalists that "a lot of people concentrated there who were not from Ukraine
Taruta also said the Russian statement "distorts the real situation."
ALSO READ: This Russian Foreign Ministry Statement On Donetsk Death Defies Reality
16:41
14.3.2014
Buzzfeed provides the captions for Lavrov and Kerry's day:
Awkward. Watch Diplomacy In Action As Russia And The U.S. Talk Ukraine http://t.co/I0anomZKNf
— Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) March 14, 2014
16:31
14.3.2014
This just in from the wires:
Crimea's pro-Kremlin Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov has said the region could become part of Russia within a year of its referendum on the issue tomorrow.
Aksyonov told a news conference today in the region's capital, Simferopol, that Crimea should not become independent, but "enter Russia as its constituent entity."
He said that "the transitional period will last for about a year."
The pro-Moscow leader also called on Russian-speaking eastern regions of Ukraine to hold their own referendums on switching over to Kremlin rule. (AFP, Interfax, ITAR-TASS)
Crimea's pro-Kremlin Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov has said the region could become part of Russia within a year of its referendum on the issue tomorrow.
Aksyonov told a news conference today in the region's capital, Simferopol, that Crimea should not become independent, but "enter Russia as its constituent entity."
He said that "the transitional period will last for about a year."
The pro-Moscow leader also called on Russian-speaking eastern regions of Ukraine to hold their own referendums on switching over to Kremlin rule. (AFP, Interfax, ITAR-TASS)