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Ukraine's acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya speaks to the UN General Assembly on March 27.
Ukraine's acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya speaks to the UN General Assembly on March 27.

Live Blog: UN Backs Ukraine Integrity

Final Summary For March 27

-- The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution that affirms Ukraine's territorial integrity.

-- The IMF has announced "a staff-level agreement" with Kyiv on assistance of $14 billion-$18 billion in conjunction with a reform program that will "unlock" up to $27 billion over the next two years, pending final approval next month. Tthe U.S. Congress has also passed an aid bill for Ukraine.

-- Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko has announced plans to run for president.

-- Members of the Right Sector have been holding a demonstration outside the Ukrainian parliament building to vent their anger at the killing of prominent member Oleksander Muzychko earlier in the week.

-- Six Ukrainian military officers detained by pro-Russian troops in Crimea have been released, including Colonel Yuliy Mamchur, but five others are still being held captive.

-- Anonymous sources quoted by CNN say U.S. intelligence "concludes it is more likely than previously thought that Russian forces will enter eastern Ukraine."

-- U.S. President Barack Obama, in the keynote speech of his visit to Europe, chided Russia for its use of "brute force" in Ukraine and vowed that a determined alliance of the United States and Europe will prevail over time.


*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv
09:41 13.3.2014
Here are some more details from our newsdesk regarding Angela Merkel's latest comments on Ukraine:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned Russia that it risks "massive" political and economic damage over its actions in Crimea.

Merkel told German lawmakers today that, "if Russia continues on its course of the past weeks, it will not only be a catastrophe for Ukraine" but would change the EU's relationship with Russia.
Crimea is occupied by Russian forces and a referendum planned for March 16 could see the peninsula annexed by Russia.

Merkel said Ukraine's territorial integrity is "not up for discussion" and that Russia's deployment of troops to Crimea is a clear breach of international law.

She said the EU is prepared to impose sanctions if Russia refuses to begin "negotiations that achieve results." (AP, Reuters, dpa)
09:42 13.3.2014
10:01 13.3.2014
WATCH: Ukrainian Prime Minister Says 'We Will Never Surrender'
Ukrainian Prime Minister: 'We Will Never Surrender'
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0:00 0:00:47 0:00
10:02 13.3.2014
WATCH: U.S. President Says Russia Faces Costs Over Ukraine Intervention
Obama Says Russia Faces Costs Over Ukraine Intervention
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0:00 0:00:46 0:00
10:04 13.3.2014
RFE/RL's newsdesk has just issued this brief item:

John McCain is leading a group of eight U.S. senators to Kyiv this weekend to show American support for Ukraine's new authorities in the standoff with Russia.

The senators -- five from the Republican Party and three Democrats -- are expected to leave Washington today.

McCain, known for his harsh criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, last visited Kyiv in December and addressed protesters in Independence Square.

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee approved a measure that would provide more than $1 billion in aid and loan guarantees to Ukraine’s new government and impose sanctions on Russians and Ukrainians held responsible for violence or human rights violations during the recent protests.

The bill must still be passed by the full Senate and House of Representatives. (Reuters, washingtonpost.com, wsj.com)
10:09 13.3.2014
Meanwhile, there has been an uptick in Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings at home:

10:18 13.3.2014
According to a new Levada poll, a majority of Russians support their government's actions in Crimea.
10:19 13.3.2014
10:20 13.3.2014
10:28 13.3.2014
"We are a united people, we are a united country."

Crimean Tatars protest Russia's takeover of their region with this video clip. The song is by popular Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy.

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