15:22
26.3.2014
Obama: "We need to make sure everyone is chipping in" to Europe's collective security, not just the U.S. or U.K.
15:28
26.3.2014
U.S. President Barack Obama speaking today at a news conference in Brussels during a summit between the United States and the European Union in Brussels:
"The United States and Europe are staying united on this issue - we are united in our support for Ukraine and for the need to provide economic assistance to help stabilize its economy. We are united in out commitment to Europe's security, we are united in our determination to isolate Russia and impose costs for Russian's actions."
"If anyone in the Russian leadership thought that the world wouldn't care about their actions in Ukraine, or that they could drive a wedge between the European Union and the United States, they clearly miscalculated."
"There is still a way for Russia to work with Ukraine and the international community to de-escalate the situation through diplomacy. That is the only way that the issue will be resolved."
"If Russia continues on its current course, however, the isolation will deepen, sanctions will increase and there will be growing consequences for the Russian economy."
"If anyone in the Russian leadership thought that the world wouldn't care about their actions in Ukraine, or that they could drive a wedge between the European Union and the United States, they clearly miscalculated."
"There is still a way for Russia to work with Ukraine and the international community to de-escalate the situation through diplomacy. That is the only way that the issue will be resolved."
"If Russia continues on its current course, however, the isolation will deepen, sanctions will increase and there will be growing consequences for the Russian economy."
16:17
26.3.2014
Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya speaking today at a news conference with Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski following their meeting in Kyiv:
"On the international stage we need something like the Solidarity -- I mean 'Solidarnosc' that you had in Poland. We hope we will have such solidarity on the international arena -- countries standing together against the Russian aggression."
"Speaking of Ukraine's eastern borders, I have to say that we will defend them -- the army will and the people who have organized themselves to defend [Ukraine] against invasion also will, should such invasion take place."
"We believe that Russia, as [Russian Foreign] Minister [Sergei] Lavrov reassured me, does not harbor any plans to start an invasion into the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, which also means that those sites [nuclear power plants located in the areas] will not be endangered."
"Speaking of Ukraine's eastern borders, I have to say that we will defend them -- the army will and the people who have organized themselves to defend [Ukraine] against invasion also will, should such invasion take place."
"We believe that Russia, as [Russian Foreign] Minister [Sergei] Lavrov reassured me, does not harbor any plans to start an invasion into the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, which also means that those sites [nuclear power plants located in the areas] will not be endangered."
16:23
26.3.2014
#Ukraine's Ministry of Defense compiles list of items one must have ready in a backpack should country go to war https://t.co/tSnPfq0NPR
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 26, 2014
16:34
26.3.2014
Meanwhile, in Moldova:
Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky has praised last month's referendum in Moldova's autonomous Gagauzia region, calling it a "timely" event. Meeting with a Gagauzia delegation in Moscow Wednesday, Slutsky said "we fully approve of the poll."
Gagauzia has a population of about 155,000, mostly ethnically Gagauz, Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christians. Its residents voted in an unauthorized referendum for integration with a Russia-led customs union in February.
Moldova, which initialed an EU Association Agreement in November 2013, called the referendum illegal, saying it challenges Moldova's territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, Romania's Monica Macovei, told RFE/RL this week that Moldova may sign the political part of the Association Agreement with the EU before signing the economic part, like Ukraine did after Russia annexed its Crimean Peninsula.
Gagauzia has a population of about 155,000, mostly ethnically Gagauz, Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christians. Its residents voted in an unauthorized referendum for integration with a Russia-led customs union in February.
Moldova, which initialed an EU Association Agreement in November 2013, called the referendum illegal, saying it challenges Moldova's territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee, Romania's Monica Macovei, told RFE/RL this week that Moldova may sign the political part of the Association Agreement with the EU before signing the economic part, like Ukraine did after Russia annexed its Crimean Peninsula.
16:56
26.3.2014
"@coe: #Crimea: #Russia's delegation to #CoE Congress of loc & regional auth. publishes its 'Stament on #Ukraine.' http://t.co/sRuWI4ElPU"
— Omer AYDIN (@aydinomer) March 26, 2014
17:08
26.3.2014
#Russia promises to free kidnapped #Ukrainian Commanders by the end of the day http://t.co/1hpTOGllgD |PR Post #Crimea #Crimeaninvasion
— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) March 26, 2014
17:19
26.3.2014
More reports of Russian troop movements in Crimea:
Crimean activists reported that Russian troops moving tanks & APCs in the outskirts of Simferopol. pic.twitter.com/gLPIDPEmrt
— Ryskeldi Satke (@RyskeldiSatke) March 26, 2014
18:16
26.3.2014
U.S. lawmaker calls for natural-gas exports to Europe to "sap Putin's strength."
Ed Royce: "America's newly developing energy supplies could make a difference, sapping President Putin's strength, while bolstering Ukraine's and many other European countries."
Ed Royce: "America's newly developing energy supplies could make a difference, sapping President Putin's strength, while bolstering Ukraine's and many other European countries."