22:15
25.4.2014
Here's the top of our newsroom's wrap-up of events today in Ukraine, which concludes our live blogging for April 25. You can read the whole wrap-up here.
Ukraine's Interior Ministry says armed pro-Russian separatists in the eastern city of Slovyansk have seized a group of international representatives of the OSCE.
The ministry said negotiations were taking place for the release of the group, which includes seven OSCE representatives, five members of the Ukrainian armed forces, and a driver.
The April 25 statement said rebels had seized a bus carrying the observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It said the group was being held in a State Security Service building held by the Slovyansk separatists.
The separatist mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, told Reuters that the group had been detained because there were suspicions that a member of the Ukrainian government's military staff, whom he called a spy, was among the group.
OSCE observers have been in the region to oversee implementation of the Geneva agreement -- signed April 17 by Ukraine’s government, Russia, the United States, and the European Union -- aimed at de-escalating the situation in Ukraine.
Western states and Russia have accused each other of failing to take steps to implement the accord.
The White House, meanwhile, said President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy have agreed to "coordinate additional steps to impose costs" on Russia, such as sanctions, over its actions in the Ukraine crisis.
The ministry said negotiations were taking place for the release of the group, which includes seven OSCE representatives, five members of the Ukrainian armed forces, and a driver.
The April 25 statement said rebels had seized a bus carrying the observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It said the group was being held in a State Security Service building held by the Slovyansk separatists.
The separatist mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, told Reuters that the group had been detained because there were suspicions that a member of the Ukrainian government's military staff, whom he called a spy, was among the group.
OSCE observers have been in the region to oversee implementation of the Geneva agreement -- signed April 17 by Ukraine’s government, Russia, the United States, and the European Union -- aimed at de-escalating the situation in Ukraine.
Western states and Russia have accused each other of failing to take steps to implement the accord.
The White House, meanwhile, said President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, and Italy have agreed to "coordinate additional steps to impose costs" on Russia, such as sanctions, over its actions in the Ukraine crisis.
22:13
25.4.2014
20:57
25.4.2014
In an interview today in Prague with RFE/RL, Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti reiterated calls for Russian forces to withdraw from Moldova’s breakaway Transdniestr region.
Timofti compared the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine’s Crimea region in February to the crisis in 1992 over Moldova’s Transdniestr region.
Read more about the interview with Timofti here.
20:50
25.4.2014
How convincing are suggestions that Russian state-controlled RT TV's "Russian viewpoint" is nothing more than Russian propaganda? Our own Glenn Kates looks at some recent indicators.
20:36
25.4.2014
20:22
25.4.2014
20:07
25.4.2014
19:30
25.4.2014
Space snub. ITAR-TASS has quoted the head of the Russian United Rocket and Space Corporation hinting that tensions with Ukraine might have "irreversible consequences for cooperation."
Igor Komarov hinted that his country might be forced to consider "new partners" and channel work and investments "into some other area that isn't contingent on cooperation with our Ukrainian partners."
Here's more of the Russian report:
Here's our recent, related report, titled "Complex Ties: Russia's Armed Forces Depend On Ukraine's Military Industry."
Igor Komarov hinted that his country might be forced to consider "new partners" and channel work and investments "into some other area that isn't contingent on cooperation with our Ukrainian partners."
Here's more of the Russian report:
Severe situation around the Ukrainian space industry is likely to result in a breakup of cooperation with Russia in this sphere, Director General of the Russian United Rocket and Space Corporation Igor Komarov said on Friday.
"In the near future, organisation of new projects will be considered," Komarov told the Rossiya 24 television. "We are tasked to modernise production drastically so with regard to this task we will have to choose, and not only we, who we should move forward together with and how."
"And what worries us in this situation is that if a gap appears in our relations with Ukraine in the near future, it will have irreversible consequences for cooperation that will linger for 15 to 20 years, in the course of which they [the relations] will be hard to restore," he said.
"New partners will be found, hard work will be done and investments will flow into some other area that isn't contingent on cooperation with our Ukrainian partners," Komarov said.
"In the near future, organisation of new projects will be considered," Komarov told the Rossiya 24 television. "We are tasked to modernise production drastically so with regard to this task we will have to choose, and not only we, who we should move forward together with and how."
"And what worries us in this situation is that if a gap appears in our relations with Ukraine in the near future, it will have irreversible consequences for cooperation that will linger for 15 to 20 years, in the course of which they [the relations] will be hard to restore," he said.
"New partners will be found, hard work will be done and investments will flow into some other area that isn't contingent on cooperation with our Ukrainian partners," Komarov said.
Here's our recent, related report, titled "Complex Ties: Russia's Armed Forces Depend On Ukraine's Military Industry."
19:22
25.4.2014
19:19
25.4.2014