13:11
14.4.2014
Our news desk reports that London is pushing for tougher financial stance against Russia:
Britain is calling on the European Union to agree "further sanctions" against Russia in response to the escalating crisis in eastern Ukraine.
As he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg today, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said “further sanctions have to be the response to Russia's behavior.”
"There can't really be any real doubt that this is something that has been planned and brought about by Russia," he said.
The EU has already hit Russian officials with travel bans and asset freezes and has threatened further economic sanctions.
Other EU foreign ministers expressed caution, however, with Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans saying “it would be too early today but I think we need to be well prepared.
He also said events in eastern Ukraine look “very, very similar to what happened previously in Crimea.”
Britain is calling on the European Union to agree "further sanctions" against Russia in response to the escalating crisis in eastern Ukraine.
As he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg today, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said “further sanctions have to be the response to Russia's behavior.”
"There can't really be any real doubt that this is something that has been planned and brought about by Russia," he said.
The EU has already hit Russian officials with travel bans and asset freezes and has threatened further economic sanctions.
Other EU foreign ministers expressed caution, however, with Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans saying “it would be too early today but I think we need to be well prepared.
He also said events in eastern Ukraine look “very, very similar to what happened previously in Crimea.”
13:49
14.4.2014
As this video from Slovyansk shows, deadline or no deadline, it doesn't look like the separatists ate going anywhere in a hurry:
13:52
14.4.2014
Here's a map of all Donetsk region cities with occupied buildings. Not on it is Zhdanivka/Zhdanovka http://t.co/CssK0zPP29
— Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick) April 14, 2014
14:00
14.4.2014
And here's Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denying that Moscow has played any role in how the situation in Ukraine is developing:
14:37
14.4.2014
Some more sanctions info from our news desk:
European Union foreign ministers have agreed to hit four more people with asset freezes for their involvement in misappropriating Ukrainian state funds.
The ministers took the decision at a meeting in Luxembourg today.
The names of the people subject to sanctions will be made public tomorrow.
It will bring the total number of persons subject to an EU asset freeze in connection with embezzlement of Ukrainian public funds to 22.
The EU ministers also adopted trade measures providing temporary tariff preferences for Ukraine.
The trade preferences, which are expected to enter into force in two weeks' time, will apply to November at the latest.
They will remove about 500 million euros of EU customs tariffs a year.
They cover nearly 95 percent of current EU tariffs imports of industrial goods from Ukraine and all EU tariffs on Ukraine’s agricultural produce exports to the EU.
The ministers took the decision at a meeting in Luxembourg today.
The names of the people subject to sanctions will be made public tomorrow.
It will bring the total number of persons subject to an EU asset freeze in connection with embezzlement of Ukrainian public funds to 22.
The EU ministers also adopted trade measures providing temporary tariff preferences for Ukraine.
The trade preferences, which are expected to enter into force in two weeks' time, will apply to November at the latest.
They will remove about 500 million euros of EU customs tariffs a year.
They cover nearly 95 percent of current EU tariffs imports of industrial goods from Ukraine and all EU tariffs on Ukraine’s agricultural produce exports to the EU.
15:10
14.4.2014
This video of local police in Horlivka joining the separatist militia is particularly interesting because one of the men adressing them is introduced as a lieutenant colonel in the Russian Army:
Watch #Gorlivka police in Donetsk province joining local separatist militia this morning https://t.co/2OyInC53XP
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) April 14, 2014
15:56
14.4.2014
That "lieutenant colonel from the Russian Army" who featured in the previous video, also makes an appearance in this footage of at least 100 separatists storming the police headquarters in Horlivka and hoisted a Russian flag above the building earlier today:
16:05
14.4.2014
!!! BREAKING NEWS !!!
The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin is watching the situation in eastern Ukraine with "great anxiety." Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Putin has been receiving "many appeals" from people in eastern Ukraine asking for Russian help.
16:20
14.4.2014
Banks are shutting down in eastern Ukraine. Raiffeisen Bank-Aval has closed its branches in Donetsk, Slovyansk, Yenakiyene, and Kramatorsk. First Ukrainian International Bank and Alfa-Bank have closed their offices in Slovyansk. Platinum Bank has closed its branch in Mariupol. Russia's Sberbank continues its operation across the Donetsk region.
"Райффайзен банк - Аваль" закрыл 5 отделений в Енакиево, Краматорске, Славянске, а также центральный офис в Донецке http://t.co/CzEbJBeZ8i
— Радио Свобода (@SvobodaRadio) April 14, 2014
16:22
14.4.2014
Our news desk has issued a longer piece of further EU sanctions and a special assistance package for Kyiv, which you can read here.