11:06
3.6.2014
11:09
3.6.2014
From our newsroom, President Obama on the first stop of his European visit:
U.S. President Barack Obama, speaking in Warsaw, has said Washington's commitment to Poland's security, as well as to the security of its allies in Central and Eastern Europe, "is a cornerstore of our own security."
He called that commitment "sacrosanct," while noting that the crisis in Ukraine had necessitated an increased U.S. military presence in Poland.
Obama made his remarks shortly after arriving in the Polish capital at the start of a four-day European trip that also includes stops in Belgium and France.
He is due to hold talks on June 3 with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Obama will also meet on June 4 with Central European leaders who are in Warsaw to mark the 25th anniversary of Poland's first postcommunist elections, including Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko.
He called that commitment "sacrosanct," while noting that the crisis in Ukraine had necessitated an increased U.S. military presence in Poland.
Obama made his remarks shortly after arriving in the Polish capital at the start of a four-day European trip that also includes stops in Belgium and France.
He is due to hold talks on June 3 with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Obama will also meet on June 4 with Central European leaders who are in Warsaw to mark the 25th anniversary of Poland's first postcommunist elections, including Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko.
11:18
3.6.2014
Donetsk Mayor Oleksandr Lukyanchenko says there's been "a lot of traveling" but that probably "fewer than 10,000 people" have left the city -- then corrects up to "10,000 to 15,000 people," Hromadske TV reports. He notes that an evacuation of a city of 1 million people is unrealistic.
11:44
3.6.2014
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reports that lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada have voted in a second ballot to lift the parliamentary immunity of Oleh Tsarev, a Party of Regions deputy from Dnipropetrovsk, in connection with a prosecutors' request that he face charges that include incitement of separatism. Tsarev also launched an abortive bid for the presidency.
11:49
3.6.2014
From our newsroom:
U.S. President Barack Obama is proposing $1 billion to finance extra U.S. military deployments to Eastern Europe amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and Russia's recent seizure of Crimea.
The White House said in a statement that Obama is calling on Congress to pass the European Reassurance Initiative to fund increases in U.S. troop, air, and naval deployments to "new allies" in Europe.
The White House added that the new U.S. initiative would increase the ability of non-NATO countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to work with Washington and NATO to improve their defense capabilities.
The White House said the United States is reviewing its military forces in Europe in light of "new security challenges on the continent."
The White House said in a statement that Obama is calling on Congress to pass the European Reassurance Initiative to fund increases in U.S. troop, air, and naval deployments to "new allies" in Europe.
The White House added that the new U.S. initiative would increase the ability of non-NATO countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova to work with Washington and NATO to improve their defense capabilities.
The White House said the United States is reviewing its military forces in Europe in light of "new security challenges on the continent."
11:53
3.6.2014
11:59
3.6.2014
12:00
3.6.2014
12:01
3.6.2014
"Kyiv Post" with more outstanding coverage on the ground.
12:31
3.6.2014
Ukraine's prime minister crows over Russia apparently backing off its threat impose prepayment on Ukraine for gas shipments, says $268 per bcu is "the market price" and the "only acceptable price" for Kyiv and ensures a "fairly high rate of return" for Gazprom.