19:26
3.6.2014
The head of the NATO alliance speaks after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Warsaw:
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said the alliance had made a number of decisions to make it “fitter, faster, and more flexible.”
He spoke after a defense ministers' meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Brussels on June 3.
Rasmussen said NATO members agreed to bolster defenses in response to Russian actions in Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, he said Russia's "irresponsible and illegal actions" in Ukraine represent a "serious challenge to a Europe whole, free, and at peace."
The NATO chief said Moscow's behavior shows that it "is ready to use force to redraw borders" and to destabilize sovereign nations in pursuit of its geopolitical goals.
He said Russia's actions "threaten the stability of the entire Euro-Atlantic area."
He spoke after a defense ministers' meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Brussels on June 3.
Rasmussen said NATO members agreed to bolster defenses in response to Russian actions in Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, he said Russia's "irresponsible and illegal actions" in Ukraine represent a "serious challenge to a Europe whole, free, and at peace."
The NATO chief said Moscow's behavior shows that it "is ready to use force to redraw borders" and to destabilize sovereign nations in pursuit of its geopolitical goals.
He said Russia's actions "threaten the stability of the entire Euro-Atlantic area."
19:55
3.6.2014
20:27
3.6.2014
21:05
3.6.2014
21:09
3.6.2014
The latest from Igor Girkin aka "Strelkov," the "defense minister" of the of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" (read the full Who's Who of Separatist Leaders)
22:08
3.6.2014
22:10
3.6.2014
This ends our live-blogging for today, June 3, see here for our continuing Ukraine coverage.
07:58
4.6.2014
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with this update from RFE/RL's news desk:
Read more here
U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko in Warsaw today at 9:30 a.m. local time.
Obama is also due to deliver a major speech to highlight the 25th anniversary of Poland's first free elections.
He is expected to say that Poland's experience can serve as an example for Ukraine.
On June 3 in Warsaw, Obama pledged to spend $1 billion to send more U.S. military to Europe on a temporary basis.
NATO accuses Russia of being behind the revolt in eastern Ukraine, a charge Moscow denies, although it asserts the right to protect Russian-speakers in the region.
Speaking after talks with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in the Polish capital on June 3, Obama denounced the separatists in eastern Ukraine as "a bunch of masked thugs creating chaos."
He said a mechanism was needed to return law and order to these areas and "this is where Russian influence can be extraordinarily important."
Obama is also due to deliver a major speech to highlight the 25th anniversary of Poland's first free elections.
He is expected to say that Poland's experience can serve as an example for Ukraine.
On June 3 in Warsaw, Obama pledged to spend $1 billion to send more U.S. military to Europe on a temporary basis.
NATO accuses Russia of being behind the revolt in eastern Ukraine, a charge Moscow denies, although it asserts the right to protect Russian-speakers in the region.
Speaking after talks with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in the Polish capital on June 3, Obama denounced the separatists in eastern Ukraine as "a bunch of masked thugs creating chaos."
He said a mechanism was needed to return law and order to these areas and "this is where Russian influence can be extraordinarily important."
Read more here
08:11
4.6.2014
Dramatic times for Crimea: @BarackObama meets w/ Crimea Tatar leader in exile Mustafa Dzhemilev in Warsaw - @NSCPress pic.twitter.com/Hsk6r0Tnc5
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) June 4, 2014
08:22
4.6.2014
Here's another update from our news desk:
Poland has honored Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev with a new prize for championing democracy and human rights.
At a ceremony in Warsaw yesterday, the 70-year-old Dzhemilev received the Lech Walesa Solidarity Award and prize money worth $1 million euros ($1.4 million).
The ceremony was attended by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko.
Poroshenko called Dzhemilev "a great Ukrainian hero."
Dzhemilev was a dissident during the Soviet era, when his people -- an ethnic Turkic group -- were persecuted.
More recently, he has protested Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Crimea's 300,000 Tatars make up around 12 percent of the peninsula's population and largely boycotted the disputed March referendum.
At a ceremony in Warsaw yesterday, the 70-year-old Dzhemilev received the Lech Walesa Solidarity Award and prize money worth $1 million euros ($1.4 million).
The ceremony was attended by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko.
Poroshenko called Dzhemilev "a great Ukrainian hero."
Dzhemilev was a dissident during the Soviet era, when his people -- an ethnic Turkic group -- were persecuted.
More recently, he has protested Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Crimea's 300,000 Tatars make up around 12 percent of the peninsula's population and largely boycotted the disputed March referendum.