12:14
4.6.2014
RFE/RL's Multimedia Department has issued this video of Ukraine President-elect Petro Poroshenko's meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama:
12:41
4.6.2014
Reuters has been looking at the ramifications of the G7 (formerly known as the G8) meeting without Russia for the first time in nearly 20 years:
Read the entire article here
While Russia retains substantial forces on Ukraine's eastern border, and pro-Russia militias are operating in many towns, presidential elections took place relatively peacefully across the whole of Ukraine last month, which the West took as a signal of Moscow's readiness not to escalate the crisis.
That sense of increased cooperation has raised questions about whether the European Union, with its critical trade and energy ties with Russia, could soon seek ways of drawing Moscow back into the fold, such as allowing it to rejoin the G8.
Officials responsible for coordinating this week's summit did not rule that out Tuesday, but said Moscow had a long way to go to prove its intentions were sound and that it was capable of acting like a "normal democratic country."
That sense of increased cooperation has raised questions about whether the European Union, with its critical trade and energy ties with Russia, could soon seek ways of drawing Moscow back into the fold, such as allowing it to rejoin the G8.
Officials responsible for coordinating this week's summit did not rule that out Tuesday, but said Moscow had a long way to go to prove its intentions were sound and that it was capable of acting like a "normal democratic country."
Read the entire article here
12:45
4.6.2014
Ukraine News One: #Ukraine insurgents suffer heavy losses (VIDEO) http://t.co/sDov4pT2n2
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) June 4, 2014
13:05
4.6.2014
Here's the latest on the Russian troops near Ukraine's border (from RFE/RL's news desk):
NATO's top military commander says Russia is pulling back most of its troops from the Ukrainian border but that a portion "looks like it intends to remain."
However, the Reuters news agency quotes U.S. General Philip Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, as also saying Russian irregular forces, Russian-backed forces, and Russian financing are very active in eastern Ukraine.
"This has to stop," he said in Brussels today.
Breedlove said all steps being taken by NATO to reinforce its members in Eastern and Central Europe would comply with a 1997 NATO agreement with Russia.
He accused Moscow of breaking that pact "when they crossed a sovereign boundary and annexed under fire a portion of a sovereign nation."
He also said NATO and its member countries were considering a wide range of requests for help from Ukraine, including lethal aid.
However, the Reuters news agency quotes U.S. General Philip Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, as also saying Russian irregular forces, Russian-backed forces, and Russian financing are very active in eastern Ukraine.
"This has to stop," he said in Brussels today.
Breedlove said all steps being taken by NATO to reinforce its members in Eastern and Central Europe would comply with a 1997 NATO agreement with Russia.
He accused Moscow of breaking that pact "when they crossed a sovereign boundary and annexed under fire a portion of a sovereign nation."
He also said NATO and its member countries were considering a wide range of requests for help from Ukraine, including lethal aid.
13:12
4.6.2014
RT@NSCPress: FACT SHEET: U.S. Security Assistance to #Ukraine: http://t.co/qE8dPtPPnP
— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) June 4, 2014
13:29
4.6.2014
Germany has historical reasons to seek compromise w/Russia. I spoke to @uli_speck and @UmlandAndreas http://t.co/0lMZjZZd9z
— Robert Coalson (@CoalsonR) June 4, 2014
14:15
4.6.2014
Our news desk has another update on Obama's Warsaw trip:
U.S. President Barack Obama has reaffirmed the United States' "unwavering" commitment to the security of Poland and other Eastern and Central European NATO allies after Russia's intervention in Ukraine.
"Poland will never stand alone. Estonia will never stand alone. Latvia will never stand alone. Lithuania will never stand alone. Romania will never stand alone." Obama said in a speech in Warsaw today.
Obama is in the Polish capital for events to commemorate the country's first democratic elections in 1989.
Addressing a crowd in Castle Square, Obama drew parallels between events in Poland 25 years ago and the current situation in Ukraine.
"We will not accept Russia's occupation of Crimea and its violation of Ukraine's sovereignty," he said.
He also said "further Russian provocations will only mean more isolation and costs for Russia."
Obama met with Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko earlier in the day in Warsaw.
"Poland will never stand alone. Estonia will never stand alone. Latvia will never stand alone. Lithuania will never stand alone. Romania will never stand alone." Obama said in a speech in Warsaw today.
Obama is in the Polish capital for events to commemorate the country's first democratic elections in 1989.
Addressing a crowd in Castle Square, Obama drew parallels between events in Poland 25 years ago and the current situation in Ukraine.
"We will not accept Russia's occupation of Crimea and its violation of Ukraine's sovereignty," he said.
He also said "further Russian provocations will only mean more isolation and costs for Russia."
Obama met with Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko earlier in the day in Warsaw.
14:39
4.6.2014
Farmers facing financial disaster in Russian-annexed #Crimea http://t.co/dfl0E6fF9A pic.twitter.com/28N3AyHqW1
— Brian Bonner (@BSBonner) June 4, 2014
14:42
4.6.2014
"This is a genocide." Poroshenko & bombs around the corner from where airstrike killed 8 civilians in #Luhansk Monday pic.twitter.com/R2hNuZa78Z
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) June 4, 2014
14:50
4.6.2014
Ukraine's military says its forces are pressing on with an offensive against pro-Russian rebels controlling the city of Slovyansk in eastern Ukraine.
A spokesman for Kyiv's so-called "antiterrorist operation" said more than 300 separatist fighters were killed and about 500 injured in the past 24 hours, but the separatists deny this and the figure cannot be independently confirmed.
The Ukrainian spokesman, Vladyslav Seleznyov, said two servicemen had been killed and 45 wounded in the offensive.
He said two military helicopters were damaged when they came under fire but denied separatists' claims they had downed at least one helicopter.
Earlier on June 4, Ukraine's border guard service said its troops had to abandon a base near Luhansk that had been under attack for two days.
The National Guard separately said it had to abandon another outpost near Luhansk after its forces ran out of ammunition following hours of fighting.
A spokesman for Kyiv's so-called "antiterrorist operation" said more than 300 separatist fighters were killed and about 500 injured in the past 24 hours, but the separatists deny this and the figure cannot be independently confirmed.
The Ukrainian spokesman, Vladyslav Seleznyov, said two servicemen had been killed and 45 wounded in the offensive.
He said two military helicopters were damaged when they came under fire but denied separatists' claims they had downed at least one helicopter.
Earlier on June 4, Ukraine's border guard service said its troops had to abandon a base near Luhansk that had been under attack for two days.
The National Guard separately said it had to abandon another outpost near Luhansk after its forces ran out of ammunition following hours of fighting.