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An activist stops a lorry near the village of Chongar, in the Kherson region adjacent to Crimea.
An activist stops a lorry near the village of Chongar, in the Kherson region adjacent to Crimea.

Live Blog: Ukraine In Crisis (ARCHIVE)

Follow all of the latest developments as they happen.

Final Summary For September 21

-- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has called on Russia to withdraw heavy weapons from eastern Ukraine.

-- No trucks have passed through the administrative border from mainland Ukraine to Crimea overnight, according to Oleh Slobodyan, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Service.

-- Hundreds of pro-Kyiv activists from Crimea's Tatar community and other opposition activists are taking part in the blockade of roads from Ukraine to the Crimean peninsula to protest Russia's annexation of the region last year.

-- The German government has criticized Russia for not distancing itself from plans by Russian-backed separatists to hold local elections in eastern Ukraine without consulting Kyiv.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv

17:01 1.9.2015

17:09 1.9.2015

18:06 1.9.2015

18:07 1.9.2015

18:08 1.9.2015

President Petro Poroshenko has asked the government to give the killed members of the National Guard the same status as those participating in military operations in Eastern Ukraine.

18:11 1.9.2015

18:18 1.9.2015

18:24 1.9.2015

21:09 1.9.2015

More on the violence at the August 31 protests in Kyiv over a bill that could give more autonomy to pro-Russian separatists. Three Ukrainian National Guardsmen died in the violence when a grenade was thrown into the crowd:

Investigators have summoned nearly 30 people for questioning including Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok in connection with the clashes, the Interior Ministry said on September 1.

President Petro Poroshenko met with the country's top law enforcement officers and called for a speedy investigation into the clashes.

Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin said the perpetrators and organizers of the clashes would face lengthy prison terms on charges of carrying out a terrorist attack.

Parliament speaker Volodymyr Groisman urged all political parties on September 1 to condemn violence and rally around the president and his plans to devolve powers.

However, the Radical Party led by Oleh Lyashko said it would now officially oppose Poroshenko and his plan, which they believe threatens the country's sovereignty.

The bill, which was presented by Poroshenko and is part of Kyiv's obligations under the February Minsk peace accords, was tentatively approved by parliament on August 31.

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World powers, including the United States, Germany, Russia, and European Union, also have condemned the violence, but welcomed the parliamentary action on the decentralization bill.

European Council President Donald Tusk said that, despite some domestic opposition, the legislation must be implemented before the year-end deadline stated in the cease-fire deal.

"I am concerned about the violence in Kyiv yesterday. In a sense, this shows the strong determination of the Ukrainian government and parliament to honor their obligations and implement the Minsk agreements," he said in a statement.

"It shows Ukraine is ready to pay a high price for peace," Tusk added.

Washington also added its voice of support.

"This action represents an important step toward comprehensive reform of Ukraine's governance and the empowerment of regional and local authorities," National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said.

21:12 1.9.2015

That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Tuesday, September 1. Check back here tomorrow morning for more of our continuing coverage.

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