NORTON META TAG

08 March 2014

HUFFPOST LIVE BLOG UKRAINE http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rss/liveblog/liveblog-2740.xml 6-8MAR14

THE situation in Ukraine and Ukrainian Crimea remain volatile due to putin's blatant aggression in Ukrainian Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. Here is the latest on the HuffPost live feed, click the link for updates, and see my earlier post of the live blog feed at http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2014/03/huffpost-live-blog-ukraine.html...


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rss/liveblog/liveblog-2740.xml




 
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian security official says the head of the country's Black Sea fleet has been dismissed and faces a treason investigation after declaring allegiance to the pro-Russian government of the Crimea region.
Deputy National Security Council Secretary Viktoria Siumar told journalists at a briefing that Adm. Denis Berezovsky had been fired and replaced by another officer. She said he had offered no resistance when his headquarters was surrounded and then transferred his allegiance to the regional parliament in Crimea. The parliament has elected a pro-Russian leader who says he does not recognize the newly elected central government.
Siumar said his headquarters was surrounded by pro-Russian forces.

1:28 PM – Today
Obama Discusses Ukraine In Conference Call
Mark Knoller        ✔ @markknoller
WH says Pres Obama also discussed Ukraine in conference call with Lithuanian Pres Grybauskaite, Latvian Pres Berzins & Estonian Pres Ilves.
 
12:29 PM – Today
Report: Ukrainian Border Service Begins Operation
John Schindler @20committee
Border Service begins "special operation" to prevent Russian provocateurs from entering via Transdnistria (ie Moldova) - UNIAN
 
11:51 AM – Today
PHOTO: Obama And Hollande Discuss The Situation In Ukraine
French President Hollande tweets a photo of his phone call with U.S. President Obama to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
View image on Twitter
11:50 AM – Today
PHOTO: In Crimea, Too, It's International Women's Day
 View image on Twitter
11:17 AM – Today
BBC: Social Media Site Urges Russians To Cross Into Ukraine
BBC World Service        ✔ @bbcworldservice
There's a social media site encouraging Russians to cross into . speaks to the man behind it: http://bbc.in/1qiIRi3 

BBC World Service - BBC Trending, Russia and Ukraine, Hip Hop...

The social media standoff between Russia and Ukraine, and an anonymous messaging app
BBC @BBC
11:03 AM – Today
Poland Evacuates Consulate In Crimea
Poland evacuated its consulate in the Crimea region on Saturday.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski explained on Twitter that the government felt compelled to make the decision because of disturbances by Russian forces, Reuters reports. Sikorski said on Twitter: "Because of continuing disturbances by Russian forces there, we have reluctantly evacuated our consulate in Crimea, Ukraine."

Read more here.
-- Eline Gordts
11:01 AM – Today
Ukraine Suffers New Cyber Attacks
Ukrainian security agencies said on Saturday that they had been hit by cyber attacks again.
Reuters reports:
The Ukrainian authorities said last week the country's telecommunications system had come under cyber attack, with equipment installed in Russian-controlled Crimea used to interfere with the mobile phones of members of parliament.
In the latest incident, unidentified sources launched denial of service (DoS) attacks which are intended to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users.
"There was a massive DoS-attack on communication channels of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, which was apparently aimed at hindering a response to the challenges faced by our state," the Security and Defense Council said.
It said the Ukrainian state-run news agency Ukrinform had suffered a similar attack.
Read the full story here.
-- Eline Gordts
10:50 AM – Today
Ex-Ukraine Prime Minister Gets Medical Treatment In Berlin
Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister who had been imprisoned from 2011 until Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from power just days ago, traveled abroad to seek care for severe back pain, the Associated Press reports. Tymoshenko is a favorite to become the next president of Ukraine.
-- Benjamin Hart
10:48 AM – Today
Putin Meets With Russian Paralympic Team Amid War
View image on Twitter
As Russian forces remain in Crimea, the Kremlin released the following photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with the Russian Paralympic Team and volunteers:
-- Luke Johnson
10:48 AM – Today
Russia's Deputy PM: U.S. And NATO 'Threats' Show Need To Rearm Army And Navy
Dimitry Rogozin, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the defense (and a prolific tweeter), said Saturday that "threats" from the United States and NATO illustrated the need to "rearm" Russia's Army and Navy.
"After open threats from the USA and NATO, I hope that no one will doubt the need for a quick rearmament of our Army and Navy," he wrote.
The United States has ruled out military action in the conflict; but the tweet illustrates how many Russian officials still see the United States and NATO as a threat in the region.
--Luke Johnson
10:07 AM – Today
Russia's Goal In Ukraine: 3 Scenarios
With the Kremlin's intentions shrouded in secrecy, observers are left to wonder: How will events unfold? Three outcomes seem the most likely, according to NPR:
Russia has effectively taken control of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula without a shot fired in anger. Now a larger question looms: What is Russian President Vladimir Putin's ultimate goal in Ukraine?
Russia and pro-Russian groups in Ukraine are moving swiftly to consolidate their hold on Crimea. Ukraine's interim government acknowledges it has lost control of the region. The U.S. and Europe have imposed limited sanctions and are discussing more, but their leverage is limited.
Putin and Russia hold most of the cards, analysts say, and they offer three broad scenarios about how the current crisis could play out.
Read the full story here.
9:43 AM – Today
Russia, Ukraine Feud Over Sniper Carnage
After investigating scores of sniper fire deaths in Kiev, Ukrainian investigators are turning their focus from the Ukrainian government to the Russian government.
There are suspicions that Moscow may have been behind the shootings in an effort to incite tensions and confusion in the volatile nation, the Associated Press reports:
One of the biggest mysteries hanging over the protest mayhem that drove Ukraine's president from power: Who was behind the snipers who sowed death and terror in Kiev?
That riddle has become the latest flashpoint of feuding over Ukraine - with the nation's fledgling government and the Kremlin giving starkly different interpretations of events that could either undermine or bolster the legitimacy of the new rulers.
Read the full story here.
9:26 AM – Today
Russia's Move Into Ukraine Said To Be Born In Shadows
Russia's actions over the past week may be less calculated than they seem, The New York Times writes:
An examination of the seismic events that set off the most threatening East-West confrontation since the Cold War era, based on Mr. Putin's public remarks and interviews with officials, diplomats and analysts here, suggests that the Kremlin's strategy emerged haphazardly, even misleadingly, over a tense and momentous week, as an emotional Mr. Putin acted out of what the officials described as a deep sense of betrayal and grievance, especially toward the United States and Europe.
Read the full story here.
8:52 AM – Today
Russian Troops Reported On Move Again In Crimea
A Crimean spokesman for Ukraine's armed forces has told the Associated Press that a Russian convoy is currently moving west across Crimea while military ships on Friday unloaded around 200 vehicles in eastern Crimea.
Meanwhile, the Russian foreign minister dismissed the prospect of dialogue with the new Ukrainian authorities. AP writes:
SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine (UK) -- Russia on Saturday was reported to be reinforcing its military presence in Crimea as Moscow's foreign minister ruled out any dialogue with Ukraine's new authorities, whom he dismissed as puppets.
Read the full story here.
8:42 AM – Today
U.S. Warns Citizens Against Ukraine Travel
Though the U.S. embassy in Kiev will remain open, the U.S. State Department warned on Friday against any non-essential travel to the embattled country of Ukraine. NBC News writes:
The U.S. State Department on Friday warned U.S. citizens against non-essential travel to Ukraine, "particularly the Crimea Peninsula," because of the Russian occupation.
In an update to previous warnings, the department noted the instability in the country after former President Viktor Yanukovych was forced out by protestors who set up roadblocks and occupied government buildings in several cities.
Read the full story here.
-- Stephen Calabria
8:41 AM – Today
AP: Foreign Military Mission Barred From Crimea
The Associated Press reports:
ARMIANSK, Ukraine (AP) — An Associated Press reporter says warning shots were fired Saturday as pro-Russian forces refused to let a foreign military mission enter Crimea.
The multinational group of military officers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe attempted to enter the embattled peninsula from the north, but was stopped by armed men.
Warning bursts of automatic weapons fire were fired into the air, and the officers were told they had no authorization to enter Crimea, according to an AP reporter accompanying them.
No injuries were reported.
8:26 AM – Today
Photos Of Military Presence In Crimea
View image on Twitter
8:21 AM – Today
Warning Shots In Crimea
The Associated Press        ✔ @AP
BREAKING: AP reporter: Warning shots fired, foreign military observers barred from entering Crimea. The Associated Press        ✔ @AP
BREAKING: AP reporter: Warning shots fired, foreign military observers barred from entering Crimea.
6:28 AM – Today
Reports: Moscow Considers Freeze On U.S. Military Inspections
The Associated Press        ✔ @AP
BREAKING: Russian news agencies: Moscow mulls freeze on US military inspections under arms control pact.
 
6:57 PM – 03/ 7/2014
CNN: 'Crimean Self-Appointed Government ...Trying To Get A Grip Of The Media'
According to CNN's Anna Coren, "The Crimean self-appointed government that came in a week ago, they are the ones who are really cracking down, who are trying to get a grip of the media."
CNN reports its team was ordered to stop broadcasting or they'd be kicked out of their hotel. It also reports that two Ukrainian TV stations were forced by masked men to shut down in Crimea. Video footage also allegedly shows a Bulgarian journalist taking photos and then being tackled to ground.
WATCH: http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2014/03/07/exp-lead-vo-coren-ukraine-russia-suppress-journalists.cnn.html
Read more here.
6:33 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Armed Men In Crimea Seize AP Employees' Equipment
The Associated Press reports that employees of its Global Media Services were stripped of their equipment and accused of spying by armed men.
Two other men then came and took photos of AP's equipment, including protective jackets, and accused the crew of being spies.
Later, armed men showed up and ordered the crew to put their hands against the wall while they cut cables and took the equipment away. Some of the equipment has been recovered, but much is still missing. The contractors and employees were kept at the building for about two hours before being released unharmed.
Read the full AP report here.
-- Andrew Hart
6:29 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Pentagon: 20,000 Russian Troops May Be In Crimea
The Pentagon estimated on Friday that as many as 20,000 Russian troops may be in Crimea.
Reuters reports:
Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby, asked about the number of Russian forces in Crimea, cited estimates of up to around 20,000 of them. Pressed on the 20,000 figure, Kirby said: "That's a good estimate right now."
"But it's just an estimate. And as I said, we don't have perfect visibility on the numbers," Kirby said at a Pentagon news conference.
Ukraine's border guards have put the figure far higher.
Read the full story here.
3:56 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Crimea Base Under Siege
The Associated Press has more details on the siege of a military base in Crimea:
A Ukrainian news agency says a military base in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol is under siege by Russians. No shots have been fired.
The report, citing a duty officer and Ukraine's defense ministry, said a Russian military truck broke down the gates and entered the base, where about 100 Ukrainian troops are stationed.
Interfax, quoting the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said there were about 20 "attackers," who threw stun grenades.
The Ukrainians barricaded themselves inside one of their barracks, and their commander began negotiations, Interfax said.
3:14 PM – 03/ 7/2014
White House Plays Down Role Of Natural Gas Policy In Crisis
Officials indicated on Friday that a change to U.S. policy on exporting natural gas is unlikely amid speculation the U.S. might pursue such an option in response to the crisis in Ukraine.
Reuters notes:
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Air Force One that policy changes would not have an immediate effect and noted that natural gas stocks in Europe were above normal levels because of a mild winter.
"There is no indication currently that there's much risk of a natural gas shortage in the region," he said.
Europe and Ukraine are key export markets for Russian natural gas.
Earnest noted that there were six licenses approved by the Department of Energy related to U.S. natural gas exports. The projects for delivering gas would not be completed until the end of next year, he said.
"So proposals to try to respond to the situation in Ukraine that are related to our policy on exporting natural gas would not have an immediate effect," he said.
Earnest noted that Russia prides itself on being a reliable supplier of natural gas to other countries. That reputation would be jeopardized if it turned off the taps during the Ukraine crisis.
"Russia currently yields about $50 billion a year in revenue from exporting natural gas, so ending that kind of relationship with Europe would have significant financial consequences for Russia as well," he said.
-- Eline Gordts
2:53 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Ministry Of Defense Confirms Assault On Air Force Base
2:34 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Russian Soldiers Storm Ukrainian Military Base: Report
Russian soldiers have stormed a Ukrainian military base, according to a report in the Ukrainian Pravda, citing Interfax-Ukraine.
Around 100 Ukrainian soldiers were in the base. Roughly 20 people stormed the base, including cossacks and "local radicals" with stun grenades. According to the report, the commander and military officer got out to hold negotiations with those who stormed the base.
-- Luke Johnson
2:33 PM – 03/ 7/2014
PHOTO: Life Under Siege
2:30 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Startling Fact About Ukraine's Economy
Check out this startling fact about the economy of Ukraine:
2:16 PM – 03/ 7/2014
In Sochi, Putin Says He Hopes Paralympic Games Reduce Tensions Over Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the Paralympic Games Friday in Sochi, which of course were scheduled long before Russian forces entered Crimea.
"I hope that the Paralympic Games will reduce the intensity of passions around Ukraine," he told the International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven, according to ITAR-TASS. "It's important, that all this did not concern the athletes -- so they can focus on the competitions."
Sochi is a mere 300 miles or so from Crimea. Putin has thus far remained silent on a proposed referendum by Crimea to join Russia.
-- Luke Johnson
1:53 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Lavrov Warns United States
In a call with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov warned the United States against taking "hasty and reckless steps" that could harm Russian-American relations, Reuters reports.
Lavrov added that U.S. sanctions against Moscow would "hit the country like a boomerang."
-- Eline Gordts
1:37 PM – 03/ 7/2014
U.S. Obscures Foreign Aid To Ukraine, But Here's Where Some Goes
From HuffPost's Paul Blumenthal:
As the United States readies $1 billion in loan guarantees to the new government in Ukraine, along with even more aid for reforming elections and cleaning up corruption, one thing is clear: The public is unlikely to know where that money is going for some time, if ever.
Since 1992, the U.S. has sent $3 billion to $5 billion in aid to Ukraine, with only cursory public disclosure. The U.S. State Department operates an online database, ForeignAssistance.gov, but names of foreign recipients are often left out, and entire sections are blank. Furthermore, the disclosure often comes long after the money has been distributed.
"It is incredibly hard to find this kind of information," Nicole Valentinuzzi, communications manager for Publish What You Fund, an international organization promoting transparency for foreign aid.
Read the full story here.
-- Eline Gordts
12:34 PM – 03/ 7/2014
All Eyes On Merkel
The international community is increasingly looking to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to help resolve the dispute over Crimea in Ukraine, though doubts linger about her effectiveness.
From Der Spiegel:
"[B]ecause of Germany's traditional role as a go-between with Russia, many are now looking to Merkel as a potentially vital intermediary with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It is a tremendous challenge. And it isn't just the Europeans who will be watching Berlin closely. The US too is hoping Germany will live up to its new desire to wield influence. According to Fiona Hill of the Brookings Institution, Washington's currently troubled relationship with Russia means that it cannot do much -- and that Germany must therefore play a more important role.
Read the full story here.
-- Stephen Calabria
12:25 PM – 03/ 7/2014
PHOTO: Ukraine At The Paralympics In Sochi
12:24 PM – 03/ 7/2014
Amnesty: Growing Number Of Threats And Intimidation
Human rights organization Amnesty International warns in a statement that human rights monitors, independent observers, journalists and pro-Ukrainian protestors in Crimea have reported a growing number of threats and intimidation in the past days. The organization calls on the de facto authorities of the Crimea region, as well as Russian troops in the area, to respect the freedom of movement, assembly and expression of everyone in Ukraine.
Read the full statement here.
11:42 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Ukraine Oligarchs Get Key Posts In Bid For Unity
Officials in the new Ukrainian leadership are looking for help among a group with which they have not always had the friendliest relations: the oligarchs.
Per the AP:
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- In a surprising move after Russia flexed its military might in the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine's new leadership has reached out to oligarchs for help - appointing them as governors in eastern regions where loyalties to Moscow are strong.
With their wealth, influence, and self-interest in preventing further conflict, the oligarchs could be the key to calming tensions and maintaining Ukraine's control in areas where pro-Russian activists have stoked separatist tensions.
Read more here.
11:29 AM – 03/ 7/2014
OSCE Observers Stopped By Armed Men
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in a message on Twitter that its observers have once again been blocked from entering Ukraine's Crimea region. The observers were sent to Crimea at Ukraine's request, and are tasked to monitor tensions on the peninsula.
AFP reports that the team of 47 observers was stopped by armed men at a checkpoint flying the Russian flag.
11:12 AM – 03/ 7/2014
PHOTO: Russian Warships In Crimea
crimea A Ukrainian naval officer stands with the Russian warship "Moskva" ("Moscow"), a Slava-class [Soviet ship designation] guided missile cruiser, in the background off the Black Sea shore outside the town of Myrnyi, Western Crimea, Ukraine, Thursday, March 6, 2014.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
11:06 AM – 03/ 7/2014
U.S. Navy Destroyer On Its Way To The Black Sea
A U.S. Navy destroyer is on its way to the Black Sea for exercises near the Crimea region.
More details from the Associated Press:
The Navy destroyer USS Truxtun is participating in exercises with Romania and Bulgaria and is expected to be in the Black Sea for several days amid a stand-off over Russia's military incursion into Ukraine.
The exercises come as the U.S. and other Western nations are preparing sanctions against Russia for its recent move to send military troops into Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
10:57 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Top Lawmaker: Russia Would Welcome Crimea
Russian lawmakers reassured the chairman of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, that Moscow would welcome his region into the Russian Federation if voters decide to join Russia in a March 16 referendum.
The Associated Press reports:
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia has no intention of annexing Crimea, but Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament, made clear that the country would welcome Crimea if it votes in the referendum to join its giant neighbor. About 60 percent of Crimea's population identifies itself as Russian.
"If the decision is made, then (Crimea) will become an absolutely equal subject of the Russian Federation," Matvienko said during a visit from the chairman of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov. She spoke of mistreatment of Russian-speaking residents in Ukraine's east and south, which has been Russia's primary argument for possible intervention in Ukraine.
Read the full story here.
10:37 AM – 03/ 7/2014
PHOTO: 'The Red Star Needs More Blood'
ukraine A Ukrainian Orthodox monk attends a rally against the breakup of the country in Simferopol, Ukraine, Friday, March 7, 2014. Ukraine lurched toward breakup Thursday as lawmakers in Crimea unanimously declared they wanted to join Russia and would put the decision to voters in 10 days. Banners read "The red star needs more blood" and "Hammer and sickle are death and hunger." (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
10:32 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Turkey Scrambles Jets
Turkey's military command said Friday it had scrambled jets after a Russian surveillance plane flew along Turkey's Black Sea coast, Reuters reports.
10:25 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Surprise! Syria's Assad Hails Putin Takeover
Embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad wrote Putin a letter this week to express his support for Russia's takeover of Crimea.
The Associated Press reports:
Syrian President Bashar Assad says Russia's military takeover of Crimea reflects President Vladimir Putin's "wise policy" and his efforts to restore "security and stability" in Ukraine after an "attempted coup."
In a letter addressed to the Russian president, Assad claims Putin's move in eastern Ukraine prevented "terrorist extremists" from taking power in Kiev.
Assad's comments — his first since the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis last month — were carried by the Syrian state news service late on Thursday.
Russia has been an adamant supporter of Assad through the 3-year-old conflict that started as a largely peaceful uprising against his rule but turned into a civil war that has claimed at least 140,000 lives.
Assad says his troops are fighting Islamic extremists who want to destroy Syria.
9:59 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Timothy Snyder: If Russia Grabs Crimea, Europe Is Done
Yale University History Professor Timothy Snyder argues in an op-ed on CNN a possible annexation of Crimea by Russia, the European system will come to an end -- just as Hitler broke up Europe in the 1930s.
In Vienna, where I live, one also hears constant mentions of 1938. Austrians and other citizens of European Union countries are beginning to consider what the end of Ukraine might mean for their own European system. The point is not that Putin is like Hitler; the point is that the removal of a state from Europe has consequences for the continent.
Read the full piece here.
-- Eline Gordts
9:57 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Obama And Abe Discuss Ukraine
President Obama discussed the crisis in Ukraine with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a phone call on Thursday.
According to a White House statement, both leaders believe that Russia’s actions are a threat to international peace and security and emphasized the importance of preserving Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The statement adds that the U.S. and Japan will work bilaterally and through the International Monetary Fund to help Ukraine's government stabilize the country's economy.
Read the full White House statement here.
-- Eline Gordts
9:48 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Russia Collecting Evidence Against Kiev Activists
Russia's foreign ministry is collecting evidence of human rights violations by supporters by the new Ukrainian government , Russian news agency Interfax reports on Friday.
"We are, at the moment, collecting documentary evidence of outrageous violations of human rights in Ukraine by supporters of the Maidan and radicals, neo-fascists and nationalists," Konstantin Dolgov, the ministry's commissioner for human rights, democracy and the rule of law, reportedly said.
Dolgov also took aim at the western media, accusing them of "picking up no more than 7% or 8% of Russian information but then process this information in their own way and present it to the public."
Read the full story here.
9:44 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Russian Soldiers In Canada Ordered To Leave
Russian soldiers who were training in Canada were given 24 hours to leave the country, CTV News reports.
The network explains:
Nine Russian soldiers who were participating in military exercises in Canada have been expelled from the country, as Ottawa continues to denounce Russia’s military intervention in Crimea, CTV News has learned.
A government source confirmed that the soldiers were informed Thursday afternoon that they had 24 hours to leave Canada.
Six of the soldiers were in Saint-Jean, Que., where they were learning English and French. Another two soldiers were participating in a training program at 5 CDSB Gagetown, and the ninth soldier was teaching Canadian soldiers Russian in Gatineau, Que.
-- Eline Gordts
9:41 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Ukraine's Paralympic Chief Threatens To Withdraw Team
Ukraine's Paralympic chief, Valeriy Sushkevich, threatened on Friday that the Ukrainian team would withdraw from the Paralympics in Sochi if Russia invaded his home country.
"If there is an escalation of the conflict, intervention on the territory of our country, God forbid the worst, we would not be able to stay here, we would go," Sushkevich told a news conference, according to Reuters.
-- Eline Gordts
9:33 AM – 03/ 7/2014
PHOTO: Ochakov In The Black Sea
crimea A Ukrainian Navy officer looks at the scuttled decommissioned Russian vessel "Ochakov" from the Black Sea shore outside the town of Myrnyi, western Crimea, Ukraine, Thursday, March 6, 2014. In the early hours of Thursday Russian naval personnel scuttled the decommissioned ship, blockading access for five Ukrainian Naval vessels now trapped inside of the Southern Naval Headquarters located in Myrnyi in Western Crimea as Russian war vessels patrolled just of the coast. The vessel was brought by Russian naval forces on the 4th of March towed by a tug boat while escorted by a warship and several gun boats. Marines from the Ukrainian navy heard a loud explosion in the early hours of last night coming from the vessel blocking a channel leading to the Black Sea. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
9:31 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Report: Gazprom Threatens To Halt Gas To Ukraine
9:28 AM – 03/ 7/2014
OSCE: Let Media Work Freely
9:20 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Ukraine Withdraws Cadets From Russian Military Schools
From Reuters:
Ukraine summoned home its small contingent of cadets and officers studying at military academies in Russia, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said on Friday, following Russian military action in Crimea.
A statement on the ministry's website said it had canceled a bilateral agreement on military education between the two states. It said 26 Ukrainians were studying in Russian military academies and would be summoned home.
9:15 AM – 03/ 7/2014
EU Presses Diplomacy
The EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton told reporters on Friday that they are trying to find a diplomatic way out of the crisis in Ukraine.
"We are busy working on trying to find a diplomatic way through this. To try and get negotiations in a way the people of Ukraine can go forward.
Asked about her conversation with Russia, she said: "There are different perspectives on Ukraine. There are different approaches depending on whether you see this country as fundamentally part of your sphere of influence and there are different groups within the country who understandably right now are very nervous right now about what the direction for the country will be.
"For the EU and Russia this is not a competition. Ukraine needs a good and strong relationship with Russia.
"This is not about them not being part of Ukraine's future. But that is different to this nation not being able to make its own decisions about how it wishes to go forward.
-- Ned Simons
9:14 AM – 03/ 7/2014
65,000 Rally In Support Of Crimea In Moscow: Russian Media
RIA Novosti said that around 65,000 people rallied in support of Crimea near Red Square in Moscow Friday.
People held signs saying: "For the brotherly people", "No to Fascism," "Do Not Abandon Our Own", "Crimea is Russian Land", "We Believe Putin." There were signs from United Russia, the nationalist party Rodina, Pensioners of Russia and Molodaya Gvardia, the youth offshoot of United Russia, Putin's party.
Marchers were apparently bused in for the rally, according to independent journalist Leonid Ragozin.
The show of support should be taken with a grain of salt -- Russian media has hyped pro-war rallies while ignoring anti-war ones.
-- Luke Johnson
9:11 AM – 03/ 7/2014
French President To Meet With Vitali Klitschko, Petro Poroshenko
On Friday afternoon, French President Francois Hollande will meet Vitali Klitschko, leader of the pro-European protests in Ukraine and presidential candidate. The former heavyweight boxing champion will be with Petro Poroshenko, former minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine from March 2009 to October 2010. Even though he is a less charismatic figure than Klitschko, Poroshenko is the leading candidate in the upcoming presidential elections planned on May 25, according to the latest polls.
Their trip to France has been organized by French philosopher Bernard Henri-Levy. Since the very beginning of the crisis, Henri-Levy showed his support to the pro-European protesters. He addressed the crowd on the Maidan on March 2.
-- Cosima Ungaro
8:57 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Crimea Annexation Bill Getting First Read In Duma On March 21
On March 21, the bill in the Duma to allow for the annexation of Crimea will get its first vote, Interfax reported Friday. On March 16, Crimea is holding a referendum on whether to remain part of Ukraine or become part of Russia. The referendum has been denounced by President Barack Obama and the Ukrainian government as being against the Ukrainian constitution and international law. Bills in the Duma must pass three readings, but multiple readings can take place in the same day.
Russian lawmakers backed the Crimean referendum drive at a meeting between Crimean and Russian lawmakers in Moscow Friday.
-- Luke Johnson
8:55 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Putin, Obama, Still Far Apart After Phone Call
From Reuters:
After an hour-long telephone call, Putin said in a statement that Moscow and Washington were still far apart on the situation in the former Soviet republic, where he said the new authorities had taken "absolutely illegitimate decisions on the eastern, southeastern and Crimea regions.
"Russia cannot ignore calls for help and it acts accordingly, in full compliance with international law," Putin said.
Read more here.
8:21 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Russian And Crimean Politicians Discuss Referendum
From the Associated Press:
The speaker for Russia's upper house of parliament says Crimea would be welcome as an "equal subject" in Russia if the region votes to leave Ukraine in an upcoming referendum.
Valentina Matvienko met with the head of Crimean parliament on Friday to discuss the region's possible accession to Russia. On Thursday, the parliament of Crimea voted to move the referendum date up by two weeks, to March 16, and to include a question on joining Russia.
Russia's parliament is planning to review a bill as early as next week that would speed up Crimea's integration into Russia. Crimea would be the first territory to officially join Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
-- Eline Gordts
8:19 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Kiev: 30,000 Russian Troops In Crimea
Ukraine said on Friday Russia now has 30,000 troops in the contested Crimea region, Reuters reports. That is nearly twice as much as the number previously given by Kiev.
From Reuters:
Serhiy Astakhov, aide to the head of border guards service, told Reuters the figure was an estimate and included both troops that had arrived since last week and Russia's Black Sea Fleet, permanently based in the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
Russia, whose forces occupied the isolated peninsula last week, says the only troops it has there are those based in Sevastopol. The Russian troops that have occupied positions across Crimea wear no insignia on their uniforms but drive vehicles with Russian military plates.
Ukraine says thousands of extra troops have arrived and have fanned out across the occupied peninsula in violation of the treaty governing the base. Earlier this week Ukraine said there were a total of 16,000 Russian troops in Crimea.
-- Eline Gordts
8:16 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Russia Warns Of Consequences For EU Sanctions
The Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement on its website condemned the European Union's threat of sanctions and travel bans if Russia did not start talking to Ukraine.
"Russia does not accept the language of sanctions and threats; however, in the instance that they are put into place they will not stand without an answer," read the statement. Russia called the EU's position "not constructive."
"Any further steps by the Russian Federation to destabilize the situation in Ukraine would lead to additional and far reaching consequences for relations in a broad range of economic areas," read the EU statement Thursday.
--Luke Johnson
8:15 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Ukraine's First President Speaks To HuffPost
Ukraine's first President spoke to The Huffington Post's Luke Johnson in an interview about Crimea, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the future of Ukraine:
"My attitude to his assessments is highly negative. They are not truthful. They are based on imperialistic way of thinking and totalitarian assessments," he said. "And his other actions threaten not only Ukraine, but also Europe." "We would like to go farther and have normal relations with Russia, to be partners, like countries who for a long time were together," he said, "We wish that Russians and all nationalities live in Ukraine and feel comfortable and for there to be harmony in interethnic relations," he said.
--Luke Johnson
6:45 AM – 03/ 7/2014
New Crimean Administration Officials To Be Denied U.S. Visas: Report
Members of the new pro-Russian government in Crimea will be denied U.S. visas, according to a report in the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
The newspaper cited a diplomatic source as saying the list included "politicians, representatives of the security services, military and political consultants" from the Russian authorities, as well as "representatives of the new administration in Crimea." The report did not name names.
On Thursday, the White House announced that it was denying and canceling visas to those who are "threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
--Luke Johnson
4:39 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Crimea May Hold Referendum, Russian Lawmaker Says
Does Crimea's parliament have the right to hold a referendum on the region's future status? The speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament says yes.
"Without a doubt, the Crimean parliament, as a legitimate authority, has that right ... The sovereign right of the people to determine their future," Valentina Matviyenko, head of the Russian Federation Council, told Reuters.
Click here for more.
4:38 AM – 03/ 7/2014
EU May Levy More Sanctions
Laurent Fabius, France's foreign minister, said the European Union may levy a second round of sanctions against Russia, if the first round fails to halt the military intervention in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, the newer sanctions would target Russian businesses and people close to President Vladimir Putin.
For more, click here.
1:07 AM – 03/ 7/2014
Putin Still Sees Differences With U.S.
Reuters reports that, according to the Kremlin, there are still differences between the U.S. and Russia regarding the crisis in Ukraine, even after Putin's phone call with Obama:
In a statement on Friday, Putin said Kiev's new authorities, which came to power in an anti-constitutional coup, had imposed "absolutely illegitimate decisions on the eastern, southeastern and Crimea regions".
Read the full story here.
10:58 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Canada Expels Russian Soldiers
CTV Canada reports that nine Russian soldiers who had been a part of military exercises in Canada were told Thursday that they had 24 hours to leave the country.
Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office said earlier that Canada would not recognize the proposed referendum for Crimea to join Russia, and that the region was under "illegal military occupation."
The day before, Harper announced that planned military activities between Canada and Russia had been suspended.
-- Andrew Hart
8:04 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Russia: U.S. Initiated Obama-Putin Call
The Kremlin said Thursday evening's call between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin was initiated by the United States.
The Kremlin readout, while repeating Russia's point of view, appeared more conciliatory, noting, "The Russian President stressed the paramount importance of Russian-American relations to ensure security and stability in the world. These relations should not be sacrificed on certain -- albeit very important -- international problems."
The statement ended by noting that Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would continue contacts.
-- Luke Johnson
6:50 PM – 03/ 6/2014
More On Obama's Call With Putin
From the Associated Press:
The White House says President Barack Obama has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that his country's actions are a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The White House says the two leaders spoke for an hour Thursday afternoon. It's their first known contact since Saturday, shortly after Russian troops took control of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.
The White House says Obama told Putin there was still a way to resolve the dispute diplomatically. He said a resolution would entail Russian forces moving back to their base in Crimea, the governments of Ukraine and Russia holding direct talks, and installing international monitors to ensure the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine are protected.
The U.S. is also calling on Russia to recognize the legitimacy of Ukrainian plans for elections in May.
-- Eline Gordts
6:44 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Obama Has Phone Call With Putin
5:16 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Ukraine Crisis Forces K Street Firms Into Scramble
HuffPost's Christina Wilkie reports:
As Russian forces storm through Crimea, Washington lobbying firms representing both the pro-Russian and pro-European factions in Ukraine are watching closely. The political proxy war they've been waging for years is turning into a real-life battle.
Since 2011, K Street has become a major battleground for Ukrainian political groups. Individual politicians, business-backed nonprofit groups and powerful oligarchs have paid millions to D.C.-based lobbying firms to represent their interests in Washington, according to a Huffington Post review of lobbying disclosures and interviews with lobbyists.
Now lobbyists with major clients in Ukraine and Russia are growing increasingly concerned about the potential for bad PR for their firms. "Everyone with clients involved in the standoff is preparing a plan to pull the ripcord [and terminate lobbying agreements] if things get way out of hand in Ukraine," said a registered lobbyist who represents foreign countries, but not specifically Ukraine or Russia.
Read the full story here.
--Eline Gordts
4:59 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Russia's American PR Firm Speaks Out
Ketchum Inc, the American PR firm that handles public relations for the Russian government, distanced itself from the crisis in Ukraine.
"We are not advising the Russian Federation on foreign policy, including the current situation in Ukraine," the company said, according to Reuters.
"Our work continues to focus on supporting economic development and investment in the country and facilitating the relationship between representatives of the Russian Federation and the Western media," Ketchum added.
Read more from Reuters here.
4:34 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Russia vs. Ukraine
4:16 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Western Leaders Reject Crimea Referendum
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian President Stephen Harper have both decried the proposed March 16 referendum, Reuters reports:
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an act of aggression, a clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, and of international law,” Harper said in a statement.
“Canada will not recognize a referendum held in a region currently under illegal military occupation.”
Speaking after an emergency meeting of European leaders in Brussels, Merkel said: “We condemn the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty with regard to Crimea and we consider its territorial integrity to be essential.”
Read the whole story here.
-- Braden Goyette
3:26 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Kissinger: Ukraine Must Be Bridge Between East And West
In a blog on The WorldPost, Henry Kissinger argues that the crisis in Ukraine is far too often described as a showdown. "If Ukraine is to survive and thrive, it must not be either side's outpost against the other -- it should function as a bridge between them," Kissinger argues.
Russia must accept that to try to force Ukraine into a satellite status, and thereby move Russia's borders again, would doom Moscow to repeat its history of self-fulfilling cycles of reciprocal pressures with Europe and the United States.
The West must understand that, to Russia, Ukraine can never be just a foreign country. Russian history began in what was called Kievan Rus. The Russian religion spread from there. Ukraine has been part of Russia for centuries, and their histories were intertwined before then. Some of the most important battles for Russian freedom, starting with the Battle of Poltava in 1709, were fought on Ukrainian soil. The Russian Black Sea Fleet -- Russia's means of projecting power in the Mediterranean -- is based by long-term lease in Sevastopol, in Crimea. Even such famed dissidents as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Joseph Brodsky insisted that Ukraine was an integral part of Russian history and, indeed, of Russia.
The European Union must recognize that its bureaucratic dilatoriness and subordination of the strategic element to domestic politics in negotiating Ukraine's relationship to Europe contributed to turning a negotiation into a crisis. Foreign policy is the art of establishing priorities.
Read the full story here.
3:21 PM – 03/ 6/2014
PHOTO: Kiev Cleanup
3:12 PM – 03/ 6/2014
House Passes $1 Billion Aid Package To Ukraine
The House of Representatives cleared a financial aid package for Ukraine on Thursday, heeding the White House's request that Congress respond quickly to Russia's military incursion into Crimea.
The measure passed handily by a vote of 385 to 23, with all the no votes coming from Republicans. It authorizes the State Department to grant up to $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine. Because the bill uses money from funds already appropriated, the total additional cost to the United States would be about $200 million.
Read more from HuffPost's Sabrina Siddiqui here.
3:09 PM – 03/ 6/2014
House Approves Aid For Ukraine
1:38 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Ukraine Begins Process To Dissolve Crimea Assembly
Hours after Crimean officials announced they were to hold a referendum on joining Russia next week, Ukraine has countered by beginning the procedure to dissolve Crimea's regional government.
Both Ukraine's new Prime Minister and opposition leader Vitali Klitschko have called the referendum "an illegitimate decision" and a "huge provocation against Ukraine."
European Union leadership also stated the referendum was illegal.
Read the entire story here.
-- Ryan Craggs
1:32 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Kerry: 'Crimea Is Ukraine'
Responding to a question whether the people of Crimea have a right to decide their own future, Kerry said the United States believes the proposed referendum on Crimea's ties with Russia is unconstitutional.
"Crimea is Ukraine," Kerry said in Rome. "We support the territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Kerry added that it is the United States' belief that the Ukrainian constitution requires all residents of the country to be part of a referendum on its territory. "Ukrainians need to live by Ukrainian law," Kerry said.
-- Eline Gordts
1:27 PM – 03/ 6/2014
John Kerry Addressed Reporters In Rome
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the press in Rome, explaining the United Sates has frozen the assets of individuals that stand accused of having misused Ukrainian state funds and has issued visa bans against a number of individuals.
Kerry reiterated that the U.S. is pushing for negotiations to end the crisis. "We want to be able to have the dialogue that leads to de-escalation," Kerry said in Rome.
Kerry also announced that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is taking proposals to President Putin in Sochi, and that both nations will stay in touch about the crisis.
"There is an imperative to move quickly," Kerry said.
"The Ukrainian people want nothing more than a right to determine their own future... "They have the international community's full support," Kerry concluded.
-- Eline Gordts
1:18 PM – 03/ 6/2014
WATCH LIVE: John Kerry Holds Press Conference In Rome
1:17 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Obama: Crimean Referendum Against International Law
President Barack Obama came out strongly Thursday against a referendum passed by the Crimean parliament to be held on March 16.
"The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the Ukrainian constitution and international law," Obama said, appearing at White House Press Secretary Jay Carney's daily briefing. He echoed a senior administration official who said earlier that any discussion of the status of Crimea must include the government in Kiev.
The president called on Congress to help Ukraine by passing an aid package and facilitating loans from the International Monetary Fund.
--Luke Johnson
1:16 PM – 03/ 6/2014
WATCH: President Obama Makes Statement On Ukraine
Watch President Barack Obama's statement on the crisis in Crimea.
Click here for the full White House press briefing on Ukraine.
1:14 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Obama: Crime Referendum Would International Law
1:13 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Eastern Ukraine Is Still Fighting Its Past
The New Republic's Julia Ioffe suggests the point of contention in Ukraine is not just geographical split, with Europe pulling Ukraine's west and Russia pulling Ukraine's east. But rather, Ioffe, writes, the real cleavage stems comes between those born under Soviet rule and those born into an independent nation. She Ioffe spoke with Ukrainian political scientist Kirill Cherkashin and several of his students to gain perspective on the matter.
The real split is generational. Unlike Cherkashin, his students were all born after 1991, in an independent Ukraine, and they see their country’s close relationship with Russia very differently than their older professor. In fact, Cherkashin’s own research confirms this division. The younger a citizen of Donetsk, the more likely she is to view herself as Ukrainian. The older she is, the more likely she is to identify as Russian. And this is the crux of it all: What we are seeing today is the reverberation of what happened more than 20 years ago.
Read the entire article on The New Republic.
12:17 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Why Gazprom Wants No New Gas War
Reuters reports:
As bankers, traders and investors gathered at Gazprom's London offices for its annual champagne reception, the message from the world's most powerful gas trader was clear: the Russians don't want another gas war with Ukraine.
The company, the Moscow bourse's biggest, lost over a tenth of its value on Monday as forces loyal to Russian President Vladimir Putin tightened their grip on Ukraine's Crimea region, rejecting the authority of a new pro-Western government in Kiev.
Gazprom, once the world's third most valuable stock, was now worth $84 billion, five times less than during the oil boom of 2008. Fund managers with billions invested wanted to know how long the bleeding would last.
"The political agenda is out of our control," Gazprom's export boss Alexander Medvedev told the gathering, among them the world's leading oil trader, Ian Taylor from British trading house Vitol. "But if you look at what kind of economic decisions were taken during the Cold War, you would really hope wise people will take the right decisions."
Read the full story here.
-- Eline Gordts
12:03 PM – 03/ 6/2014
Russian Markets Continue To Fall After Crimea Announcement
Russian markets continued to slide Thursday after the Crimean parliament's voted to join Russia and announced a referendum for March 16.
Russian rubles remained at over 36 to the dollar and 50 to the Euro, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, Russia's dollar-denominated RTS index was down 2.8 percent while the ruble-denominated MICEX lost 2.2 percent.
The market indicators are the latest sign that the conflict is taking a toll on the Russian economy, which is already facing slow growth.
-- Luke Johnson
11:57 AM – 03/ 6/2014
U.S. Fighter Jets Arrive In Lithuania
From the Associated Press:
Lithuania says six U.S. fighter jets and two tanker planes have arrived in Lithuania following a U.S. decision to increase NATO's air policing mission of the three Baltic states.
The Defense Ministry in Vilnius said Thursday that the F-15C Eagles were deployed from the RAF Lakenheath air base in Britain, and will join four other fighters in patrolling the air space of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Wednesday that the United States was stepping up the defense of its allies in Europe in response to Russia's military move into Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.
NATO's Baltic air patrols are carried out from the northwestern base of Zokniai in Lithuania.
11:52 AM – 03/ 6/2014
Ukraine PM Compares Russia Policies To Berlin Wall
Ukraine's interim prime minister Arseniy Yatsenuk said Russia's actions in Crimea are creating a new divide similar to the Berlin Wall.
“I would like to say to Mr. Putin, ‘Tear down this wall, the wall of intimidation, of military aggression,'" Yatsenuk said in Brussels, according to the New York Times. "We are ready for cooperation but we are not ready to surrender and be the subordinate of Russia."
-- Alana Horowitz
11:28 AM – 03/ 6/2014
Ukraine Out Of Cash?

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