15:23
10.6.2014
"Donetsk People's Republic" representatives calls word of Ponomaryov arrest "a lie," according to Interfax...though another well-placed DPR source doesn't rule it out:
A spokesperson for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic has denied reports about the arrest of Slovyansk "people's mayor" Vyacheslav Ponomaryov.
"The information about Vyacheslav's arrest is a lie. At this moment he is at a meeting," the DPR spokesperson told Interfax on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday several media outlets said Ponomaryov had been relieved of his duties as the "people's mayor" of Slovyansk.
Later reports, citing a militia representative, said he was arrested.
"I do not rule out that, under martial-law conditions, Igor Strelkov (the DPR defense minister) may have made a decision on some staff reshuffling, not least on the replacement of the people's mayor of Slovyansk. However, the leaders of the republic in Donetsk have yet to be notified of this decision," DPR first deputy prime minister ndrei [sic] Purgin said in response to an Interfax request to comment on the contradicting reports about the fate of Ponomaryov.
"The information about Vyacheslav's arrest is a lie. At this moment he is at a meeting," the DPR spokesperson told Interfax on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday several media outlets said Ponomaryov had been relieved of his duties as the "people's mayor" of Slovyansk.
Later reports, citing a militia representative, said he was arrested.
"I do not rule out that, under martial-law conditions, Igor Strelkov (the DPR defense minister) may have made a decision on some staff reshuffling, not least on the replacement of the people's mayor of Slovyansk. However, the leaders of the republic in Donetsk have yet to be notified of this decision," DPR first deputy prime minister ndrei [sic] Purgin said in response to an Interfax request to comment on the contradicting reports about the fate of Ponomaryov.
15:17
10.6.2014
15:07
10.6.2014
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski speaking about Ukraine together with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier following their trilateral meeting in St. Petersburg today:
Lavrov: "We are convinced -- and, as I understand, our partners also share this approach -- that regardless of various interpretations of various events that have taken place in the course of the Ukrainian crisis, today it is necessary to focus on an unconditional and immediate halt of bloodshed and use of force and the establishment of a dialogue involving all Ukrainian regions in order to agree upon the future state structure of this country."
Lavrov: "We are convinced that the key to the resolution of the situation certainly is halting this military operation against the protesters. It is then that the people whom you call separatists will -- I am convinced -- reciprocate. No one is interested in perpetuating the war over there."
Lavrov: "The choice, of course, is to be made by the Ukrainian people and, by the way, when we say that Ukraine has to make a choice, we respect any choice whatsoever, while some European Union members are voicing demands to respect a choice of Ukraine in favor of the eurointegration. The choice hasn't been made yet. It is up to the authorities to make that choice and it'd better be made once all branches of Ukrainian government are fully legitimate and enjoy the support of the entire nation."
Sikorski: "Poland supports the dialogue [proposed in the roadmap of the OSCE] and efforts to seek a political resolution [of the crisis]. However, this doesn't change the fact that we believe that Ukraine, as a sovereign country, has a right to use force against illegal armed groups that are striving to destabilize the situation within its borders."
Sikorski: "We are concerned about the presence of Russian volunteers in the east of Ukraine and the activities of units from the Caucasus. Let me remind everyone that it is something that has already backfired against Russia itself in the past."
Sikorski: "We do not see any threats against Russia that would emanate from Kyiv's rapprochement with the European Union, whereas Ukraine's NATO membership is not on agenda."
Lavrov: "We are convinced that the key to the resolution of the situation certainly is halting this military operation against the protesters. It is then that the people whom you call separatists will -- I am convinced -- reciprocate. No one is interested in perpetuating the war over there."
Lavrov: "The choice, of course, is to be made by the Ukrainian people and, by the way, when we say that Ukraine has to make a choice, we respect any choice whatsoever, while some European Union members are voicing demands to respect a choice of Ukraine in favor of the eurointegration. The choice hasn't been made yet. It is up to the authorities to make that choice and it'd better be made once all branches of Ukrainian government are fully legitimate and enjoy the support of the entire nation."
Sikorski: "Poland supports the dialogue [proposed in the roadmap of the OSCE] and efforts to seek a political resolution [of the crisis]. However, this doesn't change the fact that we believe that Ukraine, as a sovereign country, has a right to use force against illegal armed groups that are striving to destabilize the situation within its borders."
Sikorski: "We are concerned about the presence of Russian volunteers in the east of Ukraine and the activities of units from the Caucasus. Let me remind everyone that it is something that has already backfired against Russia itself in the past."
Sikorski: "We do not see any threats against Russia that would emanate from Kyiv's rapprochement with the European Union, whereas Ukraine's NATO membership is not on agenda."
14:59
10.6.2014
14:50
10.6.2014
14:48
10.6.2014
14:47
10.6.2014
14:36
10.6.2014
14:28
10.6.2014
Just in from our newsroom, citing Ukrainian and Russian agencies:
Russian media reports say pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have removed the self-declared "people's mayor" of Slovyansk from his post and arrested him.
The reports, citing separatist sources, say Vyacheslav Ponomaryov was deposed and arrested earlier on June 10.
The leader of the self-declared separatist Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said that he could "neither confirm nor deny the reports."
A separatist source in Donetsk said communications with Slovyansk were "poor," adding that the reports could be "a provocation."
Slovyansk, in the Donetsk region, has been the epicenter of a nearly 2-month-old standoff between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists.
Ponomaryov declared himself the "people's mayor" of Slovyansk in mid-April, when the separatists seized a number of administrative buildings in the city.
The reports, citing separatist sources, say Vyacheslav Ponomaryov was deposed and arrested earlier on June 10.
The leader of the self-declared separatist Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said that he could "neither confirm nor deny the reports."
A separatist source in Donetsk said communications with Slovyansk were "poor," adding that the reports could be "a provocation."
Slovyansk, in the Donetsk region, has been the epicenter of a nearly 2-month-old standoff between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists.
Ponomaryov declared himself the "people's mayor" of Slovyansk in mid-April, when the separatists seized a number of administrative buildings in the city.
14:24
10.6.2014