08:44
11.6.2014
Starting up the live blog for another day.
22:32
10.6.2014
Barring any dramatic developments, we're closing our live blog for today. Don't forget that you can keep track of all our ongoing Ukraine coverage here.
22:22
10.6.2014
Must watch! Fascinating film (with Eng subtitles) on how #Ukraine journalists saved Yanuk documents fr destruction http://t.co/gjlHn8B99v
— Mats Staffansson (@matsstaf) June 10, 2014
21:30
10.6.2014
Reuters is reporting that Russia's FSB is claiming to have foiled terrorist attacks in Moscow and Crimea:
Russia foiled "major terrorist attacks" on World War Two victory celebrations last month in Moscow and newly annexed Crimea, the FSB security service said on Tuesday.
Details of the alleged plots could not be verified but the FSB's statements, suggesting patriotic Russian symbols were targeted, could be intended to fuel nationalist sentiment during the Ukraine crisis and rally support for President Vladimir Putin.
Details of the alleged plots could not be verified but the FSB's statements, suggesting patriotic Russian symbols were targeted, could be intended to fuel nationalist sentiment during the Ukraine crisis and rally support for President Vladimir Putin.
Read the entire report here
21:01
10.6.2014
#European Film Academy Board's Letter to #Russian Authorities About Oleg Sentsov #SaveOurGuys #UnitedforUkraine http://t.co/0cxuLGBdxP
— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) June 10, 2014
18:50
10.6.2014
Some more gas-related development reported by RFE/RL's news desk:
The European Commission says Russia and Ukraine will resume negotiations later today -- in Brussels at 9 p.m. local time in a bid to resolve their gas dispute.
The latest round of the talks, which involve the two countries' energy ministers and are being mediated by the EU energy commissioner, ended without an agreement early today.
The two sides differ on how much Ukraine's state energy company owes, and about the price Ukraine should pay for future gas deliveries.
Gazprom says Ukraine's Naftohaz owes billions of dollars, and has threatened to cut off gas supplies unless the debt is paid.
Ukraine had refused to pay the gas bill in protest at Russia's decision to more than double the gas price -- from $268 to $485 per 1,000 cubic meters -- after pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February.
The latest round of the talks, which involve the two countries' energy ministers and are being mediated by the EU energy commissioner, ended without an agreement early today.
The two sides differ on how much Ukraine's state energy company owes, and about the price Ukraine should pay for future gas deliveries.
Gazprom says Ukraine's Naftohaz owes billions of dollars, and has threatened to cut off gas supplies unless the debt is paid.
Ukraine had refused to pay the gas bill in protest at Russia's decision to more than double the gas price -- from $268 to $485 per 1,000 cubic meters -- after pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February.
17:47
10.6.2014
The Ukrainian president's homepage has been personalized: http://t.co/77V9eyXugG "Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine"
— Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick) June 10, 2014
17:46
10.6.2014
If this guy is to be believed... TT @tohub #Славянск Ponomarev is sort of alive and not arrested. pic.twitter.com/oKG12Ba3Yl
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 10, 2014
16:26
10.6.2014
A lot just out of the joint press conference by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier today in St. Petersburg.
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."
Sikorski: "We believe that if Russia wants to prove it wants de-escalation in Ukraine, then the best way to do it will be to prevent separatists and weapons from crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border."
Steinmeier: "I cannot say that a political solution to this crisis has already been found, but, nevertheless, the escalation, that we had been observing every day over the past few months, made way for a new atmosphere."
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."
Sikorski: "We believe that if Russia wants to prove it wants de-escalation in Ukraine, then the best way to do it will be to prevent separatists and weapons from crossing the Russian-Ukrainian border."
Steinmeier: "I cannot say that a political solution to this crisis has already been found, but, nevertheless, the escalation, that we had been observing every day over the past few months, made way for a new atmosphere."
15:45
10.6.2014
Reuters reports on Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev turning out to promote the inaugural flight to Crimea of Aeroflot's new low-cost airline, Dobrolyot.
The agency notes that the original plan called for the first flight to be from the capital to St. Petersburg but the carrier "took the politically symbolic decision to switch its maiden flight to Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, after Russia seized control of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in March."
It quoted Medvedev as saying in Moscow ahead of the flight: "The plane is cool, it's completely new. Its seats are narrow, but the flights aren't very long so I hope everything will be OK."