More on Lavrov's accusation today that the legislation on breakaway regions passed Tuesday in Kyiv is a problem.
Russia Says Ukraine Violates Terms Of East Ukraine Deal
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says that Ukrainian legislation on the status of rebel-held eastern regions is a "glaring violation" of a European-brokered peace deal signed last month in Minsk.
In comments on March 18, Lavrov lashed out at Kyiv over legislation passed by the Ukrainian parliment the previous day, suggesting it would badly undermine the chances of reaching a politcal settlement between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists.
"I don't know how the political process will go now," Lavrov said.
He said he had sent a message to the foreign ministers of Germany and France that "drew their attention to the glaring violation of the first steps of the political part of the Minsk package," Lavrov said.
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada approved legislation setting the boundaries of territory to be granted "special status" entailing a measure of autonomy, but stipulated that it should come into force only after elections are held under Ukrainian law.
Russia and the rebels claim that violates the terms of the Minsk agreement.
Based on reporting by RIA and TASS
Worthwhile Bloomberg piece from @jneuger: Is EU Support For Russia Sanctions Waning? See Who's Visiting The Kremlin.
An excerpt:
The lifting of some restrictions wouldn’t mean the lifting of all, in a classic EU compromise. One future possibility is to “modulate” the sanctions to reward partial compliance with the cease-fire, French officials told reporters in Paris on Tuesday.
“The anti-sanctions camp seems to be growing in confidence,” Steven Blockmans, an analyst at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, said by phone. He said it would take a renewed Russian-backed drive deeper into Ukrainian territory to trigger “a further ramping up.”
The latest on Russia's ongoing events to mark the Crimean annexation, from our newsroom:
Russia Celebrates Crimea Takeover As Criticism Mounts
LATEST: Russian news agencies quote Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying that the fresh Ukrainian legislation on the status of eastern regions is a "glaring violation" of Minsk peace agreements, and he has urged France and Germany to put pressure on Kyiv.
A statement from EU High Representative/Vice President Federica Mogherini on the announced signature today of a treaty between Russia and Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, where Moscow is consolidating on-the-ground gains from its brief war with Georgia in 2008:
The signature by the Russian Federation of a so-called “Treaty on Alliance and Integration” with Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia announced for 18 March will be yet another step that goes against ongoing efforts to strengthen security and stability in the region.
The whole statement is here.
The chief monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan, will visit the tense city of Mariupol today. The OSCE says he will meet the SMM team working in Mariupol and with the mayor of the city, Yuriy Khotlubei.
International rights watchdog Amnesty International is strident in its criticism of Moscow and its proxy regime in Crimea concerning the year since Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula.
"[Amnesty International says] Crimea's Russian-backed leaders have cracked down on dissent, creating a climate of fear on the annexed Ukrainian region, with many of the regime's more vocal critics opting to leave.
It cites "violations of the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association in Crimea [and] highlights human rights abuses by the de facto authorities, including the failure to investigate a series of abductions and torture of their critics, and their unrelenting campaign of intimidation against pro-Ukrainian media, campaigning organizations, Crimean Tatars and other individuals critical of the regime."
Amnesty's fresh report on March 18 comes exactly one year after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders signed a treaty on Crimea joining Russia, a moved widely rejected and condemned by the international community.
"One year on from Crimea’s annexation, the attitude of its de facto authorities and their Russian masters can be summed up simply -- like it or leave or shut up," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s director for Europe and Central Asia.
Here's our full story:
Amnesty International Slams Annexed Crimea's Pro-Russia Regime
A photo by Oleg Kamushkin from Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, for Krymr.org after a snowfall yesterday:
