Putin says Russia will stand firm in standoff with West
MOSCOW (AP) -- President Vladimir Putin has vowed that Russia will stand firm in the face of what he described as Western attempts to isolate the country politically and pressurize its economy.
Speaking Thursday before officials of the Federal Security Service, Putin said Moscow has no intention to "make concessions or bend down" and that "no one has succeeded in scaring or pressuring our country, and no one will."
Russia, he added, will respond to any threats.
Russia's relations with the West have deteriorated to levels unmatched since the end of the Cold War around a quarter of a century ago over the Ukrainian crisis. The United States and the European Union have slapped economic sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Video: U.S. Humvees Arrive In Ukraine
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko welcomed the first 10 Humvees provided by the U.S. as part of nonlethal military aid. The vehicles were handed over to units which are fighting Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. It's expected that a total of 230 Humvees will be delivered within the next 45 days. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
Video: Clashes Erupt Near Donetsk During Soldiers' Rescue Effort
Ukrainian soldiers traded heavy fire with separatists as they tried to evacuate a wounded soldier from the no-man's-land between the two sides. The fighting broke out on March 25 in the village of Pisky north of separatist-held Donetsk. (Reuters)
Russia threatens to prosecute MP who opposed Crimea annexation
Moscow, March 26, 2015 (AFP) -- Russian prosecutors have asked parliament to lift the immunity from prosecution of the only member of Russia's legislature who voted against the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, parliamentary officials said Thursday.
That position made Ilya Ponomaryov, now living in exile in the United States, become a pariah in a legislature that has become little more than a rubber stamp for President Vladimir Putin.
The March 2014 takeover of Crimea, which sparked a deep crisis between Moscow and Western capitals, was portrayed by the Kremlin as a patriotic mission to restore control over historic Russian lands and was highly popular with the public.
In addition to opposing the annexation, the 39-year-old politician was also a prominent organiser and speaker at mass rallies against Putin's return to the presidency in 2012 after a period as prime minister.
He has been living in the United States since last year, saying he was forced to leave after being accused in a civil suit of improperly taking money from a state innovation project.
A senior parliamentary official, Yury Shuvalov, confirmed Thursday that prosecutors requested to lift Ponomaryov's immunity.
Moscow could reignite Ukraine fighting: US diplomat
Washington, March 26, 2015 (AFP) -- The United States fears that Moscow and pro-Russian separatists will reignite the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine following a February ceasefire that has largely held, a US diplomat warned Wednesday.
"Russia can reignite the conflict at any time of its choosing," the senior State Department official told journalists.
"Everything that Russia has done since the second Minsk agreement suggests that they will hold that option open," the diplomat added.
The February ceasefire deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko, agreed during marathon overnight talks in the Belarus capital, has largely held despite sporadic fighting along the frontline.
"Obviously there has been a dramatic decline in the level of violence" the diplomat said, but added that "there has not been a shift in Russia's strategic direction. Russia continues to send equipment across the border."
"We now know that the ceasefire after the first Minsk agreement (in September) was used by the Russians to run a very large 'train and equip' program," the diplomat said.
The United States has long accused Russia of sending heavy military equipment such as tanks and anti-missile systems into eastern Ukraine, a charge that Moscow denies.
American lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Monday to urge President Barack Obama to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons to defend itself against Russian "aggression," but the president has so far resisted calls.