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Ukraine's acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya speaks to the UN General Assembly on March 27.
Ukraine's acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya speaks to the UN General Assembly on March 27.

Live Blog: UN Backs Ukraine Integrity

Final Summary For March 27

-- The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution that affirms Ukraine's territorial integrity.

-- The IMF has announced "a staff-level agreement" with Kyiv on assistance of $14 billion-$18 billion in conjunction with a reform program that will "unlock" up to $27 billion over the next two years, pending final approval next month. Tthe U.S. Congress has also passed an aid bill for Ukraine.

-- Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko has announced plans to run for president.

-- Members of the Right Sector have been holding a demonstration outside the Ukrainian parliament building to vent their anger at the killing of prominent member Oleksander Muzychko earlier in the week.

-- Six Ukrainian military officers detained by pro-Russian troops in Crimea have been released, including Colonel Yuliy Mamchur, but five others are still being held captive.

-- Anonymous sources quoted by CNN say U.S. intelligence "concludes it is more likely than previously thought that Russian forces will enter eastern Ukraine."

-- U.S. President Barack Obama, in the keynote speech of his visit to Europe, chided Russia for its use of "brute force" in Ukraine and vowed that a determined alliance of the United States and Europe will prevail over time.


*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv
12:13 13.3.2014
More news in from the wires:

Ukraine's parliament has voted unanimously to create a new National Guard of some 60,000 volunteers as thousands of Russian forces occupy Crimea.

Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov had asked parliament to form a National Guard to defend the country "against external and internal aggression."

Ukraine's Interior Minister will directly lead the new military unit, while the commander of the National Guard, who will be nominated by the president and approved by parliament, will be responsible for the unit's military activities.

Ukraine's parliament has also just endorsed a document that appeals to the UN to discuss Russia's occupation of Crimea, citing the "flagrant violation by the Russian Federation of the fundamental principles of international law."

The document also confirmed that Ukraine seeks deeper integration with the European Union. (UNIAN, AFP, Reuters)
11:32 13.3.2014
11:28 13.3.2014
11:28 13.3.2014
"We are a united people, we are a united country."

Crimean Tatars protest Russia's takeover of their region with this video clip. The song is by popular Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy.

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11:20 13.3.2014
11:19 13.3.2014
11:18 13.3.2014
According to a new Levada poll, a majority of Russians support their government's actions in Crimea.
11:09 13.3.2014
Meanwhile, there has been an uptick in Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings at home:

11:04 13.3.2014
RFE/RL's newsdesk has just issued this brief item:

John McCain is leading a group of eight U.S. senators to Kyiv this weekend to show American support for Ukraine's new authorities in the standoff with Russia.

The senators -- five from the Republican Party and three Democrats -- are expected to leave Washington today.

McCain, known for his harsh criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, last visited Kyiv in December and addressed protesters in Independence Square.

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee approved a measure that would provide more than $1 billion in aid and loan guarantees to Ukraine’s new government and impose sanctions on Russians and Ukrainians held responsible for violence or human rights violations during the recent protests.

The bill must still be passed by the full Senate and House of Representatives. (Reuters, washingtonpost.com, wsj.com)
11:02 13.3.2014
WATCH: U.S. President Says Russia Faces Costs Over Ukraine Intervention
Obama Says Russia Faces Costs Over Ukraine Intervention
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