17:15
14.3.2014
The head of RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service, Rim Gilfanov, is on Reddit and ready to answer any and all questions on Crimean Tatars:
What's the stand of Crimean Tatars in latest crisis? I'm ready to answer your questions. Ask me anything! http://t.co/eLZmON5W3S
— Rim Gilfanov (@guilfanr) March 14, 2014
17:05
14.3.2014
The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group reports that Crimea's Russian-installed prime minister, Sergei Kasyanov, has acknowledged that activists who have been reported abducted in recent days are in fact being held in custody by Crimean security forces, to prevent "subversive activities" in the days leading up to the peninsula's independence referendum March 16.
Kasyanov specifically mentioned Andrey Shchekun, the head of Crimea's Ukrainian Council, who was abducted in Simferopol on March 9, shortly before the start of a rally he had helped organize to protest Russian occupation. Kasyanov said Shchekun was alive and in good health, but like other activists would have his liberty "restricted" until after the referendum.
Here's how Kasyanov defended the preemptive detentions: "What should we do with such people? Simply sit back and watch the situation? I'm sorry, but this is a war situation. That requires the adoption of certain harsh measures. If somebody wants to infringe and destabilize the situation, that means they will have their freedom restricted. We have no other possibility."
Read the full Kharkov report (in English) here:
17:01
14.3.2014
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been speaking to journalists after holding talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The main points thus far:
Lavrov says U.S. and Russia 'diverge' in their views about Ukraine. He says Russia will 'respect the will of the Crimean people on March 16' referendum.
Lavrov says Moscow has no plans to invade southeastern Ukraine.
Lavrov says Western partners are well aware sanctions are counterproductive, 'Kerry did not threaten Russia with anything,' he said.
Lavrov says if Kosovo was treated as a 'special case', Crimea should be 'a special case, too.'
Lavrov says U.S. and Russia 'diverge' in their views about Ukraine. He says Russia will 'respect the will of the Crimean people on March 16' referendum.
Lavrov says Moscow has no plans to invade southeastern Ukraine.
Lavrov says Western partners are well aware sanctions are counterproductive, 'Kerry did not threaten Russia with anything,' he said.
Lavrov says if Kosovo was treated as a 'special case', Crimea should be 'a special case, too.'
16:43
14.3.2014
An update regarding last night's fatality in Donetsk:
Russia's Foreign Ministry says violence in eastern Ukraine overnight demonstrates that authorities in Kyiv are losing control and that Russia reserves the right to protect its citizens.
In a statement issued today, the ministry said radical right-wing groups attacked peaceful protesters who were rallying against the "destructive positions of people who call themselves the Ukrainian authorities."
Organizers of the pro-EU rally said the man who was stabbed to death in the violence was from their group.
In a reference to Russia, Donetsk Governor Serhiy Taruta told journalists that "a lot of people concentrated there who were not from Ukraine
Taruta also said the Russian statement "distorts the real situation."
In a statement issued today, the ministry said radical right-wing groups attacked peaceful protesters who were rallying against the "destructive positions of people who call themselves the Ukrainian authorities."
Organizers of the pro-EU rally said the man who was stabbed to death in the violence was from their group.
In a reference to Russia, Donetsk Governor Serhiy Taruta told journalists that "a lot of people concentrated there who were not from Ukraine
Taruta also said the Russian statement "distorts the real situation."
ALSO READ: This Russian Foreign Ministry Statement On Donetsk Death Defies Reality
16:41
14.3.2014
Buzzfeed provides the captions for Lavrov and Kerry's day:
Awkward. Watch Diplomacy In Action As Russia And The U.S. Talk Ukraine http://t.co/I0anomZKNf
— Miriam Elder (@MiriamElder) March 14, 2014
16:31
14.3.2014
This just in from the wires:
Crimea's pro-Kremlin Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov has said the region could become part of Russia within a year of its referendum on the issue tomorrow.
Aksyonov told a news conference today in the region's capital, Simferopol, that Crimea should not become independent, but "enter Russia as its constituent entity."
He said that "the transitional period will last for about a year."
The pro-Moscow leader also called on Russian-speaking eastern regions of Ukraine to hold their own referendums on switching over to Kremlin rule. (AFP, Interfax, ITAR-TASS)
Crimea's pro-Kremlin Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov has said the region could become part of Russia within a year of its referendum on the issue tomorrow.
Aksyonov told a news conference today in the region's capital, Simferopol, that Crimea should not become independent, but "enter Russia as its constituent entity."
He said that "the transitional period will last for about a year."
The pro-Moscow leader also called on Russian-speaking eastern regions of Ukraine to hold their own referendums on switching over to Kremlin rule. (AFP, Interfax, ITAR-TASS)
16:15
14.3.2014
This is from RFE/RL's newsdesk:
Three Automaidan activists have reportedly gone missing in Crimea.
Ukrainian lawmaker and former Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko wrote on Facebook today that his son Oleksiy Hrytsenko and two other activists, Natalya Lukyanchenko and Serhiy Suprun, informed their relatives by phone that they were chased by unknown people and tried to hide in the building of the Mejlis -- Crimean Tatars' self-governing body in Simferopol -- yesterday evening.
Their phones have not been responding since then. Anatoliy Hrytsenko said the mobile monitoring system indicates that the three activists are currently in the premises of the Military Commission Office in Simferopol recently taken over by pro-Russian forces.
However, Hrytsenko said the Military Commission Office's security personnel denied the activists' presence in the building.
Three Automaidan activists have reportedly gone missing in Crimea.
Ukrainian lawmaker and former Defense Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko wrote on Facebook today that his son Oleksiy Hrytsenko and two other activists, Natalya Lukyanchenko and Serhiy Suprun, informed their relatives by phone that they were chased by unknown people and tried to hide in the building of the Mejlis -- Crimean Tatars' self-governing body in Simferopol -- yesterday evening.
Their phones have not been responding since then. Anatoliy Hrytsenko said the mobile monitoring system indicates that the three activists are currently in the premises of the Military Commission Office in Simferopol recently taken over by pro-Russian forces.
However, Hrytsenko said the Military Commission Office's security personnel denied the activists' presence in the building.
15:03
14.3.2014
Former Ukrainian Defense Ministery Anatoliy Hrytsenko says his son, Automaidan founder Oleksiy Hrytsenko, has been kidnapped along with two other Automaidan activists in Simferopol.
Grytsenko: At this time we're dealing with disappearance in Simferopol of three #automaidan activists, one of them is my son. #terrorism
— uacrisis (@uacrisis) March 14, 2014
14:58
14.3.2014
In Kyiv, EU flag now flying in front of Ukrainian Parliament. In Simferopol, meanwhile, Ukrainian trident has been replaced with Russian flag.
EU flag already flying out front of Ukrainian parliament. #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/k8jOuy0aV7
— Paul Waldie (@pwaldieGLOBE) March 14, 2014
Huge Russian flag already covers Crimea parliament building. Do they still need that referendum, really? pic.twitter.com/uQVkaDjIRU
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) March 14, 2014
14:55
14.3.2014
US Embassy Moscow (@USEmbRu) calls Russian statement about mistreatment of its reporters at White House meeting "absolutely absurd."
— Steven Lee Myers (@slmmoscow) March 14, 2014