11:54
17.3.2014
Today's decision to introduce the ruble as an "official currency" in Crimea was announced on the website of the peninsula's parliament, the Supreme Council -- the same body that the Verkhovna Rada voted to dissolve in a special session in Kyiv on March 15. Today's announcement says the hryvnya will be an official currency alongside the ruble until January 1, 2016.
Both currencies have taken a severe knock this year, one aspect of the economic fallout of the crisis over Crimea. The hryvnya has dropped nearly 15 percent while the ruble has been hovering near record lows.
Both currencies have taken a severe knock this year, one aspect of the economic fallout of the crisis over Crimea. The hryvnya has dropped nearly 15 percent while the ruble has been hovering near record lows.
12:11
17.3.2014
More on the comparisons between the Crimean referendum and September's vote in Scotland on whether to split from the UK.
As we've noted here, Russian officials and media have accused the West of double standards, essentially asking: "Why is Scotland's independence vote fine, but Crimea's is not?"
Britain's Foreign Office just sent this little factbox aimed at answering that question.
As we've noted here, Russian officials and media have accused the West of double standards, essentially asking: "Why is Scotland's independence vote fine, but Crimea's is not?"
Britain's Foreign Office just sent this little factbox aimed at answering that question.
12:38
17.3.2014
Watch a Russian state television anchor -- Dmitry Kiselyov, who we profiled here -- describe Russia as "the only country in the world that is realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash."
12:51
17.3.2014
Sergei Aksyonov, the head of Crimea's unrecognized Russian-backed government, says Russia has given the peninsula 15 billion rubles ($400 million) in aid. Aksyonov tweets that this doubles Crimea's budget.
12:53
17.3.2014
One of the Russian cultural figures who "signed" pro-Putin statement on UKR died in 2005: http://t.co/5UfzJHauSS
— Robert Coalson (@CoalsonR) March 17, 2014
13:00
17.3.2014
13:00
17.3.2014
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, speaking in Brussels March 17, described Russia's actions in Crimea as an "anschluss," referring to Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938.
"We have an 'anschluss' of Crimea which cannot go unanswered by the international community. The referendum was not constitutional, nor legal and the choice of Crimea will not be recognized by the international community and this means that the EU will do what it said it will."
"We have an 'anschluss' of Crimea which cannot go unanswered by the international community. The referendum was not constitutional, nor legal and the choice of Crimea will not be recognized by the international community and this means that the EU will do what it said it will."
13:32
17.3.2014
Russia has proposed setting up what it calls a "support group" to mediate the Ukraine crisis.
Here are some details of the proposal, contained in a statement on the Foreign Ministry's website.
Noting the "inadmissibility of a revival of neo-Nazi ideology," the statement says Ukraine should
-- implement the February 21 agreement. That's the Western-brokered deal that was forged between the then opposition and Viktor Yanukovych, the day before he was ousted as president.
-- revise the constitution
-- declare Russian a second official language
-- decentralize power by turning the country into a federal state and giving broad powers to the regions
-- recognize Crimea's right to determine its future in accordance with the outcome of Sunday's referendum
It notes that Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and its military and political neutrality should be guaranteed by Russia, the European Union, and the United States and backed by a UN Security Council resolution.
Here are some details of the proposal, contained in a statement on the Foreign Ministry's website.
Noting the "inadmissibility of a revival of neo-Nazi ideology," the statement says Ukraine should
-- implement the February 21 agreement. That's the Western-brokered deal that was forged between the then opposition and Viktor Yanukovych, the day before he was ousted as president.
-- revise the constitution
-- declare Russian a second official language
-- decentralize power by turning the country into a federal state and giving broad powers to the regions
-- recognize Crimea's right to determine its future in accordance with the outcome of Sunday's referendum
It notes that Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and its military and political neutrality should be guaranteed by Russia, the European Union, and the United States and backed by a UN Security Council resolution.
13:35
17.3.2014
Carl Bildt says it's a bit reminiscent of Yalta
13:46
17.3.2014