07:29
24.4.2014
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she thinks international sanctions against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine must be "tightened and widened." Speaking at the University of Connecticut, Clinton said Russia will pay "a big price" for its intervention in Ukraine. She said the West must be "very clear, strong, and to some extent patient" in order to pressure Putin. She also accused Putin of "trying to turn the clock back to the Soviet Union days."
07:28
24.4.2014
U.S. President Barack Obama says during a visit to Japan that Russia is not abiding by the April 18 Geneva agreement intended to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine. "So far, at least," he says. He adds that if Russia does not fulfill the terms of the agreement the U.S. "will ramp up further sanctions." "There are some things the United States can do alone," Obama says, "but ultimately it's going to have to be a joint effort, a collective effort."
21:54
23.4.2014
Barring any dramatic developments, we are now closing the live blog for today. Before you go, we'll leave you with another update from our news desk, this time with respect to gas supplies:
The European Commission says Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger will meet with Slovakian and Ukrainian ministers on April 24 in Bratislava to discuss the possibility of "reverse flows" to pump gas to Ukraine.
Oettinger's talks with Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan and Slovakian Economy Minister Tomas Malatinsky follow Russia's warning that it could cut gas supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv pays its energy bills, which Moscow says amount to $2.2 billion.
In a related development, the Interfax news agency reported that Russia has offered to host trilateral talks between the European Union, Russia, and Ukraine in Moscow on April 28 to discuss gas supplies to Europe.
The European Commission has not confirmed the timing of these talks.
About one-third of Europe's gas comes from Russia via Ukraine. A pricing dispute between Kyiv and Moscow in early 2009 caused a crisis over gas shortages in Europe.
Oettinger's talks with Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan and Slovakian Economy Minister Tomas Malatinsky follow Russia's warning that it could cut gas supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv pays its energy bills, which Moscow says amount to $2.2 billion.
In a related development, the Interfax news agency reported that Russia has offered to host trilateral talks between the European Union, Russia, and Ukraine in Moscow on April 28 to discuss gas supplies to Europe.
The European Commission has not confirmed the timing of these talks.
About one-third of Europe's gas comes from Russia via Ukraine. A pricing dispute between Kyiv and Moscow in early 2009 caused a crisis over gas shortages in Europe.
21:51
23.4.2014
RFE/RL' Ukrainian Service has some footage of the rally in Kharkiv today for a "United Ukraine." An estimated 2,000 people showed up for it (natural sound):
21:49
23.4.2014
20:30
23.4.2014
20:18
23.4.2014
@MiriamElder Surely it's progress if Pravda is now accepting the theoretical possibility that he's not?
— Mark Galeotti (@MarkGaleotti) April 23, 2014
19:57
23.4.2014
19:51
23.4.2014
19:47
23.4.2014
And now our news desk is reporting that there appears to be some confusion over the "liberation" of Sviatohirsk:
Ukraine's Interior Ministry says security forces have "liberated" an eastern town that it said was controlled by armed pro-Russian separatists.
However, reports say the town of Sviatohirsk had never actually been seized by rebels.
The Interior Ministry said April 23 that an operation took place on the outskirts of Sviatohirsk, and that no one was injured.
It said police were now patrolling the streets of the town, which is located not far from the rebel-held town of Slovyansk.
The Interior Ministry said Sviatohirsk has "strategic importance," as it is located on the border of three regions of eastern Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv.
The Reuters and AFP news agencies said there was no indication that the town had ever been under the control of armed pro-Russian separatists.
However, reports say the town of Sviatohirsk had never actually been seized by rebels.
The Interior Ministry said April 23 that an operation took place on the outskirts of Sviatohirsk, and that no one was injured.
It said police were now patrolling the streets of the town, which is located not far from the rebel-held town of Slovyansk.
The Interior Ministry said Sviatohirsk has "strategic importance," as it is located on the border of three regions of eastern Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv.
The Reuters and AFP news agencies said there was no indication that the town had ever been under the control of armed pro-Russian separatists.