12:59
29.3.2014
Tymoshenko: 'Language is not important for us, Ukraine is united thanks to Maidan and Putin' pic.twitter.com/v5ALZ8nJSN
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) March 29, 2014
12:45
29.3.2014
You just had to know this was going to happen sooner or later:
"Darth Vader, the chairman of the "Internet Party of Ukraine" has submitted to the Central Electoral Commission all the necessary documents to register as a candidate for president in the May 25 special election, including a deposit of 2.5 million hryvna (approximately $227,000).
Meanwhile, Darth Vader filed all necessary papers in Ukraine to run for president. True story! http://t.co/LicJzixgpw pic.twitter.com/DVMvb97Yhk
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) March 29, 2014
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has more details."Darth Vader, the chairman of the "Internet Party of Ukraine" has submitted to the Central Electoral Commission all the necessary documents to register as a candidate for president in the May 25 special election, including a deposit of 2.5 million hryvna (approximately $227,000).
12:34
29.3.2014
Political consultant Brian Mefford, an ex-advisor to Viktor Yushchenko, writes in the "Kyiv Post" about Russia's three "annexations" of Crimea -- 1783, 1944, 2014 -- and the plight of the Tatars.
12:23
29.3.2014
Citing authorities in Kyiv, Euronews reports that "more than 3,500 people from Crimea have left the peninsula to escape Russian rule."
12:20
29.3.2014
Reuters reports that diplomats claim Russia threatened countries ahead of UN vote on Ukraine. Russian response is priceless: "We never threaten anyone. We just explain the situation."
(Reuters) - Russia threatened several Eastern European and Central Asian states with retaliation if they voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution this week declaring invalid Crimea's referendum on seceding from Ukraine, U.N. diplomats said.
The disclosures about Russian threats came after Moscow accused Western countries of using "shameless pressure, up to the point of political blackmail and economic threats," in an attempt to coerce the United Nations' 193 member states to join it in supporting the non-binding resolution on the Ukraine crisis.
According to interviews with U.N. diplomats, most of whom preferred to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of angering Moscow, the targets of Russian threats included Moldova,Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as a number of African countries.
A spokesman for Russia's Mission to the U.N. denied that Moscow threatened any country with retaliation if it supported the resolution, saying: "We never threaten anyone. We just explain the situation."
The disclosures about Russian threats came after Moscow accused Western countries of using "shameless pressure, up to the point of political blackmail and economic threats," in an attempt to coerce the United Nations' 193 member states to join it in supporting the non-binding resolution on the Ukraine crisis.
According to interviews with U.N. diplomats, most of whom preferred to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of angering Moscow, the targets of Russian threats included Moldova,Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as a number of African countries.
A spokesman for Russia's Mission to the U.N. denied that Moscow threatened any country with retaliation if it supported the resolution, saying: "We never threaten anyone. We just explain the situation."
12:16
29.3.2014
A snarky tweet about sparse turnout at demonstration in Donetsk:
#Putin stopped paying overtime. #Donetsk separatists at noon today. #Russia #Crimea #Ukraine #EuroMaidan pic.twitter.com/bfkSIKPYNU
— Anders Östlund (@andersostlund) March 29, 2014
12:14
29.3.2014
Polish PM calls for European energy union. Via Reuters:
TYCHY, Poland, March 29 (Reuters) - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Saturday the European Union should form an energy union to bolster its energy security and lessen its dependence on key gas supplier Russia whose annexation of Crimea has caused a tense stand-off with the West.
Russia, which provides around one third of the EU's oil and gas, sent shockwaves through the international community with its military intervention and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula two weeks ago.
The action prompted the United States and its European allies to begin imposing sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and to threaten to penalise key sectors of Russia's economy.
Some 40 percent of Russia's gas destined for Europe is shipped through Ukraine.
"The experience of the last few weeks shows that Europe must strive towards solidarity when it comes to energy," Tusk said.
Russia, which provides around one third of the EU's oil and gas, sent shockwaves through the international community with its military intervention and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula two weeks ago.
The action prompted the United States and its European allies to begin imposing sanctions on President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and to threaten to penalise key sectors of Russia's economy.
Some 40 percent of Russia's gas destined for Europe is shipped through Ukraine.
"The experience of the last few weeks shows that Europe must strive towards solidarity when it comes to energy," Tusk said.
12:11
29.3.2014
Interfax quotes Lavrov as saying that West's attempts to get Russia to reverse position on Crimea are "hopeless."
12:10
29.3.2014
Reuters reporting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State have spoken by phone about Ukraine crisis.
12:08
29.3.2014
When Oleksandr met Alyaksandr.
Ukraine's interim president meets Belarusian strongman. This via AFP:
Ukraine's interim president meets Belarusian strongman. This via AFP:
Belarus strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko hosted Ukraine's interim president Saturday for surprise talks that came after his ex-Soviet country voted against a UN General Assembly resolution denouncing Russia's annexation of Crimea.
The Belarus president's office said the meeting with Oleksandr Turchynov was held in Lukashenko's residence in the village of Lyaskovichi near the border with Ukraine.
The brief statement provided no other details and Turchynov's official website made no mention of the talks.
Belarus was one of just 11 countries along with Russia to vote against a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity and condemning Russia's annexation of its Crimea peninsula earlier this month.
Lukashenko told Kiev television on Friday that he had already spoken by telephone to Ukrainian boxer turned opposition leader Vitali Klitschko and was hoping to build friendly future relations with Ukraine.
"One has to speak to the devil if necessary to avert things from turning worse," Lukashenko said Friday.
Belarus relies heavily on Russian oil and natural gas shipments and is part of a Kremlin-led three-state customs union that also includes Kazakhstan.
But Lukashenko -- once referred to by Washington as the last dictator of Europe -- has uneasy relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been known to make unpredictable political decisions since rising to power in 1994.
The Belarus president's office said the meeting with Oleksandr Turchynov was held in Lukashenko's residence in the village of Lyaskovichi near the border with Ukraine.
The brief statement provided no other details and Turchynov's official website made no mention of the talks.
Belarus was one of just 11 countries along with Russia to vote against a non-binding UN General Assembly resolution supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity and condemning Russia's annexation of its Crimea peninsula earlier this month.
Lukashenko told Kiev television on Friday that he had already spoken by telephone to Ukrainian boxer turned opposition leader Vitali Klitschko and was hoping to build friendly future relations with Ukraine.
"One has to speak to the devil if necessary to avert things from turning worse," Lukashenko said Friday.
Belarus relies heavily on Russian oil and natural gas shipments and is part of a Kremlin-led three-state customs union that also includes Kazakhstan.
But Lukashenko -- once referred to by Washington as the last dictator of Europe -- has uneasy relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has been known to make unpredictable political decisions since rising to power in 1994.