19:32
10.4.2014
RFE/RL's news desk has issued this item on Russian troop movements near the Ukrainian border:
Russia's RIA news agency cites an unnamed official in the Russian military general staff as saying the photographs were taken in August 2013 during drills near the border.
British Brigadier Gary Deakin said at a briefing on April 10 at the alliance's military headquarters in southern France that NATO had spotted Russian forces at more than 100 different sites close to the Ukrainian border.
He said the force was ready to move quickly if ordered and represented a "real threat" for Ukraine.
The Russian troop buildup has raised concerns Moscow may be preparing for further intervention in Ukraine after the annexation of Crimea last month.
Russia denies the accusations.
NATO has unveiled satellite photographs it says show Russian deployments of some 40,000 troops, along with tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and aircraft near the Ukraine border. It says the pictures were taken between March 22 and April 2.
Russia's RIA news agency cites an unnamed official in the Russian military general staff as saying the photographs were taken in August 2013 during drills near the border.
British Brigadier Gary Deakin said at a briefing on April 10 at the alliance's military headquarters in southern France that NATO had spotted Russian forces at more than 100 different sites close to the Ukrainian border.
He said the force was ready to move quickly if ordered and represented a "real threat" for Ukraine.
The Russian troop buildup has raised concerns Moscow may be preparing for further intervention in Ukraine after the annexation of Crimea last month.
Russia denies the accusations.
20:17
10.4.2014
As ever the USSR flag flies at pro-Russia demos in Eastern #Ukraine #Luhansk pic.twitter.com/6NWXriNMHn
— David Patrikarakos (@dpatrikarakos) April 10, 2014
21:38
10.4.2014
On Friday in Prague - to speak about new Europe & #enlargement in a new political context.
— Štefan Füle (@StefanFuleEU) April 10, 2014
22:01
10.4.2014
Barring any dramatic developments, we are now closing the live blog for today.
Before we go, we'd like to point you in the direction of some of RFE/RL's latest Ukraine-related features.
Charles Recknagel takes a look at how Ukraine's civil society has been faring since the Maidan. Robert Coalson gives us a nice overview of the ethnic Russian communities living beyond Russia's borders while Natalya Dzhanpoladova and Claire Bigg report on how Moscow failed to see the funny side when a journalist made a joke about the annexation of Crimea.
Before we go, we'd like to point you in the direction of some of RFE/RL's latest Ukraine-related features.
Charles Recknagel takes a look at how Ukraine's civil society has been faring since the Maidan. Robert Coalson gives us a nice overview of the ethnic Russian communities living beyond Russia's borders while Natalya Dzhanpoladova and Claire Bigg report on how Moscow failed to see the funny side when a journalist made a joke about the annexation of Crimea.
07:26
11.4.2014
Good morning. We'll get the ball rolling this morning with this item from RFE/RL's news desk on a telephone call between Barack Obama and Angela Merkel over the situation in Ukraine:
The White House says President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed potential further sanctions against Russia over its involvement in Ukraine.
The White House said in a statement that, during a phone call last night, Obama and Merkel called again on Moscow to withdraw its troops from the border region.
The statement said that pro-Russian separatists, "apparently with support from Moscow," were destabilizing Ukraine through "an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage."
It said Obama "underscored the need for the United States, European Union, and other global partners to be prepared to meet further Russian escalation with additional sanctions."
The United States also accused Moscow of using energy to bully Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Europe that gas supplies to Ukraine could be suspended if Kyiv does not pay off its $2.2 billion gas debt.
The White House says President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed potential further sanctions against Russia over its involvement in Ukraine.
The White House said in a statement that, during a phone call last night, Obama and Merkel called again on Moscow to withdraw its troops from the border region.
The statement said that pro-Russian separatists, "apparently with support from Moscow," were destabilizing Ukraine through "an orchestrated campaign of incitement and sabotage."
It said Obama "underscored the need for the United States, European Union, and other global partners to be prepared to meet further Russian escalation with additional sanctions."
The United States also accused Moscow of using energy to bully Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Europe that gas supplies to Ukraine could be suspended if Kyiv does not pay off its $2.2 billion gas debt.
08:04
11.4.2014
At #Donetsk mine they recall collecting money for striking UK miners in 1980s. Now they're worried about own future. pic.twitter.com/ybeAgbzfkN
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) April 11, 2014
08:06
11.4.2014
RFE/RL's news desk has this update on IMF aid for the embattled Kyiv administration:
Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksander Shlapak says Kyiv has fulfilled all conditions to receive the first portion of a financial aid package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Shlapak told journalists on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF spring meeting in Washington yesterday that he was there "to speak in more specific terms about time and conditions of [international] support."
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who was also in Washington for the meeting, told journalists that Moscow was concerned about Ukraine's unpaid debt for supplies of natural gas, but was ready to work with international partners on financial aid for Kyiv.
The IMF on March 27 promised to loan between $14 billion and $18 billion to cash-strapped Ukraine.
The loan hinges on structural reforms that Kyiv has pledged to undertake.
Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksander Shlapak says Kyiv has fulfilled all conditions to receive the first portion of a financial aid package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Shlapak told journalists on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF spring meeting in Washington yesterday that he was there "to speak in more specific terms about time and conditions of [international] support."
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who was also in Washington for the meeting, told journalists that Moscow was concerned about Ukraine's unpaid debt for supplies of natural gas, but was ready to work with international partners on financial aid for Kyiv.
The IMF on March 27 promised to loan between $14 billion and $18 billion to cash-strapped Ukraine.
The loan hinges on structural reforms that Kyiv has pledged to undertake.
08:53
11.4.2014
The latest tweet from Sky News's Katie Stallard in Donetsk:
Now we are all in trade chamber waiting to watch yatsenyuk talk to local officials. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/7XQFFuLK3T
— Katie Stallard (@skystallard) April 11, 2014
08:57
11.4.2014
A picture from @MitinRussia which people with all views on the Ukrainian crisis will interpret to their advantage! pic.twitter.com/6oWkKn14Y4
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) April 11, 2014
09:52
11.4.2014
This just in from the wires:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says it is necessary to stop trying to "legitimize" the Ukrainian government and for Ukraine to have legal guarantees of its "neutrality" inoorder to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis.