Kerry heads to Moscow for tough Syria, Ukraine talks
PARIS (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is heading to Russia for talks aimed at narrowing gaps with Russian leaders over a political transition to end Syria's civil war and restoring stability in restive eastern Ukraine.
After spending last week at climate talks outside the French capital, Kerry leaves Paris on Monday for Moscow where he will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Before departing, Kerry will attend a French-hosted foreign ministers meeting to compare notes on a conference of Syrian opposition figures held last week in Saudi Arabia.
Washington and Moscow are deeply divided over the political process they both agree is needed to end the war in Syria. They are also at odds over Ukraine, where Russia is supporting separatists in the east.
Here is today's map of the security situation in eastern Ukraine, according to the National Security and Defense Council (CLICK TO ENLARGE):
Police Search Homes Of Moscow-Based Ukrainian Librarians
Russian police have searched the Moscow homes of at least two employees of the Library of Ukrainian Literature.
The lawyer for the library's director said police searched the homes of Anna Pavlenko and Tatiana Muntian early on December 14.
The Russian Investigative Committee said searches were also made in other apartments belonging to individuals who "did not work for the library, but were receiving salaries from it."
The library's director, Natalya Sharina, 58, was detained in late October and charged with inciting extremism and ethnic hatred.
She is being held under house arrest.
Russia's Investigative Committee said authorities had found books in Sharina's library by Ukrainian ultranationalist author Dmytro Korchynsky, whose works are banned in Russia.
Sharina rejected the charges, saying the books had been planted in her library by police.
Based on reporting by Interfax and TASS
Ukraine To Try In Absentia Self-Appointed 'President Of Southeastern Ukraine'
Ukrainian officials say that a man who has proclaimed himself to be "president of Southeastern Ukraine" will be tried in absentia in Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv.
The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's office said on December 14 that charges of separatism and terrorism against Anatoliy Vizyr, the former chairman of Ukraine's Luhansk regional appeals court, have been sent to the court for trial.
Vizyr, who is believed to be in a part of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels, proclaimed himself in April 2014 to be president of a hypothetical state in Ukraine made up of the country's Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mykolayiv, and Kherson regions.
Vizyr's announcement came in the wake of the military conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian armed forces in eastern Ukraine, which has killed more than 9,000 people since March 2014.
Based on reporting by UNIAN and Interfax
Reupping this:
That concludes our live-blogging of the crisis in Ukraine for Sunday, December 13. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage.