Vox Pop -- Bandera Avenue Or Moscow Avenue? What do ordinary Ukrainians make of proposals to rename Kyiv's Moscow Avenue after the controversial World War II nationalist leader Stepan Bandera? (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service)
Kyiv Could Rename 'Moscow Avenue' After Nationalist Bandera
Kyiv is considering stripping a major thoroughfare of the name Moskovsky Prospekt, or Moscow Avenue, and renaming it after late Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera -- a move that would be certain to anger Russia.
The possible change is part of a push to rid Ukraine of Soviet-era symbols under “decommunization” laws that were passed last year after ties with Russia were torn apart by Moscow’s seizure of Crimea and support for separatists in the east.
The Kyiv City Hall commission that deals with name changes has approved the proposal, Volodymyr Vyatrovych, the director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance (UINR), said on his Facebook page on March 2. He said the UINR had made the proposal.
Vyatrovych said a day earlier that the commission has asked Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko to put the proposal to public debate in the capital. Such a debate, if Klitschko decides to initiate it, could take up to two months.
Read more by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service here.
That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Wednesday, March 2. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage.
Good morning. We'll start the live blog today with a few of the latest tweets that caught our eye:
Here's the latest on Minsk from our news desk:
Ministers Meet In Paris To Review Progress On Minsk Accords
The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany are meeting in Paris on March 3 to discuss implementation of the peace plan for Ukraine set up under the Minsk accords in February 2015.
That accord, the second of two agreements reached in the Belarusian capital by leaders of the four countries, contains a package of measures aimed at bringing an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russia-backed separatists.
Kyiv claims Russia is violating the Minsk agreement by sending troops and weapons to back up pro-Russia separatists in the east.
But Ukraine has so far failed in its obligation under the accord to enact reforms that would increase autonomy for Ukraine's eastern regions and allow local elections there.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on February 23 that infighting among political parties in Ukraine's governing coalition cannot be allowed to prevent Kyiv from carrying out its reform obligations under the Minsk accords.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Nadia Savchenko's defense is making its closing arguments in Russia (from our news desk):
Savchenko's Lawyers Start Final Arguments At Trial In Russian Court
Defense lawyers for Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko have begun their final arguments in a Russian court where Savchenko has been put on trial over the deaths in eastern Ukraine of two Russian journalists.
Savchenko was also expected to make her final remarks to the Russian court on March 3, and a verdict was expected soon after the closing arguments.
Russia's prosecutor on March 2 called for Savchenko to be sentenced to 23 years in prison.
Savchenko was fighting in a volunteer battalion against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine when she was captured in June 2014.
She says separatists kidnapped her and took her into Russia where she was jailed and charged.
WATCH: Live Stream Of The Savchenko Trial (RFE/RL's Russian Service, natural sound)
Kyiv says the charges against her are trumped up and that she should be treated as a prisoner of war.
Savchenko has threatened to stop eating and drinking unless she is returned to Ukraine within 10 days of the verdict.