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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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11Mar14
Ukraine crisis: Ousted president Viktor Yanukovych says Crimea 'breaking away' as US's John Kerry issues Russia ultimatum
As Ukraine's acting president announced the formation of a National Guard to defend against "external and internal aggression", his ousted predecessor Viktor Yanukovych blamed those who removed him from power for what he called the "secession" of the Crimean peninsula.
The US and Europe have denounced a referendum due to take place in Crimea on Sunday as illegal, and on Monday US Secretary of State John Kerry rejected any meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin until Moscow is prepared to move against the vote.
World powers will meet in London today to thrash out details of sanctions to be levelled against senior Russian officials if Moscow fails to reduce tensions in Ukraine.
Yet in a televised briefing alongside Mr Putin, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Mr Kerry's demands were "not suitable" because they seek to establish the political upheaval in Ukraine as a "fait accompli", taking "the situation created by the coup as a starting point".
The US, for its part, said there was little point to negotiations with Russia as long as its attempts to "annex" the Crimean peninsula continued.
Speaking from southern Russia today, Mr Yanukovych seemed to suggest this "secession" of the Crimea had already happened.
He reiterated his claims that he is still the president of Ukraine and the commander of its armed forces, and said that as such the $1 billion of aid already sent from Washington to Kiev should be denounced as "illegal" under US law.
Also today, the acting Ukrainian president Oleksandr Turchynov announced that the country is to form a National Guard, comprised of volunteers and army veterans, "to defend the country and citizens against any criminals, against external and internal aggression".
As the crisis continues to escalate and amid reports one anti-Russian protester was shot trying to cross into Crimea yesterday, David Cameron is set discuss the situation today in London with representatives from the US, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Japan, Turkey and Canada.
Foreign and finance ministers will look at extending internationally the asset freezes already imposed by the EU on 18 Ukrainians, including Mr Yanukovych himself.
Mr Cameron told MPs yesterday that last Thursday's emergency summit in Brussels agreed a three-stage process by which the EU will respond to Russia's actions in Ukraine.
As a first response, preparations for the G8 summit in the Russian resort of Sochi were suspended, ministers and members of the Royal Family cancelled planned trips to the Winter Paralympics, work on a more liberal EU visa regime for Russians was halted and the UK began a review of all Government business and arms export licences.
If Russia fails to come to the negotiating table with the government of Ukraine within days in a new Contact Group, the EU is ready "rapidly" to implement a second phase of action, including asset freezes and travel bans on key figures in Vladimir Putin's administration, said Mr Cameron.
[Source: By Adam Withnall, The Independent, London, 11Mar14]
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