3/22/2014

Diplomacy stalls over Crimea

Diplomacy stalls over Crimea

Afp, Simferopol Ukraine's Crimea peninsula yesterday voted for full independence from Ukraine in preparation for a referendum to join Russia while Russia says US Seretary of State John Kerry rejected a talks off er to solve the crisis. Russia's foreign ministry yesterday said that the declaration of independence was "absolutely lawful." It also said that, despite the diff erences, Lavrov, Kerry yesterday discussed by phone proposals to ensure calm in Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin militants on the flashpoint peninsula also seized control of air traff ic control at its main international airport and cancelled all flights except for those from Moscow. The latest escalation of Europe's worst crisis in decades came moments after ousted pro-Kremlin leader Viktor Yanukovych defiantly vowed to return to Kiev from Russia and declared he was still the leader of the ex-Soviet state. "As soon as the circumstances allow -- and I am sure there is not long to wait -- I will without doubt return to Kiev," Yanukovych told reporters in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Crimea has been a tinderbox since Russian forces seized control of the rugged peninsula -- home to Moscow's Black Sea Fleet since the 18th century -- with help of Kremlin-backed militias days after Yanukovych fled Ukraine last month in response to waves of deadly unrest. The strategic region's self-declared rulers are recruiting volunteers to fight Ukrainian soldiers while Russia's parliament yesterday prepared legislation that would simplify the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea after Sunday's vote. But the pro-European leaders in Kiev have rejected the referendum and are appealing to Western powers for both diplomatic backing and pressure on Moscow to release its troops' stranglehold on the region of two million people. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) responded to the threat of all-out war on Europe's eastern edge by announcing the planned deployment of AWAC reconnaissance planes in member countries Poland and Romania to monitor any Russian movements. And French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that sanctions against Russia could come as early as this week if Moscow failed to respond to Western proposals on the standoff . Western off icials are also expected to meet in London yesterday to finalise a list of Russian off icials who may face asset freezes and travel restriction over their role in endangering the sovereignty of Europe's largest state. Crimea's parliamentary assembly took another dramatic step yesterday by issuing a declaration proclaiming the region's full independence from Kiev rule. The body had earlier voted to actually join Russia and the latest move appeared to be primarily aimed at creating a legal framework for becoming a part of Russia as a sovereign state. Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov tried to seize back the initiative by calling on parliament to
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3/22/2014

Diplomacy stalls over Crimea

create a "national guard" and begin mobilising reservists and volunteers for a possible fight with its nuclear-armed neighbour. The threat of Ukraine's imminent breakup has made the tensions and mistrust that always seem to shadow Russia's relations with the United States ever more explicit and potentially damaging for long-term ties between the two powers. The rifts were exposed yet again on Monday when Russian state television took the unusual step of airing details of a meeting between Putin and Sergei Lavrov in which the foreign minister complained that US Secretary of State John Kerry had rejected an invitation to visit Moscow. The US State Department did not directly confirm Kerry had rejected a visit to Russia that could have included talks with Putin.

Published: 12:00 am Wednesday, March 12, 2014 Last modified: 10:35 pm Tuesday, March 11, 2014
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