World News liveblog
Reuters live coverage of events around the world. Follow @ReutersWorld on Twitter for top news and @ReutersLive for live video events.
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Commentary: The power of sanctions against Putin on Ukraine
By Michael O'Hanlon
March 3 (Reuters) - In a crisis moving extremely fast, it is dangerous to say this, but I'm at least somewhat less concerned about this upheaval in Ukraine than other people seem to be, for a couple of reasons.
blogs.reuters.com -
U.S., EU move to retaliate against Russia
POLITICOU.S. and European leaders are preparing to increase economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he fails to bring a quick end to his military’s incursion into Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. President Barack Obama said in the Oval Office on Monday that the United States is readying a series of economic and diplomatic steps that... -
Pro-Russian protesters storm and occupy the regional government building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, Yanukovich's hometown. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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President Barack Obama urges Congress to provide a package of assistance to Ukrainian people, saying Russia's on the ''wrong side of history'' in Ukraine. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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The European Union and other Western powers scramble to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula, where Russia has wrested control from Kiev.
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Activists burn a picture of late Ukrainian nationalist movement leader Stepan Bandera, during a rally to support the possible military incursions of the Russian army onto the territory of Crimea to defend Russian citizens and speakers living in Ukraine, near the consulate of Ukraine in St. Petersburg, March 3, 2014. Bandera, who was born at the beginning of the 20th century, was leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement founded in western Ukraine. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev
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Poland requests more NATO consultations over Russia
ReutersBRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO allies will hold emergency talks on the crisis in Ukraine on Tuesday, for the second time in three days, following a request from Poland, the alliance said on Monday.In calling -
Reuters: Armed men seize Ukrainian border checkpoint at terminal of ferry between Russia and Crimea; three truckloads of armed men cross by ferry to Ukrainian side - Ukraine border guards
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Russia's state gas producer Gazprom has warned Ukraine that it may increase the gas price for Kiev after the first quarter. It insists Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine is normal but for how long? Joanna Partridge looks at the impact of the Ukraine crisis on energy and other key commodities.
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EU tells Russia to withdraw troops or face possible sanctions
ReutersBRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers held out the threat of sanctions against Russia on Monday if Moscow fails to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, while offering to mediate between the -
A woman looks through a damaged entrance door as pro-Russian demonstrators hold a rally outside the regional government building in Donetsk. REUTERS/Stringer
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What is most important now is that the United States act in concert with our allies in Europe. Unilateral U.S.sanctions against Russia are not going to have much an effect if Europe remains a haven for Russian banks and Russian oligarchs to stash and invest their money.
-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, Chairman of the Senate Europe subcommittee -
Pro-Russia protesters occupy regional government in Ukraine's Donetsk
By Lina Kushch
DONETSK, Ukraine - Pro-Russian demonstrators occupied the regional government building in east Ukraine's city of Donetsk on Monday, besieging lawmakers as they voted to support the protesters but stopped short of meeting their demands for a split from Kiev.
The chaotic scene in the heart of Ukraine's Russian-speaking east was one of the boldest actions yet by pro-Russian youths after several days of rallies in eastern and southern cities that Kiev says are organized by Moscow as a pretext to invade. Full Article -
More talk from EU diplomats about "targeted measures" that may be considered if Moscow does not agree to pull back forces in Ukraine.
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Russia has disappeared from the group of predictable, democratic countries.
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A woman kisses a Ukrainian serviceman through the fence as he stands on the territory of a military unit located in the village of Lyubimovka near a local airfield, some 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Simferopol, Crimea's capital March 3, 2014. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
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Russian fighter jets violated Ukraine's air space - ministry
KIEV (Reuters) - Russian fighter jets twice violated Ukraine's air space over the Black Sea during the night, Interfax news agency quoted the Defence Ministry as saying on Monday.
It said Ukraine's air force had scrambled a Sukhoi SU-27 interceptor aircraft and prevented any "provocative actions" but gave no further details.
(Reporting By Timothy Heritage) -
UN chief will urge Russia to de-escalate Ukraine crisis
GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said on Monday that he would ask Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Russia refrain from any acts or rhetoric that would further escalate the crisis in Ukraine and instead seek dialogue with authorities in Kiev.
Ban said that his deputy Jan Eliasson, who had just arrived in Kiev, would "convey the same message to Ukrainian authorities".
"It is now of utmost importance to restore calm and to de-escalate tensions immediately through dialogue," Ban told a news conference in Geneva shortly before holding talks with Lavrov. "I will urge that the Russian Federation refrain from any acts and rhetoric that could further escalate the situation and instead to engage constructively and through peaceful means with Ukraine."
(Reporting by Tom Miles and Stephanie Nebehay) -
UniCredit's Ukraine unit says temporarily limits cash withdrawals
MILAN (Reuters) - The Ukrainian unit of Italy's biggest bank by assets, UniCredit, said on Monday it had temporarily limited operations on cash withdrawals from ATMs after a request by the local central bank due to escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia.
In a statement on the bank's website, UniCredit Bank - the Ukrainian subsidiary of UniCredit - said the sum of cash for withdrawal for each card had been limited to UAH 1,500 hryvnia per day.
Cash withdrawals at UniCredit's Bank using cards issued by other banks were limited at 500 hryvnia per day.
"We are stressing that these measures are taken exclusively to provide all the bank's clients with ATM service," the statement said, adding the limits would be lifted as soon as the situation returned to normal.
A spokesman for UniCredit in Milan said the move followed a request by the Ukrainian central bank last week.
"All banks have spontaneously complied with the request," the spokesman said.
(Reporting by Paola Arosio) -
Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, walk outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol March 3, 2014. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
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Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, walk outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol March 3, 2014. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
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Diplomacy key to avoiding escalation in Ukraine - Steinmeier
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia's military activities on Ukrainian soil are unacceptable but international diplomacy must prevail to solve the crisis, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday.
"Crisis diplomacy is not a weakness but it will be more important than ever to not fall into the abyss of military escalation," Steinmeier told reporters ahead of an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
Steinmeier suggested an fact-finding mission by the OSCE, Europe's main human rights and democracy watchdog, as an initial response. "We are considering whether it wouldn't make good sense to create transparency about what is happening on the ground in eastern Ukraine and Crimea instead of being dependent on rumours," he said.
(Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Robin Emmott) -
Ukraine launches treason case against navy chief who surrendered his HQ and pledged allegiance to Crimea's pro-Russian authorities. Paul Chapman reports
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Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, stand guard outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol March 3, 2014. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili
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Britain says concerned Russia may move further into Ukraine
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said it was very concerned about the possibility that the Kremlin might send troops further into Ukraine and cautioned President Vladimir Putin that Russia would pay significant costs unless he changed course.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the Russian intervention in Ukraine was the biggest crisis in Europe so far this century.
Hague said that Russia now had operational control of Ukraine's Crimea region and that while Russia had the legal right to base troops in the region, the Kremlin should order them to return to their barracks.
"Clearly we are very concerned about any possibly of a further move by Russia in other parts of Ukraine but that does not mean the position in the Crimea is stable," Hague told the BBC in an interview.
"This is a very tense situation and dangerous situation that Russia's intervention has now produced." -
Russia says U.S. "sabotages" WTO talks by barring its officials
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday that the United States abruptly withdrew an invitation for Russian veterinary officials to attend talks this week and accused Washington of "sabotage", an apparent sign of tension over Ukraine.
Russia's veterinary oversight agency, Rosselkhoznadzor, was informed less than 24 hours before its delegation was to depart for Washington that the visit was "unacceptable" for the United States, Rosselkhoznadzor said.
In a statement, it accused the United States of "sabotage of Russia's participation" in March 3-6 talks aimed at agreeing veterinary and phytosanitary measures in connection with Kazakhstan's bid to join the World Trade Organisation. -
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G7 condemns Russia Ukraine move, halts G8 prep: White House
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven major industrialized nations on Sunday condemned Russia's intrusion into Ukraine and canceled for now preparations for the G8 summit that includes Russia and had been scheduled to take place in Sochi in June, the White House said.
"We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission, join together today to condemn the Russian Federation’s clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the G7 said in a statement.
"We have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G8 Summit in Sochi in June," the group said.
The G7 urged Russia to hold talks with Ukraine directly or with international participation to address any human rights or security concerns it has.
The group further expressed support for Ukraine's bid to secure financial help from the International Monetary Fund and to make reforms to its economy.
(Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Peter Cooney) -
Full White House statement on Obama's phone calls with Britain Prime Minister David Cameron, Polish President Bronisław Komorowski and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
President Obama spoke separately this afternoon with Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom, President Komorowski of Poland, and Chancellor Merkel of Germany. The leaders expressed their grave concern over Russia’s clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is a breach of international law and a threat to international peace and security. The leaders stressed that dialogue between Ukraine and Russia should start immediately, with international facilitation as appropriate.
The leaders affirmed the importance of unity within the international community in support of international law and their support for the Government of Ukraine, including its territorial integrity and its efforts to move forward with elections in May so that the Ukrainian people can continue to determine their own future in this historic hour. The leaders also pledged to work together on a package of multilateral and bilateral financial assistance to help Ukraine as it pursues urgently needed reforms to stabilize its economy. The leaders agreed to continue to coordinate closely, including bilaterally, and through appropriate international organizations.
The President reaffirmed the United States’ longstanding and continuing commitment to security and democracy in Eastern Europe. -
By Leonid Ragozin, a freelance journalist based in Moscow
First of all, the U.S. and its allies should make a real show of force: They need to back Ukraine with all their military and economic might ... But at the same time, they should encourage new Ukrainian leaders to turn their country, where at least half of the people speak Russian in everyday life, into a role model for people in Russia proper.
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A man holds a sign during a protest march in support of peace in Ukraine in Times Square in New York, March 2, 2014. The United States brandished the threat of economic sanctions on Russia on Sunday, with Secretary of State John Kerry calling Moscow's moves on Ukraine an "incredible act of aggression." REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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Cossacks, Berkut and other armed men dig in for Crimea stay
ReutersCHONGAR, Ukraine (Reuters) - Cossack militia from Russia, disbanded Ukrainian riot police and other unidentified armed men stood guard on Sunday at a token border post on one of the two land links between -
Britain warns Russia of 'significant costs' over Ukraine
LONDON, March 2 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron warned President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that Russia would pay significant costs unless the Kremlin changed course on Ukraine.
Cameron said he had agreed with U.S. President Barack Obama that Russia's actions in Ukraine were completely unacceptable, a Downing Street spokesman said.
"They agreed that Russia's actions were completely unacceptable. They agreed on the urgent need for de-escalation and for Russia to engage in a dialogue directly with Ukraine," the spokesman said.
"They agreed there must be 'significant costs' to Russia if it did not change course on Ukraine," the spokesman said. -
Good question.
The U.S.'s Putin Dilemma: Talk Tough And Then What?
The New YorkerThe danger is that heightened U.S. rhetoric, and avocations of a Cold War-style standoff, will have the opposite of the intended effect. -
Loyal to Ukraine, Tatars lie low as Russia seizes Crimea
By Alissa de Carbonnel
BAKHCHISARAY, Ukraine, March 2 (Reuters) - Only five days ago, Tatars of Ukraine’s Crimea came out in their thousands, chanting Allahu Akbar in a show of loyalty to the new authorities in Kiev and opposition to separatist demands by the region’s Russian ethnic majority.
But now, with Moscow’s military forces having unexpectedly seized control, the indigenous Muslim people of the isolated Black Sea peninsula have all but vanished from the public square, keeping their heads down to avoid being sucked into war.
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Ukrainian navy chief Denis Berezovsky swears allegiance to the pro-Russian regional leaders of Crimea in Sevastopol March 2, 2014 in this still image taken from video. Ukraine launched a treason case on Sunday against Berezovsky, the head of the navy, who surrendered his headquarters on Sunday in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on only his second day on the job. Berezovsky was shown on Russian television swearing allegiance to the pro-Russian regional leaders of Crimea. Russian forces have seized the Black Sea peninsula and told Ukrainian forces there to give up their weapons. Video shot March 2, 2014. REUTERS/Reuters
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A woman holds a sign during a protest march in support of peace in the Ukraine in Times Square in New York, March 2, 2014. Ukraine mobilized for war on Sunday and Washington threatened to isolate Russia economically, after President Vladimir Putin declared he had the right to invade his neighbor in Moscow's biggest confrontation with the West since the Cold War. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
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U.S. focus is on economic, political steps on Ukraine, not military
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - The United States is focused on economic, diplomatic and political measures to get Russia to reverse its intervention in Ukraine, not on military options, a senior U.S. official told reporters. -
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Competing Ukraine protests in Moscow, WSJ reports.
Muscovites Rally For and Against Russia's Move Into Ukraine
Thousands took to the streets Sunday in central Moscow in a government-backed rally to support military intervention in Ukraine, while hundreds rallied for peace despite a clampdown by police.
Putin says Russia will follow up fast after Ukraine call with Biden
MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would send ideas to Washington within a week to follow up his talks with U.S. President Joe Biden on the Ukraine crisis.
