RUSSIA DEMANDS SURRENDER OF UKRAINE’S CRIMEA FORCES
March 3rd, 2014Update: Moscow Denies Ultimatum
Via: euronews:
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Russia’s western partners on Monday to put aside geopolitical calculations and think about the Ukrainian people. “We call for a responsible approach, to put aside geopolitical calculations, and above all to put the interests of the Ukrainian people first,” he said in Geneva on a live feed broadcast to Moscow. He said all sides should stand by a Feb. 21 agreement, which agreed on undertaking constitutional reforms. Moscow has denied this afternoon previous information on an alleged Black Fleet ultimatum to ukrainian forces to “surrender or face military action” up to 4h00AM CET.
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Via: BBC:
The Russian military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until 03:00 GMT to surrender or face an assault, Ukrainian defence sources have said.
The head of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Aleksander Vitko set the deadline and threatened an attack “across Crimea”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier said Russia was responding to “ultra-nationalist threats”.
Western powers have condemned Moscow’s decision to send troops as a “violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty”.
Russia is now said to be in de facto control of the Crimea region.
Ukraine has ordered full mobilisation to counter the intervention.
