| Author (Corporate) | BBC |
|---|---|
| Series Title | BBC News |
| Series Details | 26.03.14 |
| Publication Date | 26/03/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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US President Barack Obama said on the 25 March 2014 that the US would not recognise Crimea's vote to secede from Ukraine and warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against further incursions into the eastern Europe country. However, and for the first time, Mr. Obama acknowledged for that Russia was unlikely to surrender control of Crimea, conceding that Western condemnations have had little effect on President Vladimir Putin. Russia originally said it was intervening in Crimea because of concern over the ill-treatment of Russians there - they make up more than half the population. Others parts of Eastern Europe, home to large minorities of Russian-speaking people, were reportedly waiting to see Mr. Putin's next steps. The Russian president said on the 27 March 2014 that the country would develop its own credit card system, in order to reduce reliance on Western payment card companies Visa and MasterCard and soften the potential blow from EU, US sanctions. BBC News and other sources reported on the 25 March 2014 that Oleksandr Muzychko, A Ukrainian ultra-nationalist leader, had been shot dead in what officials described as a special forces operation. The US President mentioned after a EU-US Summit in Brussels on the 26 March 2014 that there was no Cold War over Crimea, insisting that a military solution was not an option and that diplomacy was the way forward. On the 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution that declares Crimea's breakaway referendum as illegitimate. The move came on the same day as Ukraine's new government received a boost in international financial aid pledges. In the meantime, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko revealed her intention to run for president of Ukraine in May 2014 elections. Ukraine's interim President Olexander Turchynov condemned the ultra-nationalist Right Sector, saying the group was bent on "destabilisation". Meanwhile, ousted President Viktor Yanukovych called for a national referendum to determine each region's "status within Ukraine". Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry met in Paris on the 30 March 2014 after their presidents talked on the phone. However, they failed to agree on a plan to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis, with Washington urging Moscow to pull back its troops. Russia suggested its smaller neighbour adopt a less unified federal system. |
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| Source Link | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26713975 |
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| Countries / Regions | Central Europe, Europe, Russia, Ukraine |
