Russia declares war on Ukraine. Live updates from inside Ukraine

09:34: While loud voices normally very supportive of German Chancellor Angela Merkel have spoken out against sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine, it should be said that some influential Germans are arguing that a failure to punish Russia would lead eventually to threats against former Soviet-satellite countries like Poland and the Baltic states who are now in the EU, the BBC's Stephen Evans in Berlin says.
09:29: The association of German companies which does business with Russia has warned that "a spiral of sanctions" would turn into "sustained damage to the European economy", with the possibility of companies being expropriated by the Russian authorities, the BBC's Stephen Evans in Berlin reports.

So its clear, that Europe does what people expected Europe to do, walk away.

@statifik : I try to stay as neutral as humanly possible, I use the sources at my disposal, there is no good guy here.

One of the "suspected" snipers is given a beating..and a cross in the eye.



He'll have problems using a scope again for a while after that..

It's from NBC so of course he's a "pro government" sniper..


From an RT article, on the 20th Febuary. -

"Ukraine’s Ministry of Interior has reported that during the unrest in western regions of the country, radical activists stole approximately 1,000 Makarov pistols, over 170 Kalashnikov assault rifles, machine-guns and SNIPER RIFLES, and all this along with 18,000 bullets of various calibers. So far police have managed to retrieve only 17 handguns."

So, far from being sticks and stones the "poor poeple of Kiev" had enough fire power to do substancial damage..

Not to mention the little fact that the police and prosecutions database has been destroyed by rioters..now nobody has a criminal record or will be tried in court because theres no evidence.

if take aircraft carriers is the closest, in Greece at the time of March 4 - USS George Washington.

If I may, I would recommend the text anti-government analyst from Russia. His texts reflect not only the current military, but also the general political situation in the world and Ukraine. Use translate.google.ru, please.
worldcrisis.ru...

It is a very dangerous game,and for now nobody wins because it's more declarative than physical war.

But the surprise factor to be taken into account, which can be independendent of the will of the parties involved in the conflict.

That it is the real danger.

10:11: "The parliament of Crimea has adopted a motion for Crimea to join Russia. It has asked the Russian president and parliament to consider this request," a member of the parliament's leadership, Grigoriy Ioffe, tells AFP.
10:09: Crimea's parliament has unanimously voted in favour of becoming part of Russia, the RIA news agency quoted by Reuters says.
10:08: The pro-Russian mayor of the Crimean port of Sevastopol says the city will not take part in the Ukrainian presidential election scheduled for 25 May, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reports. Alexei Chaly, elected to the newly created position of chairman of Sevatopol's executive committee by a rally on 23 February, is quoted as saying: "Sevastopol refuses to take part in the election imposed by the illegitimate authorities." (BBC Monitoring).

reply to post by MessageforAll


Pretty much the same thing is going to happen in Eastern Ukraine as well i believe, so technically Putin did not annex Crimea that too without a single causality..

reply to post by MessageforAll


rt.com...

A referendum on the status of Crimea will be held March 16, the region’s deputy prime minister announced. Crimeans will be asked to decide if the autonomous republic stays part of Ukraine or joins Russia.

"The referendum will take place March 16," said the autonomous region’s First Deputy-Premier Rustam Temirgaliev, according to ITAR-TASS.

The new date is two weeks earlier than the one announced last week.

There will be two questions on the ballots.

“The first one: Are you in favor of Crimea becoming a constituent territory of the Russian Federation. The second one: Are you in favor of restoring Crimea’s 1992 constitution,” Temirgaliev said.

Which news is true , the BBC one or the RT one ?

ok .....figured this one out

Crimea's parliament votes for the region to become part of Russia, and to hold referendum in 10 days' time on endorsing the move

maddy21
Which news is true , the BBC one or the RT one ?

I think, both.

Parliament has voted unanimously to join Russia, and then on March 16th they'll put it to the people of Crimea.

I think.

khimbar

maddy21
Which news is true , the BBC one or the RT one ?

I think, both.

Parliament has voted unanimously to join Russia, and then on March 16th they'll put it to the people of Crimea.

I think.

What if the people of Crimea reject Russian affiliation and restore the Constitution of 1992? What will Russia do?

DJW001

khimbar

maddy21
Which news is true , the BBC one or the RT one ?

I think, both.

Parliament has voted unanimously to join Russia, and then on March 16th they'll put it to the people of Crimea.

I think.

What if the people of Crimea reject Russian affiliation and restore the Constitution of 1992? What will Russia do?

Maybe they will allow the "self defense forces" to vote

reply to post by DJW001




Not a clue, will they borrow an old favourite EU move and make them vote again until they get it right?

People are allowed to vote however should it been passed through the Ukrainian Government.

Keiv doesn't sea Crimean Government as legit or legal?

confused

Russia now has the upper holding hand for now and can accept their proposal if they do what are the complications to this?

Anyone?

Morning Summary

It’s midday in the UK, the EU leaders’ summit has got two more hours scheduled to go, and plenty enough has happened to merit a quick summary:

• Crimea’s regional parliament has voted to join the Russian Federation and announced a referendum on the issue for 16 March - earlier than previously planned.

• Crimea’s vice-premier has said the referendum is only intended to endorse the decision of the parliament, saying Crimea is part of the Russia Federation “from today”. A Ukrainian minister has dismissed the vote as illegitimate.

• EU leaders are meeting now in Brussels to discuss a response to the crisis. Ukraine’s new prime minister is present. The expectation is more for a renewed threat of sanctions on Russia rather than actual sanctions.

• Russia has promised to simplify the system under which native Russian-speakers living in former Russian or USSR territory can get Russian citizenship.

• The UN security council is due to meet again this evening in New York to discuss Ukraine.

link

The Ukrainian foreign ministry warns of plans to stage "acts of provocation in Crimea", the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reports. "There may be a terror attack or an attack by people wearing uniforms of Ukrainian servicemen," the agency quotes the head of the ministry's information policy department as saying.

www.bbc.co.uk...

reply to post by deviant300


Funny how the Russians are saying the same, but then the other way around lol.

12:26: The Russian parliament could look at Crimea's appeal to join Russia as early as next week, The Guardian's Moscow correspondent Shaun Walker tweets.

twitter.com...


My question is does Crimea pro-russian leaders have the legal right to decide through a referendum the future Crimea's part to join Russia. Or does this have to be through the Ukrainian gov?

12:33: Russia is planning an "annexation" of Crimea and other parts of Ukraine, Russian politician Leonid Gozman tells a meeting of centre-right EU politicians in Dublin, PA reports. "The majority of Russians support our aggression in Crimea, the majority of Russians are very happy that we are planning to bring an annexation of Crimea and other parts of Ukraine," Mr Gozman says.

BBC Live

Well, this is the first time since Putin's press conference where he flatly denied Russia was looking to annex the Crimean region that a Russian gov't official has said the opposite. This is also the first time I've heard of a Russian politicial admitting that the plans extend out of the Crimean region into other parts of Ukraine slated for 'annexation'.

I also am a little wary of his use of the word "aggression", as this also seems to be going away from the offical Russian "script" thus far. Not quite sure why but this, if true, really hightens my concern over this whole event.

reply to post by deviant300


I was wondering the same thing, although, the way I read it, Crimea is a sovereign state within Ukraine, so I think they have the right to do so.