22m ago Summary • An EU summit ended with an agreement on small steps in response to Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, and a warning that sanctions could follow “if Russia does not change course.” • EU leaders agreed to suspend negotiations on a more liberal visa regime for Russians; stop work on a new EU-Russian comprehensive relations deal; and stop preparations for the G8 summit in Sochi in June. • US secretary of state John Kerry gave Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov a rundown of the EU-US position for him to take to the Russian president, Kerry said following a meeting in Rome. • The EU froze the assets of 18 Ukrainian citizens. The United States erected a legal framework to impose visa restrictions on unnamed Russian officials. The US House of Representatives voted for $1bn in loan guarantees for Ukraine. • The Crimean parliament voted to join the Russian Federation and to hold a referendum on 16 March to rubber-stamp the decision. • Ukrainian, European and American leaders condemned the planned referendum. “The referendum “would violate the Ukrainian constitution and violate international law,” US president Barack Obama said. • The Pentagon said it was sending 12 F-16 fighters and 300 military personnel to Poland for joint Nato training in addition to moving planes to Lithuania. • Armed groups including troops in Russian military uniform turned international observers away from the Crimean border. • An emergency UN security council meeting was planned for Thursday. • Numerous countries have canceled plans to send government ministers and members of royal families to the opening of the winter Paralympic Games in Sochi on Friday. Updated 19m ago for updates re Ukraine on 3.6.14 by The Guardian web site
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 20:50:29 +0000
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