-- The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution that affirms Ukraine's territorial integrity.
-- The IMF has announced "a staff-level agreement" with Kyiv on assistance of $14 billion-$18 billion in conjunction with a reform program that will "unlock" up to $27 billion over the next two years, pending final approval next month. Tthe U.S. Congress has also passed an aid bill for Ukraine.
-- Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko has announced plans to run for president.
-- Members of the Right Sector have been holding a demonstration outside the Ukrainian parliament building to vent their anger at the killing of prominent member Oleksander Muzychkoearlier in the week.
-- Six Ukrainian military officers detained by pro-Russian troops in Crimea have been released, including Colonel Yuliy Mamchur, but five others are still being held captive.
-- Anonymous sources quoted by CNN say U.S. intelligence "concludes it is more likely than previously thought that Russian forces will enter eastern Ukraine."
-- U.S. President Barack Obama, in the keynote speech of his visit to Europe, chided Russia for its use of "brute force" in Ukraine and vowed that a determined alliance of the United States and Europe will prevail over time.
*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv
Yes, Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry has recognized the referendum in Russian-occupied Crimea as "the will of the absolute majority of the population of the Autonomous Republic [of Crimea]."
Here's the ministry's statement as published on its English-language site:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic has been closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine, including the latest events around the Crimea, and expresses its concern at the escalation of the conflict.
Kyrgyz Republic, as before, holds the opinion that unconsidered actions and corruption of former Ukrainian authorities led to the current crisis and the deaths of dozens of innocent people.
At the same time, the results of the referendum in the Crimea from March 16 this year represent the will of absolute majority of the population of the Autonomous Republic . It is an objective reality, despite the polar estimates that have been given to this referendum.
The responsibility of those politicians who take fate in their hands in such a difficult period is extremely high. Any initiatives and actions should be aimed only to maintain fragile peace and stability in Ukraine and the region as a whole. Violent methods of confrontation are inadmissible.
Kyrgyzstan in its recent history has experienced two revolutions. Country experience after the April 2010 revolution, shows the crucial importance of the international partner's consistency in their intentions and actions, without policy of "double standards".
Kyrgyz Republic urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to resolve all disputes through peaceful talks under the international law and the UN Charter.
Recall that Kazakhstan has already recognized the results of the Crimea referendum.
20:1420.3.2014
Trying to confirm:
Kyrgyz FM announces Bishkek's recognizing the Crimean referendum: http://t.co/YMdsP1f7Ed Also recognizing Kyiv, too.
The Pentagon says Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has pledged to U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that Russian forces will not cross the border into eastern Ukraine. The Pentagon said today that Shoigu and Hagel spoke by telephone for an hour about the Russia-Ukraine conflict. A Pentagon spokesman said Shoigu told Hagel that thousands of Russian troops deployed near the Ukrainian border are there to conduct exercises and have no intention of making an incursion into Ukraine. The U.S. spokesman said Hagel told Shoigu that because Russian forces are in control of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, they bear responsibility for what happens in Crimea.
20:0420.3.2014
Ratings agency Standard & Poor's has lowered its outlook on Russia from "stable" to "negative" due to geopolitical turmoil and Western sanctions over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.
"Heightened geopolitical risk and the prospect of U.S. and EU economic sanctions" over the annexation of Crimea "could reduce the flow of potential investment, trigger rising capital outflows, and further weaken Russia's already deteriorating economic performance," S&P said. There remains "a material risk that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could extend beyond Crimea and that violence between pro- and anti-Russian protesters could spread to other cities in eastern Ukraine," it said.
The Russian ruble has lost about 10 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar and euro this year.
19:3020.3.2014
Here's our own Who's Who of some of the most influential people in Russia and Putin's inner circle targeted by today's U.S. sanctions:
Photo Gallery:
Powerful Russians Hit By Toughest U.S. Sanctions Yet
The United States has levied a new set of sanctions against Russia, targeting some of the most powerful people in the country, including members of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. Here are some of those individuals.
19:2920.3.2014
A handy guide to who stands where in the European Union debate vis-a-vis Russia sanctions.
The U.S. Treasury asserts in an announcement accompanying the expansion of Russian sanctions that Putin "has investments in [Gennady Timchenko's oil trading company] Gunvor and may have access to Gunvor funds."
Here's the relevant passage:
The following individuals are being designated because each is controlled by, has acted for or on behalf of, or has provided material or other support to, a senior Russian government official.
Gennady Timchenko is one of the founders of Gunvor, one of the world’s largest independent commodity trading companies involved in the oil and energy markets. Timchenko’s activities in the energy sector have been directly linked to Putin. Putin has investments in Gunvor and may have access to Gunvor funds.
Gunvor quickly issued a tweet denying Putin has or ever had any "ownership, beneficial or otherwise in Gunvor" (a statement we highlighted earlier via @RusPoliceWatch).
18:5820.3.2014
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk tweets that Kyiv will be prepared to sign the economic portion of an EU Association Agreement after the country's presidential election, set for May.
Після президентських виборів ми будемо готові підписати економічну частину Угоди з ЄС http://t.co/qRD7BSImmQ
Russia Pro-Russian forces capture Ukrainian naval vessels in Sevastopol's harbor, agencies report. From our newsroom:
Ukraine's Defense Ministry spokesman in Crimea says at least three Ukrainian warships docked at the peninsula's port of Sevastopol have been captured by pro-Russian forces. Spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said late on March 20 that pro-Russian forces stormed the vessel "Ternopil" while Russian soldiers cordoned off the area. "Stun grenades were used during the assault and automatic weapons fire was heard. "Seleznyov said. He added that two other vessels -- the "Lutsk" and the "Khmelnitsky" -- had also been boarded by pro-Russian forces. The fate of a fourth ship -- the "Slavutich" -- was still unclear. The commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Aleksandr Vitko, had reportedly boarded the "Slavutich" earlier in the day to negotiate a surrender. The Ukrainian warships had been blocked in the harbor by Russian warships.
