Live Blog: UN Backs Ukraine Integrity

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is due to visit Ukraine on March 22 for talks on the ongoing crisis over Russia's annexation of Crimea. A ministry spokesman said Steinmeier would be seeking "a first-hand assessment of the situation from the new political leadership." He is due to meet Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and acting President Oleksandr Turchynov and then travel to Donetsk in the east to meet the local governor and other officials. Spokesman Martin Schaefer said Steinmeier would urge the new government to cater to the interests of its ethnic Russian minority, with the aim of showing "that we desire the new government and new leadership pursue policies for all Ukrainians." Earlier this week, Germany suspended a military deal with Russia worth 100 million euros in response to Moscow’s actions.

Strong response by #EU today on #Ukraine - econ measures, 12 new names, etc. #RussiaIsolated #CostofCrimea @UkrProgress

— Jen Psaki (@statedeptspox) March 21, 2014

Under international humanitarian law, an occupying power has an obligation to restore and ensure public order and safety as far as possible while respecting, unless absolutely prevented from doing so, the occupied country’s laws in force.

"All the statements that we have heard from Washington about economic sanctions that, as [U.S.] President [Barack] Obama said, are not being introduced yet but that he has the right to [impose], and he also added that such sanctions will affect many sectors of the Russian economy, but at the same time he admitted that these sanctions will also disrupt the global economy."

"If our American partners, for the sake of satisfying their geopolitical ambitions, are ready to take these steps in connection with a situation taking place thousands and thousands of miles away from Washington, it probably will be obvious to everyone that the Americans are not being guided by common sense and a sense of reality but by the wish to punish somebody. I think this would be wrong."

"We understand that in every country there are political divisions. There are parliaments where the moods might be quite varied. But to follow the lead of open Russophobes, of those who are trying to present this situation in order to isolate Russia -- is a dead end in any event, and I think that no serious politicians would attempt to satisfy those desires."

"With regard to our other partners -- some European [partners] are against economic sanctions. This can be heard in many countries, primarily in leading countries of the European Union, including Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, by the way, and many other states."

Russia now has 85 regions. Let mayonnaise filled sushi bombing commence.

— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) March 21, 2014

Russian FM Lavrov doesn't like word "annexation" applied to what happened in Crimea: http://t.co/RLf1kc8Luf My dictionary says it's fine.

— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) March 21, 2014

"This deal covers the most existential and most important issues, mainly security and defense cooperation. This deal will establish a joint decision-making body, which is to facilitate the process of real reforms in my country. And this deal meets the aspirations of millions of Ukrainians that want to be a part of the European Union."

"It is essential for all of us to speak in one single voice in order not to give anyone, including Russia [the opportunity] to use energy as a new nuclear weapon."

They beat me, tortured me, electroshocked me, hit me on the back. They asked me whether I had ties to Right Sektor... Several of the guards also abused me, they shot me in the arms and legs with pneumatic guns. They didn't give me anything to eat, and sometimes nothing to drink either. It was very, very hard.