12:00
26.4.2014
"In Slovyansk, a people's council is gathering to establish a new local administration."
В #Славянск народный совет собирается для создания нового местного самоуправления pic.twitter.com/NCuAqJeVoW
— Sergey Ponomarev (@SergeyPonomarev) April 26, 2014
12:10
26.4.2014
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk speaking today to reporters during his visit to Rome:
"This is [more] proof and evidence that these so-called peaceful protesters with the Russian ID's (eds: identification cards) are real terrorists who detained and captured as hostages OSCE observers. This is unbelievable and unacceptable and disgusting. And despite all of this Russian authorities never condemn these terrorists and this is a clear sign that the Russian regime supports these gangsters, culprits and criminals."
12:12
26.4.2014
A senior Obama administration official speaking on background to the White House press pool:
"As you saw in the G-7 Leaders statement, Leaders have agreed that there must be further sanctions on Russia for their actions. Each country will determine which targeted sanctions they will impose. These sanctions will be coordinated and complementary, but not necessarily identical. U.S. sanctions could come as early as Monday."
12:13
26.4.2014
Full text of the G-7 Statement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2014
G-7 Leaders Statement on Ukraine
We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, join in expressing our deep concern at the continued efforts by separatists backed by Russia to destabilize eastern Ukraine and our commitment to taking further steps to ensure a peaceful and stable environment for the May 25 presidential election.
We welcomed the positive steps taken by Ukraine to meet its commitments under the Geneva accord of April 17 by Ukraine, Russia, the European Union, and the United States. These actions include working towards constitutional reform and decentralization, proposing an amnesty law for those who will peacefully leave the buildings they have seized in eastern Ukraine, and supporting the work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). We also note that the Government of Ukraine has acted with restraint in dealing with the armed bands illegally occupying government buildings and forming illegal checkpoints.
In contrast, Russia has taken no concrete actions in support of the Geneva accord. It has not publicly supported the accord, nor condemned the acts of pro-separatists seeking to destabilize Ukraine, nor called on armed militants to leave peacefully the government buildings they've occupied and put down their arms. Instead, it has continued to escalate tensions by increasingly concerning rhetoric and ongoing threatening military maneuvers on Ukraine's border.
We reiterate our strong condemnation of Russia's illegal attempt to annex Crimea and Sevastopol, which we do not recognize. We will now follow through on the full legal and practical consequences of this illegal annexation, including but not limited to the economic, trade and financial areas.
We have now agreed that we will move swiftly to impose additional sanctions on Russia. Given the urgency of securing the opportunity for a successful and peaceful democratic vote next month in Ukraine's presidential elections, we have committed to act urgently to intensify targeted sanctions and measures to increase the costs of Russia's actions.
Russia's actions in Ukraine and the response from the international community already have imposed significant costs on its economy. While we continue to prepare to move to broader, coordinated sanctions, including sectoral measures should circumstances warrant, as we committed to in The Hague on March 24, we underscore that the door remains open to a diplomatic resolution of this crisis, on the basis of the Geneva accord. We urge Russia to join us in committing to that path.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2014
G-7 Leaders Statement on Ukraine
We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, join in expressing our deep concern at the continued efforts by separatists backed by Russia to destabilize eastern Ukraine and our commitment to taking further steps to ensure a peaceful and stable environment for the May 25 presidential election.
We welcomed the positive steps taken by Ukraine to meet its commitments under the Geneva accord of April 17 by Ukraine, Russia, the European Union, and the United States. These actions include working towards constitutional reform and decentralization, proposing an amnesty law for those who will peacefully leave the buildings they have seized in eastern Ukraine, and supporting the work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). We also note that the Government of Ukraine has acted with restraint in dealing with the armed bands illegally occupying government buildings and forming illegal checkpoints.
In contrast, Russia has taken no concrete actions in support of the Geneva accord. It has not publicly supported the accord, nor condemned the acts of pro-separatists seeking to destabilize Ukraine, nor called on armed militants to leave peacefully the government buildings they've occupied and put down their arms. Instead, it has continued to escalate tensions by increasingly concerning rhetoric and ongoing threatening military maneuvers on Ukraine's border.
We reiterate our strong condemnation of Russia's illegal attempt to annex Crimea and Sevastopol, which we do not recognize. We will now follow through on the full legal and practical consequences of this illegal annexation, including but not limited to the economic, trade and financial areas.
We have now agreed that we will move swiftly to impose additional sanctions on Russia. Given the urgency of securing the opportunity for a successful and peaceful democratic vote next month in Ukraine's presidential elections, we have committed to act urgently to intensify targeted sanctions and measures to increase the costs of Russia's actions.
Russia's actions in Ukraine and the response from the international community already have imposed significant costs on its economy. While we continue to prepare to move to broader, coordinated sanctions, including sectoral measures should circumstances warrant, as we committed to in The Hague on March 24, we underscore that the door remains open to a diplomatic resolution of this crisis, on the basis of the Geneva accord. We urge Russia to join us in committing to that path.
12:14
26.4.2014
Ukrainian presidential candidate and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaking today in Kyiv at a ceremony at the Chernobyl memorial commemorating the 28th anniversary of the 1986 nuclear disaster.
"I believe that today, we must take all the necessary steps together with the European Union, the United States of America and the whole of the democratic world, to stop aggressors peacefully, to do everything to make the Russian troops pull back from Ukraine's border, to unblock our cities and administrative buildings, and free hostages, and to make those whose hands are covered in the blood of Ukrainians stand before the court."
"If Russia continues with its aggression and does not abide by the decisions taken during negotiations, including the Geneva talks, Ukraine must be strong and must repel the invader, so that he will never have such plans and intentions again."
"If Russia continues with its aggression and does not abide by the decisions taken during negotiations, including the Geneva talks, Ukraine must be strong and must repel the invader, so that he will never have such plans and intentions again."
12:19
26.4.2014
Springtime on the Maidan:
Весна на Евромайдане pic.twitter.com/gpZ0npq8K0
— Белорусский партизан (@belpartisan) April 26, 2014
12:23
26.4.2014
12:25
26.4.2014
This just came over the Reuters wire:
(URGENT):Russia, Germany discuss possible steps to ease Ukraine crisis
MOSCOW, April 26 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed ways to defuse tension in Ukraine during a telephone call initiated by Berlin on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Lavrov and Steinmeier "continued discussions about the development of the crisis situation in Ukraine, with an accent on possible steps to de-escalate the situation," the ministry said in a statement.
(URGENT):Russia, Germany discuss possible steps to ease Ukraine crisis
MOSCOW, April 26 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier discussed ways to defuse tension in Ukraine during a telephone call initiated by Berlin on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Lavrov and Steinmeier "continued discussions about the development of the crisis situation in Ukraine, with an accent on possible steps to de-escalate the situation," the ministry said in a statement.
12:42
26.4.2014
12:57
26.4.2014
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry denies any violations of Ukrainian airspace. This, via ITAR-TASS:
MOSCOW, April 26 (Itar-Tass) - There have been no violations of Ukraine's air space by Russian warplanes, the Russian Defence Ministry has stated.