08:18
1.5.2014
Reuters quotes Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ascalling for OSCE-sponsored talks between Kyiv and pro-Russian separatists in southeastern Ukraine. "Russia believes that such a dialogue could be arranged between the authorities in Kyiv and their opponents in other regions of the country under the aegis of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," Lavrov told Rossiya-24 TV during a visit to Peru.
08:29
1.5.2014
Some of International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde's statements at a news briefing in Washington announcing yesterday's decision to provide Ukraine with a two-year, $17 billion aid program, via Reuters.
"Urgent action was necessary, decisive measures were taken by Ukraine and decisive measures have just been taken by the IMF. So there has been a very strong endorsement for the program, which will release, over the course of the next two years, $17.1 billion in different installments over the course of those two years."
"We believe that Ukraine has an opportunity to seize the moment, to break away from previous practices both from a fiscal, from a monetary, and from a governance point of view."
"It's a program that has implementation risks. It's one were we are trying to mitigate the risks as much as we can. We have had prior actions, which have been addressed satisfactorily. We will have what I will call high frequency reviews because there will be a review of [Ukraine's] performance every two months in the first sequence to make sure that determination is actually followed through."
"We believe that Ukraine has an opportunity to seize the moment, to break away from previous practices both from a fiscal, from a monetary, and from a governance point of view."
"It's a program that has implementation risks. It's one were we are trying to mitigate the risks as much as we can. We have had prior actions, which have been addressed satisfactorily. We will have what I will call high frequency reviews because there will be a review of [Ukraine's] performance every two months in the first sequence to make sure that determination is actually followed through."
08:54
1.5.2014
08:56
1.5.2014
08:59
1.5.2014
09:03
1.5.2014
Ukrainian Interior Ministry reports destroying another illegal checkpoint, at Krasnoarmiysk, a minor administrative hub in the Donetsk region.
09:05
1.5.2014
09:25
1.5.2014
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has accused the West of a "propaganda campaign" about Ukraine that reflects the West's "outdated mentality and outdated logic" aimed at demonstrating "the way they decide different issues should always have the upper hand in all situations," according to Interfax:
"They are already stalling in some matters. Hence their indignation and sanctions, which are pointless to a large extent," he said.
"But we are not going to parrot them, and at this stage we still want to give our partners a chance to calm down. Let's see what happens next. If these absolutely unfounded reprimands against Russia continue, and if more attempts are made to use economic levers against us, in this case we will have to take a further look at the situation," the Russian foreign minister said.
"But we are not going to parrot them, and at this stage we still want to give our partners a chance to calm down. Let's see what happens next. If these absolutely unfounded reprimands against Russia continue, and if more attempts are made to use economic levers against us, in this case we will have to take a further look at the situation," the Russian foreign minister said.
09:41
1.5.2014
I would treat as unconfirmed this Russian report of a prisoner swap between Ukrainian government and separatists in Slovyansk. Still haven't seen it anywhere but Interfax. The three Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) employees -- blindfolded and looking bruised -- were "interviewed" by assembled Russian media in a video clip that raised fears last weekend. Interfax:
An SBU spokeswoman had suggested the gunmen who abducted the SBU men were acting on a tip from inside the security service.
The self-defense forces of Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, have released two of the three detained soldiers of the Ukrainian Security Service's Alfa special operations unit in exchange for their activists.
"We managed to agree with the opposite site to swap two of these special operations unit soldiers for our supporters. We freed them afterwards," a self-defense forces spokesman told Interfax over the phone.
The freed soldiers pledged not to take part in any military operations in southeastern Ukraine, he added.
"We managed to agree with the opposite site to swap two of these special operations unit soldiers for our supporters. We freed them afterwards," a self-defense forces spokesman told Interfax over the phone.
The freed soldiers pledged not to take part in any military operations in southeastern Ukraine, he added.
An SBU spokeswoman had suggested the gunmen who abducted the SBU men were acting on a tip from inside the security service.
10:21
1.5.2014
The Kremlin says German Chancellor Angela Merkel has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help free the OSCE military observers being held by separatists in eastern Ukraine.