Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt also points to story in "The Daily Beast" we included here earlier today:
13:3630.3.2014
ITAR-TASS reports that about 4,000 people rallied on Sunday in Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, to demand autonomy for eight eastern regions.
14:1530.3.2014
More from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking about U.S. and EU sanctions against targeted Russian officials on Russia's Channel One:
"We know for a fact that diplomats from the European Union countries and from the U.S. here in Moscow are instructed not to attend events where people from the sanctions list will appear. It totally contradicts the tasks that diplomacy needs to solve. Diplomacy is the art of talking and reaching agreements."
14:1930.3.2014
More from Victoria Nuland's visit Sunday to the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, as reported by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service:
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland said Sunday that Washington will give $10 million to Chisinau to support the country's "border security efforts." Nuland made the comments after meeting with Moldovan Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman in Chisinau.
She earlier met with Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and President Nicolae Timofti.
Nuland said the United States looks forward to "all Moldovans -- including those in [Transdniester] and [Gagauzia]" benefitting from visa-free travel to Europe.
NATO has warned that Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region could be Russia's next target after annexing Ukraine's Crimea region.
14:2230.3.2014
At a news conference Sunday in Chisinau with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, Moldova's Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman spoke about keeping communication lines open between both Kyiv and Moscow:
"The fact that the Moldovan government recognizes the authorities in Kyiv means that we keep a permanent dialogue with our Ukrainian partners, but very important -- all controversial subjects are also discussed with out Russian partners, in a long lasting and constructive dialogue."
14:3930.3.2014
14:4030.3.2014
14:4430.3.2014
It's a few days old, but this "Kyiv Post" article has fascinating details (and photographs) about the "loot" left behind by Ukraine's former officials after they fled, including a safe belonging to former Energy Minister Eduard Stavitsky that was allegedly stuffed with $5 million in cash.
Former Energy Minister Eduard Stavitsky
14:5530.3.2014
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry responds to comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in which he suggested that the only way to resolve the crisis was by turning Ukraine into a federation in which its Russified regions would have broader rights, via AFP:
"We would like to urge Russia, before it presses its ultimatums on a sovereign and independent nation, to take note of the catastrophic state and complete powerlessness of its own ethnic minorities, including Ukrainians.
"Why not make other languages besides Russian into a state language -- including Ukrainian, the language of millions of Russian citizens?
"Stop preaching to others. And instead, start putting things right in your own country. After all, you have so many problems."
