18:00
1.4.2014
More !!! BREAKING NEWS !!! from Brussels:
Ukraine's acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya says Ukraine did not ask for NATO membership at a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Brussels today. Deshchytsya said there is "no legal basis" currently for Ukraine to apply for NATO membership.Deshchytsya also said Ukraine planned to pursue legal action against Russia in international tribunals in a bid to recover Crimea.
"We consider Crimea as an integral part of Ukraine and we are planning to submit legal cases to the international courts against Russia and against Russian actions in Crimea," he said. "We believe that with the international support, we will be able to return Crimea to Ukraine."
20:04
1.4.2014
We are now closing the live blog for April 1. Before we go, we will leave you with the latest comments on the Ukraine situation from Europe's Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, as reported by Reuters:
You can also read RFE/RL's latest Ukraine news wrap here.
The European Union's economy chief has downplayed the possibility of tougher economic sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea.
Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said today that "no sensible European" would want to see economic sanctions, unless Russia escalates the crisis.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of European finance ministers in Athens, Rehn also said the European Union will make a swift payment of financial aid to Ukraine, as Kyiv is now facing a price hike on gas it buys from Russia.
The EU has pledged 11 billion euros (over $15 billion) as part of a package of support with the International Monetary Fund.
Rehn said it "should be possible for Ukraine to develop closer economic and political ties with the EU and maintain good neighborly relations with Russia."
Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said today that "no sensible European" would want to see economic sanctions, unless Russia escalates the crisis.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of European finance ministers in Athens, Rehn also said the European Union will make a swift payment of financial aid to Ukraine, as Kyiv is now facing a price hike on gas it buys from Russia.
The EU has pledged 11 billion euros (over $15 billion) as part of a package of support with the International Monetary Fund.
Rehn said it "should be possible for Ukraine to develop closer economic and political ties with the EU and maintain good neighborly relations with Russia."
You can also read RFE/RL's latest Ukraine news wrap here.
07:22
2.4.2014
Good morning. We'll get the live blog rolling today with this tweet from Espresso TV, which appears to show Russian President Vladimir Putin's ex-wife Lyudmila wearing an interesting choice of outfit. Is this perhjaps a late April Fool's joke?
Людмила Путіна тролить свого колишнього чоловіка кольорами українського прапора http://t.co/YZqJwW586X pic.twitter.com/rD22lB6t6G
— Espreso.tv (@EspresoTV) April 2, 2014
07:22
2.4.2014
BREAKING: Russian President Vladimir Putin signs law to terminate agreements with Ukraine on the Black Sea Fleet.
07:27
2.4.2014
#Georgia achieved remarkable progress in ambitious democratic & defence reforms. June local elections will be another significant milestone
— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) April 2, 2014
07:51
2.4.2014
The BBC has published an interesting commentary piece by Jonathan Eyal of the Royal United Services Institute. According to Eyal, Moscow has actually set its eyes on bigger goals than Ukraine:
The purpose of this grand strategy is clear: to tear apart the territorial status quo created in Europe when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, a status quo which, as President Putin has repeatedly observed, Russia considers both unjust and unsustainable.
Read more here
08:01
2.4.2014
"The Moscow Times" has published profiles of four of the most prominent candidates in Ukraine's upcoming presidential election. Don't forget that RFE/RL is also gradually rolling out overviews of some of those hoping to stand in the May 25 poll. You can read more here (Petro Poroshenko) and here (Olha Bohomolets).
08:03
2.4.2014
A quick update for you from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. He has just told reporters that energy should not be used as a weapon, or as an instrument of agression.
08:04
2.4.2014
More from our news desk on Putin signing a law to terminate agreements with Ukraine on the Black Sea Fleet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the law on terminating the agreements with Ukraine on Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
The Kremlin's press service said Wednesday that Putin has signed the document after Russia's State Duma adopted the law on Monday and the parliament's upper chamber, Federation Council approved it Tuesday.
The agreements signed in 1997 were about division of the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet between Russia and Ukraine and conditions for the Russian Black Sea Fleet's vessels staying in Ukraine's Crimea.
One of the agreements signed by Kyiv and Moscow in 2010 was about Russian vessels staying in Crimea for 25 years in exchange of selling of Russian natural gas to Ukraine for cheaper price.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev proposed to denounce the agreements last month.
The Kremlin's press service said Wednesday that Putin has signed the document after Russia's State Duma adopted the law on Monday and the parliament's upper chamber, Federation Council approved it Tuesday.
The agreements signed in 1997 were about division of the former Soviet Black Sea Fleet between Russia and Ukraine and conditions for the Russian Black Sea Fleet's vessels staying in Ukraine's Crimea.
One of the agreements signed by Kyiv and Moscow in 2010 was about Russian vessels staying in Crimea for 25 years in exchange of selling of Russian natural gas to Ukraine for cheaper price.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev proposed to denounce the agreements last month.
08:21
2.4.2014
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and other outlets are reporting that Ukraine's acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has told an investment conference in Kyiv that the EU will open its market to duty-free Ukrainian exports as of May 15.