“I will explain in detail the position of the Russian Federation on the current situation in Ukraine, as well as how the Russian policy in this sphere is being built,” he said.

The UN Security Council was set to hold an emergency meeting on the Ukraine crisis on Monday at Russia‘s request, as Russian troops continued to keep a hold on the eastern part of the former Soviet republic, diplomats said.

The coucil met on Friday and Saturday on the issue but did not take any action, with U.S. and European officials warning Russia to withdraw troops and Ukraine accusing Russia of violating its sovereignty.

The Venezuelan minister thanked the Russian counterpart for support due to the fact that there “are those who deny the will of the majority of Venezuelan people”

The President was accompanied by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Commander of the Western Military District Anatoly Sidorov and Head of General Staff Combat Training Directorate Ivan Buvaltsev.

The exercises, which began on February 26, are being conducted as part of a snap inspection of combat readiness of Western and Central Military District forces and a number of armed forces’ branches.

Moscow strongly disagrees with a statement by NATO Council, which condemns Russia for military escalation in Crimea in contravention with the principles of international law, says a commentary published on Russian Foreign Ministry’s web page on Monday.

“Such a stance doesn’t contribute to stabilizing the situation in Ukraine and only encourages those forces that intend to use the current events to achieve their reckless political goals,” Russia’s diplomatic service said in a statement. “It is obvious that the existing threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are caused exclusively by the domestic political crisis in this country. Its settlement requires a fundamentally different behavior of our partners.”

Veröffentlicht am 31.12.2013

(25.Januar) Disturbing footage from Ukraine shows violence spiraling out of control during anti-government protests, with rioters attacking and capturing policemen standing their ground. The Interior Ministry has hinted at a tough response if the unrest continues

Maidan‘s idea of ‚power to the people‘ has taken a strange turn in Ukraine. Post-coup leaders have just appointed two oligarchs, as governors. Kiev‘s begun replacing officials it deems less than absolutely loyal to the new authorities. RT‘s Peter Oliver reports on the surprise appointments.

The efforts of radical forces and the self-imposed government in Kiev to forcefully overthrow local authorities in the East are unacceptable and endanger the lives of Ukrainians and Russians, Russia‘s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin told the Security Council.

Pro-Russian demonstrators occupied the regional government building in east Ukraine‘s city of Donetsk on Monday, besieging lawmakers as they voted to support the protesters but stopped short of meeting their demands for a split from Kiev.

RT: Many within the country consider the current government illegitimate, would international organisations, like the IMF, be open to dealing with it?

JS: Well I think unfortunately any government that expresses its willingness to working with IMF in imposing the structural adjustment is going to be heralded as legitimate and so represent the popular will whether it does or does not.

The self-defense forces guarding the borders of the Ukrainian autonomous republic of Crimea have prevented a large amount of firearms and explosives from being smuggled into the republic by Kiev radicals.

The Cossacks and Berkut troops at the road checkpoint in the Crimean peninsula have confiscated explosives equivalent to 400 kilograms of TNT as well as grenades, rifles and guns, Russia-1 TV channel reports.

„There have been reasons for today‘s situation in Ukraine,“ said the spokesman, without detailing the reasons.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping and his Russian counterpart Grigory Karasin agreed Monday that the international community should work on the harmony and stability of the Commonwealth of Independence States (CIS). (..)

They called on all relevant Ukrainian parties to resolve their disputes through dialogue and consultation within legal frameworks, thus ensuring stability, economic growth and social harmony of the country.

China and Russia, they noted, treasure traditional friendship with the Ukrainian people, and are willing to do whatever they can to support and help the Ukrainians.

Ukraine will fulfill all the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to get a loan, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk has said.

„This government will fulfill all the requirements of the IMF for the simple reason that it is our only option,“ he said at a meeting with the European Business Association in Kyiv on Monday.

An International Monetary Fund team will visit Ukraine from Tuesday to March 14 to assess the economy and begin negotiations for a financial bailout, the IMF said Monday.

„Ich will das Wort ‚Krieg‘ – genauso wie meine Kollegen – nicht einmal aussprechen“, sagte Naryschkin in einem Interview für den TV-Sender Rossija 24. „Die vom Föderationsrat getroffene Entscheidung gewährt schließlich nur das Recht (auf den Truppeneinsatz), von dem im äußersten Fall Gebrauch gemacht werden kann. Im Moment ist das aber nicht nötig“, sagte der russische Parlamentspräsident.