Thread: Russian Upper House Approves Use of Troops on Ukrainian Soil

Russian Upper House Approves Use of Troops on Ukrainian Soil


BY: Reuters
March 1, 2014 11:04 am

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s upper house of parliament on Saturday approved a proposal by President Vladimir Putin to deploy Russian armed forces in Ukraine’s Crimea region.

The Federation Council voted overwhelmingly to back a proposal to use “the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine until the normalization of the socio-political situation in that country.”

It said the decision took effect immediately.


(Reporting by Lidia Kelly, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

http://freebeacon.com/russian-upper-...krainian-soil/

Upper house to demand recall of Moscow ambassador to U.S.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's upper house of parliament will ask President Vladimir Putin to recall Moscow's ambassador from the United States, the chamber's speaker said on Saturday.
Valentina Matviyenko, the head of the Federation Council, asked the Council's Committee on Foreign Affairs to draw up a proposal setting out the demands to Putin.

http://news.yahoo.com/upper-house-de...JTxhQAp0nQtDMD

Obama Skips National Security Team Meeting on Russia, Ukraine


A White House official emailed some reporters to say that President Obama's team met today to discuss the ongoing situation on Ukraine. It appears President Obama did not attend.

"The President's national security team met today to receive an update on the situation in Ukraine and discuss potential policy options. We will provide further updates later this afternoon," reads the full statement.


Zeke Miller ✔ @ZekeJMiller Follow Full statement from WH official


According to Time magazine's Zeke Miller, Obama skipped the meeting.

"Obama did not attend the meeting, but WH official says he has been briefed by Susan Rice and his national security team," says Miller.


http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/...ne_783659.html

Britain summons ambassador over Russia troops decision

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Saturday condemned the Russian parliament's decision to authorise military action in Ukraine and summoned the Russian ambassador to register his concerns.

"This action is a potentially grave threat to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We condemn any act of aggression against Ukraine," Hague said in a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The foreign secretary will visit Kiev on Sunday for talks with the interim Ukrainian government on the rapidly escalating situation in the Crimea.

The Kremlin said that President Vladimir Putin had not yet taken a decision on sending troops to Ukraine, after he was given the green light from parliament.

Washington has warned that such a deployment would result in "costs" for Moscow.

Hague said: "I am deeply concerned at the escalation of tensions in Ukraine, and the decision of the Russian parliament to authorise military action on Ukrainian soil against the wishes of the Ukrainian government."

He said he spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "to urge steps to calm this dangerous situation", while the Foreign Office also summoned the Russian ambassador to London.

The department's political director Simon Gass later met ambassador Alexander Yakovenko and "expressed deep concern at the Russian parliament's decision to authorise military action in Ukraine against the wishes of the Ukrainian Government," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

In a telephone call with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Hague also agreed "on the need for international diplomatic action to address the crisis".

EU foreign ministers will hold a new round of crisis talks on Ukraine in Brussels on Monday, when Hague said he would raise the issue of a further asset freeze.

During his visit to Kiev, Hague said he would discuss how Britain can help the Ukrainian government recover "improperly acquired assets".

"The EU must agree urgently an asset freezing regime to target those suspected of laundering the proceeds of corruption," Hague said, without naming names.

"On my instructions, the British embassy in Kiev has told the Ukrainian government that we stand ready to provide Ukraine with technical advice on asset recovery."

Hague spoke to acting Ukrainian president Oleksandr Turchynov on Friday, offering Britain's support and urging him to take steps to unify the crisis-hit country.

njm/cc

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...roops-decision