Russia And Ukraine

(Israelistine)

so...... russia and ukraine huh? that looks like a real pickle.

Russian men aged 16 to 60 entering Ukraine without their families will only be allowed in if they have close relatives or an invitation, according to Ukrainian officials. Previously, all Russians could travel to Ukraine with just their internal IDs.

Right now, the Ukrainian army, more or less has decided not to wage war with it's own citizens. There were a few skirmishes here and there, but overall they said "No Thanks" to a civil war.

It's only people like John McCain who are trying to incite it.

The coup-installed government isn't helping things either with things like this.

Own citizens... or Russian saboteurs?

The "invasion" has already started, it is just constructed in a way as to avoid news labels...

Russia has very little to do with the situation there other than demanding full payment from a radical government. Everything else is in your head.

3 protesters killed in attack on Ukrainian base

MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) — The turmoil in Ukraine dominated the European landscape Thursday, as three protesters were killed in a clash in southern Ukraine, high-level talks were held in Geneva and Vladimir Putin weighed in on his neighbor's future for hours from Moscow.

Still, the constellation of events left the nation of 46 million no closer to solving its essential challenge: the confrontation pitting Ukraine's new government in Kiev against a pro-Russian insurgency in its eastern regions that is being tacitly supported by Moscow.

Three pro-Russian protesters were killed and 13 injured during an attempted raid overnight on a Ukrainian National Guard base in the Black Sea port of Mariupol, Ukraine's authorities said Wednesday.

The Interior Ministry said a mob of around 300 people armed with stun grenades and firebombs were involved in the bloodiest episode to date in the month-long insurgency.

Masked and battle-ready militia bearing sophisticated firearms have been deeply involved in seizing government offices in eastern Ukraine, igniting suspicions that much of the unrest is being stirred with Russia's backing.

But in a four-hour televised question-and-answer session, Putin on Thursday dismissed as "nonsense" claims that Russian special forces were fomenting the unrest in eastern Ukraine.

"It's all nonsense, there are no Russian units, special forces or instructors in the east of Ukraine," Putin said.

He did admit — for the first time — that the troops in unmarked uniforms who had captured Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula before its annexation last month by Moscow were Russian soldiers.

Putin also expressed hope that four-way talks between Ukraine, the U.S., the European Union and Russia in Geneva on Thursday could map a way out of one of Europe's greatest security threats in decades.

Ukraine's Interior Ministry said shots fired by servicemen in the Mariupol base initially proved insufficient to deter the pro-Russian crowd from proceeding with their assault.

There were no casualties among Ukrainian servicemen, the ministry said. At least 63 people involved in the attack were detained, but local media cited police as saying 38 were later released.

The southern Ukrainian city lies on the road running from Russia along the coast to Crimea, the peninsula that Russia annexed last month. NATO says Russia has up to 40,000 troops along its border with Ukraine. If Russia was eyeing a possible "land bridge" from Russia to Crimea, it would need to take over the region that includes Mariupol.

Speaking in parliament, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said a pro-Russian gang carrying automatic weapons attempted to storm the base three times.

APTN footage filmed outside the base on Wednesday night showed an unidentified man coming out to speak to masked men in the crowd armed with assault rifles. He told them the military had asked for 10 minutes to think over an unspecified ultimatum.

The masked men insisted they wanted no bloodshed. A short while later, however, a crowd of mainly masked young men armed with bats and sticks began throwing Molotov cocktails at the base's gate and at the trucks parked in front of it. Sounds of gunfire were heard in response.

One soldier involved in the battle, a 20-year old conscript who gave his name only as Stanislav, said troops were forced to act in self-defense.

"We were attacked by unidentified people and we didn't want to shoot, but they were behaving aggressively," he told the AP. "At first we fired in the air, but they continued advancing."

One protester admitted to a hospital with a bullet wound to the stomach said soldiers opened fire on them while they were attempting to force open the gates.

"We just threw Molotov cocktails to light the way," said Sergei Shevchenko, a 40-year-old businessman from the regional capital, Donetsk.

Nearby residents were divided about the night's events.

"Russia isn't just exporting oil and gas, but also terrorism," said 43-year-old resident Yevgeny Nechiporenko. "This shooting and blood, the blood is on Russia's hands."

Yet passers-by berated Nechiporenko as he spoke, with one accusing him of being an "agent of the West."

"We are willing to give up our lives so long as we don't have to serve the fascists from Kiev," said resident Anna Govorko.

The skirmish came after the government announced an operation to retake control of Slovyansk, a city close to the Russian border that has emerged as the focal point of the armed insurgency, and government buildings in several other cities in the east.

Elsewhere in Mariupol, where pro-Russian protesters have been occupying city hall for nearly a week, 150 people rallied in front of the building, which is now encircled by barricades of tires and barbed wire.

Spotting a television crew, 26-year-old protester Yelena Gorgeyeva got to her knees and declared "Putin, save us, I implore you!"

German Mandrakov, a pro-Russian protester who described himself as acting chief of the city council, said pro-Russian protesters went to the military base Wednesday evening to "convince them to switch to people's side."

Crowds have blocked or attacked other troops in eastern Ukraine.

On Wednesday, hundreds of people in Kramatorsk, 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Slovyansk, encircled a column of Ukrainian armored vehicles carrying several dozen troops. Soon after, masked gunmen in combat gear arrived and Ukrainian soldiers surrendered the vehicles to them.

Turchynov told parliament on Thursday the brigade that handed over its vehicles would be disbanded and its members put on trial.

At another location near Kramatorsk, a crowd also surrounded troops on 15 Ukrainian armored vehicles. To end the standoff, Ukrainian servicemen handed over the magazines from their assault rifles to pro-Russian militia. The infantry vehicles were allowed to return to their base in Dnipropetrovsk, 225 kilometers (140 miles) away.

In Moscow, Putin denounced the Ukrainian authorities' decision to use the military to uproot the protests in the east as a "grave crime." He added he told his Western counterparts urging him to help disarm pro-Russian protesters that the Ukrainian government should first pull the army back.

"They are sending tanks, armored personnel carriers and cannons there!" he said. "Have they gone nuts?"

Source

"All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions," a joint statement said.

"All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated," it added.

Russia, the US, the EU and Ukraine have adopted a joint document on the de-escalation of the Ukraine crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, after talks in Geneva. It calls for all illegal armed groups to lay down arms and a wide amnesty.

According to the Russian top diplomat, the Americans now have a “decisive influence” on the Kiev authorities, which should be used for resolving the crisis.

Russia “does not want to send any troops to Ukraine,” Lavrov stressed, answering journalists’ questions. Moscow’s chief concern is that the rights of all the Ukrainian regions, including those with Russian-speaking majorities, must be taken into account in the constitutional reform.

GENEVA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Four-way talks in Geneva over the Ukraine crisis concluded on Thursday with a document on de-escalation of tension in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the talks.

The high-level meeting brought together European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Ukrainian Acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya for the first time since the crisis began, in an effort to initiate a dialogue to seek ways to handle the intensified development in Ukraine.

The diplomatic endeavor ran hours beyond original schedule, signaling the difficulty of achieving common ground among the four parties for a potential solution to the current crisis.

According to the statement issued after the meeting that detailed the agreement reached by the four sides, initial concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and restore security for all citizens include that all sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions.

Moreover, all "illegal armed groups" must be disarmed, and all "illegally seized buildings" must be returned to legitimate owners, and all "illegally occupied" streets, squares and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated, the statement said.

Amnesty will be granted to protestors and to those who have left buildings and other public places and surrendered weapons, with the exception of those found guilty of capital crimes, according to the statement.

It was also agreed that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) should play a leading role in assisting Ukrainian authorities and local communications in immediate implementation of these de-escalation measures.

Besides, the participants highlighted that the announced constitutional process in Ukraine will be "inclusive, transparent and accountable," which would include the immediate establishment of a broad national dialogue outreaching to all regions and political constituencies in Ukraine and allow for the consideration of public comments and proposed amendments.

All parties also underlined the importance of economic and financial stability in Ukraine.

"We wanted to find concrete steps, not just words, but concrete steps that could be acted on immediately in order to defuse the situation," Kerry told a press conference upon the talks conclusion.

He highlighted the importance of the OSCE's role in de-escalating the tension.

Kerry stressed the urgency of taking actions under the agreement. "What is vital is that the OSCE needs to get to work immediately, to de-escalate the situation" in eastern Ukraine, he said.

"If this starts and starts effectively, and we can begin to see some progress, we intend to continue to have our meetings... continue to talk to follow up on this," Kerry added.

As for the specific time frame for these steps to be implemented, Kerry said that "we expect in the next few days, over the course of this weekend and the earliest part of next week, some of these steps need to begin to be seen and be evident."

Moreover, Kerry said there was no discussion at this point in time of removal of any of the existing sanctions against Russia, and the West and Russia remain differed significantly on the Crimea issue.

Ashton said the talks have been "frank" and "constructive" and sought to find "the concrete steps, real, practical things that can de-escalate the tensions in Ukraine."

"I think it was extremely important to bring us all together here to have that process of dialogue begin," the EU foreign policy chief said. "We agreed a number of concrete steps that we can see implemented immediately."

Ashton expected a "free and fair" presidential election scheduled next month in Ukraine, and welcomed the "Ukrainian commitment to conduct an inclusive and transparent constitutional process."

She reiterated the EU's determination to continue to support efforts to stabilize the situation in Ukraine economically, financially and politically.

Deshchytsya told reporters after U.S.-EU joint press conference that the next days would be crucial and sincere efforts from all participants are required so as to put into practice the agreement concluded on Thursday.

"It is important that these measures are to start being implemented in the coming days," said Deshchytsya.

"We disagree with Russia on many things, but what we agreed today is to put an effort, joint efforts, to launch the process of de-escalation in eastern Ukraine," he said.

Moreover, Deshchytsya said Kiev was ready to negotiate with Moscow about the gas price, which would be based on the market ground rather than political pressure.

A new wave of tension erupted in the country's east over the weekend, as pro-Moscow activists seized several administrative buildings in nearly 10 eastern cities, demanding a referendum on autonomy and closer ties with Russia.

The developments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders signed a treaty on March 18 to make Crimea part of Russian territory, as almost 97 percent of voters on the peninsula backed secession from Ukraine in a referendum.

Earlier this week, Kiev began military operations against pro-Russia militants occupying government buildings in the eastern part of the country.

Who Is Behind Letters Ordering Jews in East Ukraine to Register?

DONETSK, Ukraine - Masked men handed out leaflets telling Jews to register with pro-Russian separatists who had taken over a government office in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, a witness told NBC News on Friday.

"There were about 100 of us outside the synagogue after Passover eve prayers [on Wednesday] when we saw three masked men in the crowd who started to hand out letters," Yosef Gurevitz said. "One of them tried to tape one on the synagogue door. Then they quickly left. When I read the letter I was in shock."


A leaflet distributed in Donetsk, Ukraine calling for all Jews over 16 years old to register as Jews.

It was not clear who was behind the leaflets and NBC News could not independently confirm Gurevitz's account.

The letters said Jews must register with a "commissar" at the regional government headquarters by May 3, according to a Reuters translation.

"It's very worrying," said Gurevitz, who is a Brooklyn native visiting Ukraine with his family. "We're hoping its just a provocation but I always thought the days that Jews would become scapegoats for whatever reason were long over."

The letters were purported to be the work of a pro-Russian group that took over public buildings and wants to end rule by the new Ukrainian government in Kiev.


Pro-Russian protesters attend a rally near a barricade in front of the occupied regional administration building in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Wednesday.

Kirill Rudenko, a spokesman for the pro-Russian People's Republic of Donbass, told Reuters the leaflet was "complete rubbish" and "we made no such demands on Jews."

On Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry condemned suggestions that Jews had been ordered to register.

Once home to a large Jewish population devastated by the Holocaust, Ukraine has seen a rise in attacks on Jews in recent months. Everyone interviewed by NBC News said they had never before witnessed anti-Semitic behavior in Donetsk.

Since Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that he's worried about rising anti-Semitic forces in the region.

Source

Separatists in Ukraine Ignore U.S.-Russia Deal: Report

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine said Friday they would ignore an agreement reached by the U.S. and Russia telling them to leave occupied government buildings.

President Barack Obama said Thursday he was skeptical "given past performance" that Moscow would follow through on the deal, which called on the armed groups to leave buildings they have occupied across the region since last week.

The separatists' spokesman in the city of Donetsk, Alexander Gnezdilov, told the BBC that they would not leave their position until the "illegal" Western-backed government in the capital Kiev stood down.

Another protester told the British network that they would not leave until pro-European demonstrators still camped out in Kiev's Independence Square packed up first.

Thursday's deal was reached after a meeting in Geneva between representatives from the U.S., Europe, Russia, and Ukraine. It called on armed groups to disband and occupied buildings to be vacated.

Obama said he was ready to impose more sanctions on Russia if the situation did not improve.

The protesters in Russian-influenced eastern Ukraine are calling for a move toward Moscow because they believe the Kiev government instated after the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych is too European-leaning and will not represent their views.

The demonstrators are calling for a referendum, like the one in Crimea in March, to come under Russian rule.

The U.S. and the West claim Russia was backing up the protesters in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin initially involvement in both regions, but on Thursday admitted his troops played a part in Crimea.

Source

MOSCOW: Ukraine has banned entry to its territory for all Russian males aged between 16 and 60, the Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot said Thursday, a measure Russia called "disgusting".

"In line with an official order received by the company, all Russian male citizens aged from 16-60 will be refused entry into Ukraine," Aeroflot said, adding that exceptions would only be made in extreme cases such as the death or illness of a relative.

The ban also applied to men aged 16-60 and women aged 20-35 travelling on Ukrainian passports registered in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia last month, Aeroflot added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia's delegation had raised the measure at talks in Geneva with the United States, the European Union and Ukraine.

"As for the decision to discriminate against Russian citizens of male gender and a certain age on the possibility to travel to Ukraine, we drew attention to this," Lavrov said in Geneva.

"It is disgusting, it absolutely does not fit the spirit that our Western partners wanted to create at this meeting," he said, calling it a "discriminatory and unfriendly act."

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that border guards at Ukraine's main airports had told Russian airlines it was due to an order from security services. It called for an official explanation, saying Russia would consider reprisals.

Aeroflot, which flies from Moscow to several Ukrainian cities, said it recommended that passengers affected by the ban did not travel to Ukraine and added that tickets would be refunded without penalty.

Russia's other main carrier to Ukraine, S7, said it had not received the notice but its flights from Ukraine Thursday were being delayed due to increased checks of passengers.

In Kiev, the spokesman for the Ukrainian border service Sergiy Astakhov confirmed that drastic measures were being taken.

"Now Ukrainian border guards have strengthened control over travellers arriving in Ukraine... to limit access to its territory for undesirable individuals," he said.

He said the measures were due to an operation by the Ukrainian government against pro-Russian separatists who have seized official buildings in the east of the country and the "risk of possible terrorist acts".

Ukraine's government has accused Russia of planning to invade eastern Ukraine and annex the territory following the seizure of Crimea last month.

A spokesperson for Russia's railway monopoly RZhD meanwhile said it had yet to receive the notice banning Russian males entry but acknowledged it was possible, Russian news agencies reported.

- AFP/rw

Didn't you already post that?

There is nothing wrong with closing your borders during a crisis, especially to the country that has had a part in causing the crisis.

Difference of opinion then on all parts. That's Nazi like behavior from the 'right sector.'

A lot of Russians have Ukrainian family and vice versa. A lot of Ukrainians work in Russia. So it's a little more complicated than closing borders. I myself found out I had a smidgen of Ukrainian in me, and distant cousins I never knew of there.

Tell Putin stop sending belligerents across the borders to destabilize Ukraine then.

So, it China invaded and annexed Primorsky, you would oppose enhanced border security for Chinese people entering Russia?

Tell Putin stop sending belligerents across the borders to destabilize Ukraine then.

Difference of opinion then on all parts. That's Nazi like behavior from the 'right sector.'

A lot of Russians have Ukrainian family and vice versa. A lot of Ukrainians work in Russia. So it's a little more complicated than closing borders. I myself found out I had a smidgen of Ukrainian in me, and distant cousins I never knew of there.

China does not do things like that, especially against Russia. They made peace a long time ago. China is a very neutral country, with the exception of Taiwan and some resentment towards Japan. Can't blame them.

I didn't gloss over it, Putin just isn't worth addressing, he is a diva, and he is delusional.

It's called a hypothetical for a reason. Would you care to actually answer the question instead of sidestepping it?