Ukraine on full combat alert as Russia prepares to move in

S AT U R D AY 01 MARCH 2014

The Ukrainian government has put the army on u!! "om#at a!ert an$ %arne$ invasion %ou!$ !ea$ to %ar& a ter 'utin o#taine$ the permission o his par!iament to sen$ so!$iers into Ukraine(

Object 1

Ukrainian 'rime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk sai$ he ha$ urge$ Russia to return its troops to #ase in the Crimea region in a phone "a!! %ith Russian 'rime Minister Dmitry Me$ve$ev an$ "a!!e$ or ta!ks( )Mi!itary intervention %ou!$ #e the #eginning o %ar an$ the en$ o any re!ations #et%een Ukraine an$ Russia&) Yatseniuk to!$ reporters( )Mi!itary intervention %ou!$ #e the #eginning o %ar)Ukrainian PM 'utin gets Russian par!iament*s #a"king to inva$e Ukraine The Russian upper house o par!iament has approve$ a re+uest rom 'resi$ent ,!a$imir 'utin to sen$ so!$iers into Ukraine( -ar!ier& the !o%er house o the Russian 'ar!iament ha$ re+ueste$ that Mr 'utin take

a"tion to )sta#i!ise) Ukraine . #ut that vague statement has #een rep!a"e$ #y authorisation rom the par!iament*s upper house to sen$ the Russian army into Crimea( An appro/imate 0&000 troops are a!rea$y in Crimea& a Ukrainian region on the "oast o the 1!a"k Sea %ith a 20 per "ent Russian popu!ation& though there has #een no o i"ia! i$enti i"ation o the so!$iers as Russian troops( *Threat to the !ives o Russian "iti3ens* 'resi$ent 'utin*s re+uest !ies in the a"e o appea!s rom the USA& an$ %estern -urope to "a!m the situation an$ to re rain rom intervention in Ukraine& %here street protests have 4ust ouste$ a pro5Russian 'resi$ent( The re+uest imp!ies a !imite$ use o or"e #ut a!! the "on$itions are at Russia*s

$is"retion . an$ a""or$ing to the Ukrainian government . there has #een no "onsu!tation at a!! %ith the Ukrainian government on this p!an to sen$ the Russian Army into the Crimea( The 6e$eration Coun"i! vote$ over%he!ming!y to authorise 'resi$ent 'utin*s re+uest to use or"e in Ukraine7

Object 2

)8n "onne"tion %ith the e/traor$inary

situation in Ukraine& the threat to the !ives o "iti3ens o the Russian 6e$eration& our "ompatriots& an$ the personne! o the arme$ or"es o the Russian 6e$eration on

Ukrainian territory 9in the Autonomous Repu#!i" o Crimea: ((( 8 su#mit a proposa! on using the arme$ or"es o the Russian 6e$eration on the territory o Ukraine unti! the norma!isation o the so"io5po!iti"a! situation in the that "ountry)( Russia !ies in the a"e o %estern %arnings The ;erman 6oreign Minister a""use$ Russian 'resi$ent 'utin o )pouring oi! onto the !ames) #y sen$ing in troops to Ukraine an$ urge$ him to "!ari y Russia*s intentions in the region( 8n the past t%o $ays Russian so!$iers have sei3e$ key #ui!$ings in the Ukrainian #or$er provin"e o Crimea& in"!u$ing the 'ar!iament an$ an airport( ;erman 6oreign Minister 6rank5<a!ter Steinmeier gave 'utin a %arning7 )<hoever pours more oi! onto the !ames no%& %ith %or$s or a"tions& is "ons"ious!y aiming or urther es"a!ation() )<e are ho!$ing the Russian government to its pu#!i" statements= this entai!s a!so that Russia provi$es %ithout $e!ay "omp!ete transparen"y over the movements o its troops in Crimea& as %e!! as its goa!s an$ intentions() The 6oreign Ministers o 1ritain an$ 6ran"e have #oth aske$ or a )$e5es"a!ation) in Ukraine an$ aske$ Russia to respe"t Ukraine*s integrity( The statements rom -uropean po%ers "ome a ter 'resi$ent >#ama*s %arning to Russia !ast night not to intervene in the Ukranian state( ?iev *very %orrie$* The Ukrainian 6oreign Minister An$ri4 Desh"hitsya sai$ the ?iev government %as )very %orrie$) that Russia has re use$ to ho!$ "onsu!tations %ith ?iev on guaranteeing Ukrainian territoria! integrity( Mi!itary presen"e in Crimea has a!rea$y "ause$ ma4or parts o the region to shut $o%n an$ seen skirmishes #reak out #et%een gun5men rom #oth si$es( The peninsu!a*s main "ivi! airport at the !eet to%n o Sim eropo! announ"e$ it ha$

"!ose$ its airspa"e( Russia a""use$ ?iev5#a"ke$ gunmen o atta"king the 8nterior Ministry #ui!$ing an$ %oun$ing personne! in )trea"herous provo"ation)& ami$ a !urry o "!aims an$ "ounter5"!aims(