Crisis in Ukraine
Tension and fears are mounting
OSCE observers negotiate with an armed guard at a checkpoint heading to Crimea.
On Friday, pro-Russian troops reportedly tried to smash open the gates of a Ukrainian base. Russia's navy trapped Ukrainian ships. And armed men refused to allow military observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to enter Ukraine's Crimea region.
On Saturday, Moscow chastised the OSCE. Condemn violence by demonstrators in Kiev that led to the ouster of Ukraine's former President first, the foreign ministry said, according to a report in state-run news agency RIA Novosti.
Then think about Crimea.
"Some OSCE members and executive bodies have acted in the worst traditions of double standards while dealing with the situation in Ukraine," the ministry reportedly said.
U.S. President Barack Obama has suggested a solution to the Crimea crisis to Russian President Vladimir Putin that would replace Russian troops with international monitors, who would protect ethnic Russians, should they be threatened.
Russian lawmakers have welcomed Crimean separatists with open arms, and Putin has said he would use force to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine, if needed.
CNN teams are in Ukraine and Crimea as well as Moscow, Washington and other centers of power. Check below for updates of news as it breaks and read our comprehensive full story here.
And here are some other pieces that break down what is happening:
- 5 possible directions in Ukraine crisis
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Sanctions a sticking point between U.S., Europe
- How Ukraine is divided
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Putin's move could be costly to U.S., Middle East
CNNAaron Miller says it's a fair bet that whether Putin wins or loses in Ukraine, it's going to make a difficult situation in the Middle East even more complicated. -
by Anderson Cooper 360° via twitter 3/4/2014 1:34:49 AM -
"A total and fundamental misreading of Putin and his motivations" @SenJohnMcCain on the #Obama Administration. #AC360by Anderson Cooper 360° via twitter 3/4/2014 1:36:07 AM
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by Anderson Cooper 360° via twitter 3/4/2014 1:36:43 AM
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From CNN's Jim Acosta at the White House: A senior White House official tells CNN the administration believes that Vladimir Putin and Russia are pursuing a policy based on Putin's own set of facts. While the administration strongly disagrees with his set of facts, the official says, the U.S. believes Russia is responding to its own historic sensitivities about Ukraine, the Crimea, and their place in Moscow's sphere of influence. Russia is operating, this official believes, with the fear that Ukraine is falling under European or Western influence. The official said it's possible the crisis could linger but for how long is not clear.
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President Obama held a cabinet-level meeting Monday night on Ukraine at the White House, according to senior administration officials. According to CNN's Jim Acosta and Kevin Bohn, the president met with Secretary of State John Kerry, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey.
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How far will Putin go in Ukraine?
CNN VideoWe ask the former President of Georgia, whose country was occupied by Russian troops in 2008, about Putin's ambitions. -
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China has given full comment on the situation in Ukraine. "China is deeply concerned about the current situation in Ukraine," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "We condemn the recent extreme and violent acts there and have been urging the relevant parties in Ukraine to resolve their internal disputes peacefully within the legal framework so as to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of all ethnic communities in Ukraine and restore normal social order at an early date.
"It is China's long-standing position not to interfere in others' internal affairs. We respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. There are reasons for why the situation in Ukraine is what it is today. China will follow the development of the situation closely and call on relevant parties to seek a political resolution of their differences through dialogue and negotiation based on respect for international law and norms governing international relations in order to uphold regional peace and stability." -
When it comes to Ukraine, what's going on in the country depends on who fields your questions.
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Ambassador Grushko: Polish initiative to hold NATO consultations on Ukraine under Art.4 fuels tensions. Cold War thinking still in demandby natomission_ru via twitter retweeted by mfa_russia 3/4/2014 4:37:54 AM -
Churkin: Russia calls UNSC meeting to clarify its stance on Ukraine situation en.itar-tass.com/russia/721879 @PressRUSUNby MFA Russia via twitter 3/4/2014 4:45:16 AM -
RF ambassador: Russia’s actions in #Ukraine adequate, legitimate en.itar-tass.com/russia/721880 @PressRUSUNby MFA Russia via twitter 3/4/2014 4:46:58 AM
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Churkin: Yanukovich requests Russia to use armed forces to restore order in #Ukraine en.itar-tass.com/russia/721881 @PressRUSUN @UNby MFA Russia via twitter 3/4/2014 4:47:47 AM
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Churkin: #Russia is afraid that deployment of OSCE observers in #Ukraine might take months en.itar-tass.com/russia/721883 @PressRUSUN @UN @RF_OSCEby MFA Russia via twitter 3/4/2014 4:50:25 AM
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Pro-Russian supporters rally outside the Russian embassy in Belgrade en.itar-tass.com/world/721877 @AmbasadaRusijeby MFA Russia via twitter 3/4/2014 4:57:55 AM
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Putin's Ukrainian endgame and why the West may have a hard time stopping him
At the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania, Vladimir Putin told a surprised George W. Bush, "You have to understand, George, that Ukraine is not even a country. Part of its territory is in Eastern Europe and the greater part was given to us."
Six years later, the Kremlin appears to be making sure that Putin's opinion becomes a reality. More.
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Russia does not consider goal to return Yanukovych to power — UN envoy voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_0… @PressRUSUNby MFA Russia via twitter 3/4/2014 5:59:41 AM
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Churkin: Russia calls for implementation of agreement between Yanukovych opposition voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_0…by MFA Russia via twitter 3/4/2014 6:00:35 AM
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In Russia's 'low-key' invasion of Crimea, the fight is over information
The standoff in Ukraine's Crimea region is a strange one, where soldiers appear to be standing around amid an air of calm. They wear no military insignia, but there's little doubt about who they are.
Russian forces "have complete operational control of the Crimean peninsula," a senior U.S. administration official told CNN, with estimates of 6,000 Russian ground and naval forces in the region. A law is being considered in the Russian parliament that would allow Crimea to be annexed, according to the parliament's website.
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Tensions are mounting as Russian troops step up their presence in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and world leaders push for a diplomatic solution to the escalating crisis.As ideological battle lines are drawn around the world over the situation, leaders are painting vastly different pictures of the realities on the ground.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops that had been taking part in military exercises near the Ukrainian border to return to their bases, Russia's state-news agency RIA-Novosti said Tuesday.
The news agency attributed the information to Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman.
Russia ordered surprise military exercises on Ukraine's doorstep Wednesday. Russia said the exercises were meant to check the troops' combat readiness.
But the timing and location of the move prompted speculation about Russia's true motivation.
On Tuesday, Peskov said that Putin ordered the troops' return after he was briefed on the success of the exercises.
Russia insisted that the exercises were always meant to end on March 3.
