| Author (Person) | Roberts, Dan |
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| Series Title | The Guardian |
| Series Details | 12.03.14 |
| Publication Date | 12/03/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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Reports of, and external reaction to, the situation in Ukraine covering the 12 to 14 March 2014, with Russia-related forces still controlling the Crimea region and the West trying to force it to de-escalate tensions in the region [for the background to the situation and developments in the previous days see the ESO: Background Information links below]. The White House stepped up its criticism of a planned 16 March 2014 referendum in Crimea as it played host on the 12 March 2014 to the Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk in a last ditch bid to prevent Russian annexation of the peninsula. Mr. Yatsenyuk also addressed UN Security Council members during an emergency meeting. Russia's ambassador to the United Nations stated that Moscow did not want war with Ukraine. Leaders of the G7 group of nations called on Russia to stop all efforts to 'annex Ukraine's Crimea region. They also stated that they would not recognise the results of a referendum in Crimea on whether to split from Ukraine and join Russia. The Russian government invited some of Europe's far-right parties to observe the referendum in Crimea. The leader of France’s National Front party, Marine Le Pen, told the press at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the 12 March 2014 that her executive had not yet decided whether to go. The Austrian Freedom party, a National Front ally, had also got an invitation. While speaking to the Bundestag on the 13 March 2014, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that it was 'shameful' to compare the independence of Kosovo with the referendum for independence in Crimea and called on Russia to stop its actions in Ukraine or face economic sanctions. On the 13 March 2014, Ukraine's parliament voted to create a 60,000-strong National Guard to bolster the country's defences. The European Parliament approved a resolution on the same day saying that Russia should immediately withdraw all its military forces from Ukrainian territory and condemning both the Russian move and the Crimean referendum, which they said to be illegal. The document also warned that Russia’s actions posed a threat to the security of the EU. US State Secretary John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in London on the 14 March 2014 for talks on the Ukrainian crisis. No EU officials were invited. No progress was reported from the meeting. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) halted talks aimed at allowing Russia into the organisation of the most advanced economies. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/12/us-crimea-referendum-criticism-ukraine-pm-visit |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Russia, Ukraine |
