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Diplomacy stalls over Crimea

Afp, Simferopol

Ukraine's Crimea peninsula yesterday voted for fu lll independence from

Ukraine in preparation for a referendum to join Russia while Russia says

US Seretary of State John Kerry rejected a talks o fffer to solve the crisis.

Russia's foreign ministry yesterday said that the declaration of

independence was "absolutely lawful." It also said that, despite the

diffferences, Lavrov, Kerry yesterday discussed by phone proposals to

ensure calm in Ukraine.

Pro-Kremlin militants on the flashpoint peninsula also seized control of air

trafffic control at its main international airport and cance llled a lll flights

except for those from Moscow.

The latest escalation of Europe's worst crisis in decades came moments after ousted pro-Kremlin leader Viktor

Yanukovych defiantly vowed to return to Kiev from Russia and declared he was sti lllthe leader of the ex-Soviet

state.

"As soon as the circumstances a lllow -- and I am sure there is not long to wait -- I wi lllwithout doubt return to

Kiev," Yanukovych told reporters in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

Crimea has been a tinderbox since Russian forces seized control of the rugged peninsula -- home to Moscow's

Black Sea Fleet since the 18th century -- with help of Kremlin-backed militias days after Yanukovych fled

Ukraine last month in response to waves of deadly unrest.The strategic region's self-declared rulers are recruiting volunteers to fight Ukrainian soldiers while Russia's

parliament yesterday prepared legislation that would simplify the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea after Sunday's

vote.

But the pro-European leaders in Kiev have rejected the referendum and are appealing to Western powers for

both diplomatic backing and pressure on Moscow to release its troops' stranglehold on the region of two milllion

people.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) responded to the threat of a lll-out war on Europe's eastern edge

by announcing the planned deployment of AWAC reconnaissance planes in member countries Poland and

Romania to monitor any Russian movements.

And French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned that sanctions against Russia could come as early as this

week if Moscow failed to respond to Western proposals on the stando fff.

Western o ffficials are also expected to meet in London yesterday to finalise a list of Russian o ffficials who may

face asset freezes and travel restriction over their role in endangering the sovereignty of Europe's largest state.

Crimea's parliamentary assembly took another dramatic step yesterday by issuing a declaration proclaiming the

region's fulllindependence from Kiev rule.

The body had earlier voted to actua llly join Russia and the latest move appeared to be primarily aimed at creating

a legal framework for becoming a part of Russia as a sovereign state.

Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov tried to seize back the initiative by ca llling on parliament to

8/12/2019 Diplomacy Stalls Over Crimea

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create a "national guard" and begin mobilising reservists and volunteers for a possible fight with its nuclear-armed

neighbour.

The threat of Ukraine's imminent breakup has made the tensions and mistrust that always seem to shadow

Russia's relations with the United States ever more explicit and potentia llly damaging for long-term ties between

the two powers.

The rifts were exposed yet again on Monday when Russian state television took the unusual step of airing details

of a meeting between Putin and Sergei Lavrov in which the foreign minister complained that US Secretary of

State John Kerry had rejected an invitation to visit Moscow.The US State Department did not directly confirm Kerry had rejected a visit to Russia that could have included

talks with Putin.

Published: 12:00 am Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Last modified: 10:35 pm Tuesday, March 11, 2014

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