Tensions Spike After Russians Fire on Ukrainian Troops, Killing 1
Ukraine's prime minister said today that the conflict in Crimea has entered a military phase and accused Russia of commiting a "war crime" by firing on Ukrainian servicemen.
Ukrainian officials say one soldier was killed. Ukrainian servicemen in Crimea have now been authorized to use their weapons in order to defend their lives.
"The conflict is moving from a political one to a military one because of Russian soldiers," Arseny Yatsenyuk said at a meeting at Ukraine's defense ministry. "Today, Russian soldiers began shooting at Ukrainian servicemen and this is a war crime without any expiry under a statute of limitations."
Earlier Tuesday, a military spokesman said a Ukrainian officer was wounded in a shooting at a military facility outside Simferopol, the Crimean capital, but it was unclear who was behind the shooting.
Absorbing Crimea
The incident comes on the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders signed a treaty to make the Black Sea peninsula part of Russia, a move the White House immediately condemned.
"This action...will never be recognized by the United States and the international community,'' White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Carney said the administration is preparing to expand sanctions the U.S. imposed on Monday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Western sanctions were unacceptable and would not remain without consequences, the ministry said Tuesday.
Lavrov and Kerry spoke by telephone after the treaty signing.
U.S. President Barack Obama has invited G7 allies to meet next week to consider further response to the Crimea crisis. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit at The Hague that Obama plans to attend.
The Kremlin said on its website that Crimea "shall be deemed accepted in the Russian Federation from the date of signing the treaty."
The treaty was signed shortly after Putin told Russia's parliament in a televised address that Crimea has always been an "inalienable" part of Russia, and a day after he signed a decree recognizing the peninsula as "a sovereign and independent country."
The Russian parliament is expected to begin the process of ratifying the treaty within days, the Itar-Tass news agency cited a senior lawmaker as saying.
"We will begin ratification soon. This will happen in the next few days,'' lower house vice-speaker Alexander Zhukov said.
Ukraine's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it does not recognise the treaty.
The Black Sea peninsula voted to secede from Ukraine in a referendum Sunday that the U.S. and the European Union declared illegal.
fuente: La Voz de América, http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-backs-agreement-to-bring-crimea-into-russia/1873448.html
Ukrainian officials say one soldier was killed. Ukrainian servicemen in Crimea have now been authorized to use their weapons in order to defend their lives.
"The conflict is moving from a political one to a military one because of Russian soldiers," Arseny Yatsenyuk said at a meeting at Ukraine's defense ministry. "Today, Russian soldiers began shooting at Ukrainian servicemen and this is a war crime without any expiry under a statute of limitations."
Earlier Tuesday, a military spokesman said a Ukrainian officer was wounded in a shooting at a military facility outside Simferopol, the Crimean capital, but it was unclear who was behind the shooting.
Absorbing Crimea
The incident comes on the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders signed a treaty to make the Black Sea peninsula part of Russia, a move the White House immediately condemned.
"This action...will never be recognized by the United States and the international community,'' White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Carney said the administration is preparing to expand sanctions the U.S. imposed on Monday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that Western sanctions were unacceptable and would not remain without consequences, the ministry said Tuesday.
Lavrov and Kerry spoke by telephone after the treaty signing.
U.S. President Barack Obama has invited G7 allies to meet next week to consider further response to the Crimea crisis. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit at The Hague that Obama plans to attend.
The Kremlin said on its website that Crimea "shall be deemed accepted in the Russian Federation from the date of signing the treaty."
The treaty was signed shortly after Putin told Russia's parliament in a televised address that Crimea has always been an "inalienable" part of Russia, and a day after he signed a decree recognizing the peninsula as "a sovereign and independent country."
The Russian parliament is expected to begin the process of ratifying the treaty within days, the Itar-Tass news agency cited a senior lawmaker as saying.
"We will begin ratification soon. This will happen in the next few days,'' lower house vice-speaker Alexander Zhukov said.
Ukraine's foreign ministry said Tuesday that it does not recognise the treaty.
The Black Sea peninsula voted to secede from Ukraine in a referendum Sunday that the U.S. and the European Union declared illegal.
fuente: La Voz de América, http://www.voanews.com/content/putin-backs-agreement-to-bring-crimea-into-russia/1873448.html
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