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Tuesday, April 15, 2014
MAYBE THE FAGGOTS IN THE MILITARY WILL PROTECT YOU
Ukraine crisis: Pro-Russia forces lay siege to official buildings in east – live
A clergyman addresses pro-Russian protesters
in front of the seized office of the Ukrainian state security service
in Luhansk Photograph: SHAMIL ZHUMATOV/REUTERS
Summary
We're going to wrap up our live blog coverage for the day. Here's a summary of where things stand:
• Pro-Russian forces and masses remained in place in key government buildings in eastern Ukrainian cities, defying an order from Kiev to vacate and warnings of eviction by military force. • Russian president Vladimir Putin told US president Barack Obama
in a phone call Monday that reports of "supposed Russian meddling" were
inaccurate. As in Crimea last month, Putin said Kiev had shown itself
unable to "account for the interests" of Russian and Russian-speaking
people in the region. • The White House said there was "overwhelming" evidence that Russia was behind a "coordinated" advance on administrative buildings in eastern Ukrainian cities over the last week. • "We're not actively considering lethal aid but we are reviewing the kinds of assistance we can provide," press secretary Jay Carney said. • EU foreign ministers added four names to its list of individuals facing economic sanctions and travel restrictions, and warned of broader economic sanctions on culprits in Ukraine. • The ministers looked ahead to a Thursday meeting in Geneva planned with representatives of the EU, US, Ukraine and Russia.
• Read a summary of shifting tensions on the ground over the course of the day.
Who are the armed men who have taken over the Slaviansk town hall? The Guardian's Luke Harding (@LukeHarding1968) asks them – and meets at least one who says he's just arrived from Crimea:
On the steps of Slavyansk's occupied town hall a group of armed men
in fatigues posed happily for photos. They were equipped with
Kalashnikovs – military-issue AK-74s – commando knives, flak jackets and
walkie-talkies. Round the back, close to the main square with its Lenin
statue, was a green military truck. It bore no insignia.
Who exactly were they? "We're Cossacks," one of the group explained.
"It doesn't matter where we are from." He declined to give his name.
Instead, he offered a quick history lesson, stretching back a thousand
years, to when Slavic tribes banded together to form Kievan Rus – the
dynasty that eventually flourished into modern-day Ukraine and its big
neighbour Russia.
One armed man Harding speaks with says he has just arrived from Crimea:
One of the "Cossacks", however, admitted on Monday that he had just
arrived from Crimea, where he spent a month "helping" with Russia's
takeover there. How had he managed to travel from Russian-controlled
territory to the east of the country? And from where did he get his
Kalashnikov? He declined to answer but claimed the weapon had come from a
seized police station, although Ukraine's police use different, smaller
ones.
Here's the White House version of president Barack Obama's call –
not with Putin – but with French president Hollande. "The leaders
underscored that Russia will face significant additional costs if it continues this behavior":
President Obama spoke with French President Hollande today
about the worsening situation in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian
separatists, seemingly with support and coordination from Moscow, have
intensified their campaign to undermine and destabilize the Ukrainian
government. The leaders underscored that Russia will face significant
additional costs if it continues this behavior. President Obama noted
that the government of Ukraine has acted with great restraint and
praised the Ukrainian government’s efforts to unify the country by
holding free and fair presidential elections on May 25 and pursuing an
inclusive constitutional reform process. The two leaders also discussed
ongoing cooperation in our bilateral relationship.
An earlier, similar report on the conversation from the French side is here.
Here's the full text of the Kremlin's description of a phone conversation Monday afternoon between Russian president Vladimir Putin and US president Barack Obama.
The account says Putin told Obama that "Russia’s supposed meddling in
southeastern Ukraine" was "speculation" "based on inaccurate
information."
We're waiting for the White House version.
The
leaders discussed various aspects of the crisis situation in Ukraine,
first and foremost in the southeastern regions engaged in a protest
movement against the policies of the current authorities in Kiev.
The
Russian side stressed that the protests in Donetsk, Lugansk, Kharkov,
Slavyansk and other cities in southeastern Ukraine are the result of the
Kiev authorities’ unwillingness and inability to take into account the
interests of the Russian and Russian-speaking population. Vladimir Putin
called upon Barack Obama to use the American side’s capabilities to prevent the use of force and bloodshed as much as possible.
In
response to the President of the United States’ expressed concern about
Russia’s supposed meddling in southeastern Ukraine, the President of
Russia noted that such speculations are based on inaccurate information.
The current Ukrainian authorities must think first and foremost about
truly involving all the main political forces and regions in a
transparent process for developing a new constitution that guarantees
the main rights and freedoms for citizens, the nation’s federal
structure and its non-aligned status.
The
two sides agreed to continue efforts to seek diplomatic cooperation in
the context of the Ukrainian situation ahead of the four-party meeting
(EU, Russia, US, Ukraine) scheduled in Geneva on April 17.
Pro-Russian protesters stay put in Ukraine as deadline passes – video: Armed men continue to occupy government
buildings, defying the order to stand down. The rebels show no sign of
preparing to leave the regional government buildings they have seized in
the eastern city of Slaviansk, despite the threat of a major military
crackdown by Ukraine's government
Alec Luhn is in Donetsk, where pro-Russian forces took over a
regional government building last week. Kiev has warned of military
action to eject the protesters. Earlier today at least one military helicopter was sighted over the city. Now Alec finds two contrasting scenes among pro-Moscow demonstrators, inside and outside the government building:
People inside Donetsk admin building freaking out about imminent gov't assault. Outside people happily watching Zhirinovsky on @VRSoloviev
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
"Anyone who wants to join
the people's army, please come to 1st floor." Leaders talking about
creating barracks & training people #Donetsk
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Ukraine's central bank has almost doubled a key lending rate on the hryvnia, Reuters reports:
[The bank] raised its overnight loan rate to 14.5
percent from 7.5 percent, the bank said in a statement, in an apparent
attempt to restrict new money flows and prevent further pressure on the
hryvnia currency.
The bank last changed the rate in August last year, when it cut the
rate by 50 bases points. The hryvnia has lost about 38 percent of its
value against the dollar since the beginning of the year due to the
conflict with Russia.
EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg agreed to add four names to the list of people whose assets in the European Union have been blocked
for allegedly embezzling Ukrainian state property under fugitive
pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych, the Associated Press reports:
The new names, which brought the total to 22, including Yanukovych himself, are to be made public Tuesday.
Frans Timmermans, the Dutch foreign minister, said it was too early to
impose more sanctions, but that the EU should be prepared, AP said. French
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that if negotiations planned in
Geneva later this week fail to get Russia to back off in Ukraine, the
trade bloc's leaders could impose further sanctions at a snap summit
next week:
"We want to try to reach a political solution and de-escalation" at
Geneva, Fabius said. "The European Union will participate along with
Ukraine, Russia and the United States. We strongly hope to address the
substantive issues there."
EU foreign ministers also passed a
pair of proposals, the AP reports: The first allows the granting of up to 1 billion
euros ($1.4 billion) in loans to cover Ukraine's critical balance of
payments needs;
The ministers also agreed to temporarily abolish or reduce customs
duties on Ukrainian imports. The EU, the world's largest trade bloc,
accounts for about one third of Ukraine's external trade, and an end to
tariffs would save Ukrainian exporters almost 500 million euros a year,
according to the EU's executive arm.
On Thursday, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine
Ashton, is to meet with her U.S., Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in
Geneva.
The White House confirms that CIA director John Brennan was in Kiev over the weekend,
Guardian Washington correspondent Paul Lewis reports, but press
secretary Jay Carney said it was “absurd” to portray the visit
as anything other than a routine attempt to foster security cooperation.
The White House has admitted that CIA director John Brennan was in Kiev on Saturday, but denied such a visit is problematic.
— Paul Lewis (@PaulLewis) April 14, 2014
The White House on Monday said President Barack Obama would speak to
Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, perhaps later in the day, and
made clear the United States was not considering lethal aid for Ukraine, Reuters reports:
"We are looking at a variety of ways to demonstrate our strong
support for Ukraine including diplomatically and economically," White
House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
"We're not actively considering lethal aid but we are reviewing the kinds of assistance we can provide," he said.
US President Barack Obama speaks at an
Easter Prayer Breakfast at the White House in Washington, DC on April
14, 2014. Photograph: YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images
The Guardian's Alan Yuhas (@AlanYuhas) translates a report on a meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Sergei Aksyonov, who led the political front of Crimea's
secession movement. The Kremlin posted a Russian version of their
conversation.
Aksyonov, reputedly known as "Goblin" in Ukrainian crime
circles, was officially named acting governor of Crimea. During the
conversation, Aksyonov told Putin that his government is handing out
"about 20,000 passports every day", and that there's "no reason for
concern". He accused Kiev of shutting off water into Crimea, but said
that "we're working" on whatever problems there are.
Then Putin asked "How are preparations going for tourist
season?" Aksyonov answered by saying that Crimea will be ready
"literally by the end of the week … we're doing everything possible so
as not to disappoint the tourists. In the first place we're trying to
satisfy Russians' needs."
The conversation ended with this exchange:
Putin: Sergei Valerievich, you've done very much to
reunify Crimea with Russia and for that you have the thanks of Crimeans
and Russians all over the country.
Aksyonov: It's thanks to you, Vladimir Vladimirovich! It's by your service in the first place, so you have our thanks.
Putin: But there remains more for you to do as a
leader, because the economy's in a state of neglect … In order get out
of this situation, there's a lot that needs to be done and you'll have
to work as hard as you've done so far – with great dedication and
professionalism. I'd like to congratulate you … it's a very big job. I
wish you success.
– Alan Yuhas
Updated
France is prepared to seek "firm and graduated" sanctions in the crisis
over Ukraine along with its European partners, president Francois
Hollande told US president Barack Obama on Monday, Reuters reports, citing a
statement from Hollande's office:
"Hollande expressed France's determination to put in place a firm and
graduated sanctions policy with [France's] European partners," the statement said.
The Russian foreign ministry tweets a warning by Moscow's envoy to
the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that an
assertion of military force by Kiev in eastern Ukraine could lead to "civil war."
Reuters has more from Andrey Kelin, the OSCE envoy:
"The
(Ukrainian) acting minister of the interior has said that armed forces
will be used against those who are in the manifestations and also there
are units being organised of paramilitary people who will be given
weapons and who will be under command of the officers. It will be, as we
heard, nearly 12,000 of these people. This is dangerous," Andrey Kelin
told reporters, speaking in English.
"In Moscow we strongly
believe it might lead to a civil war. We are very worried," he said
after an OSCE Permanent Council meeting to discuss the situation in
Ukraine.
A security guard at Donetsk airport denies that Ukrainian forces had been arriving there, Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) reports:
Despite reports that government troops had arrived at Donetsk
airport as part of the anti-terrorist campaign in eastern Ukraine, a
security guard on the runway told the Guardian that no military flights
had landed.
He also denied reports that pro-Russian protesters had made an attempt to seize the facility.
Summary
• Pro-Russian forces – in some cases organized, in some cases moblike – held control of government buildings in multiple cities in eastern Ukraineafter conducting raids in the past week and over the weekend in more than 12 cities. • The United States saw a "very obvious Russian hand" in the raids, calling
them "coordinated" and "planned in advance." A Kremlin spokesperson
said president Vladimir Putin was watching the situation "with grave
concern." • Pro-Russian forces set up roadblocks outside the city of Sloviansk, where
they held a police headquarters and state security building. In Donetsk
they held a regional government building. In Horlivka they took over a
central police station. • A deadline declared in Kiev for protesters to withdraw from government buildings passed without new violence, but Kiev warned of military action.A military helicopter was sighted over Donetsk. • European leaders may meet next week in a summit to discuss the Ukraine crisis, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius told reporters outside a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg. • EU foreign ministers were expected to announce possible new targeted sanctions on select individuals
in response to the latest unrest in Ukraine, but the ministers did not
seem prepared to agree to a broader escalation of the sanctions regime.
• A Pentagon spokesperson said an apparently unarmed Russian fighter made 12 low-level passes over a Russian warship in the Black Sea on Saturday. The Pentagon called the overflights "provocative and unprofessional." • Ukraine's acting president asked the United Nations to deploy a peacekeeping force in eastern Ukraine to carry out "anti-terror operations," a Ukrainian government site reported.
Updated
The Russian fighter that overflew the US warship last weekend was an Su-24, or Fencer, that appeared to be unarmed, the Pentagon tells Reuters. The plane reportedly made 12 passes:
"This provocative and unprofessional Russian action is inconsistent with
their national protocols and previous agreements on the professional
interaction between our militaries," said Colonel Steve Warren, a
Pentagon spokesman.
Warren said a Russian Su-24 aircraft, or Fencer, made 12 passes at
low altitude near the USS Donald Cook, a destroyer that has been in the
Black Sea since April 10. It appeared to be unarmed, he said.
At the time the passes took place, Warren said, the U.S. ship was
conducting a patrol in international waters in the western Black Sea. It
is now in a Romanian port.
Updated
The CIA has not denied reports that director John Brennan traveled to Kiev last weekend, as reported by Interfax drawing on anonymous and unconfirmed sources, but the CIA "rubbished the
suggestion that Brennan was directing Ukrainian security officials", Guardian Washington correspondent Paul Lewis (@PaulLewis) writes:
[UPDATE: The White House confirms Brennan's trip to Kiev, calls it a routine outing]
“The claim that
Director Brennan encouraged Ukrainian authorities to conduct tactical
operations inside Ukraine is completely false,” an agency spokesperson
told the Guardian. “Like other senior U.S. officials, Director Brennan
strongly believes that a diplomatic solution is the only way to resolve
the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.”
Here's the Interfax report in Russian, "Source: CIA chief in Kiev guiding a series of secret consultations with security leaders". Reading it, Guardian's Alan Yuhas @AlanYuhas
notes that even Interfax itself says it cannot confirm the report,
based on a source inside the Ukrainian parliament who "explained to
Interfax by phone from Kiev" that "an American guest is leading a
series of meetings with leaders of the country alongside separate
consultations with leaders of the security bloc."
Updated
A U.S. military official says a Russian fighter jet made multiple, close-range passes near an American warship in the Black Sea for more than 90 minutes Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region.
The Associated Press reports:
The
official says the fighter flew within 1,000 yards of the USS Donald
Cook, a Navy destroyer, at about 500 feet above sea level, saying this
prompted ship commanders to issue several radio warnings. The fighter
appeared to be unarmed and the passes ended without incident.
The
USS Donald Cook was operating in international waters east of Romania.
It was deployed to the Black Sea April 10th, in the wake of the Russian
military takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region and ongoing unrest there.
The official was not authorized to talk publicly and spoke on condition
of anonymity.
Update: Reuters has spoken with an unnamed Pentagon official who confirms the Russian overflights and calls them "provocative and unprofessional." Read update: Russian "Fencer" plane made 12 passes, Pentagon says.
Updated
An unidentified helicopter in Donetsk. Alexander Marquardt is with ABC News:
The United States does not rule out supplying arms to Ukraine, Thomas Shannon, a senior diplomat and adviser to secretary of state John Kerry, said Monday.
Shannon was asked during a trip to Berlin whether the United States could arm
Ukrainian forces, Reuters reports:
"Obviously we are
looking at that as an option ... but at this point I can't anticipate
whether or not we are going to do that," Shannon said. [...]
"From our point of view what we are seeing in a series of cities
mimics what we saw in Crimea both in terms of the tactics and in terms
of the people involved. ... From our point of view there is a very obvious Russian hand in all
of this and we consider these actions to be destabilising and
dangerous."
Details of the meeting of European foreign ministers in Luxembourg
are emerging, with Reuters quoting French foreign minister Laurent
Fabius as saying EU leaders "could if necessary hold a summit next week"
and "might adopt new sanctions against Russia":
"If
it is necessary, there could be a meeting of heads of state and
government on a European level next week, which might adopt new
sanctions," Fabius told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of EU
foreign ministers in Luxembourg to discuss the Ukraine crisis.
Guardian Europe editor Ian Traynor (@traynorbrussels) has read an early draft statement for discussion by the ministers. "Despite what EU sees as Russian escalation in east," Ian tweets, "the EU foreign ministers are stalling on stage 3 sanctions
and can't agree on wording yet." Ian also notes that the ministers have
yet to agree on the more modest step of sanctioning more individuals.
He advises caution in drawing any conclusions about the ministers'
likely next step, as the language in the draft agreement could harden
over the course of meetings.
Updated
Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) has more on the news that Ukrainian acting president Oleksandr Turchynov has asked the UN
to send peacekeeper forces to eastern Ukraine. Turchynov told UN
secretary-general Ban Ki-moon by telephone that the seizure of
administrative buildings was the work of "special units" sent by Russia,
Alec reports, citing a statement on the presidential website:
Ki-moon said the government has taken
steps “that were necessary to stabilize the situation in Ukraine in
general and in the southeastern Ukraine particularly,” according to
the statement.
As previously noted, the Russian Federation is a permanent member of the UN security council and could veto any resolution to deploy UN forces.
The Guardian's Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) has been reporting from Slaviansk,
where at least three people died in clashes Sunday. The city is now
relatively calm, he writes, although there are roadblocks outside the
city and a cordon around two buildings the pro-Russian forces have taken over, police headquarters and a state security complex.
Alec
Luhn, who has been reporting for the Guardian from Horlivka, posts this
video from Russia Today of Slaviansk's new "people's mayor" reading a plea for intervention from Moscow:
New Slaviansk "people's mayor" calls on Putin to help the Donetsk Republic & announces city has raised a Russian flag http://t.co/WdA4W8CvyY
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Updated
Russian president Vladimir Putin "is watching the developments in eastern Ukraine with great concern," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is quoted by Reuters as saying:
Asked about a call by pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine for
Putin to help defend them against government forces , Dmitry Peskov
said:
"Unfortunately, there's a great many such appeals coming from the
Eastern Ukrainian regions addressed directly to Putin to intervene in
this or that form," he said. "The president is watching the developments
in Eastern Ukraine with great concern."
Ukraine has called for the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the country, according to the presidential website.
Interim president Oleksandr Turchynov called for the deployment of
United Nations peacekeeping troops in the east of the country, after
pro-Russian insurgents occupied buildings in nearly 10 cities.
In a
telephone conversation with Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Turchynov
suggested an "anti-terrorist operation" could be carried out jointly by
Ukrainian security forces and U.N. peacekeepers.
Peacekeepers would have to be authorized by the U.N. Security Council, in which Russia holds a veto.
Ukraine's interim president Oleksandr Turchynov said through official channels
that police officers in south Eastern Ukraine recruited under the
government of Viktor Yanukovych "are unfortunately incapable of
protecting Ukrainian citizens and combating manifestations of terrorism
and separatism".
In a session of the Conciliatory Council today, Turchynov said "the majority of Ukrainians will stand for indivisible, independent, democratic and unitary Ukraine".
"Today
Ukrainians in all regions of our state are ready to protect their
country and fight back the aggressor which encroaches on our territorial
integrity," he said.
“We should stabilize the situation and unite
Ukrainians not only by taking forceful measures. We are first of all
searching for consensus that would unite the whole nation,” he said. Speaking of the seizing of police and government administrative buildings
Turchynov said: “There is blood on terrorists’ hands. Ukraine cannot
put up with it. Following the NSDC decision, a full-scale antiterrorist
operation, involving the Armed Forces of Ukraine, will be initiated.”
"I am confident that the situation in the East will be fully stabilized in the nearest time with the assistance of population."
He
added that the Russian Federation “quite inadequately reacts to our
decision” which proved that “there is not a confrontation taking place
between Ukrainians in the East, but an open aggression of Russia against
our country.”
He added: “The Russian Federation openly supports
those whom it finances and actually sends to our territory. It supports
terrorist attacks and killings of law-enforcers and civilians,” he said.
Since April 12 pro-Russia forces have targeted a number of cities in eastern Ukraine, occupying official buildings and in some cases exchanging fire with Ukrainian government forces.
A 0600 GMT deadline for pro-Russian separatists to disarm and withdraw from the Eastern city of Slaviansk has passed, with no sign of action being taken.
Ukraine's interim president Olexander Turchynov hit out at "aggression" from Russia, but said Kiev was "not against" a vote on the future of the country, a key demand from protesters.
Key
EU governments have reasons to be wary of further sanctions. Germany is
reliant on Russia for gas supplies, France has defence contracts with
the country, there is heavy Russian investment in the UK's finance
industry.
Updated
The BBC have a good round up of what is happening where in Eastern Ukraine,
with round-ups from each of the cities where protests have broken out
including: Sloviansk, Yenakiyevo, Horlivka, Artemivsk, Kramatorsk,
Kharkiv, Mariupol, Zaporizha, Donetsk, Makiyivka, Druzhkivka
Updated
The BBC's Kevin Bishop has just posted this youtube video.
Peter Leonard of the Associated Press is reporting from Horlivka,
where the police building has been seized by pro-Russian militia.
He adds detail to an earlier from the city.
AP reports:
Oleksandr
Sapunov, one of the men who took part in storming the police building
in Horlivka, said the insurgents were fighting against appointees of the
Kiev government, including the local police chief, and wanted to
appoint a leadership of their own.
"The people came to tell him that he is a puppet of the Kiev junta and they won't accept him," Sapunov said.
One
of the insurgents later announced that some of the police have switched
over to their side, retained their weapons and will continue serving on
the police force.
Hundreds of onlookers outside chanted "Referendum!" and "Russia!"
One
man climbed on the roof of the porch to put up a Russian flag. A
policeman came through a window to chase him, and the man fell off the
roof. Several minutes later the policeman, his head bloodied, was
carried out of the police station to an ambulance.
Acting Deputy
Interior Minister Mykola Velichkovych acknowledged Monday that some
police officers in eastern regions were switching sides. "In the east we
have seen numerous facts of sabotage from the side of police,"
Velichkovych told reporters.
Kiev and the West have
accused Moscow of inciting the protests, saying they are similar to
events that happened in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia last month.
The report continues:
Ever
since pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia in late
February, Russia has demanded constitutional reforms that would turn
Ukraine into a loose federal state.
After refusing demands for a
referendum by separatists in the east, acting President Oleksandr
Turchynov indicated Monday that holding a nation-wide referendum on the
nation's status was a possibility and that such a vote could be
conducted on May 25, along with presidential elections. Turchynov
expressed confidence that Ukrainians would vote against turning the
country into a federation and against its break-up.
It appears that politicians are not the only ones passing comment on
developments in Ukraine. According to AFP, a weatherman on Russian
state television wove comments on Ukraine's political crisis into his
weather forecast, warning of a "wind of change" in the country's east.
The agency reports:
The bow-tied
weatherman on Russia 24 rolling news channel, Vadim Zavodchenkov, broke
with routine by comparing the weather fronts rolling across eastern
Ukraine to the wave of clashes between pro-Russian forces and Kiev
authorities.
"Clouds have gathered over Ukraine's east and the consequences of this will be felt even in Russia," Zavodchenkov said.
The
coal-mining city of Donetsk where pro-Kremlin protesters declared a
people's republic last week experienced "gusty wind, possibly the wind
of change" caused by a cyclone from the region of Black Sea where the
peninsula of Crimea is based, he said.
The political future for
Ukraine's east may be uncertain, but at least the weather is set fair in
the Donbass region around Donetsk, he added in a punning commentary.
"In
the Donbass region, where the situation is aggravated to the limit,
light rain is possible today and tomorrow. We don't know how much the
confrontation will heat up, but the temperature on the thermometer in
Donetsk will only rise."
The broadcast aired at around 6.50am and
is posted on Rossiya 24's website. Zavodchenkov is known for reports on
extreme weather around the world that wrap in elements of news stories.
Russian
state television has bombarded viewers with coverage of the Ukraine
crisis that supports the official Moscow line, prompting comparisons
with Soviet-era propaganda.
Weather forecasts on state television
were quick to include Crimean towns immediately after the peninsula's
residents voted to join Russia in a referendum last month, despite
international consensus that the annexation is not legally valid.
The British coalition government are united behind British Foreign
Secretary William Hague's remarks this morning. According to the Press
Association, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said events in
eastern Ukraine had "all the hallmarks of an attempt to destabilise the
situation".
He added: "We are clear as a Government that Russian destabilisation of the Ukraine must stop."
Clegg said it was "time to consider further actions" in partnership with other EU nations.
British
Prime Minister Cameron has discussed the latest situation with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel and was also due to speak to French President
Francois Hollande.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said
Cameron and Merkel had emphasised the importance of Russia
"unequivocally" condemning the occupations in eastern Ukraine.
They agreed that EU foreign ministers should now look at how work on preparing further sanctions could be accelerated.
Updated
Reuters are reporting that the Russian Foreign Ministry is calling
for the Russian-speaking eastern regions should be involved in drafting a
possible new state structure which could be put to a referendum next
month.
Reuters reports:
Sergei
Lavrov said it was not in Russia's interests for Ukraine to break up,
but that Moscow wanted Kiev to give all citizens equal treatment.
He
denied Ukrainian and U.S. allegations that Russia had undercover agents
fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine, and said he was seeking an
explanation of media reports that the director of the CIA, John Brennan,
had visited Kiev.
Pro-Russian groups in eastern Ukraine have
said they want a new constitution which will create a federal system of
government with greater autonomy for the regions.
"I do not yet
know the details of the referendum that has been announced for May 25,"
Lavrov said. He was speaking at a news conference after meeting his
Sudanese counterpart.
"Fashioning some kind of text with the
Verkhovny Rada (Ukrainian parliament) without the participation of the
regions and then putting it to a referendum: that does not respond to
the criteria we speak about or that the south east (of Ukraine) has
spoken about and we back their stance."
"Let every political
actor and every region without exception voice its interests and based
on that we will look for a common denominator and then we will get a
constitution that really unites and guarantees the interest of the
people."
Responding to accusations from Kiev and some Western
powers that Russia is preparing a military intervention in eastern
Ukraine, Lavrov said: "As for your hypothetical question about ...
possible military intervention, I don't even want to speculate. We do
not meddle in the affairs of Ukraine."
"We don't have any agents
there, not from the GRU (military intelligence) or the FSB (domestic
security service)," Lavrov said, adding that it is "not in Russia's
interest to destabilise the situation in Ukraine".
Developments in the Ukraine had "the appearance of a further gross,
deliberate and pre-meditated violation of the independent sovereignty of
Ukraine", said Hague. Russia's denial of involvement in East Ukraine
did not have "a shred of credibility."
Hague called for a strong,
immediate and united international response, and said he would be
pushing for sanctions against Russia and that the "timing and nature" of
the sanctions would be discussed at the meeting, adding that there "had
to be consequences to a further and further escalation of this crisis
by Russia."
He said the escalation of events in Ukraine were
"dangerous", adding that: "there clearly needs to be a clear and united
international response to that".
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has accused Russia of a "gross,
deliberate and premeditated" destabilisation of Ukraine, ahead of a
meeting with EU foreign ministers.
I have just been speaking to our correspondent Luke Harding in
Slavyansk, where pro-Russian activists are reinforcing the barricades
outside the two occupied state buildings - the police headquarters and
the offices of the state security service.
Luke describes an uneasy and tense situation in the town, but little obvious conflict as yet.
It
is relatively quiet in Slavyansk, but the mood is tense. Local people
here are worried that Ukrainian troops will, as promised, storm the
city.
But at the moment there are no signs of the Ukrainian army.
There was a military helicopter in the skies for the last two days, but
there are no signs of tanks or troops on the ground.
There are a
series of checkpoints going in and out of the city and the majority of
shops are shut, although some remain open. Local rebel militia groups
are currently outside the police station and there are groups of men
describing themselves as cossacks outside City Hall. They are not
Russian soldiers, but are carrying kalashnikovs and appear to be more
professional.
Currently we have a fearful population here, but the Ukrainian army is nowhere to be seen.
Reports from Alec Luhn that pro-Russian protesters have become violent in Horlivka
Commander finally speaks
up, telling protestors who have stormed Gorlovka police HQ to go onto
street. "Turn in your weapons!" they shout
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
People beating each other as protestors in Gorlovka enter basement where police where holed up
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Cop who was beaten by protestors in Gorlovka now in an ambulance. Some calling for his head, others say let him go
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Here is the Associated Press' take on the seizing of police and
government buildings in Russian-leaning eastern Ukraine, in defiance of
Ukrainian government warnings.
Dozens
of angry men hurled rocks, smashed the windows and broke into a police
station in the city of Horlivka not far from the border with Russia,
while hundreds of onlookers cheered them on. Thick white smoke rose from
the entrance to the building.
The events in Horlivka were the
latest sign of trouble in Russian-speaking eastern and southern regions,
in which pro-Russian gunmen have seized a number of government
buildings demanding more autonomy from the central government and closer
ties with Russia.
Kiev authorities and Western officials have
accused Moscow of instigating the protests, saying the events echoed
those in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia last month. Ever since
pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia in late February,
Russia has demanded constitutional reforms that would turn Ukraine into
a loose federal state.
Acting President Oleksandr
Turchynov indicated today that holding a nation-wide referendum on the
nation's status could be a possibility. He said a vote could be
conducted on May 25, along with presidential elections, according to the
Interfax news agency.
Meanwhile, a
deadline set by the Ukrainian government for pro-Russian gunmen to leave
government buildings in eastern Ukraine and surrender weapons passed
early Monday, with no immediate sign of any action to force the
insurgents out.
Turchynov had issued a decree Sunday that those
protesters who disarm and vacate government offices in several cities in
the Russian-leaning east of the country by 0600 GMT Monday will not be
prosecuted. Turchynov vowed that a "large-scale anti-terrorist
operation" would take place to re-establish control over those areas and
that the fate of the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia last month,
will not be repeated.
There was no immediate comment from the government on the deadline passing.
But
Serhiy Taruta, governor of the Donetsk region, where government
buildings in several cities, including the regional capital Donetsk,
have been seized by pro-Russian gunmen, said an anti-terrorist operation
was underway in the region, according to the Interfax news agency.
Taruta
did not give any details of what the anti-terrorist operation would
entail. The governor usually does not have authority to launch
anti-terrorist measures on his own and he was likely acting on the
orders of top security officials in Kiev.
Taruta said the
anti-terrorism measures were aimed at "protecting the peace and order on
our land, which today is being taken away from us by armed, aggressive
fanatics cynically and cold-bloodedly," he was quoted as saying. "They
are terrorists and we will not let them rule on our land." He did not
provide any details of the operation.
The West has
accused Moscow of being behind the unrest. Ukraine's ousted president,
Viktor Yanukovych, claimed that the Kiev government was coordinating its
actions with the CIA.
Russia has
warned the Kiev government against using force against the protesters in
the east and has threatened to cancel in international diplomatic
conference on the Ukrainian conflict scheduled for later this week.
The BBC's Kevin Bishop brings our attention to this live stream of police HQ in Horlivka being taken over:
Meanwhile the Guardian's Luke Harding
is in Slavyansk, where pro-Russian activists are reinforcing the
barricades outside the two occupied state buildings - the police
headquarters and the offices of the state security service.
Yesterday
security forces launched a security operation against the protesters in
the city and clashes left at least three people dead.
Few roadblocks on the road into #Slavyansk. A few weapons. But calm, with traffic flowing in both directions
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) April 14, 2014
Lots of armed guys outside #Slavayansk city hall. They say they are "Cossacks" who have come to help. Carrying standard issue Kalashnikovs
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) April 14, 2014
Further developments in Horlivka, according to these tweets from Alec Luhn, reporting from the city for the Guardian.
Riot police pull back in Horlivka, anti-Kiev protestors cordon them off
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Anti-Kiev protestors clapped as riot police withdrew in Horlivka. Now they're breaking into a side door of city hall
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Protestors are inside
police HQ in Gorlovka. "Come out!" they tell employees, banging at
glass. "We won't touch you. Give us your leader!"
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
This updated report from David Hughes, political correspondent at the Press Association
David
Cameron interrupted his Easter holiday to discuss the crisis in Ukraine
in a sign of the growing concern about the actions of pro-Russian
forces in the country.
The Prime Minister, who is in Lanzarote
with his family, spoke to William Hague by telephone ahead of a meeting
of European Union foreign ministers.
The pair discussed the
"deteriorating situation in Ukraine" and Mr Cameron said the UK will
"press for a firm and united response" from the EU, No 10 said on
Twitter.
Pro-Russian forces showed little sign of complying with a
deadline set by the administration in Kiev to withdraw from occupied
government buildings in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow has denied it is
behind the co-ordinated operation by gangs wearing uniforms without
insignia, but Britain said Russia would be assumed to be complicit
unless it condemned the actions.
Foreign Secretary Mr Hague said it was "vital" that the EU signalled Russia had a responsibility to stop "undermining" Ukraine.
The
EU has warned that Russia faces more stringent economic sanctions if it
further destabilises the situation in neighbouring Ukraine.
At
an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the UK's
ambassador, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, warned of a "dangerous escalation of
an already dangerous situation" about which the UK is "gravely
concerned".
Satellite images show between 35,000 and 40,000
Russian troops in the vicinity of the border with Ukraine, along with
combat aircraft, tanks and artillery, in addition to the 25,000 Russian
troops already illegally in Crimea, he said.
While the Kremlin
denied it was behind the attacks in eastern Ukraine, Sir Mark said the
events "point clearly to Russia once again interfering directly in the
internal affairs of Ukraine using manufactured pretexts and military
force", calling recent events in eastern cities "a well-orchestrated
campaign designed to destabilise the country".
Urging Russia to
back down and air its grievances through dialogue, Sir Mark said:
"Russia's aggressive stance is a clear threat to the sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"The United
Kingdom calls on Russia to immediately redeploy its troops away from the
border, to cease all activity designed to heighten tensions and sow
discord, and to revoke the mandate given by the Federation Council on 1
March to use military force on Ukrainian soil."
There has been
recent unrest in the east of the country, including Donetsk, where
ethnic Russians fear they will suffer at the hands of the West-facing
Ukrainian government.
Ukraine's interim president, Oleksandr
Turchynov, has announced he is sending in the army to resist attacks,
stop Russian forces moving in and prevent a repeat of the situation in
Crimea, which was annexed by Moscow following a hastily-arranged
referendum.
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin denied Moscow was
to blame for the violence, instead accusing Ukraine of using radical
neo-Nazi forces to destabilise its eastern region.
But US
ambassador Samantha Power accused Russian of "spreading fiction",
saying: "These are not protests, these are professional military
operations."
Reuters are reporting that Ukraine's interim president has
said the Kiev leadership was "not against" a referendum being held on
the type of state Ukraine should be. He added he was sure it would
confirm the wish of the majority for a united, independent country.
The holding of a referendum has been one of the demands of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Oleksander
Turchinov, in televised remarks to a parliamentary committee, added
that such a poll could be held at the same time as a presidential
election on May 25.
He added that an anti-terrorist operation
involving the army would begin in eastern Ukraine, unless rebels laid
down their arms, and that the Donbass region "will soon be stabilised".
The riot police appear to be unable to stop protesters in Horlivka, sayd Alex Luhn
Riot police finally show up in Horlivka in E Ukraine. But they don't stop protestors, who chant "Police with the people!"
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Breaking News
Sounds like the situation is escalating in Horlivka, the last major city in Donetsk region not in pro-Russian hands.
Pro-Russian protestors are STORMING CITY HALL in Horlivka. Explosions. Last major city of Donetsk region falling http://t.co/KAZimGGrRj
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
"LET'S GO!" yell pro-Russian protestors as they storm city hall in Horlivka in Eastern Ukraine. Explosions sound http://t.co/KAZimGGrRj
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
In Slaviansk, Kramatorsk, professionals stormed buildings. In Horlivka now it's spontaneous uprising-see for yourself http://t.co/KAZimGGrRj
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Horlivka city hall is ON FIRE after protestors apparently throw Molotov cocktail. "Good job!" people chant
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 14, 2014
Alec Luhn also tells us
there are reports of pro-Russian stone-throwing in Horlivka - the last
major city in Donetsk region not in pro-Russian hands.
More details as soon as we have them.
My colleague Alec Luhn in Donetsk has just filed this dispatch, on the passing of this morning's deadline:
An
ultimatum by Ukraine's acting president for pro-Russian protestors in
the east of the country to lay down their arms came and went quietly on
Monday.
Also on Monday, security and defence council head Andriy
Parubiy said Ukrainian intelligence services had detained Russian secret
agents in Ukraine but did not provide further details.
In a
nationally televised address on Sunday night, president Oleksandr
Turchynov promised amnesty to those who had not fired at security forces
if they laid down their arms and vacated seized government buildings by
9am. The statement came after pro-Russian protestors seized more
government buildings in several cities in the Donetsk region on Sunday,
actions for which locals have claimed credit. Kiev and Washington have
blamed Russia for inciting the takeovers.
On Monday morning,
Sergei Taruta, the Kiev-appointed governor of Donetsk, said an
“anti-terrorist operation” was underway in the region and called on
citizens “not to react to provocations,” but Slaviansk and the capital
where quiet.
Protestors have been occupying an administration
building in the regional capital and a security service building in
neighbouring Luhansk region for over a week, and this weekend they took
over several buildings in Slaviansk and nearby cities.
Sunday saw
the first deaths in the burgeoning crisis in eastern Ukraine, where a
majority speak Russian as their native language. Interior minister Arsen
Avakov said one state security officer was killed and five were wounded
in an operation in Slaviansk on Sunday, and Russian news agency RIA
Novosti reported that one pro-Russian activist was killed.
The
Guardian found evidence of shootouts in Slaviansk on Sunday, including a
clash between government troops and unknown men on a road outside the
city. A video of the aftermath of the gun battle showed a wounded man in
camouflage and a man in a black uniform with a machine gun, apparently
dead. An eyewitness said the man in the black uniform was a provocateur
who tried to spur the reluctant troops to attack civilians, but other
video from Slaviansk showed Ukrainian forces dressed in similar black
uniforms in a standoff with unarmed locals.
Troops ultimately
pulled back without moving into the city, where locals continue to
occupy a police station and a security service building.
Pro-Kiev
analyst Dmitry Tymchuk, a Ukrainian army and Defence Ministry veteran,
wrote on Facebook on Monday that Russian intelligence services had
created “agent networks” in Ukraine in 2010-13, laying the groundwork
for the “saboteurs and coordinators from Russia.”
There has been no immediate comment from the Ukraine government on
the deadline passing, but Serhiy Taruta, governor of the Donetsk region
where government buildings have been seized by pro-Russian gunmen, has
said an anti-terrorist operation is under way, according to the Interfax
news agency.
This from the Press Association:
Taruta
did not give any details of what the anti-terrorist operation would
entail. The governor usually does not have authority to launch
anti-terrorist measures on his own and he was likely acting on the
orders of top security officials in Kiev.
Taruta said the
anti-terrorism measures were aimed at "protecting the peace and order on
our land, which today is being taken away from us by armed, aggressive
fanatics cynically and cold-bloodedly". He added: "They are terrorists
and we will not let them rule on our land." He did not provide any
details of the operation.
The west has accused Moscow of fomenting
the unrest. Ukraine's ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych, claimed the
Kiev government was co-ordinating its actions with the CIA.
Russia
has warned the Kiev government against using force against the
protesters in the east and has threatened to cancel an international
diplomatic conference on the Ukrainian conflict scheduled for later this
week.
The US-based, Russia-born analyst Natasha Mozgovaya draws our attention to the US state department's rebuttal of Russian authorities' claims:
“No amount of propaganda can make right something that the world knows is wrong.” – President Obama, March 26
Russia
continues to spin a false and dangerous narrative to justify its
illegal actions in Ukraine. The Russian propaganda machine continues to
promote hate speech and incite violence by creating a false threat in
Ukraine that does not exist. We would not be seeing the violence and sad
events that we've witnessed this weekend without this relentless stream
of disinformation and Russian provocateurs fostering unrest in eastern
Ukraine. Here are 10 more false claims Russia is using to justify
intervention in Ukraine, with the facts that these assertions ignore or
distort.
Below is a edited version of the claims and what the US says are the "facts". Again, the full rebuttal can be found here:
1. Russia claims: Russian agents are not active in Ukraine.
The
Ukrainian government has arrested more than a dozen suspected Russian
intelligence agents in recent weeks, many of whom were armed at the time
of arrest. 2. Russia claims: pro-Russia demonstrations are
comprised exclusively of Ukrainian citizens acting of their own
volition, like the Maidan movement in Kiev.
This is not the
grassroots Ukrainian civic activism of the EuroMaidan movement, which
grew from a handful of student protesters to hundreds of thousands of
Ukrainians from all parts of the country and all walks of life. Russian
internet sites openly are recruiting volunteers to travel from Russia to
Ukraine and incite violence. 3. Russia claims: separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine enjoy broad popular support.
The
recent demonstrations in eastern Ukraine are not organic and lack wide
support in the region. A large majority of Donetsk residents (65.7%)
want to live in a united Ukraine and reject unification with Russia. 4. Russia claims: the situation in eastern Ukraine risks spiraling into civil war.
What
is going on in eastern Ukraine would not be happening without Russian
disinformation and provocateurs fostering unrest. It would not be
happening if a large Russian military force were not massed on the
border, destabilising the situation through their overtly threatening
presence. 5. Russia claims: Ukrainians in Donetsk rejected the
illegitimate authorities in Kiev and established the independent
“People’s Republic of Donetsk”.
A broad and representative
collection of civil society and non-governmental organisations in
Donetsk categorically rejected the declaration of a “People’s Republic
of Donetsk” by the small number of separatists occupying the regional
administration building. 6. Russia claims: Russia ordered a “partial drawdown” of troops from the Ukrainian border.
No evidence shows significant movement of Russian forces away from the Ukrainian border. 7. Russia claims: ethnic Russians in Ukraine are under threat.
There are no credible reports of ethnic Russians facing threats in Ukraine. 8. Russia claims: Ukraine’s new government is led by radical nationalists and fascists.
The
Ukrainian parliament (Rada) did not change in February. It is the same
Rada that was elected by all Ukrainians, comprising all of the parties
that existed prior to February’s events, including former president
Yanukovych’s Party of Regions. The new government, approved by an
overwhelming majority in the parliament – including many members of
Yanukovych’s former party – is committed to protecting the rights of
all Ukrainians, including those in Crimea. 9. Russia claims: ethnic minorities face persecution in Ukraine from the “fascist” government in Kiev.
Leaders
of Ukraine’s Jewish as well as German, Czech and Hungarian communities
have all publicly expressed their sense of safety under the new
authorities in Kiev. 10. Russia claims: Russia is not using energy and trade as weapons against Ukraine.
Following
Russia’s illegal annexation and occupation of Crimea, Russia raised the
price Ukraine pays for natural gas by 80% in the past two weeks. In
addition, it is seeking more than $11bn in back payments following its
abrogation of the 2010 Kharkiv accords.
Updated
The prime minister has urged the EU to give a "firm and united" response to the Ukraine crisis.
This from David Hughes and Dominic Harris of the Press Association:
The UK will call for a "firm and united" response from European Union countries in response to the Ukraine crisis.
Pro-Russian
forces showed little sign of complying with a deadline set by the
administration in Kiev to withdraw from occupied government buildings in
eastern Ukraine.
Russia has denied it is behind the co-ordinated
operation by gangs wearing uniforms without insignia, but Britain said
Russia would be assumed to be complicit unless it condemned the actions.
The foreign secretary, William Hague, will meet fellow European
leaders for talks in Luxembourg today and he said it was vital that the
EU signalled Russia had a responsibility to stop "undermining" Ukraine.
Downing
Street said David Cameron had interrupted his Easter holiday in
Lanzarote to discuss the "deteriorating situation in Ukraine" with
Hague.
The UK will "press for a firm and united response" at the meeting of EU foreign ministers, the prime minister said.
The EU has warned that Russia faces further economic sanctions if it destabilises the situation in neighbouring Ukraine.
Following
an emergency meeting of the United Nations security council last
night, the UK's ambassador, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, warned of a "dangerous
escalation of an already dangerous situation" about which the UK is
"gravely concerned".
PA report:
Satellite
images show between 35,000 and 40,000 Russian troops in the vicinity of
the border with Ukraine, along with combat aircraft, tanks and
artillery, in addition to the 25,000 Russian troops already illegally in
Crimea, he said.
While the Kremlin denied it was behind the
attacks in eastern Ukraine, Lyall Grant said the events "point clearly
to Russia once again interfering directly in the internal affairs of
Ukraine using manufactured pretexts and military force", calling recent
events in eastern cities "a well-orchestrated campaign designed to
destabilise the country".
Urging Russia to back down and air its
grievances through dialogue, Lyall Grant said: "Russia's aggressive
stance is a clear threat to the sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"The United Kingdom calls on
Russia to immediately redeploy its troops away from the border, to cease
all activity designed to heighten tensions and sow discord, and to
revoke the mandate given by the Federation Council on 1 March to use
military force on Ukrainian soil."
There has been recent unrest
in the east of the country, including Donetsk, where ethnic Russians
fear they will suffer at the hands of the west-facing Ukrainian
government.
Ukraine's interim president, Oleksandr Turchynov, has
announced he is sending in the army to resist attacks, stop Russian
forces moving in and prevent a repeat of the situation in Crimea, which
was annexed by Moscow following a hastily arranged referendum.
The
Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, denied Moscow was to blame for the
violence, instead accusing Ukraine of using radical neo-Nazi forces to
destabilise its eastern region.
But US ambassador Samantha Power
accused Russian of "spreading fiction", saying: "These are not protests,
these are professional military operations."
Updated
In an updated report, Reuters say that the Russian flag is still flying over the police headquarters in Slaviansk. The report says that masked men are guarding the building and more equipment has been delivered to enforce the barricade.
Overnight the US department of state issued a briefing that describes the 12 April building seizures across eastern Ukraine as a "co-ordinated and professional operation" by pro-Russian militias that were likely "planned in advance".
The release states:
In an
indication that the April 12 operations were planned in advance, the
takeovers have occurred simultaneously in multiple locations in eastern
Ukraine: Donetsk, Slavyansk, Krasnyi Liman, Kramatorsk,
Chervonoarmiysk, and Druzhkovka. There are reports that additional
attempts to seize buildings in other eastern Ukrainian towns failed.
Inconsistent with political, grassroots protests, these seizures bear
the same defining features and tactics across diverse locations,
including takeover of government administration buildings and security
headquarters, seizure of weapons in the targeted buildings, forced
removal of local officials, rapid establishment of roadblocks and
barricades, attacks against communications towers, and deployment of
well-organized forces. In Slavyansk, armed units have now also moved
beyond the seized buildings to establish roadblocks and checkpoints in
the nearby area.
Updated
The deadline has now passed and Reuters report that there are no signs of separatist rebels in Slaviansk complying with the order to lay down arms.
Updated
Summary
0600 GMT deadline for pro-Russian separatists to disarm and withdraw from the Eastern city of Slaviansk.
UN
security council holds emergency meeting on evening of 13 April at the
request of Russia who describe ultimatum from Kiev "criminal".
40,000 Russian troops are positioned on Ukrainian border, according to the UK.
"At this moment, Ukraine teeters on the brink," the assistant UN secretary general Oscar Fernandez-Taranco says.
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