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He told parliament it was being conducted "stage by stage, in a responsible... manner".

Hours later, gunfire was heard at an airfield which had been in the hands of militants.

Mr Turchynov said the airfield at Kramatorsk had been "liberated", according to Interfax.

There is "no military solution" to the crisis, [Geoffrey] Pyatt [the U.S. ambassador] said. "It has to be solved through diplomacy."

Like a prick, you are having second thoughts. You are shrinking, and your two little balls are shrinking with you.

MOSCOW has assured Washington it will not invade Ukraine

Malcolm wrote:Russia promises not to invade Ukraine. Invasion by proxy or general encouragement of rebellion is totally fair game.

“The goal is not to punish Russia,” said Obama.
“The goal is to give them an incentive to choose the better course and that is to resolve these
issues diplomatically, and I think we are united on that front.”

"If we don't step up to the plate on this we can almost kiss NATO goodbye," Engel said. "Other countries are telling us they're terribly afraid of becoming collateral damage in this."

The U.S. is providing Ukraine with $255 million in aid plus $1 billion in loan guarantees, while gradually raising the economic costs for Russia "for its occupation and illegal annexation of Crimea and its continuing efforts to destabilize eastern and southern Ukraine," said Victoria Nuland, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Ukraine’s aging natural-gas pipeline is in danger of further accidents after an explosion on an export link yesterday, OAO Gazprom said, parrying claims of sabotage in the neighboring country.
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“We have been making significant investments in our pipeline network, unlike Ukraine,” Markelov said. “Pipes age and as a result, accidents happen.” More incidents are likely unless the system is maintained, he said.

Ukraine signing an historic trade and economic pact with the European Union Friday may bring "grave consequences," Russia warned.

President Obama said Friday at least one American was among the passengers killed aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 17, and said the plane appears to have been downed by a surface-to-air missile launched from Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists.
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"Russia can end this war," she (U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power) said, warning that more sanctions against Russia could come if Moscow continues to “choose escalation over de-escalation."

A key figure in shaping Europe’s response is Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency. Renzi has been loathe to alienate Russia, Italy’s biggest supplier of natural gas. EU sanctions require all 28 member countries to agree.