Shaun Walker in Kiev, Harriet Salem in Sevastopol and Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian,
Russia and the west are on a collision course over Crimea after Moscow was accused of orchestrating a “military invasion and occupation” of the peninsula, as groups of apparently pro-Russian armed men seized control of two airports. Russian troop movements were reported across the territory.
One Ukrainian official claimed late on Friday that 2,000 Russian troops had arrived in Crimea during the course of the day, in 13 Russian aircraft.
Ukraine‘s acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, addressed the nation and accused Russia of carrying out a similar strategy to 2008, when it in effect annexed two Georgian territories, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “They are trying to provoke a military conflict and are creating a scenario identical to the Abkhaz one, when having provoked a conflict, they annexed territory,” he said.
Turchynov, installed following the removal of the pro-Moscow presidentViktor Yanukovych over the weekend, appealed to Vladimir Putin to halt the incursion: “I am personally addressing President Putin to stop the provocation and call back the military from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and work exclusively within the framework of the signed agreements,” he said.
Pro-Russian Cossacks rally outside the Crimean building in Simferopol. Ukraine has accused Russia of invading the peninsula. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
On Friday evening the main Crimean air hub at Simferopol was still guarded by unidentified, uniformed men. Later it was announced that the airport had been closed and incoming flights diverted. There were similar scenes at Sevastopol airport. On Thursday pro-Russian gunmen seized the Crimean parliament in Simferopol.
“I see what has happened as a military invasion and occupation in violation of all international treaties and norms,” said the new Ukrainian interior minister, Arsen Avakov earlier in the day. “This is a direct provocation aimed at armed bloodshed on the territory of a sovereign state.”
Late on Friday Ukraine’s defence ministry put out a statement saying it had information that unknown “radical forces” were planning to try to disarm its military units in Crimea early Saturday morning and warned against such action.
Armed men patrol at the airport in Simferopol, Crimea. Photograph: David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters
The White House said any Russian military intervention in Ukraine would be a “grave mistake”, while the UN security council took up the issue at a session on Friday evening. A senior administration official said the US is considering pulling out of the G8 summit in Russia.
A US boycott of the June meeting would be a major blow to Putin, particularly if backed by European G8 members – the UK, Italy, Germany and France.
“We are consulting with European partners and considering options,” the senior administration official told the Guardian. “It is hard to see how we and other European leaders would attend the G8 in Sochi if Russia is intervening in Ukraine.”
Viktor Yanukovych gives a news conference in Rostov-on-Don, a city in southern Russia about 600 miles from Moscow. Photograph: Pavel Golovkin/AP
The sudden escalation of the crisis amounts to the most dangerous standoff in the former Soviet Union since the Russia-Georgia war six years ago.
As alarm grew during the day, Russia dismissed efforts by the new Ukrainian leadership to discuss the future of Crimea, a territory the size of Belgium which, despite a large Russian majority, has been part of Ukraine since independence two decades ago. Since 1991, Russia has maintained its own fleet at Sevastopol, a force that dwarfs Ukraine’s own units in Crimea. The Russian foreign ministry said troop movements were “required to protect deployment places of the Black Sea fleet in Ukraine” and said the manoeuvres were fully in line with bilateral accords.
There was still uncertainty as to the precise identity of the gunmen holding the parliament and the airports. They claimed to be part of an informal self-defence group that has sprung up in response to the revolution in Kiev. But experts said they were hardly an impromptu militia.
“This is not a ragtag force,” said Brigadier Ben Barry, a specialist on land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “When you see a new militia, they will have a jumble-sale look. This lot are uniformly dressed and equipped and seem competent and efficient.”
Russian nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky addresses a crowd in Sevastopol. Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters
Michael McFaul, until last week the US ambassador to Russia, wrote on Twitter: “If gunmen in Crimea are not acting on Kremlin’s behalf, it would calming for Russian government to say so. Silence fuels uncertainty, instability.”
Ukraine’s national telephone operator said it had lost landline contact with Crimea.
The crisis was sparked by the bloody uprising in Kiev against the pro-Russian leadership that culminated in Yanukovych’s flight last weekend. On Friday he resurfaced in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, denouncing the “bandit coup” in Kiev, and reiterating that he remained the legitimate president of Ukraine. In a floundering performance full of slip-ups and confused answers, Yanukovych called on Russia to act decisively, saying he was “surprised” by Putin’s restraint.
Credit: Guardian graphics
He also said military action was unacceptable and the territorial integrity of Ukraine should not be violated. Yanukovych, who said he would not return to Ukraine until it was safe to do so, said presidential elections scheduled for 25 May were illegitimate.
There was an intense bout of international diplomacy over the increased tension, with David Cameron and German chancellor Angela Merkel speaking with Russian president Vladimir Putin. London said Putin and Cameron agreed to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, while a Kremlin readout of the call merely said the leaders had agreed “there should be no further escalation of violence”. The foreign secretary William Hague said he would be travelling to Kiev to meet the country’s new leaders.
Political leaders moved fast in Moscow with the parliament rapidlyintroducing a law that would make it easier for new territories to be added to Russia’s existing borders, a move that seemed directly linked to events in Crimea. The bill would allow for regions to join Russia by referendum if its host country does not have a “legitimate government”. MP Elena Mizulina said: “If as the result of a referendum, Crimea appeals to Russia with a desire to join us, we should have the legal mechanisms to answer.”
Russian nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky flew to Crimea and addressed cheering crowds in Sevastopol, promising them financial and psychological support against the new government in Kiev.
Another law under discussion would ease the requirements for Russian-speaking Ukrainians to receive Russian citizenship, and late on Friday, the Russian foreign ministry said it had ordered its consulate in Simferopol to begin “urgently” issuing passports to members of the Berkut riot police. The toughest regiments of police in Ukraine, Berkut regiments were used by Yanukovych against peaceful protesters. In the western city of Lviv, Berkut officers got down on their knees and begged forgiveness for the actions of their colleagues, but in Crimea, the returning troops have been greeted as heroes.
In Kiev, a new cabinet was voted in by the parliament on Thursday and needs to get to work to ease the appalling state of the economy, with Ukraine’s currency weakening and the country facing a serious risk of default. The new government has been recognised as legitimate by most regions of Ukraine outside Crimea, but still has work to do to integrate law-enforcement bodies and restart the functioning of the state.
Ukraine’s armed forces are dwarfed by Russia’s – but would be no pushover if the Kremlin did decide to go for broke. “It is a nightmare for everyone,” said Igor Sutyagin, a Russian military expert. “The entry of Russian troops would be a deep humiliation for Ukraine … It would be a second Chechnya.”
@ bernard ross:
Please Sweetie, tell the time when raw power wasn’t in vogue.
@ yamit82:
We may have entered a time where the projection of brute power is again on the rise. both China and russia appear to have already taken that step while playing along with the diplomatic games. Europe’s power and standing will drop as they have no power to project. The US is seen under barry to be retreating to lick its domestic wounds. Russia and China have already seized the day. It may be that if Israel can operate along the same lines that it will be accommodated in an emerging world where military power talks and money walks. If Europe and the US could become so immersed on other problems they might retreat from meddling in the ME especially the US who has its own oil. I think the EU could be bullied into backing off. If the US and EU retreat then Israel may be able to come to accommodation with the GCC who basically run the other sunni arab nations with their money and paid jihadis. I dont think the GCC care about the pals or even the final solution. I think they think of their clans, investments in the west, and long term security for their investments in case they have to leave the ME. Getting rid of the Ghadaffis and assads gives the GCC more authority ovver the sunni arabs. they can see that Israel knows how to make deals and is not interested in expansion so Israel is a power in the ME with the least threat to them. if they can resolve the pal thing they can enter a beneficial deal with Israel which would help them balance russia, china and turkey who are all potential threats to them as allies. So far china appears to be only an economic power in the ME but is flexing in Asia.
For Israel russia, although untrustworthy may be interesting in that they both have adversarial relations with the EU and Russia wants to control EU energy sources.
yamit82 Said:
It appears they have been planning for this scenario for a while. I think Vlad b*tch slapped barry. when barry told vlad to wait until after the election Vlad saw who he was and what he could do: that he was dealing with a spineless and powerless empty suit. Vlad warship is on its way to Cuba and vlad said he intends to expand russia’s global reach.
oooh, another slap !
Kennedy rolling over in his grave at the sucker punch barry just got.
this guy’s a genius I say, a genius!
@ yamit82:
As my dear Great-Aunt Annie said [the family motto] “Europe, Europe I was never so glad to leave a place”. I have books my Father purchased for me, love to search for old books. The are call the “Great March” illustrated with wood-cuts by an Ukrainian artist. Beautiful illustration, Iam think of framing them.
I feel the same.
Then there’s this:
Islamic Terror Group Hezbullah has acquired and deployed Russian cruise missile
http://pamelageller.com/2014/03/islamic-terror-group-hezbullah-acquired-deployed-russian-cruise-missile.html/
@ honeybee:
Not all Ukrainians are scum.
0.05% are not.
In 2006 a Ukrainian court heard an interesting case: a Jew vs. the president. The Jew claimed immorality and lack of legal foundation for the executive order of state honors for one Symon Petlyura. Most people are not familiar with the name. Shortly after WWI, Petlyura headed the Ukrainian army that massacred about 200,000 Jews. Characteristically, the Ukrainians were not content “merely” to exterminate the Jews, but often carved us up with knives and devised other torturous modes of death.
The Ukrainian president—the US’ darling—promoted Petlyura for his non-existent role in building the Ukrainian state. The official historiography vaguely acknowledges pogroms during Petlyura’s reign but relegates them to mob activity even though a French criminal court in 1927 found Petlyura guilty of genocide.
Ukrainian historians call Bogdan Khmelnitsky, another butcher, the avenger of the oppressed Ukrainian population against Jewish tavern keepers and tax farmers—as if hundreds of thousands of massacred Jewish peasants had anything to do with a few tax farmers.
The previous president, Kravchuk, even apologized (Oh, thank you, Mr. President!), and the dishonest and conformist rabbinical establishment lauded him. As if the Jews need an apology from non-apologetic Ukrainian murderers who name towns and streets after Khmelnistsky and Petlyura. They still study an antisemitic pamphlet called the Orlyk constitution in school, and prefer to forget about the Trawniki, thousands of Ukrainian scum who manned the German extermination squads.
The US installed the Ukrainian president Yuschenko and propped up his extremely unpopular regime, virulently antisemitic even in the generally antisemitic Ukraine.
Israelis think the Americans are our allies and will help the Jews. Think again. That was Bush not Obama.
honeybee Said:
Not shocked just cheering. For whom? Both.
It’s hard for me to root for either side here. I am anxious to see Mr. Harris’ take on this, although I venture he is strongly pro-Putin.
On the one hand, Putin has done a pretty good job of putting the kibosh on state sanctioned anti-Semitism in Russia, and trade with Israel has grown greatly. On the other hand, he has backed Assad (although the opposition might be worse) and has run interference for the Mullahs.
On the other hand, the Ukraine is not in any position to help or hurt Israel on the international stage, but their neo-Nazis in Svoboda are probably as powerful as Hungary’s Jobbik.
@ yamit82:
I am shocked, that your shocked!!!! Any cowgirl with half a brain could this coming.
Ukraine WJC (World Jewish Congress)
Details and History of the Jews of Ukraine
Ukraine and Israel have enjoyed full diplomatic relations since 1991. Aliya: Since 1989, 200,000 Ukrainian Jews have emigrated to Israel. Read More
Ukraine and the “Politics of Anti-Semitism”: The West Upholds Neo-Nazi Repression of Ukraine’s Jewish Community
By Prof Michel Chossudovsky
The US and the EU are supporting the formation of a coalition government integrated by Neo-Nazis which are directly involved in the repression of the Ukrainian Jewish community. Reports from Kiev confirm that the Jewish community is the target of the Right Sector and the Neo-Nazi Svoboda party, which is supported and financed through various channels by Washington and Brussels:
Contemporary Neo-Nazi Threat against Ukraine’s Jewish community
The Israeli Media and the State of Israel
The Israeli media toes the line. The hate campaign against the Ukrainian Jewish community is not the object of concern. The Jerusalem Post casually dismisses the evidence of crimes committed against Ukraine’s Jewish community under the title: Read More
MK: Time to Bring Ukraine Jews Home to Israel
Yesh Atid MK Rina Frankel appealed to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to initiate an immediate aliyah “rescue effort” for Ukraine Jewry.
‘Ukraine’s Jews Need to Be Protected Before It Joins EU’
Finnish European Parliament Member calls on EU to hold Ukraine responsible for its treatment of Jews, other minorities.
The Ukraine Crisis – It’s the Intermarium Plan Again
The garbled slogans and ravings of the Ukrainian nationalists are straight from the Intermarium playbook.
It’s the Vatican Again, at least a page out of their Playbook against Communism, Russia and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
‘Jews should flee Ukraine’ says Chief Ukrainian Rabbi
After two Jewish Yeshiva students were attacked last month – a story covered by Times of Israel – Moshe Reuven Essman, one of the Chief Rabbis of Ukraine, urged Jews to flee Kiev if not the entire country while they still can.
Will Putin Seize Crimea?
At a 2008 meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, Putin reportedly told Bush that Ukraine was an accident of history.