Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Stoking Tensions

Ukraine’s PM has accused Russia of stoking tensions as world leaders hold emergency talks on the crisis.

Moscow is facing mounting pressure to remove its troops from Crimea as UN Security Council and European leaders meet in Brussels with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk this morning.

Mr Yatsenyuk, who took over after president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted last month, has accused Russia of attempting to increase tensions.

He said Kyiv wants a solution to the crisis so “it depends on Russia (if) it is ready to fix this conflict”.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who is at the summit, said Europe “needs to send a very clear message to the Russian government that what has happened is unacceptable and should have consequences.”

The talks come as Crimea’s regional parliament has voted to hold a referendum on March 16 on whether it should become part of Russia.

Sky’s Alex Rossi, in Crimea, said: “The new government in Crimea announcing the referendum is not recognised by Kyiv so the referendum may be denounced. It strengthens Vladimir Putin’s hand though.”

In Rome, US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his counterparts from Italy, France and Germany along with Britain’s deputy foreign minister to discuss Ukraine.

Mr Kerry failed in an attempt to get Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine’s interim foreign minister Andriy Deshchytsya to sit down for talks in Paris on Wednesday.

But later today, Mr Kerry will hold a second round of talks with Mr Lavrov, as well as EU foreign ministers later on Thursday.

Forty unarmed military personnel are expected in Crimea in a mission by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe to try to defuse tensions in region.

UN special envoy to Crimea Robert Serry was forced to cut short a visit on Wednesday when he was confronted by unidentified gunmen.

Russia has claimed Mr Yanukovych asked Moscow to send troops to re-establish law and order in his country, although Washington has dismissed Moscow’s version of events.

And violent protests have broken out in cities in mainly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, where several regional government buildings have been taken over by pro-Russian militants who have clashed with police.

Meanwhile a US-based anchor for the Russia Today television network resigned live on air in protest at Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

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