Министр ИД Украины - первое интервью российскому сми : http://t.co/kTN6ymIYYe
— Alexey Venediktov (@aavst) March 8, 2014
BREAKING: Russian news agencies: Moscow mulls freeze on US military inspections under arms control pact.
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 8, 2014
And this, via AFP:
"The unfounded threats towards Russia from the United States and NATO over its policy on Ukraine are seen by us as an unfriendly gesture that allows the declaration of force majeure circumstances," a high-ranking defence ministry official, who was not named, said in a statement to all Russian news agencies.
The inspections that could be halted are carried out in line with the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with the United States and the Vienna Document between Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) member states."
Via AP:
Ambassadors from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic made their appeal Friday in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. A similar letter was expected to be sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
The letter from the four nations, known as the Visegrad Group, asks for Congress to support speedier approval of natural gas exports, noting that the "presence of U.S. natural gas would be much welcome in Central and Eastern Europe."
Coming from Ankara, @s_sava says Crimea's history explains why the Tatars will not accept Russian rule in Crimea. pic.twitter.com/PDpSFgyk8v
— Glenn Kates (@gkates) March 8, 2014
Here's a Facebook post by Russian nationalist Alksandr Dugin:
And meanwhile, Kremlin mouthpiece Sergei Markov claims war could be imminent
Novaya gazeta photo report of a mine field allegedly placed by Russian forces on Crimea border: http://t.co/HofOZ6LuJh
— Robert Coalson (@CoalsonR) March 8, 2014
Impressive video (in Russian) of locals in Crimea talking to a soldier who refuses to admit he's Russian: http://t.co/B2wziXN98t
— Robert Coalson (@CoalsonR) March 8, 2014
Hat tip to Andrei Soldatov for flagging this:
Whatever Putin says about Rus troops in Crimea his supporters are already at war: they even start exposing "traitors" http://t.co/Ulbe8zy6Fv
— Andrei Soldatov (@AndreiSoldatov) March 8, 2014