COUP IN KYIV?

Just because Revelette is an idiot is no reason to assume that all Americans are idiots.

Monday, March 10. KYIV – “Currently, the Ukrainian MoD and the General Staff of Armed Forces ensure permanent liaison with the leaders of military units in Crimea; they coordinate the territory defense actions, too,” Ihor Tenyukh, Acting Minister of Defense of Ukraine, said. “The Government of Ukraine has defined the urgent actions to provide military units with all the things needed. Since the first day of blockade, we have been supporting the liaison with all the military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Crimea”.

Ukraine's parliament has warned the regional assembly in Crimea that it faces dissolution unless it cancels a referendum it has called to join the region to Russia.

A resolution, supported by a parliamentary vote, gave the Crimean parliament until Wednesday to call off the referendum, due to take place on Sunday. The Crimean parliament on Tuesday passed a motion stating that it would become independent in the event of a yes vote and then seek to join the Russian Federation, arguing that "the unilateral declaration of independence of part of a state does not violate any international laws". Increasing their isolation from Kiev, the pro-Russian authorities have closed Crimea's airspace to commercial flights.

Also on Tuesday, the acting Ukrainian president, Oleksander Turchinov, announced that a new national guard would be formed in response to Russian attempts to annex Crimea.

Turchinov said mismanagement of the armed forces under the former president, Viktor Yanukovych, meant the Ukrainian military had to be rebuilt "effectively from scratch". The acting defence minister said the country had only 6,000 combat-ready infantry compared with more than 200,000 Russian troops on its eastern borders.

Germany told Russia it must switch course in Crimea by next week or risk more sanctions as Ukraine’s deposed president warned of a possible civil war.

The European Union will discuss harsher penalties on March 17 barring “obvious changes in Russia’s actions,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said today in Estonia. Toppled President Viktor Yanukovych told reporters in Russia that lawlessness is spreading in Ukraine, fomented by the “fascists and ultranationalists” who are in charge in Kiev.

“We don’t want a confrontation, but the actions of the Russian side make the preparations necessary,” Steinmeier said in Tallinn. “We continue to urge Russia to use the last possibilities that are still there for a diplomatic solution against such an escalation. Otherwise, relations between Europe and Russia won’t improve.”