Russia is tightening its grip on Crimea as Ukrainian leaders are calling for intervention from the West. Over the weekend Russian Parliament granted President Vladimir Putin permission to invade the country. Now, the situation is quickly spiraling into an international agenda. Here's the latest news you may have missed overnight.
Ukraine's newly appointed prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said Monday there were "for today, no military options on the table," urging support from the West. Meanwhile, Britain's foreign secretary refused to comment on its military actions, but said Moscow will face "significant costs" for its troop movements. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Ukraine on Tuesday.
Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said taking action in Ukraine is a human rights issue. He says the country will send troops in order to prevent radicals from using violence and that it is not an act of aggression. He also condemned Western powers for threatening sanctions and other forms of retaliation, RT reports.
“Those who try to interpret the situation as an act of aggression, threaten us with sanctions and boycotts, are the same partners who have been consistently and vigorously encouraging the political powers close to them to declare ultimatums and renounce dialogue, to ignore the concerns of the south and east of Ukraine and consequently to the polarization of the Ukrainian society,” Lavrov told the UN Council on Human Rights in Geneva.
Russia's stock market dipped nearly 10% on Monday, and the ruble fell to its lowest point ever against the dollar and the euro as fears escalate over the potential economic repercussions of a war with Ukraine.
The White House on Sunday night issued a statement on behalf of G-7 leaders that condemns Russia’s “clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” The countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States — handily criticized Russia in the announcement, noting the country’s actions in Ukraine “contravene the principles and vales on which the G-7 and the G-8 operation.”
Moscow claims that China is taking their side, favoring an invasion of Ukraine. According to Reuters, the two countries' foreign ministers spoke about the situation on Monday, and both agreed it was important to "appropriately handle" the issue, China's Foreign Ministry said.
"Both sides believe that the appropriate handling of the Ukraine crisis is very important to maintaining regional peace and stability," the ministry said in a statement on its website.