Tag: Ukraine

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Russia Today anchor Abby Martin closes broadcast by blasting actions against Ukraine

The word “courageous” doesn’t even begin to address RT anchor Abby Martin’s op-ed on yesterdays Russia Today close.

Martin took the last few minutes of her broadcast last night to say, in part:

“Just because I work here for RT doesn’t mean I don’t have editorial independence and I can’t stress enough how strongly I am against any state intervention in a sovereign nation’s affairs. What Russia did was wrong…”

“The coverage I’ve seen of the Ukraine is truly disappointing from all sides of the media spectrum and rife with disinformation.”

“Above all my heart goes out to the Ukrainian people who are now wedged as pawns in a global power chess game.  They’re the real losers here.”

It’s worth noting that RT is funded by the Russian Government.

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Ukraine appeals to United Nations to stop Russia

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations asked an emergency session of the Security Council in New York yesterday “to do everything possible now” to stop Russia’s “aggression” as its troops took over the strategic Crimea region.

But action by the UN’s most powerful body appears unlikely.

As a permanent member, Russia has veto power and can block the Council from adopting any resolution criticising or sanctioning Moscow.

In a phone call, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “urgently engage in direct dialogue with the authorities” in Kiev.

US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power told the Council it was “time for the Russian military intervention in Ukraine to end.”

(via The Telegraph)

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Ukraine in turmoil as Parliament removes President from office

From CNN: Embattled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych insisted in an interview aired on Ukrainian TV Saturday that he is not resigning and not leaving the country.

Around the same time, an opposition leader and former Prime Minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, was freed from prison.

Ukraine’s Parliament voted unanimously to remove Yanukovych from office. It’s not clear if this is binding.

The Parliament also voted to hold new elections on May 25, a key opposition demand.

At the heart of the protests is a trade pact. For a year, President Viktor Yanukovych insisted he was intent on signing a historical political and trade agreement with the European Union. But on November 21, he decided to suspend talks with the EU.

Street protests that started in November over the trade pact have swelled into something much bigger — a demand that the President loosen his grip on power and the constitution be changed. As a result, the eastern European country is in the midst of a wave of anti-government protests, the likes of which it hasn’t seen in 10 years.

More at CNN.