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Updated | Russia 'denies' giving Ukrainian forces in Crimea ultimatum to surrender
Russia's Black Sea Fleet has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until 5:00 local time (03:00 GMT), Ukraine defence ministry says.
Ukraine army prepares for Russian invasion
Russia's Black Sea Fleet has told Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender by 5 a.m. on Tuesday or face a military assault, Interfax news agency quoted a source in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry as saying.
Russia has however denied issuing such an ultimatum.
The ultimatum, Interfax said, was issued by Alexander Vitko, the fleet's commander.
The ministry did not immediately confirm the report and there was no immediate comment by the Black Sea Fleet, which has a base in Crimea, where Russian forces are in control.
"If they do not surrender before 5 a.m. tomorrow, a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea," the agency quoted the ministry source as saying.
Ukraine said Russia was building up armoured vehicles on its side of a narrow stretch of water closest to Crimea after Putin declared at the weekend he had the right to invade his neighbor to protect Russian interests and citizens.
On the ground in Perevalnoye, half way between the Crimean capital of Simferopol and the Black Sea, hundreds of Russian troops in trucks and armoured vehicles - without national insignia on their uniforms - surrounded two military compounds, confining Ukrainian soldiers as virtual prisoners.
Ukraine called up reservists on Sunday and the United States threatened to isolate Russia economically after Putin's action provoked what Britain's foreign minister called "the biggest crisis in Europe in the twenty-first century".
European Union foreign ministers were to hold emergency talks on Ukraine on Monday but diplomats said they would not immediately match U.S. threats of sanctions against Moscow, but would focus on diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said it was trying to convene an international contact group to help defuse the crisis after Germany said Chancellor Angela Merkel had convinced Putin to accept such an initiative.
Switzerland, which chairs the pan-European security body, said the contact group would support Ukraine during its transition and coordinate aid and could also discuss sending observers to monitor the rights of national minorities.
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Xifajk and Guzep comments below smell of the late 50s and early 60s western propaganda against Russia. The majority of Russians coming to settle in Malta are dedicated wifes or partners of Maltese men and are persons of very good character.
I ask these two commentators and others like them to consider the invasion of Iraq, libya, the Central African Republic and Afganistan by the U.S.A and its allies. Are these invasions not more bad than what is being claimed for Russia - Hundreds of people have been killed by the western powers in these wars, in Crimea noteven one shot was fired and the people are out waving Russian flags and chanting slogans in favour of Russia not angry like the Afgan president as reported by this news paper earlier http://maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/world/Karzai-angry-at-12-year-war-in-Afghanistan-20140303
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History repeats itself. Crimea is the soft belly of Russia. They went to war many times because of its strategic importance. If Crimea goes, Russia will be open in its soft belly and Black Sea front: the Russians will never allow this.
They gave Crimea to their friendly eastern relatives with the understanding the Ukraine will be the first buffer (as it was in the second world war) against an invasion from the West. They had 3 invasions from the West: from Napoleon, from the US and Brits during the Bolshevik revolution and from Hitler in 1942.
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Russia is showing the World that "Might is Right", I honestly hope that Malta won't allow more Russians to live here, since Putin will try to invade us like he is doing to Ukraine. If the other Super Powers are going to let the Invasion of Ukraine as nothing is happening then they are going to let the World continue to be a JUNGLE, where the everyone can do what they like because they are more powerful than the other. The World should boycott Russian in everything especially in trade and tourism.
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Russia is showing the World that "Might is Right", I honestly hope that Malta won't allow more Russians to live here, since Putin will try to invade us like he is doing to Ukraine. If the other Super Powers are going to let the Invasion of Ukraine as nothing is happening then they are going to let the World continue to be a JUNGLE, where the everyone can do what they like because they are more powerful than the other. The World should boycott Russian in everything especially t
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Russia is showing the World that "Might is Right", I honestly hope that Malta won't allow more Russians to live here, since Putin will try to invade us like he is doing to Ukraine. If the other Super Powers are going to let the Invasion of Ukraine as nothing is happening then they are going to let the World continue to be a JUNGLE, where the everyone can do what they like because they are more powerful than the other. The World should boycott Russian in everything especially t
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"Russia's Black Sea Fleet has told Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender by 5 a.m. " And what other choice do these poor people have. They are outnumbered militarily and the whole world knows it. This is Hungary 1956 happening all over again under different leaders. Let us face the facts. When it comes to the bullying, it is the same story. Who is going to contest Russia or the USA, except maybe China and North Korea? Why do you think that Bashar al-Assad of Syria continues to murder his own people? He knows that he has a friend in Russia and he knows quite well that the USA is not ready to confront Russia. Why in God's name (expression) was NATO ever came to be? Between NATO and the UN they are two hopeless organization at best. The EU has no military power, well at least not yet. In 1956 it was Russian Dictator Nikita Khruschev that entered and slaughtered the Hungarian people and now it is Russia's Vladimir Putin showing his powers. This Russian dictator knows too well that the West is not going to stop him.
