Russia refusing to negotiate with Ukraine

Russia's leaders are refusing all negotiations with their Ukrainian counterparts, Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has said.

The president said that at the same time the Russian government was refusing to enter into any dialogue with Ukraine.

"Unfortunately, for now Russia is rejecting a diplomatic solution to the conflict," he told AFP.

The Russian forces don't intend to hold a referendum on Crimea Ukraine President, Oleksandr Turchynov

Meanwhile interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is travelling to the US to meet President Barack Obama.

On Thursday he is due to address the UN Security Council in New York.

He said that Sunday's referendum in Crimea - in which people on the peninsula will decide whether or not to become part of Russia - was "a provocation" that would be boycotted by most people.

"The Russian forces don't intend to hold a referendum, they're just going to falsify the results," he said.

He told AFP news agency that Ukraine would not intervene militarily in Crimea, even though a secession referendum there was a "sham".