WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014 INTERNATIONAL Submit or leave: Ukrainian soldiers under siege PEREVALNE: Russian soldiers dig trenches possibility of attacking the Russian forces. from the dockside to make an assault more and set up mortars on a hillside overlooking Reports of an agreement between Russian difficult, and three marines with bulletproof the Ukrainian military base of Perevalne in and Ukrainian commanders on the partial vests and helmets could be seen standing Crimea. Inside, soldiers loyal to Kiev are fac- lifting of the siege until Friday to allow sup- guard. Russian vessels and giant cisterns ing a painful dilemma-desert and submit to plies did not appear to be reflected on the linked by chains block access to the port. “We the new authorities or leave the peninsula. ground in Perevalne-a base 25 kilometers are prisoners of the political situation and of Crimea’s separatist parliament this week south of Crimea’s main city, Simferopol. the port,” said Pavlo, an officer. “Until the ordered the “dissolution” of these military Outside the gates, around 15 Russian soldiers politicians decide the situation between units in Crimea as part of a declared national- in camouflage could be seen near an themselves, we will be hostages here,” he ization of Ukrainian state property. armored personnel carrier, lines of barbed said, explaining that he had been ordered to The bases have been under siege since wire and cement blocks to prevent access. defend the ship without firing a shot. February from pro-Russian civilians and The siege has been getting more organized “We have an agreement with the Russians thousands of Russian soldiers without by the day-with heated tents, toilets and that everything stays calm until March 21, national insignia. Crimea’s parliament speak- transmission equipment now set up near the and after that as well I hope,” he said. “After er Volodymyr Konstantynov has ordered the base. that we don’t know, only Moscow and Kiev Ukrainian military to “serve in Crimea and know. We’re here, we’re not getting off the swear allegiance to the republic or continue Defend without shooting ship. We’re military men, we’re waiting for to serve outside the borders of Crimea in the Pro-Russian civilians in front of the gates our orders,” he said. In Sevastopol and Ukrainian army”. Thousands of Ukrainian mili- were more aggressive than ever, insulting Simferopol, special offices have been set up tary are based on the peninsula-Russian and threatening foreign journalists and try- inside the recruitment centers of the President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday estimat- ing to take a camera from an AFP reporter. Ukrainian army-now under Crimean control- ed their number at 22,000 — who have been Three Ukrainian soldiers observed the scene. for the soldiers and sailors of Kiev who want forced to watch listlessly as Russian forces At the immense base of Sevastopol, home to to defect. A day after the referendum, KHERSON: A Ukrainian border guard patrols the road on the administra- cement their siege. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, just two ships are fly- Crimea’s prime minister Sergiy Aksyonov said tive border of Crimea and Ukraine not far the village of Strilkove in the Ukrainian authorities on Monday reiterat- ing the blue and yellow colors of Ukraine- that 500 Ukrainian military in Sevastopol had Kherson region. —AFP ed there was no question of their troops compared with around 20 Russian flags. The already joined Crimea’s forces-soon to be the leaving the peninsula but have excluded the Ukrainian ships have distanced themselves Russian army. —AFP Putin defies sanctions, moves to take Crimea Ukraine PM offers reassurance on NATO, militias MOSCOW: Russian President Russians. Russian politicians dis- Russia’s state property agency said it and Brussels said more measures Vladimir Putin, defying Ukrainian missed the sanctions as insignificant may postpone major privatization could follow in the coming days if protests and Western sanctions, told and a badge of honor. The State deals until the second half of the Russia formally annexes Crimea. parliament yesterday that Russia will Duma, or lower house, adopted a year. The EU also said its leaders move forward with procedures to statement urging Washington and US President Barack Obama would sign the political part of an annex Ukraine’s Crimean region. Brussels to extend the visa ban and imposed sanctions on 11 Russians association agreement with Putin signed an order “to approve asset freeze to all its members. and Ukrainians blamed for the mili- Ukraine on Friday, in a gesture of the draft treaty between the Russian Leonid Slutsky, one of the law- tary seizure of Crimea, including support for the fragile coalition Federation and the Republic of makers on the sanctions list, hailed Yanukovich, and Vladislav Surkov brought to power by last month’s Crimea on adopting the Republic of Crimea’s decision as historic. “Today and Sergei Glazyev, two aides to uprising. The accord does not Crimea into the Russian Federation”. we see justice and truth reborn,” he Putin. Putin himself, suspected in include any commitment to even- The order indicated the president said. Japan joined the mild Western the West of trying to resurrect as tual EU membership, on which the would sign the treaty with Crimea’s sanctions yesterday, announcing the much as possible of the former bloc’s members are divided. Russian-installed leader, who is in suspension of talks with Russia on Soviet Union under Russian leader- Highlighting rifts in the EU, mem- Moscow to request incorporation investment promotion and visa lib- ship, was not on the blacklist. Amid ber state Austria offered yesterday into Russia, but it gave no date. eralization. Putin was to address a fears that Russia might move into to mediate between Moscow and The move followed a disputed special joint session of the Russian eastern Ukraine, Obama warned the West. Chancellor Werner referendum in Crimea on Sunday, parliament on the Crimea issue yes- that “further provocations” would Faymann said Vienna’s military neu- trality made it an “honest broker”, while Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said he felt understanding for both sides in the conflict. SIMFEROPOL: The mother and wife of Reshat Ametov follow the coffin of Moscow time Putin has declared that Russia Reshat Ametov during his funeral ceremony in Simferopol yesterday. has the right to defend, by military Crimean Tatar Reshat Ametov, who had been protesting against Russian force if necessary, Russian citizens troops in the Black Sea peninsula has been found dead, days after he was and Russian speakers living in for- seen being hauled away by men in military-style jackets. —AFP mer Soviet republics, raising con- cerns that Moscow may intervene elsewhere. Putin has repeatedly Crimean Tatars fret accused the new leadership in Kiev of failing to protect Russian-speak- BELOGORSK: Among the voices drowned out by tailed freedoms. In a shop at the end of a potholed, ers from violent Ukrainian national- victory celebrations across Crimea as it voted to dirt road in Belogorsk lined with modest bunga- ists. Ukraine’s government has leave Ukraine and join Russia were those of the lows, manager Niyara, who did not want to give accused Moscow of staging provo- Tatars, a minority group for whom the prospect of her surname, said people had been stockpiling cations in Russian-speaking regions a return to Moscow rule brings only fear and food. “People are really worried,” she said. “I have a of eastern Ukraine to justify military uncertainty. The Sunni Muslims, who are of Turkic child, and I myself am scared.” Niyara fears that intervention. origin, consider Crimea their home, and their Russian Crimeans may now try to seize back prop- In a symbolic gesture, Askyonov deportation to Central Asia by Soviet forces dur- erty from Tatars that they believe is theirs. “A lot of announced on Twitter that Crimea ing World War Two and earlier suppression by our houses are unregistered, and Russian regula- would switch to Moscow time from Josef Stalin meant they were far more comfort- tions on that kind of thing are very, very strict.” March 30, putting it two hours able with Ukraine. Now they face being dragged Crimea has been under the control of Russian ahead of the rest of Ukraine. In the into modern-day Russia against their will, despite troops for weeks, since Moscow sent in thousands Crimean capital Simferopol, the their boycott of Sunday’s referendum in which 97 of soldiers ostensibly to protect Russians against local government and businesses percent of voters in the Russian-majority region what it says are “fascists” in Kiev who overthrew set about preparing for the switch were said to have rejected Kiev. the Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovich. MOSCOW: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (2nd right), Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov to Russian rule. Members of volun- Tatars account for 12 percent of the Black Sea Ukraine’s interim government and Western lead- (left), Crimean parliament speaker Vladimir Konstantinov (2nd left) and Alexei Chaly, teer security groups, who had peninsula’s population of two million people and ers dismiss that justification as nonsense. The mili- Sevastopol’s new de facto mayor (right), join hands after signing a treaty on the Ukrainian Black helped local police and Russian their protest was not enough to change the out- tary buildup, and formation of unarmed volunteer Sea peninsula becoming part of Russia in the Kremlin yesterday. —AFP forces keep order in the referen- come of a vote that has brought East-West rela- groups who have taken on low-level security dum run-up, handed in their red tions to their lowest ebb since the Cold War.