Ukraine: Russian Troops Fire Warning Shots

Ukraine Protests: Timeline Of Events

Updated: 10:13am UK, Tuesday 04 March 2014

Protesters in Ukraine have staged three months of demonstrations at the decision to reject an EU deal in favour of closer ties with Russia. Here are the key events:

:: November 2013 - Ukrainian authorities suspend talks on an Associated Agreement with the EU in favour of closer economic ties with Russia. The decision prompts pro-European opposition groups to call for protests.

:: December 1, 2013 - A crowd of up to 500,000 gathers on Independence Squaure in Kiev, setting up a camp and building barricades.

:: December 11, 2013 - Security forces move against protesters in Kiev but are forced back.

:: December 17, 2013 - President Viktor Yanukovych travels to Moscow where he secures a $15bn (£9bn) bailout deal and a huge price cut for Russian gas.

:: January 19, 2014 - Dozens are injured in clashes between police and protesters in the capital after 200,000 defy new restrictions on demonstrations.

:: January 22, 2014 - Police smash barricades in central Kiev. Protesters respond by hurling rocks and firebombs.

:: January 25, 2014 - Yanukovych offers opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Vitali Klitschko entry to the government, but they decline.

:: January 28, 2014 - Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigns, parliament scraps the anti-protest laws.

:: January 29, 2014 - Parliament passes an amnesty bill, but the opposition rejects its conditions.

:: February 2, 2014 - Yatsenyuk and Klitschko call for international mediation and Western financial aid in Kiev.

:: February 4, 2014 - Klitschko calls for an "end to the dictatorship" during a heated parliament session.

:: February 5, 2014 - EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and top US envoy to Europe Victoria Nuland visit Kiev.

:: February 7, 2014 - Yanukovych meets his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

:: February 9, 2014 - 70,000 protesters gather on Independence Square.

:: February 10, 2014 - The EU stops short of any immediate threat of sanctions.

:: February 14, 2014 - All 234 protesters who have been arrested since December are released, but charges against them remain in place.

:: February 16, 2014 - Protesters evacuate Kiev city hall after occupying the building since December 1. A day later, protesters are granted amnesty.

:: February 17, 2014 - Moscow says it will release $2bn (£1.2bn) from a vital aid package to Ukraine "this week".

:: February 18, 2014 - At least 25 people are killed in the bloodiest day of clashes in nearly three months of protests. Riot police encircle Independence Square, where thousands of protesters remain after a deadline set by security forces.

:: February 19, 2014 - Ukraine's president announces a truce with the opposition.

:: February 20, 2014 - More than 50 people are killed in more clashes between riot police and protesters.

:: February 21, 2014 - President Yanukovych agrees to form a coalition government, hold early presidential elections and make constitutional changes to limit his powers. Mr Yanukovych leaves Kiev.

:: February 22, 2014 - Parliament votes to remove Mr Yanukovych and hold new elections. Yulia Tymoshenko is freed and addresses a huge crowd in Independence Square.

:: February 23, 2014 - Presidential powers are assigned to the Ukraine parliament's new speaker, Oleksandr Turchinov. Pro-Russian protests begin in Crimea, where Russia has a major naval base.

:: February 24, 2014 - Ukraine's interim government draws up an arrest warrant for Mr Yanukovych.

:: February 27, 2014 - Masked gunmen seize regional parliament and government buildings in Crimea. Mr Yanukovych is granted refuge in Russia.

:: February 28, 2014 - Ukraine says Russian troops have taken up positions around strategic locations on the Crimean peninsula. Mr Turchynov says he has put armed forces on full readiness.

:: March 1, 2014 - Russian troops take control of Crimea.

:: March 2, 2014 - Ukraine appeals for international help. The US says it believes Russia has more than 6,000 troops in Crimea. Preparations for June's G8 summit in Russia are suspended.

:: March 3, 2014 - Troops take control of a ferry terminal in Kerch. The Ukrainian military says it was given a deadline of 3am on March 4 to surrender or face a "full assault". Russia denies issuing the ultimatum. The US suspends all military engagements with Russia.

:: March 4, 2014 - Russian military exercises on the Ukraine border end. Russian troops fire warning shots at Ukraine servicemen outside Belbek airbase in Crimea.

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Ukraine: John Kerry Condemns Russian 'Invasion'

By Hannah Thomas-Peter, New York Correspondent

President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State John Kerry have simultaneously condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Speaking in Washington DC the President said: "There is a strong belief that Russia's action is violating international law.

"President Putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations.

"I don't think that's fooling anybody."

At the same time, US secretary of State John Kerry spoke at a news conference in Kiev, Ukraine.

He condemned Russia's "act of aggression", and accused Moscow of manoeuvring to push further in to the country.

Mr Yatseniuk, Mr Kerry and Ukraine's acting President Oleksander Turchynov

Mr Kerry said Ukraine had "shown restraint despite an invasion of the Ukrainian homeland and a Russian government that has chosen aggression and intimidation as a first resort".

"The contrast really could not be clearer: determined Ukrainians demonstrating strength through unity - and a Russian government out of excuses, hiding its hand behind falsehoods, intimidation and provocations," he said.

"I think that it is clear that Russia has been working hard to create a pretext for being able to invade further.

"In the hearts of Ukrainians and the eyes of the world there is nothing strong about what Russia is doing."

Mr Kerry flew to Ukraine on Tuesday in a show of support for the country's new government.

He visited the capital's Independence Square to pay his respects to the dozens of protesters who died in clashes between anti-government demonstrators and police there.

The Secretary of State laid a bouquet of red roses and made the sign of the cross as he walked and talked with Ukrainians who had come to greet him.

Mr Kerry at a memorial in Independence Square, Kiev

Reflecting on his visit during his news conference, Mr Kerry said it was "remarkable to see the barricades, the barbed wire, the bullet holes and the extraordinary number of flowers ... and the photographs of those who lost their lives - the people who put themselves on the line for the future of Ukraine".

"These brave Ukrainians took to the streets in order to stand peacefully against tyranny and demand democracy," he said.

"What they stood for bravely, I say with full conviction, will never be stolen by bullets or by invasions, it cannot be silenced by thugs from rooftops, it is universal, it is unmistakable and it is called freedom."

Describing the experience as "incredibly moving", he called on Russia to return its troops to their barracks after escalating tensions in the Crimea region of the country.

He warned: "If Russia does not choose to de-escalate and work directly with the government of the Ukraine then our partners will have absolutely no choice but to join us to continue to expand upon steps we have taken in recent days in order to isolate Russia politically, diplomatically and economically."

The US announced a $1bn energy subsidy package for Ukraine, aimed at helping the country reduce its dependence on Russia for much of its natural gas.

America also promised training for financial and election institutions, and help with anti-corruption efforts.

Mr Putin during his news conference

The US administration confirmed it was also considering levying unspecified sanctions against Russia as early as this week.

US officials have already cancelled a delegation to the winter Paralympic Games in Sochi, suspended preparations for the G8 summit to be held in Sochi this summer, and postponed bilateral trade discussions with Moscow.

Speaking at a press conference earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Russia had a right to send troops in to Ukraine to protect compatriots and Russians living in "terror", but that he would use force as a last resort.

He said: "There can be only one assessment of what happened in Kiev, in Ukraine in general.

"This was an unconstitutional coup and the armed seizure of power. No one argues with this. Who can argue with it?"

President Putin repeated the accusation that the US is encouraging anti-Russian sentiment in Ukraine.

He said: "This is not the first time our western partners are doing this in Ukraine.

"Sometimes I get the impression that across the pond, somewhere in America, staff at some laboratory are sitting there conducting experiments, like on rats, without understanding the consequences of what they are doing."

NATO officials have confirmed Russia has agreed to meet with its representatives on Wednesday to discuss the crisis.

A confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian troops at Belbek airbase

Elsewhere, the UN Security Council was the scene of some angry exchanges during an emergency meeting called by Russia.

The US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power accused her Russian counterpart of "fantasy" and said Moscow's claim citizens were being persecuted in Ukraine because of links with Russia had no merit.

Earlier this week the Pentagon announced it was suspending military relations with Russia.

EU leaders are also considering possible sanctions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Russian ministers started high-level talks in an effort to end the political crisis through peaceful means.

The move was announced by Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who warned Russian actions in Crimea threatened to destabilise the southern Ukrainian region and urged Mr Putin to withdraw his forces.

A tense confrontation erupted earlier when Ukrainian soldiers marched on Belbek airbase in Sevastopol.

Russian soldiers fired gunshots into the air in a warning to the approaching troops and threatening language was exchanged by both sides.

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Crimea A Gift That Became A Curse For Russia

The Crimea has given Britain so much; the cardigan, balaclava, poetry that has taken hold in the English idiom - the place was the birthplace of modern nursing and until last week very few Brits could have found it on a map.

That's not true of Russians. The Crimea has been for them, for centuries, the jewel in the Russian crown celebrated in poetry, a 19th century romantic wonderland, the place of Stalinist workers' health camps and still a magnet to a million Russians a year.

In 1856 Russia lost a war in the Crimea, scene of that famous Light Brigade charge where "theirs was but to do or die" to an alliance of Britain, France and the waning Ottoman Empire as the great powers wrestled for the spoils of a weakening Constantinople.

Crimea was supposed to be a bridgehead into the ancient world for Russia then, and has remained a potent symbol of national pride ever since.

The dominance of Moscow over the peninsular was cemented with Stalin's deportation of ethnic Tatars in 1944.

More than 200,000 were forced onto cattle trains and sent east to Uzbekistan and elsewhere - just under half died.

President Vladimir Putin watches a live firing military exercise

It was given to Ukraine, itself the mutant mess of a nation born of war between Poland, Germany and Russia over the 20th Century, in 1954 by Soviet leader Nikita Krushchev.

Perhaps as a result of guilt he may have felt over the mass starvation Moscow forced on the Ukraine in the 1930s - when both provinces were part of the USSR anyway.

The gesture created a headache that never went away.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet was, and still is, based in Sevastopol. This vital asset was an orphan of Russian empire - left in the care of a neighbour.

Moscow was never comfortable with the arrangement, not even when a deal was signed which extended Russia's lease on its naval port until 2042 in return for a ceiling on the price of imported Russian gas.

Sevastopol and the wider Crimea have always been seen, by many Russians, as on loan.

Now that it has been taken back, wider questions about the future of other Ukrainian states will begin to be answered.

Eastern provinces with Russian speaking majorities may clamour for integration with Moscow. They may get some support from Russia for this.

If Vladimir Putin really has new imperial ambitions he may foment insecurity in the east and a pretext for invasion.

But he is likely, for now, to be satisfied.

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Ukraine: US Halts Russia Military Engagements

The United States has put all military engagements with Russia on hold over Moscow's deployment of troops in Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said the measure included all military exercises, port visits, bilateral talks and planning conferences.

"We call on Russia to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine and for Russian forces in Crimea to return to their bases, as required under the agreements governing the Russia Black Sea Fleet," he said.

Vitaly Churkin shows the letter purportedly from Viktor Yanukovych

It came as Moscow's UN envoy told a stormy meeting of the United Nations Security Council that Ukraine's ousted leader Viktor Yanukovych had sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin requesting that he use Russia's military to restore law and order in Ukraine.

"The country has plunged into chaos and anarchy," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin read from an unofficial translation of the letter while speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

"The country is in the grip of outright terror and violence driven by the West. People are persecuted on political and language grounds.

"In this context, I appeal to the President of Russia Vladimir V Putin to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to re-establish the rule of law, peace, order, stability and to protect the people of Ukraine."

Barack Obama holds a meeting on Ukraine in the White House situation room

Mr Churkin held up a copy of the letter for council members to see during a heated council session in which Western envoys and the Russian ambassador hurled allegations at each other for two and a half hours. He said the letter was dated March 1.

President Putin was filmed watching war games in Russia

But US President Barack Obama warned Moscow it would find itself "on the wrong side of history" - and that Russia's deployment of troops in Ukraine violates international law.

He spoke shortly after Mr Putin's aides were forced to deny reports that Russian forces have given the Ukrainian navy until 3am (5am local time) today to surrender.

:: Putin Watches Tanks Taking Part In War Games

America said any threat by Russia to Ukraine forces would represent a "dangerous escalation" in the crisis, and Moscow would be responsible.

Ukraine says Russia has deployed 16,000 troops to Crimea over the past week.

Hundreds of Russian soldiers have surrounded a military base near the Crimean capital Simferopol, preventing Ukrainian soldiers from going in or out.

Ukraine's military might is dwarfed by Russia's

Russian forces have also seized a border checkpoint on the Ukrainian border between Russia and Crimea, Reuters reported.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "At this point we are not just considering sanctions given the actions Russia is taking, it is likely we will put those in place and we are preparing that.

"We have a broad range of options available."

However, US Senator John McCain criticised Mr Obama's handling of the crisis and described him as "totally naive".

Russia denies it told Ukraine forces in Crimea to surrender

He told Sky News it was time the US had a "cold-eyed view of Putin" and said it should immediately impose "severe economic sanctions" on Moscow and reinstall missile defence systems in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Samantha Power, US Ambassador to the UN, told the UN Security Council in New York that Russia's actions are a violation of international law and a "response to an imaginary threat".

She said there is no "legal basis" for Moscow's troop deployment and the way to resolve the crisis is through talks between Ukraine and Russia.

British Prime Minister David Cameron called for the world to send Russia a "clear message" about its actions.

He spoke separately to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on Monday night.

A Number 10 spokesman said: "In both calls, the leaders agreed that the international community should speak with one voice and send a clear message to Russia that its actions in Ukraine were completely unacceptable."

Nato will hold more emergency talks on the crisis on Tuesday after Poland requested consultations with its allies on the threat posed by Moscow.

The developments came as Mr Putin watched tanks and armoured vehicles taking part in military exercises at a training ground in north-west Russia.

Mr Putin attended the war games to test the combat-readiness of his armed forces in western and central parts of Russia, regions adjacent to Ukraine, a spokesman said.

The Russian foreign ministry said Nato's criticism of its actions in Crimea "will not help stabilise" the situation in Ukraine.

Earlier, it was reported that Russia had given Ukrainian forces in Crimea a deadline of 3am to surrender or face military action after troops seized key strategic sites in the peninsula.

The ultimatum reportedly came from Alexander Vitko, commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which has a base in Crimea where Russian forces are now in control.

According to Russia's Interfax agency, it reads: "If they do not surrender before 5am (3am UK time Tuesday), a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea."

But in a conflicting report, Interfax quoted an official representative for the Russian Ministry of Defence as saying the ultimatum was "total nonsense".

The crisis has had a huge effect on global stock markets, with Moscow's stock exchange plunging more than 10% on Monday.

Russia's central bank raised its rate to 7% from 5.5% as the ruble hit an historic low against the dollar and the euro.

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Ukraine Defection Reflects Escalating Rift

By Katie Stallard, in Sevastopol, Crimea

The head of Ukraine's navy is a traitor or a patriot, depending which side you believe.

Kiev says Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky has been fired and is suspected of treason - "for refusing to fight Russians and surrendering the Sevastopol HQ".

Russian TV showed him swearing an oath of allegiance to the new pro-Russian leader of Crimea, and promising to protect citizens' lives.

Mr Berezovsky pledged to "strictly obey the orders of the supreme commander of the autonomous republic of Crimea" and "defend the lives and freedom" of Crimea's people.

He was only appointed 24 hours ago.

A Russian warship enters the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Sunday

New Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyanov appeared alongside him, announcing that he had given orders to Ukrainian naval forces on the peninsula to ignore orders from the "self-proclaimed" government in Kiev.

He said they would now be known as the "Navy of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea".

The immediate question is how this filters down through the ranks - whether other units, ships and officers will follow suit.

The national government claimed earlier that 10 Ukrainian navy ships were in Sevastopol bay, and were still loyal to Kiev and armed.

They might not be so sure of this now.

Ukraine's navy is less than a tenth of the size of Russia's. It was never going to be the decisive factor, but what happened on Sunday was symbolic - and a propaganda coup for the Kremlin.

Thousands attend a rally on Sunday in Kiev's Independence Square

Parallel to the troop movements and the strategic positioning, there is an ongoing battle for the moral high ground.

There are two competing narratives about what is happening here - and both sides claim passionately they are right.

The national unity government and protesters in Independence Square in Kiev say there has been a revolution, that a corrupt, autocratic regime has been overthrown, in short that 'the people' have won.

Russia and its supporters in Crimea insist fascists have seized power, that the country has descended into lawlessness and chaos, and the Kremlin is only acting to protect citizens' lives.

Both sides are equally entrenched.

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Ukraine: Russia Condemned By G7 Over Crimea

The G7 nations have condemned Russia's intrusion into Ukraine and suspended preparations for the planned G8 summit in Sochi this June.

As a tense stand-off continues between Russian and Ukrainian forces on the borders of Crimea, the group of countries urged Moscow to hold talks with Kiev.

"We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission, join together today to condemn the Russian Federation's clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the G7 said in a statement.

"We have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G8 Summit in Sochi in June."

Denis Berezovsky announces his defection before TV cameras

Hundreds of suspected Russian troops have surrounded a Ukraine military base near Crimea's capital Simferopol, preventing soldiers from going in or out.

The convoy blockading the site includes at least 17 military vehicles, which have Russian number plates.

Russian servicemen outside a Ukrainian military unit in Perevalnoye

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk indicated his country was mobilising for war following the move, saying in English: "This is not a threat: this is actually the declaration of war to my country."

Mr Yatseniuk heads a pro-Western government that took power in the former Soviet republic when its Moscow-backed president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted last week.

Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama spoke on Sunday evening and agreed Russia's actions were "completely unacceptable" - and that it would face "significant costs" if it did not change course on Ukraine.

The US announced Secretary of State John Kerry would visit Kiev on Tuesday to show "strong support for Ukrainian sovereignty".

Meanwhile, Ukraine launched a treason case against its new navy chief after he switched allegiance to the pro-Russian Crimea region.

Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky was appointed head of Ukraine's navy on Saturday and the Kiev government was still claiming its Black Sea fleet remained loyal on Sunday afternoon.

Appearing before cameras in Sevastopol alongside Sergiy Aksyonov, the pro-Russian prime minister of Crimea's regional parliament, he said he had ordered Ukrainian naval forces there to disregard orders from "self-proclaimed" authorities in Kiev.

An anti-war rally in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa

Despite the strong language employed by the US, a series of public statements and private conversations with reporters made it abundantly clear that Washington wanted to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull back without any armed confrontation.

"Right now, I think we are focused on political, diplomatic and economic options," a senior US official told reporters.

"Frankly our goal is to uphold the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, not to have a military escalation."

Mr Kerry had previously accused Russia of an "incredible act of aggression", saying: "You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped-up pretext."

He spoke of "very serious repercussions" for Moscow and said G8 nations and some other countries are "prepared to go to the hilt to isolate Russia" with an array of options available.

He listed visa bans, asset freezes, trade isolation, and investment changes as possible steps, although analysts said US economic sanctions would have little impact unless EU countries - with which Russia has deeper trade ties - followed suit.

It came after Mr Putin secured permission from his parliament on Saturday to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine and told Mr Obama he had the right to defend Russian interests and nationals, spurning Western pleas not to intervene.

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Ukraine Crisis: Russia Vows To 'Protect Interests'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the United States that he retains the right to protect Russia's interests in east Ukraine and Crimea as tensions escalate.

Mr Putin issued the stark warning in a 90-minute phone call with US President Barack Obama, in which the two leaders disagreed over the deepening crisis.

A statement from the Kremlin said unrest in Ukraine posted "a real threat to the lives and health of Russian citizens and the many compatriots who are currently on Ukrainian territory".

"Russia retains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking population of those areas," the statement added.

Mr Obama was on the phone with Mr Putin for 90 minutes

During the call, Mr Obama accused Russia of a "clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity", and expressed his "deep concern" over Russia's actions.

The White House said: "The United States calls on Russia to de-escalate tensions by withdrawing its forces back to bases in Crimea and to refrain from any interference elsewhere in Ukraine."

The Kremlin has been accused of sending 6,000 troops into Crimea, despite calls from the US and Britain for Moscow to back off.

Ukraine's Acting President Oleksander Turchinov has ordered his country's army to be placed on high combat alert.

A soldier stands next to a sign that says: 'Crimea Russia'

Two Russian anti-submarine warships have also appeared off the Crimea coast, violating an agreement on Moscow's lease of a naval base, Interfax news agency reported.

The two vessels, part of Russia's Baltic Fleet, have reportedly been sighted in a bay at Sevastopol, where Moscow's Black Sea Fleet has a base.

Sky's Dominic Waghorn said Mr Obama and Mr Putin appear to be in disagreement over what should be done to de-escalate the crisis.

"The phone call didn't go very well, it seems. We have each leader, it looks like, lecturing each other," he said.

Russia claims gunmen from Kiev tried to seize Crimea's interior ministry

"The problem clearly here is that Barack Obama may regard Vladimir Putin as a throwback to the Cold War who has ended up somehow running Russia in 2014.

"The two leaders have no real way, on a personal level at least, of working it out and resolving this crisis."

In response to Russia's aggression, the US has already announced it will suspend participation in preparatory meetings for the G8 summit in Sochi in June.

European foreign ministers are also due to hold emergency talks in Brussels on Monday.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply concerned" by the situation and the decision of the Russian parliament to authorise military action.

"This action is a potentially grave threat to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We condemn any act of aggression against Ukraine," he said.

After unrest in Kiev, tensions have shifted to the Crimea region

Mr Hague is due to visit the country today and hold talks with Ukraine's new leaders.

Pro-Russia demonstrations have been held in major cities in the east and south of Ukraine, where supporters of the new Ukrainian government in Kiev have been beaten up.

The autonomous republic of Crimea has a prime minister loyal to Moscow, but the government in Kiev has vowed to maintain the country's territorial integrity.

Reports suggest that Russian troops are trying to occupy an anti-aircraft missile base and have taken control of airports on the peninsular.

Ukraine's border guard service said about 300 armed men were attempting to seize its main headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol.

Russian helicopter gunships have also been seen in Ukrainian airspace.

Russian soldiers are guarding buildings in Crimea

But there were claims by Russia that gunmen from Kiev had been sent to seize the offices of Crimea's interior ministry.

There was grainy footage of an unidentified armed group breaking into a building, with smoke rising and reports that people had been "wounded".

In what appears to be an orchestrated move, a referendum on whether residents in Crimea want greater independence from Ukraine has been brought forward by two months to March 30.

Russia's Lower House of Parliament, the Duma, has called on Mr Putin "to take measures to stabilise the situation in Crimea".

Ukraine's population is divided in loyalties between Russia and the West.

Much of western Ukraine advocating closer ties with the European Union. However, the eastern and southern regions look to Russia for support.

Crimea has 2.3 million inhabitants, most of whom identify themselves as ethnic Russians and speak Russian.

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Russia Stands With Putin Over Ukraine Gamble

President Vladimir Putin asked his parliament for permission to use Russian troops in Ukraine, but the result was never in doubt.

His senate voted unanimously in favour with almost palpable glee, applauding themselves as they did.

Where much of the international community sees a leader dangerously poised on the verge of annexing Crimea, his supporters see much to like.

The case that Mr Putin is making is one that resonates well in Russia: that he is being forced to act to protect the lives of Russian citizens, compatriots, and Russian armed forces in Ukraine.

In other words, that he is defending Russian national interests and lives.

That much of the rest of the world considers those interests to be part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine is not necessarily a problem for Russia.

In Moscow, the state propaganda machine is already in overdrive, dismissing Oleksandr Turchynov as the "self-imposed president" and dismissing the mass protest movement as extremists and armed gangs.

Mr Putin has made his case and he will likely stick to it: that a legitimately-elected president has been overthrown and Russian citizens are under threat.

Mr Putin is ignoring international opinion to defend Russia's interests

And there are ever-increasing numbers of them to protect. An estimated 143,000 Ukrainians have been issued with Russian passports in the last two weeks, including members of the Berkut riot police.

The old Kremlin tactic of passport politics seems to be alive and flourishing in Ukraine.

The next 24 hours will see the inevitable volley of stern diplomatic warnings and rhetoric from all sides, but Moscow will be scrutinising all those words for any real threat of action, and so far there is not much to fear.

One commentator characterised US President Barak Obama's latest statement on Ukraine as: "Stop, or I'll say stop again."

The US has now paused preparations for this summer's Russian-hosted G8 summit.

Mr Putin does not respond to threats of condemnation. He has never sought approval, just respect.

He wants Russia to be seen as a great superpower once again, and himself as its strongman president.

If that means playing the bad cop in the West and weathering a diplomatic storm, he probably will not lose much sleep.

For Russia, this is about more than just the loss of Ukraine joining the EU. It's about Europe, Nato - the old Cold War bogeyman of the West - advancing right up to the Russian border, and Moscow does not like that at all.

Mr Putin wants to defend his sphere of influence and the national interest. They count for much more in the Kremlin than whether Mr Obama does or does not come to Sochi for G8.

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Obama Warns Russia Against Crimea Invasion

US President Barack Obama has warned Moscow that any military intervention in Ukraine would be "deeply destabilising", as Kiev claims Russian troops have invaded.

He said: "The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.

"We are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine."

US officials say Mr Obama may cancel plans to attend the G8 summit in June if it is proved that Russia has sent troops into the Crimea.

Men claiming to be members of a local militia at a checkpoint

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to host the economic meeting in Sochi, the site of the recent Winter Olympics.

The administration official said the US was in discussions about the summit with European partners, adding that it was difficult to see how leaders would attend if Russia had forces in Crimea.

The US has also warned that discussions on deepening trade ties with Moscow may be halted in response to any Russian aggression.

Armed men outside Simferopol airport

Mr Obama's warnings come after Ukraine's Acting President appealed to Russia to stop "naked aggression" in the Crimean peninsula amid claims from Kiev 2,000 Russian troops have invaded.

Oleksandr Turchynov said: "I personally appeal to President Putin to immediately stop military provocation and to withdraw from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea ... It's a naked aggression against Ukraine."

Speaking after a private meeting at the United Nations, Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Yuriy Sergeyev, said there was an "external presence" in Crimea "encouraging separatism".

He added he had told the council about "unspecified and armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine".

After unrest in Kiev, tensions have shifted to the Crimea region

US officials have told Fox News they see "evidence of air and maritime movement into and out of Crimea by Russian forces".

When asked about the claims, Russia's envoy to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said Moscow was complying with agreements with Ukraine.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague will visit the country on Sunday and hold talks with Ukraine's new leaders.

Earlier on Friday, armed forces seized two airports in the region, but Moscow denies being behind the takeovers.

Russia denies being behind the seizure of the airports

Ukrainian security sources claim they have regained control of Simferopol and Sevastopol airports amid earlier reports Russian forces tried to seize them.

Armed men were seen patrolling the perimeter at Simferopol, a civilian airport, and there were also reports Russian forces were blocking Sevastopol's military airport.

Despite the claims from Kiev, a military source quoted by the Interfax news agency said the armed men at Sevastopol had extended their control by taking over the runway.

Ukraine's State Border Guard Service said about 30 Russian marines from the country's Black Sea Fleet had taken up position outside the coast guard base in Sevastopol.

Moscow has said armoured vehicles were moving around Crimea for "security reasons".

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Moazzam Begg Charged With Terror Offences

Ex-Guantanamo detainee Moazzam Begg has been charged with providing terrorist training and funding terrorism overseas, West Midlands Police have said.

The 45-year-old British citizen, from Hall Green, Birmingham, was one of four people arrested earlier this week on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to the Syria conflict.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court today alongside a woman, Gerrie Tahari, 44, of Sparkbrook, Birmingham, who is charged with facilitating terrorism overseas.

Both were arrested on Tuesday with two other men held on suspicion of facilitating terrorism overseas.

The pair - a 36-year-old man from Shirley, Solihull, and a 20-year-old man from Sparkhill, Birmingham, who is the son of Tahari - remain in police custody.

Begg was released from Guantanamo Bay in January 2005

Begg was held by the US government at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba for nearly three years after being arrested in Pakistan in February 2002.

He was detained on suspicion of being a member of al Qaeda before being released without charge in January 2005.

He was allowed to return to the UK where he was arrested by police before being released without charge.

Begg is a director of Cage - which campaigns "against the War on Terror" - and has always maintained that he has never been involved in any kind of terrorist activity.

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