Green Energy
re: Epa's Post
Newsmax:
UN Envoy Cuts Short Crimea Visit After Threats
UN special envoy to Crimea Robert Serry cut short his mission to the disputed region Wednesday after he was threatened by unidentified pro-Russian gunmen and later heckled by protesters, officials said.
Serry, who had been sent to the tense Black Sea peninsula by UN chief Ban Ki-moon, was confronted by armed men outside the Ukrainian naval headquarters in Crimea's capital Simferopol, the United Nations said.
Prevented from returning to his vehicle and warned "he should leave Crimea," Serry sought refuge in a local cafe to phone the mission and alert them and then left on foot for his hotel after his safety was assured.
He was later driven to the airport and boarded the first flight out of the region — to Istanbul.
An assistant told AFP by phone from the car on the way to the airport: "He's fine. The self-defence militias in Simferopol have guaranteed his security."
Serry was expected to travel on to Kiev.
He "will shortly return to Kiev to continue his mission, which was cut short by today's incident," UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.
UN deputy secretary general Jan Eliasson, who was also in Ukraine on Wednesday, said via a video link: "He is in good shape physically but he feels threatened."
Some initial reports had spoken of a kidnapping but the United Nations quickly denied that.
Still, Sergei Aksyonov, the newly installed pro-Russian prime minister of Crimea, was quoted by Russian agency RIA Novosti justifying the threats made against Serry, saying: "We did not send them an invitation."
"They did not warn us of their arrival. The usual procedure in these instances was not followed," he said of the UN mission.
A former Dutch ambassador to Kiev who was travelling with a UN colleague, Serry had arrived only Tuesday in the tense Crimean peninsula, which has come under de facto control by Russian forces.
He had already aborted a trip to Crimea last week, saying tensions made it impossible to visit the peninsula.
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council opened an investigation into the incident.
"This is an unprecedented incident," Andriy Parubiy, the NSDC's secretary, was quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency as saying in an interview with Channel 5 television.
"Even pirates in Somalia do not abduct negotiators, those who come with an observer mission and a negotiation mission," he said.
- Russia Says To Halt Gas Supplies To Ukraine, Mulling Coal Cut Off Over Crimea
Russia says to halt gas supplies to Ukraine, mulling coal cut off over Crimea Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow would cut gas supplies to Ukraine on Tuesday or Wednesday because Kiev had not paid up front for more gas and might also...
- And We’re Back…russia Will Not Ignore A Request To Putin From Crimea Pm For Help In Restoring Calm
Yahoo News:In Kiev, the new cabinet led by some of the main figures of at-times deadly protests against ousted president Viktor Yanukovych’s pro-Kremlin rule opened its first meeting with the twin spectres of secession and default hanging over Ukraine.The...
-
Ukraine will appeal to NATO, if it turns out that in the Crimea Russian spetsnaz active From Will at THE OTHER NEWS: Ukraine will appeal to NATO, if it turns out that in the Crimea Russian spetsnaz.(Cencornet). Ukraine will appeal to NATO, if it turns...
- Russian Flag Raised In Crimea
Houses of Parliament and the Council of Ministers of Crimea captured by armed men "in unmarked uniform" From Will at THE OTHER NEWS: Update: From Jpost: Armed men seize government HQ, raise Russian flag in Ukraine's Crimea . Armed men...
-
Russian versus Tartars Shouting 'Allah Akbar" in confrontation outside regional assembly in Simferopol From Will at THE OTHER NEWS: In Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation military lists serve families of seamen in case of evacuation....
Green Energy
re: Epa's Post
Newsmax:
UN Envoy Cuts Short Crimea Visit After Threats
UN special envoy to Crimea Robert Serry cut short his mission to the disputed region Wednesday after he was threatened by unidentified pro-Russian gunmen and later heckled by protesters, officials said.
Serry, who had been sent to the tense Black Sea peninsula by UN chief Ban Ki-moon, was confronted by armed men outside the Ukrainian naval headquarters in Crimea's capital Simferopol, the United Nations said.
Prevented from returning to his vehicle and warned "he should leave Crimea," Serry sought refuge in a local cafe to phone the mission and alert them and then left on foot for his hotel after his safety was assured.
He was later driven to the airport and boarded the first flight out of the region — to Istanbul.
An assistant told AFP by phone from the car on the way to the airport: "He's fine. The self-defence militias in Simferopol have guaranteed his security."
Serry was expected to travel on to Kiev.
He "will shortly return to Kiev to continue his mission, which was cut short by today's incident," UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.
UN deputy secretary general Jan Eliasson, who was also in Ukraine on Wednesday, said via a video link: "He is in good shape physically but he feels threatened."
Some initial reports had spoken of a kidnapping but the United Nations quickly denied that.
Still, Sergei Aksyonov, the newly installed pro-Russian prime minister of Crimea, was quoted by Russian agency RIA Novosti justifying the threats made against Serry, saying: "We did not send them an invitation."
"They did not warn us of their arrival. The usual procedure in these instances was not followed," he said of the UN mission.
A former Dutch ambassador to Kiev who was travelling with a UN colleague, Serry had arrived only Tuesday in the tense Crimean peninsula, which has come under de facto control by Russian forces.
He had already aborted a trip to Crimea last week, saying tensions made it impossible to visit the peninsula.
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council opened an investigation into the incident.
"This is an unprecedented incident," Andriy Parubiy, the NSDC's secretary, was quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency as saying in an interview with Channel 5 television.
"Even pirates in Somalia do not abduct negotiators, those who come with an observer mission and a negotiation mission," he said.
- Russia Says To Halt Gas Supplies To Ukraine, Mulling Coal Cut Off Over Crimea
Russia says to halt gas supplies to Ukraine, mulling coal cut off over Crimea Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow would cut gas supplies to Ukraine on Tuesday or Wednesday because Kiev had not paid up front for more gas and might also...
- And We’re Back…russia Will Not Ignore A Request To Putin From Crimea Pm For Help In Restoring Calm
Yahoo News:In Kiev, the new cabinet led by some of the main figures of at-times deadly protests against ousted president Viktor Yanukovych’s pro-Kremlin rule opened its first meeting with the twin spectres of secession and default hanging over Ukraine.The...
-
Ukraine will appeal to NATO, if it turns out that in the Crimea Russian spetsnaz active From Will at THE OTHER NEWS: Ukraine will appeal to NATO, if it turns out that in the Crimea Russian spetsnaz.(Cencornet). Ukraine will appeal to NATO, if it turns...
- Russian Flag Raised In Crimea
Houses of Parliament and the Council of Ministers of Crimea captured by armed men "in unmarked uniform" From Will at THE OTHER NEWS: Update: From Jpost: Armed men seize government HQ, raise Russian flag in Ukraine's Crimea . Armed men...
-
Russian versus Tartars Shouting 'Allah Akbar" in confrontation outside regional assembly in Simferopol From Will at THE OTHER NEWS: In Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation military lists serve families of seamen in case of evacuation....