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| USS Truxtun carries out Black Sea naval exercises close to troubled Crimea | USS Truxtun carries out Black Sea naval exercises close to troubled Crimea |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The USS Truxtun, a US guided-missile destroyer, will carry out more exercises with allied ships in the Black Sea, its commander said on Saturday, in a further sign of the international response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. | The USS Truxtun, a US guided-missile destroyer, will carry out more exercises with allied ships in the Black Sea, its commander said on Saturday, in a further sign of the international response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. |
| Also on Saturday, Russia vetoed a United Nations security council draft resolution drawn up by the US, which declared a planned referendum on the status of Ukraine’s Crimea region “can have no validity”. China, Russia’s close ally, abstained from the vote. | Also on Saturday, Russia vetoed a United Nations security council draft resolution drawn up by the US, which declared a planned referendum on the status of Ukraine’s Crimea region “can have no validity”. China, Russia’s close ally, abstained from the vote. |
| The White House later said President Barack Obama was getting regular updates on the situation. Obama’s national security team was discussing Ukraine at a White House meeting Saturday. | |
| After the UN vote, the US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said: “The whole world knows that the referendum scheduled for tomorrow in Crimea was hatched in the Kremlin and midwifed by the Russian military. It is inconsistent with Ukraine’s constitution and international law. It is illegitimate and it will have no legal effect.” | |
| She added: “President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry have said repeatedly that the United States will stand with the Ukrainian people as we continue to seek a principled and peaceful resolution to this crisis. That is our position – and as we saw in the Council today, we are not alone in that regard. Russia is.” | She added: “President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry have said repeatedly that the United States will stand with the Ukrainian people as we continue to seek a principled and peaceful resolution to this crisis. That is our position – and as we saw in the Council today, we are not alone in that regard. Russia is.” |
| It was also reported that Russian troops had seized a natural gas distribution station in what appeared to be a first move outside Crimea, where such forces have been in effective control since late last month. | It was also reported that Russian troops had seized a natural gas distribution station in what appeared to be a first move outside Crimea, where such forces have been in effective control since late last month. |
| Commander Andrew Biehn of the USS Truxtun was briefing reporters aboard the destroyer, which has a crew of 300, as it lay docked in a Bulgarian port. The ship last week took part in drills with Romanian and Bulgarian ships a few hundred miles from Russian forces in Crimea. | Commander Andrew Biehn of the USS Truxtun was briefing reporters aboard the destroyer, which has a crew of 300, as it lay docked in a Bulgarian port. The ship last week took part in drills with Romanian and Bulgarian ships a few hundred miles from Russian forces in Crimea. |
| “This exercise was pre-planned several months ago and it was very important because we’re able to work together with the Romanian navy and the Bulgarian navy,” Biehn said. | “This exercise was pre-planned several months ago and it was very important because we’re able to work together with the Romanian navy and the Bulgarian navy,” Biehn said. |
| “I cannot comment on our future operations but we’ll take the opportunity to do some routine exercises with our allies in the region. Our operation was planned a long time before the start of the Crimean crisis.” | “I cannot comment on our future operations but we’ll take the opportunity to do some routine exercises with our allies in the region. Our operation was planned a long time before the start of the Crimean crisis.” |
| The exercises coincided with air drills carried out by US and Polish fighter jets in Poland and Nato reconnaissance flights over eastern Europe. The naval exercises, carried out in international waters in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, did not include live firing. | The exercises coincided with air drills carried out by US and Polish fighter jets in Poland and Nato reconnaissance flights over eastern Europe. The naval exercises, carried out in international waters in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, did not include live firing. |
| The French president, François Hollande, said on Saturday Paris would review its military cooperation with Russia as part of a third level of sanctions if Moscow did not de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine. | The French president, François Hollande, said on Saturday Paris would review its military cooperation with Russia as part of a third level of sanctions if Moscow did not de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine. |
| Asked whether France would suspend a €1.2bn ($1.7bn) helicopter carrier contract with Russia, Hollande told a news conference: “As far as other sanctions, notably military cooperation, that is the third level of sanctions.” | Asked whether France would suspend a €1.2bn ($1.7bn) helicopter carrier contract with Russia, Hollande told a news conference: “As far as other sanctions, notably military cooperation, that is the third level of sanctions.” |
| The US and European Union are expected on Monday to unveil a list of Russian officials subject to asset freezes and visa bans. | The US and European Union are expected on Monday to unveil a list of Russian officials subject to asset freezes and visa bans. |