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| Ukraine: Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev in Crimea visit | Ukraine: Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev in Crimea visit |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is visiting Crimea - the most senior Russian official to travel there since it was annexed from Ukraine. | |
| Mr Medvedev announced that the region would become a special economic zone, with incentives for businesses. | Mr Medvedev announced that the region would become a special economic zone, with incentives for businesses. |
| The Russian government says it is creating a new ministry to deal with Crimea and Sevastopol. | The Russian government says it is creating a new ministry to deal with Crimea and Sevastopol. |
| Moscow's annexation of Crimea earlier this month has sparked international condemnation. | Moscow's annexation of Crimea earlier this month has sparked international condemnation. |
| Ukraine's foreign ministry described the Russian prime minister's visit as a "crude violation" of the rules of the international community, according to the Reuters news agency. | |
| Mr Medvedev, leading a delegation of government ministers to the peninsula's main city Simferopol, said that no-one in Crimea should lose anything in the accession to Russia, according to the Russian government's Twitter feed. | Mr Medvedev, leading a delegation of government ministers to the peninsula's main city Simferopol, said that no-one in Crimea should lose anything in the accession to Russia, according to the Russian government's Twitter feed. |
| Pensions and public sector salaries would be increased, it added. | Pensions and public sector salaries would be increased, it added. |
| The government also announced health insurance for Crimea residents and the introduction of Russian educational standards in schools. | The government also announced health insurance for Crimea residents and the introduction of Russian educational standards in schools. |
| The Russian prime minister described the development of Crimea as a "state priority". | The Russian prime minister described the development of Crimea as a "state priority". |
| "I am not going to conceal it: the resolution of this task will require very significant concentration of efforts," he said in an address broadcast on Russian state television. | "I am not going to conceal it: the resolution of this task will require very significant concentration of efforts," he said in an address broadcast on Russian state television. |
| 'Illegal and illegitimate' | 'Illegal and illegitimate' |
| Meanwhile, four hours of "frank" talks on Sunday between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, ended without a breakthrough. | Meanwhile, four hours of "frank" talks on Sunday between the US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, ended without a breakthrough. |
| Mr Kerry told reporters in Paris that the US still considered Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region to be "illegal and illegitimate". | Mr Kerry told reporters in Paris that the US still considered Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region to be "illegal and illegitimate". |
| He said he had stressed that no decision on Ukraine's future could be made without Kiev's involvement. | He said he had stressed that no decision on Ukraine's future could be made without Kiev's involvement. |
| Earlier Mr Lavrov said Ukraine should become a loose federal state - a suggestion Kiev rejects as an attempt to dismember the country. | Earlier Mr Lavrov said Ukraine should become a loose federal state - a suggestion Kiev rejects as an attempt to dismember the country. |
| Russia's decision to take over Crimea - following the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych after months of protests - has triggered a crisis in relations between Russia and the West. | Russia's decision to take over Crimea - following the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych after months of protests - has triggered a crisis in relations between Russia and the West. |
| The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions on members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and other officials. Russia has retaliated with its own sanctions on US lawmakers. | The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions on members of President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and other officials. Russia has retaliated with its own sanctions on US lawmakers. |
| Phone call | Phone call |
| Sunday's crisis talks between the US and Russia's top diplomats were hastily arranged following a phone call between Mr Putin and President Barack Obama on Friday evening. | Sunday's crisis talks between the US and Russia's top diplomats were hastily arranged following a phone call between Mr Putin and President Barack Obama on Friday evening. |
| The US says that Russia is massing troops on its border with eastern Ukraine, and fears that Moscow might seek to take over further areas of the country. | The US says that Russia is massing troops on its border with eastern Ukraine, and fears that Moscow might seek to take over further areas of the country. |
| Ukraine's defence ministry said on Monday that Russia appeared to be reducing its troops on the Ukrainian border. | |
| "In recent days, the Russian forces have been gradually withdrawing from the border," spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskiy was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. | |
| As the rest of Europe put their clocks forward by one hour on Sunday morning, Crimea aligned its time with Moscow - jumping two hours ahead. Hundreds of people waving flags greeted the time change in Simferopol. | As the rest of Europe put their clocks forward by one hour on Sunday morning, Crimea aligned its time with Moscow - jumping two hours ahead. Hundreds of people waving flags greeted the time change in Simferopol. |
| Voters in the mainly pro-Russian peninsula backed leaving Ukraine for Russia in a referendum on 16 March. But the vote has been condemned as illegal by Kiev and the UN General Assembly. | Voters in the mainly pro-Russian peninsula backed leaving Ukraine for Russia in a referendum on 16 March. But the vote has been condemned as illegal by Kiev and the UN General Assembly. |