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| Russia to meet EU and US for talks over Ukraine crisis | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Senior figures from Russia, Ukraine, the EU and the US are set to meet for talks on the situation in Ukraine next week, it has been announced, in what will be the first meeting of the four since the crisis erupted. | |
| The EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, will join the US secretary of state, John Kerry, his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov and Ukraine's foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsia. | |
| News of the meeting emerged as a tense standoff between pro-Russian sectarianists and Ukraine security forces continued in the country's east. | |
| Ukraine's security service has said that 56 people held inside a local headquarters in the eastern city of Luhansk occupied by pro-Russian separatists have been allowed to leave the premises. | |
| The Luhansk security services building was among several government offices seized by pro-Moscow groups on Sunday in an escalation of protests against the interim government in power since President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February. | The Luhansk security services building was among several government offices seized by pro-Moscow groups on Sunday in an escalation of protests against the interim government in power since President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in February. |
| With the crisis in eastern Ukraine deepening, Russia sought on Wednesday to ease concerns in Kiev and the west over the presence of troops near the border with Ukraine and denied it was considering invading eastern Ukraine. | |
| "The United States and Ukraine have no reason to be worried," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. "Russia has stated many times that it is not carrying out any unusual or unplanned activity on its territory near the border with Ukraine that would be of military significance." | |
| Kiev, meanwhile, vowed that the situation would be resolved within 48 hours, either by negotiations or force. | |
| All the cities affected by the uprisings are in Ukraine's industrial heartland in the east, which has a large population of ethnic Russians and where there is significant hostility toward the government that took power after the ousting of Kremlin-friendly Yanukovych. | |
| By Wednesday morning, protesters in Luhansk had erected high barricades along a thoroughfare running in front of the security service premises. | |
| Overnight, speakers gathered in front of the building condemned the government in Kiev and renewed demands to be allowed to hold a referendum on declaring autonomy for their region. Similar demands were made before Crimea's annexation by Russia. | |
| Speeches were occasionally interspersed with chants of "Russia, Russia!" | Speeches were occasionally interspersed with chants of "Russia, Russia!" |
| An unidentified speaker at one stage listed names of prominent politicians that he suggested should be executed, eliciting cheers in return. | An unidentified speaker at one stage listed names of prominent politicians that he suggested should be executed, eliciting cheers in return. |
| The security service had said on Tuesday that separatists inside the building, armed with explosives and other weapons, were holding 60 people hostage. It was not immediately clear if the 56 allowed to leave on Wednesday were among that number, or how many people were still being held. | The security service had said on Tuesday that separatists inside the building, armed with explosives and other weapons, were holding 60 people hostage. It was not immediately clear if the 56 allowed to leave on Wednesday were among that number, or how many people were still being held. |
| Those occupying the building have issued a video statement warning that any attempt to storm the place would be met with armed force. | Those occupying the building have issued a video statement warning that any attempt to storm the place would be met with armed force. |
| In the video, posted by Ukrainian media, a masked man identified the occupiers as Ukrainian veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and said that if authorities tried to retake the building, "Welcome to hell, then!" | In the video, posted by Ukrainian media, a masked man identified the occupiers as Ukrainian veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and said that if authorities tried to retake the building, "Welcome to hell, then!" |
| There was little immediate evidence of any major deployment of Ukrainian special forces at the site. | There was little immediate evidence of any major deployment of Ukrainian special forces at the site. |
| The security service said negotiations with the separatists were continuing and that parliamentary deputies had been able to enter and leave the building unhindered. | The security service said negotiations with the separatists were continuing and that parliamentary deputies had been able to enter and leave the building unhindered. |
| The Ukrainian government and the US have accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest as a pretext for another Russian military incursion like the takeover of Crimea last month. Up to 40,000 Russian troops are massed along the Ukrainian border, according to Nato. | The Ukrainian government and the US have accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest as a pretext for another Russian military incursion like the takeover of Crimea last month. Up to 40,000 Russian troops are massed along the Ukrainian border, according to Nato. |