(Vatican Radio) International observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe, the OSCE, were sent to Ukraine Saturday, after Russia withdrew its objections,
but it remained doubtful whether they would able to enter the Crimean Peninsula, which
was taken over by Russia.
The OSCE said it would send advance teams of
observers within 24 hours to several areas, including Ukraine's south-eastern regions,
following deadly clashes between pro-Kiev and pro-Russia supporters.
Daniel
Baer, the United States ambassador to the OSCE, said he was pleased that “the Russian
Federation was able to finally come on board with a consensus resolution to send monitors
to Ukraine.”
However, he made clear “the decision itself calls for monitors
to be deployed within 24 hours, which means that the first people will actually hit
the ground either later tonight or tomorrow morning.”
Yet, the 100-strong team
of OSCE observers is not expected to enter Crimea as Russian leader Vladimir Putin
on Friday signed a law formalizing the peninsula's annexation.
NO MANDATE?
Russian envoy Andrey Kelin said Crimea is part of Russia and that the
mission of the 57-member pan-European rights and security group has no mandate to
go there.
“We proceed from the assumption that the mandate of mission is absolutely
clear and it proceeds from the geo-political realities that have been (and) that are
existing, since today,” he said. “Crimea has become a part of (the) Russian Federation.”
Earlier
in March, OSCE monitors had to abandon attempts to visit the Black Sea peninsula after
warning shots were fired by unidentified armed men at the border.
In response
to Russia's annexation of Crimea, the European Union said 33 officials are targeted
with assets freezes and travel bans, including a deputy prime minister and two close
aids of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
U.S. BLACKLIST The
U.S. also blacklisted dozens of wealthy businessmen and Putin officials. Washington
also targeted Russian Bank Rossya, prompting a cynical reaction from Putin.
“As
I understand, it is a medium-sized bank. On Monday I will open an account there,”
he said in televised remarks.
Moscow has retaliated by imposing travel
bans and asset freezes for nine prominent U.S. officials and lawmakers, including
Senator John McCain, who joked this would mean cancelling his annual spring break
in Siberia, and that he has no access to a secret bank account in Moscow.