“A deadline set by the Ukrainian government for pro-Russian gunmen to leave government buildings in eastern Ukraine and surrender weapons passed early Monday,” The Associated Press writes, “with no immediate sign of any action to force the insurgents out.”
NPR’s Ari Shapiro, who is in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, reminds our Newscast Desk that Ukraine’s government has promised it will use force, if necessary, in a bid to regain control. With up to 12,000 Ukrainian troops reportedly poised to enter the region, “people here are afraid of all-out war,” Ari says.
There are also fears, of course, about what might happen after any such action by Ukrainian forces. The AP notes that “Russia has warned the Kiev government against using force against the protesters in the east and has threatened to cancel an international diplomatic conference on the Ukrainian conflict scheduled for later this week.”
Last month, Russian forces moved into what was the Ukrainian-controlled Crimean Peninsula. Since then, Russia has annexed Crimea — an act that Ukraine, the U.S. and many other nations have deemed a violation of international law.
On Monday, NPR’s Corey Flintoff reports from Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied Western allegations that undercover agents from Russia are helping to stir up trouble in eastern Ukraine — perhaps in an attempt to create the same sort of crisis that preceded the annexation of Crimea.
On Sunday, as we reported, Ukrainian authorities said one of the nation’s security service officers was killed when pro-Russia gunmen fired on security forces near the city of Slovyansk.
For much more about the crisis in Ukraine and how it has unfolded, see our earlier posts.
People from across the country are looking for ways to help families of the 10 people killed at a King Soopers in Boulder on March 22.
We've compiled a list of area groups that are collecting contributions in the aftermath of the shooting.
In July, we published this statement in recognition of the work we needed to begin at CPR to confront issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in our newsroom and organization as a whole.
We know this work is urgent, and we are dedicated to doing it thoroughly and connecting it with our vision and mission to reach all and serve everyone in Colorado.
Here is an update on our progress over the last eight months.
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