NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–17 March 2014 – Leading the United Nations push for parties in Ukraine to resolve the country’s ongoing political crisis through peaceful dialogue, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said he is “deeply concerned and disappointed” that this weekend’s Crimea secession referendum will only exacerbate an “already complex and tense situation.”[Read More…]

BELGIUM–(ENEWSPF)–17 March 2014. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen discussed the latest developments in Ukraine, including the so-called referendum in Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea, as well as the Alliance’s plan to intensify the NATO-Ukraine partnership with Andriy Deshchytsya, Ukraine’s Acting Foreign Minister on Monday (17 March 2014). Mr. Fogh[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 17, 2014 Index for Today’s Briefing UKRAINE White House Teleconference / Sanctions NORTH KOREA UN Human Rights Review / Special Envoy Robert King Statement UKRAINE Sanctions / Plans Ahead for Ukraine’s Government Russian Proposals U.S. Tools / Possibility of Expanded Sanctions MIDDLE EAST PEACE Abbas Visit / Status[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 17, 2014 – 11:12 A.M. EDT PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, I want to welcome President Abbas to the Oval Office.  It was a year ago this week that I had the opportunity to visit the Palestinian Territories and very much appreciated the hospitality that President Abbas showed when I[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 17, 2014 – 9:39 A.M. EDT MS. HAYDEN:  Good morning, everyone.  Thanks for joining us on yet another snow day here in Washington.  Hopefully, by now you’ve seen that we have put out a new executive order this morning on Ukraine, and we have a number of senior[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—March 17, 2014. Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in January. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia had unemployment rate decreases from December, one state had an increase, and six states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. All 50 states[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–March 17, 2014 – 10:45 A.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  In recent months, as the citizens of Ukraine have made their voices heard, we have been guided by a fundamental principle — the future of Ukraine must be decided by the people of Ukraine.  That means Ukraine’s[Read More…]

BELGIUM—(ENEWSPF)—17 March 2014. We consider the so-called referendum held on 16 March in Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea to be both illegal and illegitimate. The referendum violated the Ukrainian Constitution and international law, and Allies do not recognise its results. Furthermore, the circumstances under which it was held were deeply[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—March 16, 2014. President Obama spoke this afternoon with President Putin of Russia. President Obama emphasized that the Crimean “referendum,” which violates the Ukrainian constitution and occurred under duress of Russian military intervention, would never be recognized by the United States and the international community.  He emphasized that Russia’s[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–15 March 2014 – Owing to the negative vote of one of its permanent members, the United Nations Security Council today failed to adopt a draft resolution which urged countries not to recognize the results of this weekend’s referendum in Crimea. Thirteen of the Council’s 15 members voted in[Read More…]