Russian Fighter Jets 'Enter Ukrainian Airspace'

It Is No Longer A Game For Separatist Militia

Updated: 12:32am UK, Saturday 26 April 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor in Slavyansk

Their rifles were cocked. The safety catches off. Triggers were fingered. The car lurched to a stop.

Shrill nervous orders were barked in Russian. Men in an assortment of camouflage uniforms lay spread eagled on the roadside glaring down their sights.

A quick search followed. Then a man with a new AK74, probably nicked from the local police station, squinted, his face covered with a balaclava, perhaps attempting a faceless smile.

"Sorry for any inconvenience," he said and waved the car through.

The mixed messages of their behaviour, both aggression and politeness, both bravado and fear, point to a wider conundrum - do they really understand what they're getting in to?

One of their comrades had been shot dead that morning about a mile away on the road out of Slavyansk by an Ukrainian army patrol - probably probing the outer defences of these pro-Russian separatist militants.

Four more, the government said, had been killed in other clashes around the town.

They stand accused of kidnapping the city's elected mayor.

They have taken over city hall and are sandbagging it against an attack and yet they often appear to be no more than young or old boys playing at soldiers.

Occasionally one comes across a trained soldier. Fit and quiet they slink in the background of the occupied buildings.

They may be Russian agents, or former Ukrainian police from the disbanded Berkut who were responsible for sniper attacks on revolutionaries in Kiev.

But the ordinary militants, who are led by local politicians and allegedly funded either by Moscow or allied oligarchs, are clearly being used.

They are the teaspoons the Kremlin is using to keep the east of Ukraine swirling with dark rumours of anti-Russian ethnic cleansing.

Allegations of persecution of pro-Russian groups are entirely false.

But while the militants swagger about the streets, take over government buildings and harass their political opponents, they face a crack down from Kiev.

The nervous men at the road block feared an Ukrainian government attack on the bases in Slavyansk.

They were also facing the reality that what may have felt like a nationalistic camping trip with the added spice of gun play, may no longer be a game.

They may fold under a professional attack by Ukrainian troops.

But if they do not, there will be blood.

And if it flows from Putin's local pawns then so may Russian troops pour in from the east.

He may win, but they will not be around to see his victory.

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Paedophile Teacher 'One Of The Worst Predators'

Child Predator: Husband And 'Popular Teacher'

Updated: 11:44am UK, Thursday 24 April 2014

The serial child predator at the centre of an FBI investigation had a wife and two adult children and was a popular teacher among his students, officials have said.

William James Vahey travelled the world for four decades before his suicide in a Minnesota motel last March.

While teaching, he also served as coach on various school sports teams.

The FBI said he was a "popular and highly respected teacher".

"He had access to children because of his position of trust," said FBI special agent Patrick Fransen.

"He created a system that gave him the opportunity and the means to molest children."

The FBI says he may have carried out child molestation on an unprecedented scale, often drugging his victims.

Vahey told investigators he suffered molestation as a child and went on to prey on boys.

The New York native graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science, according to a resume cited by the FBI.

He received a master's degree in curriculum development from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont.

At the time of his death, he was 64, approximately 6ft (182cm) tall, and weighed about 190 pounds (86kg).

He was teaching ninth-grade world history and geography at the American Nicaraguan School in Managua.

Vahey maintained two residences, one in London, where he had taught at an elite school, and another on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the FBI said.

In 1969, Vahey was arrested in California on six counts of child molestation.

He pled guilty to one count of child molestation and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, followed by five years' probation.

The conviction required Vahey to register with California's sex offender registry for the rest of his life.

However, Vahey eluded that requirement.

Officials said he had not renewed his registration as a sex offender since 1970. He went on to pursue his teaching career in Nicaragua, the UK, Venezuela, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Iran, Spain, and Lebanon.

His victims are believed to be multinational as many of those schools were attended by the children of American diplomats or military personnel stationed overseas.

Vahey coached boys on middle school, varsity boys' basketball, softball, flag football, and soccer, among other things.

He also served as activities director, student council adviser, cooking club adviser and forensics adviser. 

He often accompanied students on cultural studies or sports trips, the FBI said.

Vahey killed himself two days after agents in Houston sought a warrant to search a computer thumb drive belonging to him.

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Israel: Hamas Unity Deal 'Kills Peace Process'

Is Kerry's Mid-East Peace Initiative Finished?

Updated: 3:11am UK, Friday 25 April 2014

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, Jerusalem

The goal was perhaps unattainable from the outset.

A dream more than a plan.

John Kerry's frenetic diplomatic drive aimed to get Israeli and Palestinian leaders to thrash out the foundations of a final peace deal within nine months.

The deadline was supposed to be next Monday.

Hope of that lies in tatters.

What is worse for Secretary Kerry, is that this wasn't a sudden death.

The negotiations have not experienced a sudden spasm days before a deal - they've been rotting for months.

For weeks, both sides have been waiting to see who could point the finger and say: "There, you see! They didn't want peace in the first place. It's their fault."

Yesterday's announcement of a reconciliation deal between the Fatah party of Palestinian President Abbas and Hamas, gave Benjamin Netanyahu the opportunity to jab the accusatory finger.

The Israeli leader said he will never negotiate with Hamas - the governing power in Gaza, deemed by much of the international community to be a "terrorist organisation".

Abbas had chosen Hamas over peace, Mr Netanyahu said. Talks suspended.

The retort from the Palestinians is that Mr Netanyahu killed the talks long before.

He refused to release a tranche of prisoners and continued to grant permissions for construction of settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank - this, they say, was the moment it all collapsed.

So where does this leave John Kerry?

Deflated, but according to diplomatic sources in Jerusalem, reluctant to walk away.

The reason for this lies in the "constructive ambiguity" of the statements being made by Israel.

The language is tough, but it is not final.

Israel has seen attempts at reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas come and go before.

They know this reconciliation deal could disintegrate as quickly as it emerged.

For now the door remains ajar.

The suspension, therefore, is being seen as a five week hiatus, to see if the proposed "unity government" of Fatah and Hamas ministers can actually be put together.

The hope, particularly for those in the Israeli cabinet supportive of talks, is that the lack of detail in the reconciliation deal will render it unachievable.

For Mr Kerry there is another dimension - that the reconciliation deal may have achieved more than the Palestinians are letting on.

No detail has yet emerged of what reconciliation will mean for the internal security relationship between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

No detail has emerged on whether Hamas prisoners will be freed from Fatah's jails, or on what terms.

No detail has emerged on whether a unity government including Hamas, would stick to the Quartet Principles – the recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence,  which are key to recognition of the Palestinian Authority by the international community.

The answer to whether talks can resume lies in the answers to those questions - the last in particular.

It may be unlikely that Hamas has been coaxed tentatively in from the cold, but until that is clear, Kerry's unattainable dream might have further to run.

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US Accuses Russia Of Ukraine 'Deception'

US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused Russia of "deception" and "destabilisation" in Ukraine and hinted at imposing more sanctions.

Speaking at the State Department in Washington, Mr Kerry warned Moscow time was running out for it to change course.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia face a choice," he said in unusually blunt language.

"If Russia chooses the path of de-escalation ... all of us will welcome it. But if Russia does not, the world will make sure that the costs for Russia will only grow."

Mr Kerry added this would be a "grave" and "expensive mistake".

A woman bandages the head of an injured pro-Russian activist in Mariupol

He also said the Kremlin has not honoured an agreement aimed at defusing the crisis, echoing earlier comments by President Barack Obama.

The Geneva accord between Russia, Ukraine, the US and EU compelled armed groups to put down their weapons and vacate official buildings.

The US says Moscow is stoking unrest and separatist sentiment in the east of Ukraine after its annexation of Crimea.

Russia accuses Washington of encouraging a pro-Western government to adopt anti-Russian policies.

Pro-Russian separatists fill sand bags at a checkpoint in Slavyansk

The crisis in Ukraine is becoming increasingly more violent as separatists take control of public buildings and roads. The government has launched a campaign to remove them.

On Thursday, Ukraine's interior ministry said up to five "terrorists" had been killed during an operation to clear checkpoints in the eastern town of Slavyansk.

Russia announced military exercises involving ground and air forces near its border with Ukraine in response to the operation.

Mr Putin has said there will be "consequences" if Kiev has used its army against the activists.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has warned the crisis is threatening to "spin out of control" and urged all sides to "refrain from violence".

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Missing Plane: Material Washes Ashore In Oz

Officials searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane say material has washed ashore off the coast of Western Australia.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) is now examining photographs of the objects, which have been secured by police in the region, to establish whether they are linked to flight MH370.

Authorities said the images had also been passed to investigators in Malaysia.

Relatives are urging governments not to give up the search

The development came after Australia pledged to keep searching for the plane despite no sign of wreckage after almost seven weeks.

Bad weather is continuing to hamper the search with aircraft grounded for the second day due to heavy rain, low clouds and rough seas.

An undersea drone is nearing the end of its first full mission and Australian PM Tony Abbott says the search strategy may change if seabed scans taken by the US Navy drone fails to find a trace of MH370, which vanished on March 8 with 239 people on board.

The deep search covers an area where sonar equipment picked up a signal

"We may well re-think the search but we will not rest until we have done everything we can to solve this mystery," he said.

"The only way we can get to the bottom of this is to keep searching the probable impact zone until we find something or until we have searched it as thoroughly as human ingenuity allows at this time."

The Bluefin-21 drone is a key component in the search after the detection of audio signals, or "pings", believed to be from the plane's black box flight .

Relatives are asking Mr Hussein to investigate old media reports

The search co-ordination centre said the robotic submarine had so far covered more than 80% of the 120 square mile (310 square kilometres) seabed search zone off the Australian west coast, creating a three-dimensional sonar map of the ocean floor, but failing to find anything of interest.

The 2.8 mile (4.5-kilometre) deep search area is a circle 12 miles (20 km) wide around an area where sonar equipment picked up a signal on April 8 consistent with a plane's black boxes. The batteries powering those signals are now dead.

Both Australia and Malaysia are under growing pressure to show what lengths they are prepared to go to in order to give closure to the grieving families of those on board.

In a sign of the families' growing desperation for answers, a group purporting to be relatives of the missing flight's passengers wrote a letter to Malaysian defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein, urging the government to investigate old media reports that the plane landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

"It is high time that the government should start thinking out of the box by exploring and re-examining all leads, new and old," said the letter, published on Facebook on Wednesday.

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Palestinian Unity Deal 'Threat To Peace Talks'

Two rival Palestinian factions have agreed to form a unity government after signing a deal the United States warned could "seriously complicate" peace talks with Israel.

The agreement between Hamas and Fatah is the latest in a long line of failed attempts to end the groups' seven-year split.

Leaders on both sides will attempt to form an interim government within five weeks, with presidential and parliamentary elections set to be held as early as the end of November.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of choosing Hamas over peace.

"Does he want peace with Hamas or peace with Israel?" he said.

Senior Hamas and Fatah officials celebrate after signing an agreement

"You can have one but not the other. I hope he chooses peace but so far he hasn't done so."

Mr Netanyahu cancelled US-brokered talks with Palestinian officials that had been scheduled to take place in Jerusalem on Wednesday night.

Jen Psaki, a spokesman for the US State Department, said: "The timing (of the announcement) was troubling and we are certainly disappointed.

"This could seriously complicate our efforts. It's hard to see how Israel can be expected to negotiate with a government that does not believe in its right to exist."

The United States and Israel, as well as the European Union, view Hamas as a terrorist organisation, although a number of other countries do not.

The deal has angered Mr Netanyahu, seen here with the US Secretary of State

Hamas seized Gaza from Mr Abbas' forces in 2007, leaving him with only parts of the West Bank.

Both sides have become entrenched in their territories, setting up their own governments and security forces.

The division is a major obstacle to Mr Abbas' goal of an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with east Jerusalem serving as the capital.

Israel captured all three areas in 1967.

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South Korea Ferry Tragedy 'A Murderous Act'

Timeline Of Doomed Ferry's Journey

Updated: 8:49am UK, Sunday 20 April 2014

The Sewol ferry sank in the East China Sea less than three hours after the first distress call was made to land.

Here is a timeline of the ship's voyage from Incheon:

April 15, 9pm

The Sewol leaves port in Incheon at around 9pm with 475 people and 150 vehicles on board, heading for Jeju Island.

April 16, 8.55am

First contact between vessel and land is made, with officer telling Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Centre (VTS) "our ship is in danger".

Survivors say passengers were told to remain in cabins.

April 16, 9am

Officer tells Jeju VTS ship is listing to the left and adds "it's impossible to move". Coastguard tells vessel to "wear life jackets and prepare as the people might have to abandon ship".

April 16, 9.05am

Other vessels notified as ferry continues to tilt to the side.

April 16, 9.30am

The coastguard, helicopters and other ships begin to arrive at the scene and rescue passengers who have escaped from the ferry.

April 16, 10am

Rescuers start to search for people in the overturned hull of the Sewol.

April 16, 11.20am

The ferry sinks in the East China Sea.

April 17

Text messages from people on board the ferry reveal passengers were ordered to remain in their seats and cabins as ship began listing.

Crew member Oh Yong-Seok reveals the captain waited 30 minutes before ordering the evacuation as officers tried to stabilise the vessel. By that time, the crew were unable to reach passengers because the ship was titled at such an acute angle.

April 18

Investigators reveal the ship's captain, Lee Joon-Seok, was not at the helm when the Sewol began to list. They are also examining why the ship's third mate ordered an abrupt turn around three hours before the vessel was due to arrive at Jeju Island.

Mr Lee, along with two more of the ship's crew, are arrested.

Vice-principal of Danwon High School, Kang Min-Kyu, is found dead on Jindo island. In a note found in his wallet, he described his rescue as "too painful while 200 remain unaccounted for".

April 19

Mr Lee issues a public apology for causing a "disturbance" and says he delayed the evacuation of the ferry because he thought the sea water was too cold.

Investigators reveal the third mate was steering the ship in difficult waters for the first time and in foggy conditions.

Divers trying to gain access to the ferry describe seeing bodies through its windows as the death toll officially climbs above 30.

April 20

Angry relatives clash with police on Jindo island over the speed of the recovery operation.

Divers break windows on the ferry to get inside the vessel and find more bodies, with the death toll confirmed above 50.

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Russia Accuses Kiev Of Violating Geneva Deal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Ukraine of breaking an agreement aimed at defusing tensions in the country.

He said: "Steps are being taken - above all by those who seized power in Kiev - not only that do not fulfil, but that crudely violate the Geneva agreement."

It came as pro-Russian separatists claimed they came under attack in the eastern city of Slavyansk.

A shootout in Slavyansk threatens fragile moves to de-escalate the crisis

Mr Lavrov said the deadly firefight, which reportedly left at least three dead and others wounded, showed Kiev did not want to control "extremists".

He said: "The authorities are doing nothing, not even lifting a finger, to address the causes behind this deep internal crisis in Ukraine."

The self-declared mayor of Slavyansk has appealed to Russia's President Vladimir Putin to help residents by sending in troops.

US Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Kiev for an official visit

This will fuel fears in the West, which accuses Moscow of stoking unrest, that the violence will be used as an excuse for Russia to seize more Ukrainian territory, in a repeat of the annexation of Crimea.

Russia also has tens of thousands of troops based along Ukraine's eastern border.

And concerns will only be heightened after Mr Putin signed a law making it easier for Russian speakers across the former Soviet Union to get citizenship.

An armoured personnel carrier flying a Russian flag in Slavyansk

US Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Kiev for an official visit, where he is set to criticise Moscow.

The shootout, the cause of which is fiercely disputed, threatens to derail already shaky efforts to de-escalate the continuing crisis.

The deal reached between Russia, Ukraine, the US and European Union, demanded an immediate end to violence.

The Geneva accord called for illegal armed groups to disband, and for protesters to leave occupied government buildings.

Vladimir Putin has made it easier for Russian speakers to get citizenship

But pro-Russian separatists, who have seized offices across eastern Ukraine, have shown no signs of moving on.

Western powers have warned Moscow of further sanctions if it fails to bring its influence to bear on pro-Russian activists.

Mr Lavrov pointed out the authorities in Kiev had failed to remove protesters camped out in the capital.

He said: "Buildings in Kiev that were violently seized at the beginning of the Ukrainian events have not been vacated. Streets have not been cleared.

"This is absolutely unacceptable."

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Malaysia Airlines Jet In Landing Gear Scare

A Malaysia Airlines plane has landed safely after being forced to turn around due to a technical problem.

The aircraft, which was heading for Bangalore in India, returned to Kuala Lumpur after its right-hand landing gear malfunctioned as it took off from the Malaysian capital.

The company issued a message on social media saying flight MH192 was expected to make an emergency landing at the city's international airport.

And around 20 minutes later, it put out another message saying the plane had landed safely.

The Boeing 737-800 was carrying 159 passengers and seven crew.

It left Kuala Lumpur at 10.09pm local time (3.09pm UK time) and had been due to arrive in Bangalore at 11.35pm (7.05pm UK time).

A company statement said: "Malaysia Airlines flight MH192 that made an air turn back towards KLIA has landed safely at 1:56am."

Earlier the airline said it was working with the Airport Fire Rescue Services in anticipation of the landing.

Malaysian defence minister and acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a tweet: "All landed safely - going there now!!"

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South Korea Ferry Captain Slammed By President

Timeline Of Doomed Ferry's Journey

Updated: 8:49am UK, Sunday 20 April 2014

The Sewol ferry sank in the East China Sea less than three hours after the first distress call was made to land.

Here is a timeline of the ship's voyage from Incheon:

April 15, 9pm

The Sewol leaves port in Incheon at around 9pm with 475 people and 150 vehicles on board, heading for Jeju Island.

April 16, 8.55am

First contact between vessel and land is made, with officer telling Jeju Vessel Traffic Services Centre (VTS) "our ship is in danger".

Survivors say passengers were told to remain in cabins.

April 16, 9am

Officer tells Jeju VTS ship is listing to the left and adds "it's impossible to move". Coastguard tells vessel to "wear life jackets and prepare as the people might have to abandon ship".

April 16, 9.05am

Other vessels notified as ferry continues to tilt to the side.

April 16, 9.30am

The coastguard, helicopters and other ships begin to arrive at the scene and rescue passengers who have escaped from the ferry.

April 16, 10am

Rescuers start to search for people in the overturned hull of the Sewol.

April 16, 11.20am

The ferry sinks in the East China Sea.

April 17

Text messages from people on board the ferry reveal passengers were ordered to remain in their seats and cabins as ship began listing.

Crew member Oh Yong-Seok reveals the captain waited 30 minutes before ordering the evacuation as officers tried to stabilise the vessel. By that time, the crew were unable to reach passengers because the ship was titled at such an acute angle.

April 18

Investigators reveal the ship's captain, Lee Joon-Seok, was not at the helm when the Sewol began to list. They are also examining why the ship's third mate ordered an abrupt turn around three hours before the vessel was due to arrive at Jeju Island.

Mr Lee, along with two more of the ship's crew, are arrested.

Vice-principal of Danwon High School, Kang Min-Kyu, is found dead on Jindo island. In a note found in his wallet, he described his rescue as "too painful while 200 remain unaccounted for".

April 19

Mr Lee issues a public apology for causing a "disturbance" and says he delayed the evacuation of the ferry because he thought the sea water was too cold.

Investigators reveal the third mate was steering the ship in difficult waters for the first time and in foggy conditions.

Divers trying to gain access to the ferry describe seeing bodies through its windows as the death toll officially climbs above 30.

April 20

Angry relatives clash with police on Jindo island over the speed of the recovery operation.

Divers break windows on the ferry to get inside the vessel and find more bodies, with the death toll confirmed above 50.

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Missing Plane Search 'Could Take 5 to 7 Days'

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent, in Perth

Australian officials supervising the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight have said that an underwater search for the black box recorder based on "pings" possibly from the device could be completed in five to seven days.

It comes as search teams say the submarine currently scanning the ocean floor remains "the best lead" in finding the plane.

The US Navy-operated Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has now covered an area of 82 square miles (133 sq km) and has completed six missions.

But its sonar scanners have detected nothing, Sky News understands.

The Bluefin-21 submersible has already carried out six descents

After nearly six weeks without any sign of the plane, the current underwater search has been narrowed to a circular 6.2-mile (10km) area around the location where one of the pings thought to come from the missing flight's black box was detected earlier this month.

The submersible is likely to take up to a week to cover the refined search area.

The Bluefin-21 has now started its seventh descent to the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

It takes two hours for the unmanned submersible to travel more than 4,500m to the seabed where it spends 16 hours at a time using sonar scanners to map the ocean floor. Data is then downloaded at the surface.

The Chinese ship Hai Xin 01 conducts a search in the southern Indian Ocean

No sign of the plane has been picked up, said search officials based in Perth, Australia.

"Overnight, Bluefin-21 AUV completed mission six in the underwater search area. Data from the sixth mission is currently under analysis. No contacts of interest have been found to date," said an official.

"This is the best lead we have in the search for missing flight MH370."

Hishammuddin Hussein, acting Malaysia Transport Minister, told a news conference on Saturday: "The immediate search area that the Bluefin-21 is scouring should be completed within the next week.

"All efforts will be intensified in the next few days in regards to the search."

The underwater hunt is complicated by the depth of the largely unexplored sea floor. The US Navy's unmanned sub has already gone beyond its recommended limit of 4,500 meters (15,000 feet).

Malaysia flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 bound for Beijing. But an hour into the flight it disappeared from radar. There were 239 people on board, mostly Chinese citizens.

Some families of those on board refuse to believe the aircraft crashed into the sea and have instead denounced the search effort as a cover-up.

Up to 11 military aircraft and 12 ships are assisting the search over the long Easter bank holiday weekend. The total search area is 31,000 square miles (50,200 sq km), across three areas.

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Ukraine Crisis: Putin Hints At Thaw With West

Russian President Vladimir Putin has held out the prospect of improved relations with the West following a tense Cold War-style stand-off over Ukraine.

But in a sign there would be no weakening of Moscow's stance, Mr Putin said he would award medals to Russian troops who served during the annexation of Crimea.

It was only recently he admitted the country's military had been involved in events on the Black Sea peninsula.

His comments came as the US warned Russia it will face further sanctions if pro-Russia militia in eastern Ukraine do not disarm, and the Kremlin admitted reinforcement troops had been sent to the border.

Mr Putin says he will award medals to Russian troops who served in Crimea

Up to 40,000 soldiers are now based near the frontier with Ukraine, but Moscow insists it is a precautionary measure.

Speaking in an interview broadcast on Russian state television, Mr Putin hinted at a thaw in relations with Western powers, which have accused the Kremlin of stoking unrest in Ukraine.

He also welcomed the appointment of the new Nato head Jens Stoltenberg

Mr Putin said: "I think there is nothing that would hinder a normalisation and normal cooperation."

But he added: "This does not depend on us. Or rather not only on us. This depends on our partners."

His US counterpart Barack Obama has said further economic and diplomatic action could be taken against Moscow if an international agreement to calm tensions in Ukraine is not implemented.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Russia, Ukraine, the US and the European Union agreed on Thursday to a series of steps to "de-escalate" the crisis in Ukraine.

But many of the groups that took over government buildings in a bid to declare independence in eastern Ukraine have yet to leave, saying they will only do so if Ukraine's government steps down too.

Kiev says it has suspended military operations over the Easter weekend, although it it has shown little sign previously of trying to recapture seized buildings.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian foreign secretary Sergei Lavrov late on Friday that the "the next few days would be a pivotal period".

The EU has also indicated it will meet to discuss further sanctions if Russia does not act to make the militias disarm.

But earlier, the Kremlin had indicated Russia was not going to be bossed around, issuing a veiled threat.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian television: "Our Western colleagues are trying to push responsibility towards our side. But it must be underlined: it is a collective responsibility."

"We have troops in different regions, and there are troops close to the Ukrainian border.

"Some are based there, others have been sent as reinforcements due to the situation in Ukraine," he added.

The White House said it was watching Moscow to see if it adhered to what had been agreed in Geneva.

Pro-Russians occupying public buildings in 10 eastern Ukrainian cities are demanding a referendum on union with their neighbour, similar to the one held in Crimea that ultimately led to its annexation by Moscow.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Donetsk, said there was no sign of anyone there acting on the deal reached in Geneva.

She added: "None of those at the talks directly represented those on the ground, particularly those occupying the buildings."

Meanwhile, Europe's Baltic states are in talks to set up their own Russian-language television channel in an attempt to counter the deluge of propaganda aimed at their ethnic Russian populations by Moscow-backed media.

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