- Title: UKRAINE: Ukraine's interim leader watches National Guard training, warns Russia
- Date: 31st March 2014
- Summary: NOVY PETRIVTSI, UKRAINE (MARCH 31, 2014) (REUTERS) TANKS FIRING NATIONAL GUARD AROUND TANKS TANK SEEN THROUGH TREES NATIONAL GUARD CRAWLING ON GROUND VARIOUS OF OLEKSANDR TURCHINOV, ACTING PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, WATCHING NATIONAL GUARD RUNNING OVER OBSTACLE COURSE/ ANOTHER FIRING 7 . SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) OLEKSANDR TURCHINOV, ACTING PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, SAYING: "Mr Lavrov, Mr. Putin and Mr. Medvedev can suggest any projects they want for the Russian Federation. But it seems to me that the Russian leadership should look after the problems of the Russian Federation and not after the problems of Ukraine. In the Ukraine there is the government, there is parliament and there are citizens who will determine their own future." NATIONAL GUARD FIRING AND RUNNING TURCHINOV WALKING APC MOVING AND FIRING SOLDIERS RUNNING TOWARDS BUILDING, FIRING, JUMPING THROUGH WINDOWS SOUNDIBTE (Russian) UKRAINIAN DEFENCE MINISTER, ARSEN AVAKOV, SAYING: "The situation now is that in the next few days the first reservists will take the oath. Today they show high readiness to take the reservists' oath" VARIOUS OF NATIONAL GUARD LINED UP NATIONAL GUARD MARCHING NATIONAL GUARDS CARRYING OUR ARREST DRILL TURCHYNOV WATCHING VARIOUS OF NATIONAL GUARDS CRAWLING UNDER BARBED WIRE
- Embargoed: 15th April 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9R571VTT8TJ6QW64ZC9BO1OR4
- Story Text: Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchinov watches the training of the national guard, issues a warning to Russia not to meddle in Ukraine's affairs.
Ukrainian National Guard troops continued exercises on a base outside Kiev on Monday (March 31) with the first group expected to complete training within several days.
Ukraine's parliament voted on March 13 to create a 60,000-strong National Guard to bolster the country's defences in the wake of the Russian seizure of bases in Crimea.
The new Guard has been recruited from activists involved in the recent pro-Western protests as well as from military academies.
Monday's exercises were watched by Ukrainian acting President and parliament chairman, Oleksandr Turchinov and Defence Minister Arsen Avakov. They two also held talks on stucture and composition of the new force and examined equipment.
Ukraine remains highly sceptical at Russian claims it will not move further into Ukrainian terrotory and has hit back strongly at comments from foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for it to federalise its state structure and make Russian an official state language, saying its proposals were aimed at the break-up of Ukraine.
In an unusually harsh statement issued late on Sunday the Ukrainian Foreign Ninistry said he was making demands on Ukraine which Russia would never allow itself at home.
The statement, reacting to comments by Lavrov in a Russian television interview at the weekend, objected to what it described as a "didactic tone of ultimatum" taken by the Russian foreign minister.
"Mr Lavrov, Mr. Putin and Mr. Medvedev can suggest any projects they want for the Russian Federation. But it seems to me that the Russian leadership should look after the problems of the Russian Federation and not after the problems of Ukraine. In the Ukraine there is the government, there is parliament and there are citizens who will determine their own future," said Turchinov.
Ukrainian Defence Minsiter Arsen Avakov said the first group of reservists would be ready to take the oath in a few days. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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