Ukraine: West Looks To Tighten Screw On Russia

The West is expected to further ramp up pressure on Russia, after leaders of the G7 united to exclude Moscow from planned G8 talks.

The Cold War-style showdown looks set to dominate international talks in The Hague for a second day, as Western leaders seek to isolate Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

David Cameron is scheduled to discuss the crisis with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, while US President Barack Obama will hold his first news conference since Russia's annexation of Crimea.

The president's press conference, in which he will be joined by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, will take place on the sidelines of an international nuclear security summit in The Hague.

The first day of the nuclear summit was largely overshadowed by news that the G7 - the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan - had agreed to pull out of a scheduled G8 meeting in Russia and hold its own meeting in Brussels.

Mr Cameron will meet the UN Secretary-General later on Tuesday

The move effectively suspends two decades of cooperation with Moscow in the G8 "until Russia changes course".

In a statement, the G7 leaders said: "This group came together because of shared beliefs and shared responsibilities. Russia's actions in recent weeks are not consistent with them."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague described the move as a "huge blow" for the G8. 

He also indicated that the West was considering tougher sanctions against Russia.

The US and European Union have already targeted some Russian individuals, but are yet to impose broader economic sanctions.

Western leaders are working to put forward a united front on the crisis

Mr Hague acknowledged that measures targeting Russia's economy could carry a negative impact in Europe, but said "we have to be prepared to do that."

"Every country would have to do what is necessary if more far-reaching sanctions were applied, accepting that that would affect different economies in different ways," he said.

"The United Kingdom is fully prepared to play its full part."

Russian representatives, also in the Hague, largely shrugged off the G7's comments.

Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said the G8 had been useful to discuss issues such as the nuclear tensions with Iran and the civil war in Syria, but that it was not a vital tool.

Mr Lavrov said: "If our Western partners believe the format has exhausted itself, we don't cling to this format.

"We don't believe it will be a big problem if it doesn't convene."

Sergei Lavrov meets with Ukraine's Andriy Deshchystsya. Pic: @mfa_russia

Mr Lavrov held his own meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Deshchytsia on the sidelines of the nuclear talks. 

It was the first time the pair had met since Ukrainian President and Kremlin ally Viktor Yanukovych was ousted last month following mass protests in Kiev.

Speaking ahead of the talks, Mr Deshchytsia warned that Ukraine would never give up Crimea.

He also warned Russia against making further attempts to seize Ukrainian territory, amid reports that Russian troops are assembling along its borders.

Mr Deshchytsia told reporters: "Our military and civilians living in Eastern Ukraine, Ukrainians, Russians, other nationalities, they are ready to defend their homeland."

Ukrainian troops have been withdrawn from Crimea

Earlier in the day, Ukraine announced it was pulling all its forces from Crimea, after losing another military base to Russian troops in the early hours of the morning. 

Russian forces have gradually seized control of the region, since voters in Crimea agreed to join the Russian Federation in a swiftly-arranged referendum following Mr Yanukovych's removal.

Since then, Nato's top commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, has warned that Russia's military force massing on Ukraine's border was "very, very sizeable and very, very ready".

He said he was worried the Russian military could make a move for Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region.

Transdniestria, a narrow strip of land to Ukraine's southwest, already has a Russian military presence and most people there favour a union with the country.

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World Trade Center Jump Leads To Four Arrests

New York police have arrested four men in connection with a jump stunt from One World Trade Center tower.

Those held are three extreme-skydiving enthusiasts who jumped from the uncompleted tower last autumn, and another man accused of being an accomplice.

They all face charges including burglary, reckless endangerment and misdemeanour jumping from a structure.

One of the accused jumpers, Andrew Rossig, described the September 30 experience as "very exhilarating".

"It's a fair amount of free-fall time," he said of the jump from the 1,776-ft-tall tower, America's tallest skyscraper.

One World Trade Center tower is the country's tallest building

"You really get to enjoy the view of the city and see it from a different perspective," said Rossig, an avid BASE jumper. The acronym stands for "building, antenna, span, earth".

His co-defendants are James Brady, an ironworker who formerly worked at the site in Lower Manhattan; skydiving instructor Marko Markovich; and Kyle Hartwell, accused of being their cohort on the ground.

A five-minute video of their stunt was posted online. 

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site, has condemned the stunt as a "lawless and selfish act that clearly endangered the public".

The incident has raised questions over security at a site that is supposed to be one of the most tightly protected in the country.

In March, a teen slipped through a gap in a fence, eluded an inattentive security guard and spent about two hours atop the tower.

A Defence lawyer for Rossig, Timothy Parlatore, said pulling off the stunt was easy.

"One of the first things my client said to me was that how surprised he was at how there was no security whatsoever, how easy it was to just walk right up in something that the mayor has just recently described as the No 1 terrorist target in the world," he said.

One World Trade Center is expected to open later this year, and will include a $40m (£24.2m) security system.

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Pistorius Used Internet Hour Before Reeva Death

Oscar Pistorius was using the internet on his phone an hour before he shot and killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, the athlete's murder trial has heard.

In his bail application, Pistorius said the pair had gone to sleep around 10pm.

However, the court in Pretoria heard communications data extracted from his phone showed activity an hour before the Valentine's Day shooting.

A picture Ms Steenkamp sent to Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius' lawyer Barry Roux started Tuesday's session cross-examining police IT expert Captain Francois Moller, who extracted texts and WhatsApp messages from the runner and his girlfriend's phones.

There was activity on Ms Steenkamp's phone 11 hours after she died, records show.

But the hearing was told incoming emails, updates or open websites could all give the impression of internet activity.

Phone records show Pistorius made a flurry of calls after the shooting. The first was to estate manager Johan Stander at 3.19am, followed by the ambulance service a minute later. He then rang security.

Texts exchanged between the pair

The court heard there were five calls between Pistorius and Ms Steenkamp on the afternoon before she died - February 13. All of the conversations lasted less than five minutes.

Mr Roux highlighted the fact that out of a large number of messages sent between the couple - more than 1,700 - police only found four where they were arguing.

He said in spite of their arguments, the couple were exchanging "crosses, baby, things like that". In one message, he referred to her as "Baba", while she called him "Ozzy".

In another, Ms Steenkamp said to her boyfriend: "You are a very special person. You deserve to be looked after."

Throughout Tuesday's hearing Mr Roux has been trying to portray the image of a loving couple.

One of the messages between the lovers shown in court on Monday

Sky's Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "Roux is working very hard at painting this picture of South Africa's Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers in a WhatsApp age."

Under questioning from chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel, Mr Moller said there were no long, loving messages. This was a contrast Mr Nel tried to make with the texts when they argued.

Mr Roux said he did not want to read out one message, although he did not say what this related to. The judge, Thokozile Masipa, agreed.

Emotional exchanges between the pair were read out on Monday. In one of them Ms Steenkamp texted Pistorius to say "I am sometimes scared of you". This was sent just weeks before she died.

The focus of proceedings also turned to crime levels where Pistorius lived.

Ms Steenkamp enjoyed a successful modelling career

Police officer Adriaan Maritz told the court he had no evidence Pistorius ever reported a crime.

Between January 2011 and April 2013 there were less than a dozen reported crimes on the estate.

Mr Roux said Pistorius was a victim of crime "on many occasions", to which the officer replied under cross-examination: "It is possible."

Mr Maritz said if Pistorius had complained, his name would have been on the police computer, unless a mistake was made.

Pistorius is accused of the premeditated murder of Ms Steenkamp, but says he shot her by mistake after mistaking her for an intruder.

He is also accused of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing. He denies all of the charges.

The trial is expected to last until the middle of May.

More follows...

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Egypt Sentences 529 Morsi Supporters To Death

More than 500 Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been sentenced to death during a mass trial at a court in southern Egypt.

The sentence was delivered after only two days of evidence, with the defendants' lawyers complaining they had no chance to present their case.

"The court has decided to sentence to death 529 defendants and 16 were acquitted," lawyer Ahmed al Sharif said.

Of those sentenced, only 153 are in detention. The rest are on the run and have been sentenced in absentia.

The harsh sentences have been criticised by human rights lawyers, who say the execution orders are likely to be overturned on appeal.

"This is way over the top and unacceptable," said attorney Mohammed Zarie, who heads a rights centre in Cairo.

Brotherhood supreme guide Mohamed Badie is among those on trial in Minya

"It turns the judiciary in Egypt from a tool for achieving justice to an instrument for taking revenge.

"This verdict could be a precedent both in the history of Egyptian courts and perhaps, tribunals elsewhere in the world."

The defendants are among more than 1,200 supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi on trial in Minya.

They are accused of attacking both police and public property after security forces broke up two Cairo protest camps set up by supporters of Mr Morsi in August.

They were also accused of committing acts of violence that led to the deaths of two policemen in Minya, judicial sources said.

The accused include several leaders of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, including its supreme guide Mohamed Badie.

The former president is also on trial in three separate cases, including one for inciting the killing of protesters outside a presidential palace during his time in office.

Mr Morsi's supporters have faced a violent crackdown since he was forced from power in July.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested since the Muslim Brotherhood was banned.

The government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood to be a "terrorist" organisation, a claim the group denies.

More follows...

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Obama: US And Europe United Behind Ukraine

Barack Obama has said Europe and America are united in support of the Ukrainian government and its people.

The US president spoke shortly after he arrived in Europe on a trip that will be dominated by efforts by Western leaders to forge a common response to Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Mr Obama said his message to European leaders is that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to understand the economic and political consequences of his actions in Ukraine.

"If Russia continues to escalate the situation we need to be prepared to impose a greater cost," he told the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant published ahead of his arrival in Amsterdam.

Defying Western sanctions, Vladimir Putin signs the annexation of Crimea

Washington has imposed sanctions on 31 people in a campaign carefully crafted to target Russian officials with links to Mr Putin without creating a backlash against US businesses.

The US president added: "The United States does not view Europe as a battleground between East and West, nor do we see the situation in Ukraine as a zero-sum game.

"That's the kind of thinking that should have ended with the Cold War."

During his meetings in Europe, Mr Obama will seek to isolate Russia while gauging how far the still economically shaky European Union is willing to go in punishing Russia, one of its largest trading partners.

Russian troops massing along the Ukrainian border

Russia has defied Western sanctions, consolidating its grip of the Crimean peninsula and raising fears of further incursions into Ukraine.

The week-long trip will take Mr Obama to four countries.

In the Netherlands, he will join world leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit and head a hastily arranged meeting of the G7 - the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Mr Obama's focus on Ukraine will continue in Brussels, the headquarters for the EU and NATO.

The nuclear summit in The Hague is held under tight security

A Rome stop will feature a highly anticipated meeting with Pope Francis.

Then the president will travel to Saudi Arabia for a fence-mending visit with the important Gulf ally.

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Ukrainian Forces Ordered To Leave Crimea

The Ukrainian Defence Ministry has been told to pull all its forces from Crimea, as Russian troops extend their control over the disputed territory.

Ukraine's acting president said the defence ministry was given the order on Monday as Russian troops cemented their control over one of Kiev's last remaining bases in the region.

Speaking in parliament Oleksander Turchinov said the decision was taken in the face of "threats to the lives and health of our service personnel."

He said: "The National Defence and Security Council has instructed the Defence Ministry to carry out a re-deployment of military units in Crimea and carry out the evacuation of their families."

Russian troops, backed by helicopters and armoured personnel carriers, forced their way into the base in Feodosia in the early hours of Monday morning.

Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said: "The invading troops were using stun grenades and also firing automatic weapons ... The interior of the compound is full of Russian troops."

Monday's seizure came two days after Russian troops stormed the Belbek base

In a statement on his Facebook page, Mr Seleznyov added that paratroopers descended into the base from four helicopters hovering above. 

He said three Russian vehicles were then seen leaving the base with Ukrainian marines whose hands had been tied up. 

Ukrainian army officer, First Lieutenant Anatoly Mozgovoy, confirmed shots were fired at unarmed Ukrainian soldiers during the seizure, however there are currently no reports of any injuries.

The Feodosia base had been one of the last few military facilities still flying Ukrainian flags after Russia's annexation of Crimea. 

Those flags have now reportedly been removed.

Russian troops violently flushed out other remaining pockets of Ukrainian military influence in Crimea on Saturday, smashing armoured vehicles through the walls of Belbek air force base in a swift takeover.

President Obama will hold crisis talks with G7 leaders later on Monday

Speaking in Amsterdam on Monday US President Barack Obama said Europe and the United States are united in their support for the Ukrainian interim government. 

He said both the EU and US were prepared to "impose a cost" on Russia for its actions so far.

Later on Monday the president will head a crisis meeting on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit in The Hague, attended by G7 leaders.

The meeting will likely discuss concerns that Russia could be looking to extend its control beyond Crimea.

Nato's top commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, has warned that Russia's military force massing on Ukraine's border was "very, very sizeable and very, very ready".

He said he was worried the Russian military could make a move for Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region.

General Breedlove is concerned about the size of Russia's troop build-up

"There is absolutely sufficient force postured on the eastern border of Ukraine to run to Transdniestria if the decision was made to do that and that is very worrisome," he said.

Transdniestria, a narrow strip of land to Ukraine's southwest, already has a Russian military presence and most people there favour a union with the country.

White House deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken echoed the suggestion that President Putin could be plotting further action.

"It's deeply concerning to see the Russian troop build-up on the border," he told CNN.

"It creates the potential for incidents, for instability. It's likely that what they're trying to do is intimidate the Ukrainians. It's possible that they're preparing to move in."

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signed papers making Crimea part of Russia, saying it was complying with international agreements and had no plans to invade.

There are fears Russian forces are eyeing Ukraine's Transdniestria region

It has also called the soldiers who took over Ukrainian bases in Crimea "self-defence forces".

Most experts agree there is no way of winning back Crimea from Russia.

The US and European Union have already targeted some of Mr Putin's closest political and business allies with personal sanctions and have threatened broader economic sanctions if his forces encroach on other parts of Ukraine with large Russian-speaking populations.

Germany, which has close trade ties with Moscow, said the EU was united in its readiness to impose sanctions on Russia if necessary.

"None of us wants to escalate, but if Russia changes things unilaterally, then it must know that we won't accept it and that relations will be bad," German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

Crimea landgrab 'cannot be won back', say experts

Prime Minister David Cameron has even suggested that Russia could be expelled from the G8 bloc of nations.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia, accepted that Crimea was now "de facto" a part of Russia, but said the annexation set a "bad precedent".

Speaking to Sky News, Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK, Volodymyr Khandogiy, said European powers had not done enough to help his country.

"The US is more resolute in their actions and words. We appreciate what Europe is doing (but) we would have liked a more aggressive approach," said Mr Khandogiy.

"If I'm asked if Europe has done enough, I would say no."

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Frantic Search For Mudslide Survivors

Rescue crews have been frantically searching for survivors of a mudslide which killed three people after hearing shouts for help from under the debris.

The 41m (135ft) wide and 55m (180ft) deep slide of mud, rock and trees bulldozed six homes in its path and blocked the highway and river in Oso, 17 miles east of Arlington in Washington State.

The slide flattened six homes

Eight people were injured, including a six-month-old boy who is critically ill in the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

A number of people are still missing and 100 rescuers are desperately trying to get to victims whose voices were heard under the wreckage.

The river was blocked causing fears of flooding

Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots said searchers aren't giving up on finding people alive.

He said: "We have people who are yelling for our help, and we are going to take extreme risks."

Rescue teams gather to search for the missing

Rescuers have been warned of the threat of flooding because the slide blocked the river.

Hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said two other victims - an 81-year-old man and a 58-year-old man - are in a critical condition, while a 37-year-old man is seriously hurt.

The slip blocked the highway

Eyewitness Paulo Falcao told the Daily Herald newspaper he was driving and had to brake to avoid the mudslide.

He said: "I just saw the darkness coming across the road. Everything was gone in three seconds."

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Chaos As Russians Smash Their Way Into Air Base

Ukraine Monitoring Mission Will Stop 'Bandits'

Updated: 12:52pm UK, Saturday 22 March 2014

Russia has agreed to civilian observers monitoring the political and security situation in Ukraine, claiming it will help stamp out "ultra-radical tendencies" in the country.

However, Russia said it was barring them from the recently-annexed region of Crimea.

The country also hit back at the widening of sanctions, calling them "divorced from reality" and said it reserved the right to impose sanctions of its own.

The 57 member countries of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have agreed an initial deployment of 100 monitors to regions in the east, south and west of Ukraine.

They will spend six months in the country and 400 more could be added "as necessary and according to the situation", diplomats said.

Western countries have been pushing hard for an observer mission as a way of preventing an escalation of tensions in Ukraine following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

Russia had blocked the plan on previous occasions.

OSCE vice-chairperson Thomas Greminger welcomed the decision as a "very meaningful contribution to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine".

But, in a statement on Saturday, Russia's Foreign Ministry made it clear Crimea is a 'no-go area' for the observers.

It said: "The mission's mandate reflects the new political and legal realities and does not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol, which became a part of Russia."

"Russia hopes that the objective and impartial work of the international observers will help to overcome the internal Ukrainian crisis, stop rampant nationalist banditry, eradicate ultra-radical tendencies."

US ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, said he remained optimistic that the mission would have access throughout Ukraine, including Crimea.

Mr Baer said OSCE teams would start deploying within 24 hours.

Prime Minister David Cameron and other EU leaders have imposed sanctions on 12 more people to punish Moscow for its takeover of the Ukrainian territory.

There are now 33 Ukrainians and Russians on the list.

"It's a pity that the European Council made a decision that is divorced from reality," said Russia's Foreign Ministry in a statement on its website.

"We believe it is time to return to the platform of pragmatic cooperation that reflects the interests of our countries.

"However, of course, the Russian side reserves itself the right to give a comparable answer to the actions taken."

The EU also agreed to step up moves to reduce the bloc's reliance on Russian energy.

Mr Cameron said EU members needed to do more to develop their own reserves, as well as their ability to use gas from overseas producers, including the US.

The Prime Minister said: "Our message to Russia is clear: choose the path to diplomacy and de-escalation or face increasing isolation and tighter and tighter sanctions."

Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander also said Russia must realise there are "costs and consequences" in order to deter President Putin from any repeat of what has happened in Crimea.

David Cameron also refused to rule out further sanctions against several oligarchs, including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's foreign affairs minister said that a political association agreement signed between the European Union and Ukraine was the choice of the Ukrainian people.

Andrii Deshchytsia said the agreement had been on the table for years.

The highly symbolic piece of paper is part of the same EU deal that sparked Ukraine's political crisis when then-President Viktor Yanukovych rejected it in November and chose a bailout from Russia instead.

At the Kremlin on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed parliamentary legislation incorporating Crimea into Russia and hailed it as a "remarkable event".

As the crisis goes on, US President Barack Obama heads to Europe on Monday for a six-day trip.

He will visit The Hague for a nuclear security summit and a meeting of the G7, then to Brussels for a summit of European leaders and a meeting with the Nato secretary general.

He will also be going to Rome and the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, before leaving the continent to head to Saudi Arabia.

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Russia Troops 'Sizeable And Ready', Warns Nato

The Russian military force on Ukraine's eastern border is "very, very sizeable and very, very ready", according to Nato's top military commander.

General Philip Breedlove said he was worried they could to make a move for Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region,

"There is absolutely sufficient force postured on the eastern border of Ukraine to run to Transdniestria if the decision was made to do that and that is very worrisome," said Nato's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

Transdniestria, a narrow strip of land to Ukraine's west, already has a Russian military presence and many people there favour a union with the country.

Russian troops violently flushed out the last remaining pockets of Ukrainian military influence in Crimea on Saturday, smashing armoured vehicles through the walls of Belbek airforce base in a swift takeover.

President Putin signed papers making Crimea part of Russia at a ceremony in Moscow, and most experts agree there is no way of winning back the region.

Armed men seized the navy ship Slavutich

Speaking to Sky News, Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK, Volodymyr Khandogiy, said European powers had not done enough to deal to help his country.

"The US is more resolute in their actions and words. We appreciate what Europe is doing (but) we would have liked a more aggressive approach.

Armoured carriers smashed their way into the airbase near Sevastopol

"If I'm asked if Europe has done enough I would say no."

Foreign Secretary William Hague has also warned Russia it is not simply facing "short-term pain" of limited sanctions, but long-term "isolation and stagnation" following its landgrab in Crimea.

In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, he wrote: "The European Commission are working now on more far-reaching economic measures that will be imposed if Russia takes further steps to undermine Ukraine."

The base is in a key strategic position on Crimea's Black Sea coast

He said Britain and its allies had "never given up on diplomacy or sought a path of permanent confrontation with Russia".

"But nor should European nations run scared before bullying behaviour," he added.

Mr Hague said it was now necessary to "contemplate a new state of relations with Russia that is very different to the last 20 years".

Russia took control of several Ukrainian military bases on Saturday, in a territory which it now firmly considers its own.

The Ukrainian troops were 'outnumbered'

Several hundred protesters raised the Russian flag after storming an airforce base in the western Crimean town of Novofedorivka while pro-Kremlin forces watched.

In the city of Sevastopol, armed men seized control of the Slavutich, one of the last navy ships in Crimea still flying Ukraine's flag.

But the most dramatic episode saw Russian special forces break into the nearby Belbek air base, which has long been the pride of Ukraine's air force.

Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay was inside the sprawling compound as the attack took place.

"They came through the walls in armoured personnel carriers," he said, adding that the forces were "all balaclaved" and wore "slightly different uniforms to regular Russian soldiers".

Ramsay also heard "big explosions" which he said were probably blast bombs to disorientate the Ukrainian troops, who were then made to line up on a parade ground.

He said the Ukrainians were "massively outnumbered and outgunned" by the Russians, with just small arms and a few machine guns.

Ukraine's defence ministry later confirmed its men had left the base and said a journalist and a Ukrainian soldier had been wounded during the takeover.

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Sam Kiley said the base was an important capture for the Russians.

"It is a base that is home to a significant number, possibly a third, of the main combat aircraft of the Ukrainian air force - the MIG-29s - and their support aircraft and the structures that go with them," he said.

"If you look at that and the blockage of the Ukrainian Navy in the shared port of Sevastopol in Crimea, what you see here is the Russians doing two things.

"The first is to seize territory that they now lay claim to and the second is to cripple the Ukrainian armed forces.

"That is extremely important to them if they want to move into the Ukrainian eastern provinces where there are a predominance of Russian speakers."

The Foreign Office has extended its travel warnings and is advising against all but essential travel to Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lugansk due to increased tension in eastern Ukraine.

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Ukraine Monitoring Mission Will Stop 'Bandits'

Russia has agreed to civilian observers monitoring the political and security situation in Ukraine, claiming it will help stamp out "ultra-radical tendencies" in the country.

However, Russia said it was barring them from the recently-annexed region of Crimea.

The country also hit back at the widening of sanctions, calling them "divorced from reality" and said it reserved the right to impose sanctions of its own.

The 57 member countries of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have agreed an initial deployment of 100 monitors to regions in the east, south and west of Ukraine.

They will spend six months in the country and 400 more could be added "as necessary and according to the situation", diplomats said.

Western countries have been pushing hard for an observer mission as a way of preventing an escalation of tensions in Ukraine following Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

Russia had blocked the plan on previous occasions.

Pro-Russia supporters celebrate the annexation in Simferopol, Crimea

OSCE vice-chairperson Thomas Greminger welcomed the decision as a "very meaningful contribution to de-escalate the situation in Ukraine".

But, in a statement on Saturday, Russia's Foreign Ministry made it clear Crimea is a 'no-go area' for the observers.

It said: "The mission's mandate reflects the new political and legal realities and does not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol, which became a part of Russia."

"Russia hopes that the objective and impartial work of the international observers will help to overcome the internal Ukrainian crisis, stop rampant nationalist banditry, eradicate ultra-radical tendencies."

US ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, said he remained optimistic that the mission would have access throughout Ukraine, including Crimea.

Mr Baer said OSCE teams would start deploying within 24 hours.

Moscow celebrates the annexation of Crimea with a fireworks display

Prime Minister David Cameron and other EU leaders have imposed sanctions on 12 more people to punish Moscow for its takeover of the Ukrainian territory.

There are now 33 Ukrainians and Russians on the list.

"It's a pity that the European Council made a decision that is divorced from reality," said Russia's Foreign Ministry in a statement on its website.

"We believe it is time to return to the platform of pragmatic cooperation that reflects the interests of our countries.

"However, of course, the Russian side reserves itself the right to give a comparable answer to the actions taken."

The EU also agreed to step up moves to reduce the bloc's reliance on Russian energy.

Mr Cameron said EU members needed to do more to develop their own reserves, as well as their ability to use gas from overseas producers, including the US.

The Prime Minister said: "Our message to Russia is clear: choose the path to diplomacy and de-escalation or face increasing isolation and tighter and tighter sanctions."

Sanctions against Russia's ultra-rich are still on the table, says the PM

Mr Cameron also refused to rule out further sanctions against several oligarchs, including Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's foreign affairs minister said that a political association agreement signed between the European Union and Ukraine was the choice of the Ukrainian people.

Andrii Deshchytsia said the agreement had been on the table for years.

The highly symbolic piece of paper is part of the same EU deal that sparked Ukraine's political crisis when then-President Viktor Yanukovych rejected it in November and chose a bailout from Russia instead.

At the Kremlin on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed parliamentary legislation incorporating Crimea into Russia and hailed it as a "remarkable event".

As the crisis goes on, US President Barack Obama heads to Europe on Monday for a six-day trip.

He will visit The Hague for a nuclear security summit and a meeting of the G7, then to Brussels for a summit of European leaders and a meeting with the Nato secretary general.

He will also be going to Rome and the Vatican to meet Pope Francis, before leaving the continent to head to Saudi Arabia.

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