Ukraine's interim president warns of dangerous signs of separatism
Ukraine's interim President Olexander Turchynov has warned of the
dangers of separatism following the ousting of President Viktor
Yanukovych.
Many in Ukraine's Russian-speaking regions oppose his
overthrow and the installation of a more European-leaning interim
administration. Russia is also angry at the changes, but Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow will not intervene.
The formation of a unity government has been delayed until Thursday.
Addressing parliament, Mr Turchynov said "a coalition of national faith must be elected".
And he said he would meet law enforcement agencies to discuss the risk of separatism in regions with large ethnic Russian populations.
Separatism was a "serious threat", he said.
'Unilateral advantages' At a news conference in Moscow, Mr Lavrov warned other states against seeking "unilateral advantages" in Ukraine, but said Russia's "policy of non-intervention" would continue.
"It is dangerous and counter-productive to try to force on Ukraine a choice according to the principle of either being with us or against us," he said.
Mr Lavrov added that "it is in our interest for Ukraine to be part of the broad European family" but against Russia's interest to "allow the radicals and nationalists who are clearly trying to take centre stage to prevail."
On Monday, Russia issued its strongest response yet to the ousting of Mr Yanukovych, questioning the legitimacy of the Western-leaning interim leadership.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said they had conducted an "armed mutiny".
An arrest warrant has been issued for Mr Yanukovych, who has disappeared.
Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said a criminal case had been opened against the ousted president and other officials over "mass murder of peaceful citizens".
Mr Yanukovych was last reported seen on Sunday in Balaklava on the Crimean peninsula - an autonomous region where the majority of the population is ethnically Russian.
Dozens of people were killed in clashes between anti-Yanukovych protesters and riot police last week.
Elections The electoral commission has meanwhile formally opened the campaign for elections, due to take place on 25 May.
Mr Turchynov's ally, former PM Yulia Tymoshenko, who was released from jail on Saturday, has ruled out becoming prime minister. But her spokeswoman said she had not yet decided whether to run for the presidency.
In the eastern city of Kharkiv, where Mr Yanukovych has enjoyed support, the head of the regional state administration has said he will run for the presidency.
Speaking on Kanal 5 TV, Mykhaylo Dobkin, gave as his reason "the fact that a total attack on the rights of the Russian-speaking population is under way, that laws are being adopted that threaten all those who do not accept fascism and Nazism".
Mr Dobkin has been under pressure from local demonstrators to quit.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague is to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington later to discuss emergency financial assistance to Kiev.
Mr Hague has warned that Ukraine faces imminent economic collapse without support from the international community.
The US has already said it is ready to give financial support to Ukraine to complement any future loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Ukraine is facing bankruptcy and further promised loans from Russia are looking increasingly unlikely.
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Yanukovych's flight from Kiev
- 21 Feb: leaves Kiev for Kharkiv on helicopter; stays overnight in state residence
- 22 Feb: flies by helicopter to Donetsk airport; tries to leave on private jet but stopped by border guards; leaves by car for Crimea
- 23 Feb: arrives in Balaklava, Crimea, and stays briefly in a private spa before making aborted attempt to reach Belbek airport
- Dismisses most of his security detail; leaves Balaklava in a three-car convoy with some guards and ex-presidential administration head Andriy Kluyev
- Source: Acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov
EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton remains in Kiev to discuss financial and political support for Ukraine's new leaders.
On Monday she visited Independence Square - the scene of
deadly clashes between protesters and police - and held talks with Mr
Turchynov.Senior US officials, including Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, will join EU officials in Kiev to participate in two days of meetings with political, business and civil society leaders.
White House official Jay Carney said on Monday that although Mr Yanukovych "was a democratically elected leader, his actions have undermined his legitimacy, and he is not actively leading the country at present''.
Western leaders, including French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have sent written appeals to Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a peaceful transition in Ukraine.
Crimea and some pro-Russian areas in the east have seen protests against the overthrow of Mr Yanukovych, sparking fears that Ukraine could be split apart by separatist movements.
Thousands of people remain in Kiev's Independence Square, the Maidan.
Unrest in Ukraine began in November when Mr Yanukovych rejected a landmark association and trade deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.
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