Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says U.S. responsible for delay in Syrian settlement

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday that it is the United States and its allies, not Russia, that are responsible for the delay in seeking a peaceful settlement of the Syria crisis.

The top Russian diplomat, who while attending the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, made the remarks to refute a recent statement of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who said that Washington was losing patience with Russia and Syria's Bashar al-Assad, who are "creating obstacles" to a solution in the war-torn country.

"It is not correct to demonstrate impatience referring to us," said Lavrov.

White House: Russian Putin calls Obama to discuss U.S. proposal on Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin of the Russia Federation has called the U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a U.S. proposal for Ukraine


White House confirmed his call, adding that President Obama mandated him that Russia must pull back its troops from Ukraine's boarder and not move deeper any more.

US set to support Ukraine, send fighter jets to fly to Poland for training drill

As Ukrainian, Russian crisis deepen in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said there was so far no agreement between Moscow and Washington on  the situation in Ukraine, after talks in Rome with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Therefore, US military has also concluded plans of sending 12 F-16 fighter jets to Poland for a training exercise, Polish media reported.

US fighter jets will arrive at the Lask base, in central Poland, on Monday, the online versions of the Gazeta Wyborcza and Rzeczpospolita newspapers reported.  A Polish defence ministry spokesman said he could not confirm the reports.

The Pentagon said on Wednesday it would intensify defence training with Poland in the light of the crisis in neighbouring Ukraine. [Reuters]

Ukraine's parliament has also began a procedure to dissolve the regional assembly in Crimea after it asked to join Russia, Ukraine's interim president Oleksandr Turchynov said. 

"The Rada (parliament in Kiev) will begin the procedure for dissolution," Turchynov said hours after the assembly in the tense peninsula adopted a motion to become part of the Russian Federation. [AFP]

Parliament votes to drag Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich before ICC

Ukraine’s parliament approved a measure on Tuesday to send deposed president Viktor Yanukovich to the International Criminal Court for trial as political uncertainty continued to reign over the country.

A resolution overwhelmingly supported by the lawmakers said Yanukovichshould face charges linked to the death of dozens of civilians during the past week of unrest in the deeply divided nation.

The text said the fugitive president was responsible for “issuing and carrying out openly criminal orders,” including the summary detention and torture of protesters.

Volunteers in Yanukovich’s abandoned residence in Kiev were also working to preserve and recover hundreds of paper documents they say prove he was at the head of widespread corruption.