Russia calls for the creation of a “support group” to resolve the situation in Ukraine as soon as possible, one of the goals of which will be to convene a constitutional assembly with equal representation of all Ukrainian regions to prepare a new federal constitution, the reported on Monday, March 17.

photo Max Novikov for Forbes The raider seizure of Crimea is pushing Russia towards self-isolation There is not a single instance of Nazi oppression that is not explained as a defense against oppression by others. Eric Fromm, "Flight from Freedom" After conducting a large, but not representative, opinion poll, “Island of Crimea” joined Russia.

At the referendum on the status of Crimea held on Sunday, 96.6% of residents voted for reunification with Russia, according to data from the processing of 100% of the protocols. This was stated by the head of the commission for organizing the referendum, Mikhail Malyshev, on Monday morning, reports Kryminform news agency.

The richest Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov (No. 40 in the global ranking of billionaires according to Forbes, fortune - $18.6 billion) sold shares of American IT giants Apple and Facebook and invested in Chinese technology companies, the head of USM Advisors Ivan Streshinsky told Bloomberg . USM Advisors manages the assets of the holding USM Holdings Ltd., in which Usmanov combined assets with business partners Andrey Skoch (No.

Washington’s imposition of sanctions against high-ranking Russian officials is “political blackmail,” said Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko, who was added to the sanctions list by the United States on March 17. This is stated in Matvienko’s statement received by Forbes on Monday. “In the United States, they know very well that I have no accounts, no assets, no property abroad. I have never had a business either.

Chilean authorities have evacuated more than 100,000 people from coastal areas in the north of the country after a strong earthquake and tsunami threat, the website of the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio reported on Monday morning.

US President Barack Obama said that his administration may take additional steps against Russia, in addition to previously adopted sanctions against seven Russian officials, the reported on Monday, March 17. White House press service “If Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, we are prepared to impose additional sanctions,” the US President emphasized in his statement.

The foreign ministers of the EU member states on Monday, March 17, following the meeting, in a joint statement, condemned the referendum in Crimea and confirmed that they were introducing visa restrictions and freezing the accounts of persons responsible “for undermining the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.” A document published after the meeting states that the EU Council decided to introduce restrictive measures against persons responsible for actions that “undermine or threaten the

The management of Master Bank wrote off about 1 billion rubles, issuing unsecured loans in amounts of up to €5 million for bank employees - cleaners, drivers, security guards and small clerks, the Kommersant newspaper writes on Monday, March 17, citing sources. According to the publication, bank employees told law enforcement officers that they took out loans for themselves at the suggestion of bank managers, but did not receive the declared amounts - only small bonuses.

The Minsk prosecutor's office opened a criminal case against the general director of the MAZ-RUS company on charges of abuse in the amount of 50 billion rubles, reported on Monday. the press service of the supervisory agency The case was initiated in February 2014 under Part 3 of Article 424 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (abuse of power or official authority, resulting in grave consequences).

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, March 18, will deliver an extraordinary message to the Federal Assembly in connection with the situation in Crimea, whose parliament, following the results of the referendum, declared the republic independent and turned to Moscow with a proposal to accept it as a subject, the first vice-president said. -Speaker of the State Duma from the Communist Party faction Ivan Melnikov to reporters on Monday.

Russia agreed to an observation flight of Ukrainian inspectors over its territory as part of the 2011 Vienna Document on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures, Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Defense Anatoly Antonov told reporters on Monday.

Alfa Bank has fully restored the functionality of its Internet services and ATM network, which was disrupted on Monday due to a DDos attack on the provider, the bank’s press service reported on its Facebook and Twitter pages . Problems are still observed with access to the bank's official website. Specialists are working to restore access as quickly as possible, the bank reported.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday expressed confidence that sanctions against Russia in connection with the referendum in Crimea will be agreed upon at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on March 17, reported . Reuters “I am convinced that today we will reach an agreement on a number of sanctions,” the agency quotes Haig’s statement made before the opening of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in the Belgian capital.

The National Guard and the Security Service of Ukraine took control and protection of the country's gas transportation system, reported . the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs “In pursuance of the instructions of the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine and the SBU took special protection and full control of the gas transportation and gas distribution systems of Ukraine,” the department’s press release says.