The news' topic - Essay Example

Ukraine Crisis: Russian Flag Raised in Crimea as Gunmen Storm Parliament The regional government headquarters and parliament on Crimea has been seized by a group of armed men (Oliphant par. 1). The peninsular that is within the territorial boundaries of Ukraine was seized by the men just a few days after the Ukrainian president who is now on the run was ousted from power by protesters. Upon taking control of Crimea on Thursday, the armed men raised the Russian flag Crimea. Following this event, the acting president of Ukraine, Oleksander Turchinov, declared that it would consider Russia an aggressor if the Russian military entered Crimea.

This statement followed Kremlin’s ordering of its combat aircraft around Ukraine to be on high alert (Oliphant par. 4). An eye witness stated that inside parliament were about 60 people who were heavily armed (Oliphant par. 5). Another witness stated that parliament’s door was blockaded using chairs and tables from the inside to the extent that no one could enter the building. So far, no one has been reported to have been injured following the incident. Crimea, unlike other parts of Ukraine, has ethnic Russians forming the majority of the population.

The seizure of the capital has come at a time when Ukraine’s new leaders were voicing their concerns over the possible cessation of the region from Ukraine. It has also come at a time when some ethnic Russians living in the region have been calling on Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, to reclaim the territory from Ukraine. The territory had been given to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 by Nikita Khrushchev. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been quick to warn that military intervention by the Russian military against Ukraine will be a gross move.

Works CitedOliphant, Roland. Ukraine crisis: Russian flag raised in Crimea as gunmen storm parliament. The Telegraph. 27 Feb 2014. Web. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10664381/Ukraine-crisis-Russian-flag-raised-in-Crimea-as-gunmen-storm-parliament.html