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Ukraine leader Yatsenyuk offers powers to troubled east
11.Apr.14, 17:49;
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Ukraine's interim prime minister has offered to devolve more powers to eastern regions, where pro-Russian separatists are defying the government.
He is holding talks with regional leaders in Donetsk, where activists demanding self-rule are holding a big government building.
It is not clear if Arseniy Yatsenyuk's offer will satisfy the separatists.
The threat of Russia cutting gas deliveries has now prompted Ukraine to seek gas from French and German firms.
The EU says it can pump gas back to Ukraine with reverse-flow pipeline technology. Usually the Russian gas flows to Europe via Ukraine.
In Kiev, Ukraine's Energy Minister Yuri Prodan said it would seek the gas "on the conditions offered by European gas companies", which he named as Germany's RWE and "a French gas company".
On Thursday, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said in a letter to 18 European countries that gas supplies to Ukraine could be cut if Kiev did not pay off its debts, and warned this could affect gas deliveries to Europe.
In 2009 a Russian gas dispute with Ukraine led to gas shortages in several European Union countries.
Gazprom says Ukraine owes it $2.2bn (ВЈ1.2bn; 1.4bn euros) and recently doubled the price it must pay.
The US has accused Russia of using energy "as a tool of coercion" over Ukraine, and says it is working to help Ukraine find gas and financing.
Russian forces
Nato says up to 40,000 Russian troops are massed near Ukraine's eastern border.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for legal guarantees of Ukraine's neutrality, reminding Nato that it should not try to draw Ukraine into the alliance.
Mr Yatsenyuk is also expected to travel to another eastern city, Dnipropetrovsk, which has also seen protests.
Activists in Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking east have also been occupying a state security building in the city of Luhansk, with gunmen armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles among them.
Continue reading the main story
Crisis timeline
* 21 Nov 2013: President Viktor Yanukovych abandons an EU deal
* Dec: Pro-EU protesters occupy Kiev city hall and Independence Square
* 20-21 Feb 2014: At least 88 people killed in Kiev clashes
* 22 Feb: Mr Yanukovych flees; parliament removes him and calls election
* 27-28 Feb: Pro-Russian gunmen seize key buildings in Crimea.
* 16 Mar: Crimea voters choose to secede in disputed referendum
* 18 Mar: Russian and Crimean leaders sign deal in Moscow to join the region to Russia
* EU braces for Russian reaction
* Is Russia ready to move into eastern Ukraine?
Ukrainian officials are trying to negotiate a deal whereby the protesters would vacate the buildings in return for protection from prosecution.
The interim government accuses Russia of orchestrating the unrest, as a provocation similar to the anti-Kiev protests which gripped Crimea. Russia denies the claim.
Talks are due to take place in Geneva next week between Russia, Ukraine, US and the EU - the first four-way discussions since the crisis began.
Last November Ukraine's former President Viktor Yanukovych - an ally of Russia - refused to sign a far-reaching partnership treaty with the EU. That triggered huge anti-Yanukovych demonstrations and violence which led to him fleeing to Russia in February.
Separately, Nato has defended the accuracy of satellite images which it says show Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border in recent weeks.
A Russian official earlier said the images depicted a military exercise that was held in August last year.
www.bbc.com
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