BALTIMORE, Maryland March 13, 2014 (11:42 am) - As German Chancellor Angela Merkel ramped up the tone of her verbal assault on Russian Strong Man Vladimir Putin, Ireland's RTE Television is reporting that USA Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke for an hour today about the situation in Crimea without any significant progress being announced. And even as this conversation was taking place, those in Crimea who are in charge of Sunday's referendum deciding whether Crimea will cecede from Ukraine and become part of the Russian Federation announced that polls will open at 8 am and close at 8 pm. Meanwhile, Fox has reported that Russia is again conducting military exercises near the Ukrainian Border. Tank, artillery and infantry unite are involved in the exercises, RTE says, quoting the Russian Defense Ministry.
Merkel warned that the continued occupation of Ukrainian territory in Crimea would result in a catastrophy for Russia. Such continued military incursion is taken as a threat by those nations which are Russia's geographical neighbors, which include Germany, Merkel said. According to RTE, Merkel warned that Russia's actions will change forever its relationship with the EU.
Putin, meanwhile, continues to insist that Russia's invasion of Crimea was not Russia's fault, RTE reported. Lavrov and Kerry are due to meet face-to-face in London tomorrow, in what could be a last gasp at reaching an agreement before the Sunday referendum.
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