Just Bloomberg headlines for now which don't mesh well with the whole "detente" narrative, supposedly unleashed by Putin's conference yesterday in which he was said to "blink", which he didn't but algo-driven stocks are convinced he did and algos are always right:
- UN ENVOY KIDNAPPED IN SIMFEROPOL, IFX CITES UKRAINE FOREIGN MIN
- UN ENVOY SERRY'S CAR WAS STOPPED IN SIMFEROPOL: UKRAINE FOR.MIN
And the "confirmation":
- UKRAINE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN CONFIRMS REPORT THAT UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HELD IN CRIMEA
From Reuters:
Armed men seized Robert Serry, a special representative of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Ukraine's Crimea region on Wednesday, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said.
Russian forces have taken control of Crimea in southern Ukraine. Serry was held in the region's main city, Simferopol, a ministry spokeswoman said.
It is certainly not clear who the kidnappers were. So just another provocation, simple lie, or for once, the truth? We hope to find out soon.
* * *
Update: and now we know the answer - lie and borderline provocation, once again by the Ukraine foreign ministry
- DEPUTY U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ELIASSON DENIES REPORTS U.N. REPRESENTATIVE SERRY WAS KIDNAPPED, SAYS SERRY WAS THREATENED
- ITN REPORTER WITH UN ENVOY IN CRIMEA ON TWITTER: UN SPECIAL ENVOY ROBERT SERRY WITH ME IN COFFEE SHOP. OUTSIDE LOCAL MILITIA BLOCK THE DOOR
Is it indeed the Ukraine's strategy to keep pushing with piece meal provocations for a hot war until Russia finally accepts the challenge?
#Crimea [7] MT @jamesmatesitv [8] UN envoy Robert Serry with me in coffee shop. Outside local militia block the door pic.twitter.com/dZrYc6pJ3H [9]
— Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick) March 5, 2014 [10]