RT reports:

Activists in second-largest Ukrainian city of Kharkov have proclaimed the creation of a People’s Republic independent from the coup-imposed Kiev authorities, Itar-Tass reports. A group of local “deputies” have proclaimed they have taken all the responsibility for government activity in the eastern Ukrainian city, the agency said.

The move was proclaimed near the building of Kharkov regional administration, where massive pro-Russian rallies have been held.

All the further decisions will be made by the people of the region in the form of a referendum, the activists have announced.
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Kiev must not use force against pro-Russian protesters in southeastern Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Ukraine’s acting foreign minister, Andrey Deshchytsa, in a phone conversation.

The Russian side emphasized “the need to respect the aspirations of the residents of southeastern Ukraine and the inadmissibility of the use of force to respond to legal demands [by protesters] to protect their language, culture and socioeconomic rights,” the ministry said in a statement.
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Russia, the US, the EU and the coup-imposed Kiev authorities will hold a crisis meeting on resolving the situation in Ukraine “within the next 10 days,” said the US State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki. The direct talks were agreed upon by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry.