Russian flags fly on Donestk regional government buildings. Armoured vehicles are ready on the Russian side of the channel of Kerch in what appears to be a repeat of the Georgia action of 2008. As the United States, Great Britain and Sweden slam Russia, Germany and other EU nations seek talks with Putin. Even the UN tries ways to reduce tensions.

Kiev (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Russian or pro-Russian soldiers are now in control of the Crimea. Some sources are reporting that similar forces have occupied the regional parliament in Donetsk (eastern Ukraine), a stronghold of ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. In Donetsk, as in Sevastopol and Simferopol, Russian flags are flying over public buildings.

For Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the deployment of Russian troops is necessary "until the normalization of the political situation" in Ukraine.

"We are talking here about protection of our citizens and compatriots, about protection of the most fundamental of the human rights - the right to live and nothing more," Lavrov said, blaming the pro-EU groups in the Ukraine for the turn of events.

Russia was defending human rights against "ultra-nationalist threats," Lavrov said. The "violence of ultra-nationalists threatens the lives and the regional interests of Russians and the Russian speaking population".

Until now, there have been no reports of violence against pro-Russian groups in Ukraine, except for a few scuffles between pro-Russia residents and Tatars, a Muslim group of Crimea (12 per cent of the population), who were persecuted in Stalin's time and want to remain free from Moscow's influence.

Crimea has a population of some two million people, 59 per cent of whom are ethnic Russians. In Ukraine as a whole, Russians represent 17 per cent of the total.Russian speakers are concentrated in the east of the country, as well as on the Crimean peninsula.

Perhaps the only clear threat against Russian speakers might be a proposal before the Ukrainian parliament to make Ukrainian the exclusive language of the country at the expense of Russian, a move blocked by interim President Oleksandr Turchynov.

However, the move does show Ukraine's desire to move away from Russia, to which it is linked by military and economic treaties, including a pipeline carrying natural gas to Europe and the Russian naval base in Crimea.

According to several analysts, Moscow is ready for an operation similar to the one it launched against Georgia in August 2008 to guarantee its own interests as well as those of the local pro-Russian population, a situation that is bound to lead to a division of the country.

The Ukrainian government considers the Russian military occupation of the Crimean peninsula as a "declaration of war" and has consequently mobilised all its troops, calling on the population to participate.

Nevertheless, so far, Russian (or pro-Russian) forces and Ukrainian troops have not clashed.

Russian soldiers have surrounded Ukrainian garrisons in the Crimea without any violence or gunfire.

Vladimir Putin, who won parliamentary backing to send soldiers into the Ukraine, has not yet used force, although armoured vehicles are ready on the Russian side of the Strait of Kerch.

Whilst the United States, Britain and Sweden have threatened retaliation against Moscow, some EU countries, Germany in particular, are in contact with Putin to set up a contact group to solve the crisis.

"We need to talk to Putin, who has his own good reasons for doing bad things," a senior diplomat told Agence France Presse. "The situation is extremely dangerous. We need a way out of this 'us' and 'them' Cold War syndrome."

At present, the British Foreign Minister, William Hague, is in Kyiv. US Secretary of State John Kerry will join him tomorrow.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson is also travelling to the region to find ways to reduce tensions.

• russia
• ukraine
• invasion
• occupation
• crimea