The rapid pace of events in Ukraine has rattled the country’s new leadership.
Ukraine’s armed forces are braced for combat duty after Russia’s decision to deploy troops to Crimea.

A small group of demonstrators gathered outside the US embassy in Kyiv.

The protesters were asking for support from the international community, particularly the United States.

One man in Kyiv told euronews: “I believe the West will help us, and those partners who promised us security, when Ukraine refused to possess nuclear power: the USA, the United Kingdom.”

According to one woman, “there’s active, targeted propaganda to make one part of the country believe that the other part is bad, full of nationalists.”

Our euronews correspondent in Kyiv said: “The Ukrainian leadership says the country is ready to defend itself. However people in Kyiv, particularly here at Maidan, believe that situation in Crimea could be resolved through diplomatic mechanisms – with the help of Western partners.”