A day after an international deal in Geneva to defuse the crisis in Ukraine, pro-Russian separatists who have taken over public buildings around Donetsk vowed to continue their occupation in pursuit of a Crimea-style referendum on union with Russia.<br /><br />Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk and Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov made a formal joint broadcast pledging to devolve power to the regions.<br /><br />“The Ukrainian government is ready to conduct a comprehensive constitutional reform that will secure powers of the regions,” said the prime minister. <br /><br />He added: “We will give a special status to the Russian language and will defend it.”<br /><br />The Geneva agreement requires all illegal armed groups to disarm and end occupations of public buildings, streets and squares.<br /><br />Ukraine’s foreign minister warned that militants in the east could face “more concrete actions” after the Easter weekend if they failed to give up buildings. <br /><br />The self-declared leader of all the eastern separatists said he did not consider his men to be bound by the agreement.<br /><br />Washington threatened further sanctions on Moscow if the stalemate continued.
