Originally published on March 4, 2014<br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />The Washington Post reports that Russian tugboats and warships blocked several Ukrainian naval ships on Monday (March 3), forcing them to stay at port.<br /> <br />Russian forces are now reportedly in total control of a Crimean ferry terminal in the town of Kerch, and both Ukrainian and United States' officials say some 6,000 Russian troops are now inside the Crimean peninsula.<br /> <br />The Washington Post reports that the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet ordered Ukrainian naval vessels to transfer allegiance to the regional Crimean government or be boarded by Russian forces, a report Moscow dismissed as "utter nonsense," with a Russian ministry spokesman in Moscow saying absolutely no Russian ultimatum has been given to the Ukrainian military in Crimea.<br /> <br />Ukrainian ships, however, have begun preparing to thwart any boarding attempts by setting up fire hoses and tying mattresses along ship railings.<br /><br />Meanwhile, reports say Russian troops have dug trenches along the narrow land border between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine.<br /><br />Reuters reports that Ukraine's interim prime minister has urged the West to help keep Crimea part of his country, but he admitted that a Ukrainian military response to Russia's actions was, "not on the table."<br /> <br />The White House said U.S. Vice President Biden called Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday morning in the latest U.S. effort to resolve the crisis.<br /> <br />According to a statement from the vice president's office, Biden reportedly urged Russia to "pull back its forces, support the immediate deployment of international monitors to Ukraine, and begin a meaningful political dialogue with the Ukrainian government." <br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an
