Page 3 - Robert Serry News Today

Reminder that you have a very volatile mix on the ground there. you have these emotions being stoked up for political effect by the russians. and thats a dangerous thing to do. because once they are stoked up, its hard to put that genie back in the battle. >> hopefully this has resolved itself if mr. serry is on his way to the airport. if you want to call it resolved. a u.n. envoy feeling chased out of the country, there to represent or observe, distressing, to say the least. and all this as dip...

For the secretary of state of the united states, john kerry, and the russian foreign minis r minister, sergey lavrov, to conclude their talks in paris. we expect that they will be speaking to reporters. well have live coverage of that. in the meantime, to cnns anna coren, joining us from crimea. anna, this u.n. envoy had to leave, leave a coffee shop. it was an ugly scene unfolding. tell us what you know. >> reporter: yeah, an ugly scene indeed, wolf. we understand that robert serry was surround...

Recent tweets. with robert serry now. not kidnapped, but held in coffee shop. some men outside. prevent him from leaving. and then special rep is waiting in coffee shop for help. he asked us to stay with him, and keep filming. u.n. special adviser, robert serry, had been visiting navy commander when his car was blocked, standoff followed. next tweet. he refused to go with the men blocking the car, got out, and walked until he found coffee shop. he asked itv news team to stay with him. next tweet...

Tickets had been reserved for me already to get out. and then now happy to be in istanbul. let me put this also, wolf, in perspective. you know, what has happened to me, i hope serves as a reminder to all how dangerous the situation has become in the crimea. there is a very urgent need to de-escalate this situation. all those who are responsible and can do that must have cool heads, lower their rhetoric and fix this situation. i am very worried for what would happen if there is bloodshed. there ...

Detaining him for trying to hold him? were these russian troops, were these pro-russian troops, do we know if they were thugs? did he give a description of who these people were? >> he asked robert serry. serry was unable to describe in detail, some in military fatigues. he did not describe the voices, whether there were accents. didnt know, but they were quite menacing. u.n. observers, u.n. envoys sometimes bear the brunt. theyre the early century sometimes sent in to hostile situations to see ...

Men, and was intimidated, possibly even abducted and taken to a cafe. okay at this time. but i want to go directly live to anna coren reporting for us. do you know the specifics of what transpired and if mr. serry is okay right now? >> reporter: ashleigh, its pretty fluid situation. were just getting bits and pieces of information, trying to put it together. we do understand that this is taking place as we speak. that robert serry, the special u.n. envoy to ukraine, is being held against his wil...

We understand that mr. serry, who is from the netherlands, had been speaking to a naval commander a little bit earlier. the u.n. has come out and said that he has not been kidnapped, but certainly according to these tweets from this itn journalist with mr. serry, they are being held against their will in a cafe, not very far from where we are. ashleigh. >> well, i dont know what the definition of kidnapping is over there, but i will tell you, the definition under u.s. law of kidnapping is being ...

But i think it is also very important that on the international level, you mentioned the discussions which have started now in earnest, i hope between the united states, russia and others that there is a collaborative international effort which the united nations can also be part to actually ensure that we can address the situation on the ground. you know, ukraine threattons to be pulled apart in the rhetoric in only increasing rather than decreasing. >> robert serry, the special united nations ...

Department secretary general, jan eliason, telling cnn this was possibly an effort to kidnap mr. serry, direct envoy, representative to ban ki-moon, sent to continue watching the developments there. so very distressing to hear. apparently 15 -- somewhere between 10 and 15 armed men who took him to a car, held him at gunpoint, prevented him from leaving. apparently he was taken to a cafe and then left unharmed. so whether this was -- and this is courtesy, by the way of richard roth, giving us thi...

56% disapprove. and republicans charge part of that is the president misreading putins ambitions. >> for us to think they werent going to try to interfere with the territorial integrity of ukraine, frankly, i think denies history and also i think was a naive view of this. >> there was more tension today in ukraine. protesters waving russian flags and chanting russia, russia, storming a government building and flying a russian flag from its roof. just hours after the new ukrainian government had ...