NEW TENSIONS OVER FATE OF SEVASTOPOL.

Russia’s Security Council’s desire to intervene in Russia’s ongoing dispute with Ukraine over the division of the Black Sea Fleet comes at a time of increased tensions in the Crimean peninsula. Pro-Russian parties failed yesterday to muster sufficient votes in the Crimea parliament to challenge the parliamentary leadership, seen as being too conciliatory to Kiev, but feelings in the parliament are running high and aspirations for greater autonomy from the central Ukrainian government are likely only to be encouraged by yesterday’s Security Council announcement. An appeal signed by 27,000 veterans of the Black Sea Fleet was yesterday addressed to Russian president Boris Yeltsin, calling on him to recognize Sevastopol, Crimean base of the Black Sea Fleet, as Russian territory. The argument is that Sevastopol, as a military installation, was ruled up until the collapse of the Soviet Union directly from Moscow and did not, therefore, become part of independent Ukraine when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. (Interfax, September 9)

Belarus President Intimates He May Use Force Against Parliament, Pays Lightning Visit to Moscow.