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ALSO WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
RUSSIAN COMMUNITY.
I SAW THE LEADER OF THE CRIMEAN,
WHO TOLD ME THAT THE CRIMEAN
POPULATION IS INCREASINGLY
FRIGHTENED OF THE DECREASING
SECURITY SITUATION.
THEN AT THE REQUEST ALSO OF THE
UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT, THEY ASKED
ME ALSO TO VISIT THE
HEADQUARTERS OF THE NAVY WHICH
HAS BEEN THE OBJECT OF A
STANDOFF WITH THE SO-CALLED
LOCAL SELF-DEFENSE FORCES.
WHEN I CAME THERE, I ENTERED THE
BUILDING AND I WAS BRIEFED BY
THE GENERAL AND I CAN TELL YOU
THAT I ONLY HAD ADMIRATION FOR
THE COURAGE OF THESE PEOPLE
TRYING TO DEFEND THE INTEGRITY
AND UNITY OF THE UKRAINE.
AND WHEN I LEFT THAT BUILDING
AND WANTED TO A CAR, I WAS
STOPPED.
THE CAR WAS ALSO BLOCKED.
AND PEOPLE WHO REFUSED TO
IDENTIFY THEMSELVES TOLD ME THAT
THEY HAVE RECEIVED ORDERS, I
ASKED FROM WHOM, THEY DIDN'T
ANSWER, TO BRING ME IMMEDIATELY
TO THE AIRPORT.
THEY SAID IT WAS IN MY OWN
SAFETY.
I REFUSED.
THEN RA STANDOFF ENSUED FOR I
THINK A COUPLE OF MINUTES.
AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY PULLED
THE DRIVER OUT OF THE CAR.
THEY -- SOME ARMED -- AGAIN,
THEY WERE NOT IDENTIFIABLE.
BUT THEY WERE WEARING CAMOUFLAGE
UNIFORMS, TRIED TO GET INTO THE
CAR.
THEY ACTUALLY MANAGED TO GET
INTO THE CAR.
BUT I MANAGED TO GET OUT.
THEN I WALKED -- LET ME TELL
YOU, AT NOT ONE MOMENT I WAS
ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED OR
STOPPED.
I TRIED TO HAIL A TAXI, BUT THE
TAXI WAS TOLD TO MOVE ON.
AND THEN I FOUND A CAFE WHERE I
WENT IN WITH MY SISTERS AND
ANOTHER STANDOFF ENSUED OVER
THERE.
I, OF COURSE, HAD BEEN CALLING
FOR SOME ASSISTANCE AND SOME
HELP.
I WAS VERY HAPPY ACTUALLY FOR
THE PRESS TO ARRIVE BECAUSE THAT
MADE ME FEEL A BIT SAFER.
THEN AFTER TWO HOURS ALSO IN
FRONT OF THE -- THIS CAFE, A
NUMBER OF PROTESTERS APPEARED.
BY THE WAY, THESE PROTESTERS
WERE NOWHERE TO BE SEEN WHEN
THIS STARTED.
AND THE SITUATION BECAME TENSE
AGAIN.
AND THEN A PERSON VERY MUCH
ADVISED ME TO LEAVE AND HE
GUARANTEED MY SAFETY AND I WOULD
BE BROUGHT TO THE AIRPORT.
WELL, THAT HAPPENED.
I ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT.
NOW A LITTLE STANDOFF BETWEEN
PEOPLE, AGAIN UNIDENTIFIED
UNIFORMED PEOPLE AT THE AIRPORT,
I HAD TO WAIT FOR 20 MINUTES IN
THE CAR, BUT THEN ALSO, THANKS
TO THE HELP OF SOME
PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM THE
CRIMEAN PARLIAMENT, I MANAGED TO
GET INTO THE AIRPORT AND TWO
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.