Ukraine will never accept Crimea annexation: Acting president

KIEV (REUTERS) - Ukraine's acting president on Monday said Kiev was ready for talks with Russia on Moscow's takeover of Crimea, but it would never accept annexation of the peninsula.

"We are ready for talks, but will never be reconciled with the annexation of our territory," Oleksander Turchinov said in a televised address to the nation.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry earlier rejected a Russian proposal to create a contact group to mediate in the crisis and suggest changes to Ukraine's constitution.

In his address, Turchinov also said that any actions inciting mass disorder in Ukraine would been viewed as "abetting the military aggressor and a crime against the state".

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.