Fighting Escalates In Ukraine

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has canceled a trip to Turkey, saying he needs to stay in Kiev to deal with what he called "Russian troop deployments in Eastern Ukraine."

His announcement came as pro-Russian rebels captured the seaside town of Novoazovsk and threatened to also take the strategic port city of Mariupol.

Poroshenko is meeting with the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and he also wants the United Nations Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis.

The BBC's David Stern is in Kiev and he joins Here & Now's Robin Young to discuss this update.

Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.