UN Security Council to meet on Ukraine crisis

The United Nations Security Council plans to hold a special meeting Monday focusing on the violence in eastern Ukraine.

The meeting was convened by Lithuania, a rotating member of the council, at Kiev's request and will begin at 3:00 pm (2000 GMT).

The 15 members of the Security Council failed Saturday to agree on a resolution denouncing rocket attacks on the port of Mariupol that killed about 30 people.

The Security Council had tried to put together a statement on Mariupol, at Britain's urging. But Russia, which is accused by the West of aiding separatists, blocked the effort, according to Western diplomats.

Monday's meeting will be the latest in a string of more than two dozen meetings on Ukraine since the crisis began nearly a year ago.

As a permanent member of the council, Russia has veto power and previous meetings have been marked by verbal jousting between Western powers and Moscow representatives, though Russia denies supporting Ukraine rebels.