Profile: Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s Shadowy Man Of The Hour

Petro Poroshenko file photo, with additional men in background, adapted from image at state.gov

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Robert Coalson – March 30, 2014) Petro Poroshenko is one of the richest men in Ukraine and has been a player in national politics since 1998. Yet he remains, for the most part, an unknown quantity, a gray figure without a significant public image. Nonetheless, opinion polls show him as the front-runner in Ukraine’s May 25 […]

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Most Russians Would Back Kremlin In Case of War With Ukraine, Poll Says

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – March 31, 2014) Almost a quarter of Russians think war with Ukraine is likely and three out of four Russians would support their government if such a war were to break out, a recent poll showed. Thirty-six percent of Russians said they would “definitely” back Moscow in case of a war against […]

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Interfax: “Russia: Lavrov takes issue with Ukrainian objections to federalization, language”

Sergei Lavrov file photo

(Interfax – Moscow, March 30, 2014) Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya, during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov [earlier] in the week, said that the idea of Ukraine’s ??federalization and giving Russian the status of a second state language was unacceptable. “Deshchytsya said that our proposal is unacceptable because federalization is contrary to the fundamental principles of […]

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Only 24 out of 46 contenders can run for Ukrainian presidency – Central Election Commission

Arm and Torso of Person in Brown Sweater Placing Paper Ballot into Ballot Box

(Interfax – March 31, 2014) The Ukrainian Central Election Commission has completed the process of accepting documents from people willing to run for the country’s president. Full package of documents was filed by 24 contenders, seven of them have already been registered as candidates by the Commission, the CEC spokesperson said. In all, 46 Ukrainians, including 38 independents, and eight […]

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Ukraine: Make Some of Russia’s Proposals Our Own

Maidan Square file photo

Subject: The West should make some of Russia’s proposals our own Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 From:   Anatol Lieven <anatol.lieven@kcl.ac.uk> Ukraine: Make Some of Russia’s Proposals Our Own By Anatol Lieven Anatol Lieven is a professor in the War Studies Department of King’s College London and a senior fellow of the New America Foundation. He is author of Ukraine and […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Johnson’s Russia List contents with links :: 2014-#71 :: Monday, 31 March 2014

St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#71 :: 31 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Johnson’s Russia List contents with links :: 2014-#70 :: Saturday, 29 March 2014

St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#70 :: 29 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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Has Putin Decided on a New Period of ‘Phony War’?

Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, March 29, 2014) Many have drawn parallels between what Vladimir Putin is doing and how the West is reacting with the Cold War or with the appeasement policies of  Munich. But now that Putin has carried out the Crimean Anschluss, a far better analogy for today may be to “the phony war” […]

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What the Crimea crisis will do to US-Russia relations

File Photo of Stealth Bomber in Flight

(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists – thebulletin.org – Pavel Podvig – March 27, 2014) A physicist trained at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Podvig works on the Russian nuclear arsenal, US-Russian relations, and nonproliferation. … Over the years it has become cliché for commentators on US-Ru ssian affairs to observe that the relationship between the two countries has […]

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Interfax: Russia’s, West’s approaches toward settling Ukraine crisis converging – Lavrov

File Photo of John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov at Separte Podiums, Kerry with a Visible Earpiece; Adapted from Photo at state.gov

MOSCOW. March 29 (Interfax) – Interaction between Moscow, Western countries and Kyiv to settle the crisis in Ukraine is becoming more tangible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “Anyway, we are bringing our approaches closer together. My last meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in The Hague and my contacts with Germany, France and some other countries show […]

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White House Release: Readout of the President’s Call with President Putin

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama

(The White House – whitehouse.gov – Office of the Press Secretary – For Immediate Release – March 28, 2014) President Putin called President Obama today to d iscuss the U.S. proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, which Secretary Kerry had again presented to Foreign Minister Lavrov at the meeting at the Hague earlier this week, and […]

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Kremlin news release: Telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

(Kremlin.ru – March 29, 2014) Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the United States of America Barack Obama. The two leaders continued exchanging views on the crisis in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin drew Barack Obama’s attention to continued rampage of extremists who are committing acts of intimidation towards peaceful residents, government authorities and law enforcement agencies in various […]

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RIA Novosti: Obama Weak Foreign Policy President – Expert

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

MOSCOW, March 28 (RIA Novosti), Daria Chernyshova – The slump in US President Barack Obama’s approval rating is not surprising and the President’s hawkish stance encourages disenchantment among Americans, experts believe. The situation in Ukraine has simultaneously led to both the steep decline for the US president and a sharp rise in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating, which has […]

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RIA Novosti: European Union Says Not Ready to Embrace Ukraine

Ukraine Map and Flag

BRUSSELS, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – The European Union is not ready to offer its membership to Ukraine, although such a posibility may arise in the future, President of the European Commission Jose Barroso said Thursday. Barroso said the membership had not been offered because the EU member-states were not ready “to integrate at this stage a country like Ukraine.” […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Johnson’s Russia List contents with links :: 2014-#68-69 :: Thursday-Friday, 27-28 March 2014

St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#68 :: 27 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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Minister Sees End to U.S. IT Purchases

File Image of Stylized Eye Surrounded by Binary Code

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 27, 2014) U.S. spying could cost software companies said Communications and Mass Media Minister Nikolai Nikiforov, in a message attached to an Instagram shot of a recent Wall Street Journal article detailing renewed U.S interest in spying on Russia. “U.S. security services have put an end to the further use of U.S. computer software […]

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Soft war – when finance becomes continuation of politics by other means

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – PERSPECTIVE – Roland Nash of Verno Investment Research – March 27, 2014) As the conflict between Russia and the West for influence in Ukraine unfolded, finance has found itself in the unfortunate position of sitting squarely in the front line. From the acceptance by Viktor Yanukovych of a $15bn loan from Russia to the […]

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Interfax: Russian rouble “the most sanction-proof currency” – Central Bank official

Russian Central Bank file photo

Moscow, 26 March: The rouble is a sanction-proof currency, the first deputy head of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Kseniya Yudayeva, has said at a conference in the State Duma. “The rouble is the most sanction-proof currency,” she said without specifying the currencies compared to which the rouble is the most sanction-proof. “We have found a paradoxical thing. […]

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Heroin Addicts and School Students Among Those Facing Challenges of Crimea Transformation

Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – March 27, 2014) A week after President Vladimir Putin declared Crimea a new region of Russia, the peninsula has begun its Russian makeover. Ukrainian flags have been replaced by Russian tricolors on government buildings, military installations and public property. The ruble is now being used in daily transactions. Crimean residents are applying […]

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Russia’s Gazprom undecided on gas prices for Ukraine in April

Gas Flame file photo

(Interfax – Minsk, March 26, 2014) OAO [open joint-stock company] Gazprom is not yet ready to say whether the discount on gas for Ukraine that was introduced at the beginning of the year would remain in effect in the second quarter of 2014. “Concerning the price of gas for Ukraine, it will be determined starting from the second quarter of […]

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Tymoshenko to Run for President in May Election

Maidan Square file photo

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 27, 2014) Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has announced that she intends to run in the country’s presidential election on May 25. Tymoshenko, 53, said last Friday that she was back “in every sense of the word” after receiving treatment in Germany for back injuries supposedly sustained while serving time in a Kharkiv […]

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Poroshenko top Ukraine presidential contender, leading polling firms report

Maidan Square file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Concorde Capital – March 27, 2014) Confectionary magnate Petro Poroshenko has pulled significantly ahead of his competitors as the leading presidential candidate for the May 25 vote, according to a poll released on March 26 that was conducted by Ukraine’s leading polling agencies: the Razumkov Center, Sotsis, KMIS and the Reytynh agency. Almost 25 […]

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BNE: Without “Nominal Relations” with Russia, Ukraine is Doomed

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – March 26, 2014) One of the more sober accounts of Ukraine’s plight by Peter Boone and Simon Johnson (a former Chief Economist at the IMF). Their key conclusion:: Without normal relations to Russia, the outlook for the country looks dire. “Russia controls many of the levers for Ukraine’s success. It is Ukraine’s largest trading […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: New Assertiveness Signals a Fresh Foreign Policy Era for Russia

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Gevorg Mirzayan, special to RBTH  – March 26, 2014) President Vladimir Putin’s address to both houses of Russia’s parliament last week signaled that Russia has had enough of what it perceives as Western double standards. The speech, alongside events in Crimea, herald the birth of a tougher approach to foreign policy. On Tuesday, […]

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RIA Novosti: Ukraine on Brink of Economic Bankruptcy – Acting PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Arseniy Yatsenyuk file photo

KIEV, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine is facing default if the country’s parliament fails to approve unpopular anti-crisis measures proposed by the government, Ukraine’s interim prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Thursday. “These decisions need to be approved, otherwise Ukraine will become bankrupt,” Yatsenyuk said in his address to the parliament on the economy which has slowed because of the […]

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Cooperation Between Russia, Ukraine On Atomic Energy Continues – Rosatom

Chernobyl File Photo

MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) – Fuel deliveries to atomic stations in Ukraine are continuing with no interruptions, the head of Rosatom said on Thursday. “Today is probably not the simplest time in cooperation between Russia and Ukraine, but there has been no interruption in fuel deliveries to Ukraine’s atomic stations,” company head Sergei Kirienko said, adding: “We always fulfill […]

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Interfax: Russia adherent to joint work with U.S. in settling Syrian crisis – deputy FM

File Photo of Bashar al-Assad and Sergei Lavrov

MOSCOW. March 27 (Interfax) – Russia is ready to continue working together with the United States on the settlement of the Syrian crisis, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bodanov said. “We are prepared to carry on the coordinated work with our American partners on the basis of the earlier agreements. The entire Geneva negotiating process was launched on the basis […]

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Putin Draws His Own ‘Red Lines’ across Post-Soviet Space

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Seated at Desk

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, March 27, 2014) The Western powers have long talked about “red lines” in Syria and elsewhere, actions or events that they say have suggested underscore their concern and indicate where they will act. Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has done the same, and his “red lines” underscore that his moves in Ukraine […]

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TRANSCRIPT: 2007 Putin Speech and the Following Discussion at the Munich Conference on Security Policy

File Photo of Vladimir Putin at Valdai Club 2013 Meeting, Adapted from Screenshot of Valdai Club Video at youtube.com

(Kremlin.ru – March 10, 2007) Munich VLADIMIR PUTIN: Thank you very much dear Madam Federal Chancellor, Mr Teltschik, ladies and gentlemen! I am truly grateful to be invited to such a representative conference that has assembled politicians, military officials, entrepreneurs and experts from more than 40 nations. This conference’s structure allows me to avoid excessive politeness and the need to […]

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Russian president’s job approval rating stands at over 80 percent – VTsIOM

File Photo of Vladimir Putin Seated at Desk

(Interfax/Russia Beyond the Headlines – March 27, 2014) The job approval rating of Russian President Vladimir Putin has grown to 82.3 percent from 75.7 percent a week ago, sociologists of the All Russian Center for Public Opinion Studies (VTsIOM) have said following a recent public opinion survey. The sociologists have explained this result primarily by Crimea’s accession to Russia and […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Johnson’s Russia List contents with links :: 2014-#67 :: Wednesday, 26 March 2014

St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#67 :: 26 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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TEXT: Joint Statement by the United States and Ukraine

File Photo of Russian Nuclear Missile on Mobile Launcher Near Woods

(The White House – Office of the Press Secretary – For Immediate Release – March 25, 2014) On the occasion of the third Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, the United States and Ukraine today reaffirm their strategic partnership and emphasize the important role of nuclear nonproliferation in that relationship.  The United States values its 20-year partnership with Ukraine on […]

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Kosovo? Hong Kong? Abkhazia? Few Precedents for Russia’s Crimea Takeover

Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Oleg Sukhov – March 26, 2014) Russia’s takeover of Crimea is the first acquisition of foreign territory by a major power in more than a decade, and some observers, lawyers and scholars say it is difficult to justify the move based on past precedents. The Kremlin has described the joining of the strategic region to […]

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Ukrainian Troops In Crimea Face ‘Stay Or Go’ Dilemma

Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Iryna Shtogrin and Ron Synovitz – SEVASTOPOL, Crimea, March 25, 2014) Olha’s husband was a Ukrainian military specialist at the Belbek base near Sevastopol, Ukraine’s main air base in Crimea, until it was stormed by Russian troops on March 22. Now Crimea’s crisis is forcing the couple to choose the least bad option for their future. […]

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TRANSCRIPT: Press Conference with President Obama and Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands [excerpts re Russia]

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

(The White House – Office of the Press Secretary – For Immediate Release – March 25, 2014) Gemeentemuseum Den Haag The Hague, The Netherlands Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  You’ve been criticized during this dispute with Russia as not understanding President Putin’s motivations.  As recently as last month, you and others in your administration said you thought Putin was reflecting […]

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Interfax: Despite sanctions, Russia continuing to share intelligence on drug trafficking with U.S. – official

Russian Drug Den File Photo

MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) – Despite the U.S. sanctions against Russia, the two countries are continuing to share intelligence concerning drug trafficking, says Russian Federal Drug Control Service chief Viktor Ivanov. “Exchange of information is under way,” Ivanov said in an interview with Interfax. Ivanov is among the Russians against whom the U.S. recently imposed sanctions because of the situation […]

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RIA Novosti: Moscow, Washington Will Not Postpone FATCA Agreement – Russian Finance Minister

Anton Siluanov file photo

MOSCOW, March 26 (RIA Novosti) – Tensions between Moscow and Washington will not derail the two countries from signing an agreement on the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or FATCA, Russia’s Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov said Wednesday. “It will be all right. We will undertake all necessary steps for our banks to provide information about American taxpayers,” Siluanov said. […]

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Interfax: Most Russians were impressed by Putin’s speech on joining Crimea – poll

Kremlin and Saint Basil's

MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) – An overwhelming majority of Russians (87%) know that Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an address on the joining of Crimea to Russia on March 18, and 66% of them said they were impressed by it, shows a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation. The poll, which surveys 1,500 respondents living in 43 regions of […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: Johnson’s Russia List contents with links :: 2014-#66 :: Tuesday, 25 March 2014

St. Basil's file photo

[check back for updates, including more links; links also posted to facebook and twitter] Johnson’s Russia List :: 2014-#66 :: 25 March 2014 E-Mail: davidjohnson@starpower.net A project of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs: www.ieres.org JRL homepage: russialist.org JRL on Facebook: facebook.com/russialist JRL on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnsonRussiaLi Support […]

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The Hague Declaration

File Photo of G7 Leaders and other Officials Around Round Table at the Hague, with Flags

(The White House – Office of the Press Secretary – For Immediate Release – March 24, 2014) 1. We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission met in The Hague to reaffirm our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and […]

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From Estonia to Azerbaijan: American Strategy After Ukraine

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

(Stratfor.com – Geopolitical Weekly – George Friedman – Tuesday, March 25, 2014 – 03:08) As I discussed last week, the fundamental problem that Ukraine poses for Russia, beyond a long-term geographical threat, is a crisis in internal legitimacy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has spent his time in power rebuilding the authority of the Russian state within Russia and the authority of […]

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Putin Tasks Trusted Lieutenant With Economic Development Of Crimea

Russian Naval Vessel in Ukrainian Port

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – March 24, 2014) Russian President Vladimir Putin named Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, his long-time trusted lieutenant and trouble-shooter, on March 21 to oversee the economic development of the Re public of Crimea. Crimea and the city of Sevastopol were formally incorporated into the Russian Federation as individual federation subjects on March 17. Putin then designated […]

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Russian official admits Crimean economy depends on links with Ukraine

Maidan Square file photo

(Interfax – Moscow, March 24, 2014) The potential of the Crimean economy will depend to a large extent on the development of its economic ties with Ukraine, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Andrey Klepach told a briefing in Moscow on Monday. Asked what contribution the Crimean economy would make to the Russian economy, the deputy minister said that “it […]

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Right Sector coordinator Muzychko killed in shootout with police – Interior Ministry

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Interfax – March 25, 2014) Oleksandr Muzychko, also known as Sashko Biliy, a member of an organized criminal group earlier placed on a wanted list, was gravely injured during his detention because he opened fire on law enforcement officers. “While he was being detained, he was still alive and the ambulance, which was called, pronounced him dead,” Ukrainian First Deputy […]

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Capital Flight Expected to Hit Staggering $70Bln in First Quarter

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Anna Dolgov – March 25, 2014) Capital flight will reach up to $70 billion in the first quarter of this year amid the deterioration of the country’s relations with the West over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, a deputy economy minister said. The forecast marks what would amount to the largest capital flight since the 2008 […]

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Ukraine not planning to restore nuclear status – ministry

File Photo of Russian Nuclear Missile on Mobile Launcher Near Woods

KYIV. March 25 (Interfax) – Ukraine is not planning to restore its status as a nuclear nation, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. “Ukraine neither was, nor is planning to renew its nuclear status,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevhen Perebyinis said at a Tuesday briefing. Such a position was clearly expressed by Acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsa during his visit to the […]

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Why Putin Should Thank Obama

File Photo of Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama Seated Before Russian and U.S. Flags

(jackmatlock.com – Jack Matlock – March 23, 2014) Jack Matlock is a career diplomat who served on the front lines of American diplomacy during the Cold War and was U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union when the Cold War ended. Igor Oleynik, CEO of International Business Publications in Washington, DC, has sent me a spoof letter from Putin to Obama. […]

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Kremlin’s Anti-Western Mythology Dangerously Self-Destructive, Milov Says

World Map Showing Continents, Greens, Browns, Ice

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, March 25, 2014) The Kremlin’s anti-Western mythology is now so widespread that many in Moscow and some in the West accept it as a given and fail to understand how it reflects a specific political program and how dangerous and self-destructive it is for those who are putting it about, according to […]

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Contacts between G8 countries continue at expert level – Peskov

Kremlin and Saint Basil's

MOSCOW. March 25 (Interfax) – G8 contacts between countries that were held as part of preparations for the G8 summit in Sochi continue today at the expert level but in other formats, the Russian president’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax. “Some meetings have been cancelled. Other meetings have been held in a broader format because they envision the participation […]

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Ruble Strengthens on Finance Minister’s Comments

File Photo of Cash, Coins, Line Graph

MOSCOW, March 25 (RIA Novosti) – Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov gave a boost to the ruble Tuesday by raising expectations the Russian currency would strengthen once the current foreign and domestic economic situations stabilize. The ruble strengthened by 46 kopecks (1.3 percent) against the dollar and by 76 kopecks (1.5 percent) against the euro Tuesday on the news. “If […]

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