NEWSWATCH Christian Science Monitor: “Ukrainian refugees in Russia: Did Moscow fumble a valuable resource? Russians have warmly welcomed more than a million pro-Moscow Ukrainian refugees in the past 18 months. But the state bureaucracy hasn’t followed suit.”

Map of Commonwealth of Independent States, European Portion

The Christian Science Monitor covers the movement of Ukrainians into Russia, its impact on Russian demographics, and the potential exodus back into Ukraine following a failure by Russia to more effectively provide for their permanent immigration.

Over the past 18 months, Russia has taken in more than 1 million Ukrainian refugees … who have fled the destructive civil war between a West-oriented government in Kiev and Russian-backed rebels. … it’s happened with very little publicity and even fewer apparent social strains. * * * … the Kremlin has consistently made the mass immigration of compatible Russian-speaking people from former Soviet republics a major part of its strategy for overcoming Russia’s looming demographic crisis. With peace possibly breaking out now in Ukraine, there are tentative signs of a reverse exodus, and experts say the window of opportunity to properly welcome and integrate this wave of ideal newcomers may be rapidly closing.

Click here for Christian Science Monitor – “Ukrainian refugees in Russia: Did Moscow fumble a valuable resource? Russians have warmly welcomed more than a million pro-Moscow Ukrainian refugees in the past 18 months. But the state bureaucracy hasn’t followed suit.”

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