Month: May 2014

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Graham Stack in Lugansk – May 13, 2014) Pro-Russian separatist groups holding power in Lugansk and Donetsk declared independence for these two easternmost Ukrainian regions on May 12, a move they claim was endorsed by the unofficial referenda held the previous day. There is still no clarity on what the separatists plan next, with […]

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – May 13, 2014) When President Vladimir Putin reminded the public in April that he could use military force to protect Russia’s interests in eastern Ukraine, western policymakers and pundits sounded the alarm about an imminent Russian invasion. But as Putin called on protesters in Donetsk and Luhansk to postpone their separatist referendums last […]

(Interfax – May 9, 2014) The Ukrainian leadership is initiating national-unity roundtable discussions, involving all political forces representing all regions, as well as public figures and experts. “We are announcing today our initiative to hold all-Ukrainian national-unity roundtable discussions. We are prepared to join dialogue with all the parties that pursue legitimate political goals and intend to defend them using […]

(Interfax – May 8, 2014) Presidential election in Ukraine will be considered legitimate only if the “punitive operation” in the country’s southeast stops, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitriy Peskov told privately-owned news agency Interfax on 8 May. “Election (in Ukraine – Interfax), as President Putin said yesterday, is a move in the right direction, but they may be legitimate […]

MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax) – Russia is ready to take its part honestly and consistently to search for compromises regarding foreign assistance measures to resolve the domestic crisis in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “But our Western partners should fulfill their obligations and ensure the Kyiv authorities stop dealing solely with the attempts to make themselves legitimate and start […]

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Igor Rozin, RBTH – May 8, 2014) The shocking events of May 2 in the Ukrainian port, in which at least 46 people were killed, continue to be the most discussed topic not only in the Ukrainian, but also the Russian mass media. The background to the incident is now becoming clearer as […]

MOSCOW, May 8 (RIA Novosti), Daria Chernyshova – Western politicians will say upcoming referendums in Ukraine are a Russian provocation, proving they do not understand the dynamics of the unfolding protests in the country, Asia Times correspondent Pepe Escobar told RIA Novosti Thursday. “The ‘international community’ of US, Canada, Japan and a few European politicians will of course say the […]

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Yuri Paniyev, special to RBTH – May 7, 2014) Events in Ukraine became the central focus of the 124th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Vienna on May 6, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov questioning the appropriateness of holding elections in the current climate and calling […]

(Interfax – Moscow, May 7, 2014) If the 11 May referendum votes on independence from Kiev, Donetsk Region may unite with other southeast regions of Ukraine into an independent Novorossiya, co-chairman of the government of the Donetsk people’s republic Myroslav Rudenko has said. “An independent Donetsk republic is an element necessary for creating a new state. After the referendum, if […]

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – May 7, 2014) Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an apparent olive branch on May 7, as he announced he will respect the presidential elections planned in Ukraine for May 25, called for secessionist militia in the Donbass region to postpone a planned referendum on independence, and claimed Russian troops […]

KIEV, May 8 (RIA Novosti) – The Kiev authorities’ special operation in southeastern Ukraine will continue regardless of the decision of the Donetsk People’s Republic to hold a referendum on the region’s status, a senior Ukrainian official said Thursday. Andriy Parubiy, the Secretary of the Committee on National Security, said that according to the country’s laws, the DPR does not […]

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Henry Meyer, Ilya Arkhipov – May 8, 2014) Vladimir Kiriyev says he was walking with his children near their apartment in Odessa when he saw an attack on a pro-Russia camp as the assailants backing Ukrainian unity set tents on fire and beat everyone who tried to flee. That was just one in a series of […]

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – May 8, 2014) Reaction in the West to President Vladimir Putin’s statements on May 7 suggesting Russia is ready to help reduce the tension in Ukraine have been mixed, as the US and EU scramble to work out how serious the offer may be. Meanwhile, the EU moved to expand sanctions against Moscow. Putin […]