Tag: Crimea
NEWSWATCH AFP: Ukraine bid to shut out Russia with border ‘wall’ falters.
AFP covers Ukraine’s unfolding efforts to fortify its border with Russia with defensive structures. … the ambitious project to seal up Ukraine’s porous 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) frontier with its ex-Soviet neighbour was announced in March 2014 after Moscow seized … Crimea …. … over a year later, only a small fraction of the $250-million (225-million-euro) project that Kiev hopes could help […]
» Read moreCrimean Anschluss Divides Russian Left Just as Much as It Does Russian Right
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, August 8, 2015) That Vladimir Putin’s Anschluss of Crimea has divided Russian nationalists has been obvious since the opening days of Russian aggression against Ukraine, with some Russian nationalists supporting Moscow’s and others going so far as to travel to Ukraine to fight against the imperialism they see as a threat. But […]
» Read moreAbandoned Mistral Deal Still Divides Russian Officials, Analysts
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – August 5, 2015) France has agreed to reimburse Russia for the two Mistral-class helicopter carriers purchased under a 2011 contract, ending a months-long dispute over the fate of Russia’s largest foreign arms purchase in the post-Soviet era. But the question of whether Russia really needs such expensive ships other than for mere […]
» Read moreNormalization of Relations with Moscow Impossible until Russian Occupation of Crimea Ends, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, August 2, 2015) In the most detailed discussion of what might be called Kyiv’s non-recognition policy of the Russian Anschluss, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin told the Second World Congress of Crimean Tatars that peace with Russia might be possible but that normalization of relations would be impossible until Russia’s illegal annexation […]
» Read moreUS expands sanctions day after Russia vetoes MH17 UN tribunal
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – bne IntelliNews – July 31, 2015) [DJ: US Department of Treasury press release here http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl0133.aspx] The US Department of Treasury announced on July 30 it would expand the sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian companies, officials and individuals, which “underscores US commitment to maintain the strength of existing sanctions and the unity of the international […]
» Read moreCrimea Is Now Putin’s Problem Child; Russian security services are cracking down on alleged corruption in the newly annexed peninsula
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Carol Matlack – July 24, 2015) President Vladimir Putin likened Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea to a family welcoming home a long-lost relative. Now the family is showing signs of strain. Russia’s federal security service, the FSB, has opened criminal investigations of three high-ranking Crimean government officials, accusing them of graft and other misdeeds. Four regional […]
» Read moreEx-Ukrainian Spy Chief: Russian Camps Spreading Chaos
(Voice of America – Mark Snowiss – July 24, 2015) Ukraine’s former intelligence chief says Russia is financing and organizing training camps from within Ukraine’s rebel-controlled eastern provinces in order to destabilize the country. “Up to 30 camps in Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea are training subversive groups, providing them with weapons and sending them on missions throughout Ukraine,” said Valentyn […]
» Read moreJews Are Fleeing Russia Because Of Putin
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Roman Super, Claire Bigg – July 3, 2015) Just a year ago, Russian journalist Vladimir Yakovlev was one of Moscow’s most influential media figures. Today, he lives a quiet life in Tel Aviv and has swapped his Russian passport for an Israeli one. Yakovlev, the founder of the respected Kommersant publishing house and the Snob magazine, […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK: International Business Times: Moscow To Build Bridge From Russian Mainland To Crimea Across The Kerch Strait
Putin’s Peace Offensive on Ukraine Means Situation is ‘Really Dangerous,’ Piontkovsky Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, June 29, 2015) Vladimir Putin’s “peace offensive,” marked by his call to US President Barack Obama, means that the situation is becoming “really dangerous,” Andrey Piontkovsky says, because the Kremlin leader has not changed his goal of destroying Ukraine as a state but only the means he is prepared to use to […]
» Read moreConsumer-Rights Advocate Calls Putin ‘Paranoid’ After ‘Foreign-Agent’ Slur
(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Tom Balmforth – MOSCOW, June 24, 2015) A Russian consumer-protection group lambasted by President Vladimir Putin as a “foreign agent” after giving cautionary advice to Russians traveling to annexed Crimea has accused Putin of “paranoia” and called him “badly informed.” Mikhail Anshakov, chairman of the Moscow-based Society for the Protection of Consumer Rights (OZPP), said his […]
» Read moreUkraine defending Europe, world order, says Yatsenyuk
(Interfax – June 9, 2015) Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has called for unity of the European Union and the United States needed “to defeat the aggressor.” He made the statement at a forum of the American Jewish Committee during a working visit to Washington DC, the Ukrainian government press service has reported. “We are positive that we can regain […]
» Read moreRegarding Ukraine, Putin’s Actions Undercut Putin’s Arguments, ‘Nezavisimaya Gazeta’ Says
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, June 9, 2015) Russian actions in Crimea and the Donbas “have weakened Russian arguments about the change of power in Kyiv” at the time of the Maidan and thus cost Moscow support in European and other Western capitals, according to a lead article in “Nezavisimaya gazeta” today. In his interview with “Corriere […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH Wall Street Journal: Defense Chief: Subversion, ‘Big Lie’ Are in Russia’s Arsenal. Ash Carter favors more military exercises, better intelligence sharing
[Wall Street Journal – Defense Chief: Subversion, ‘Big Lie’ Are in Russia’s Arsenal. Ash Carter favors more military exercises, better intelligence sharing – GORDON LUBOLD – June 6, 2015] The Wall Street Journal covers remarks by Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter after a European trip to discuss Russia and the crisis in Ukraine. Mr. Carter made clear at the end of an […]
» Read morePutin: ‘We Have Never Viewed Europe as a Mistress’
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – June 8, 2015) President Vladimir Putin insisted that the West should not view Russia as a threat in an interview published Saturday in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera ahead of an official visit to Italy that kicks off this week. “I think that only an insane person – and only in a […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Kyiv Post: Poroshenko: Ukraine will retake Crimea, strengthen its border with Russia
… Petro Poroshenko put Crimea front and center at his third news conference as president today on June 5.
» Read moreU.S. Social Networks, Blogs Allowed Back Into Crimea
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 25, 2015) The United States on Friday announced that U.S. companies can still give users in Crimea access to a range of free online communications services, despite an earlier U.S. ban on providing any services to the region after it was annexed by Russia last year. The decision will allow U.S. Internet companies such […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Transitions Online: Russia’s Expansionist Disease
A New Wave of Russian Nationalism? What Really Changed in Public Opinion after Crimea
(PONARS Eurasia – ponarseurasia.org – Mikhail Alexseev, Henry E. Hale – May 2015) Mikhail Alexsee is Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University. Henry E. Hale is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University [Figures here http://www.ponarseurasia.org/memo/new-wave-russian-nationalism] How did the dramatic events of 2014, including the annexation of Crimea and the onset of violent armed […]
» Read more‘Russia is the Motherland of Crimea’ – What Crimean Schoolchildren Think
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Peter Hobson – YALTA, Crimea – April 30, 2015) “Who do you think is responsible for the war in eastern Ukraine?” asked Masha, a 17-year old student at School No. 12 in Yalta, Crimea. I paused. “Russia.” A gasp went around the classroom. Masha looked at me as if I was mad. “No way,” she […]
» Read moreA Vicious Circle: The More Aggressive Putin Is, the More Russians Love Him
(Paul Goble – Window on Eurasia – Staunton, April 29, 2015) Russian polls, admittedly not the most reliable source, suggest that the more aggressive Vladimir Putin is, the more Russians love and support him regardless of the immediate impact of his policies on their lives, a vicious circle that history suggests could lead to a disaster especially given Moscow’s possession […]
» Read moreRussia faces ‘new reality’ as it counts cost of Ukraine crisis, says Medvedev
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – bne IntelliNews – April 22, 2015) Western sanctions and low oil prices caused Russia’s economy to shrink by 2% in the first three months of the year, the first time it contracted since 2009, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in Moscow on April 21 as he presented the government’s annual report to parliament. The country faced […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK ReadRussia: Russians Think Seizing Crimea Will Pay off. Here’s a hint: it won’t.
“Crimea is ours!” has become a rallying cry for Russian nationalists overjoyed at the “return” of land which they have always thought was part of Russia. And it wasn’t just nationalists. Apparently, Crimea’s entry into the Russian Federation struck a nerve among most ordinary Russians. Judging by opinion polls somewhere between 70 and 80% of total population expressed approval. http://readrussia.com/2015/04/09/russians-think-seizing-crimea-will-pay-off/
» Read moreNEWSLINK New York Times: Lawmakers Take Step to Remove Putin Critic [Ilya V. Ponomarev]
Russian lawmakers took a major step on Tuesday toward ousting Ilya V. Ponomarev, the only member of Parliament who opposed the annexation of Crimea last year and one of the few elected officials who have repeatedly dared to challenge President Vladimir V. Putin publicly. New York Times: Lawmakers Take Step to Remove Putin Critic. (Ilya V. Ponomarev)
» Read moreDomestic political stability in Russia depends on Ukraine – report
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Yekaterina Sinelschikova, RBTH – April 6, 2015) A newly published report titled “Between Crimea and the Crisis” puts forward two scenarios of Russia’s future, both of which predict serious domestic upheavals. Everything hinges on the outcome of the Ukrainian conflict. How likely are these scenarios? RBTH investigates. Russia will be swept by moods […]
» Read moreRBTH: Crimea: Do Amnesty International claims of ‘climate of fear’ have any basis?
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Alexei Timofeichev, RBTH – March 24, 2015) Amnesty International has released a report on the human rights situation in Crimea, timing it to coincide with the first anniversary of the peninsula’s takeover by Russia. The report speaks of abductions and torture, attacks on the media and NGOs, violations of the rights of Crimean […]
» Read moreINTERVIEW: Crimean Tatar leader urges West to step up sanction pressures on Russia
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Sergei Kuznetsov in Kyiv – March 30, 2015) While many in the West now pay only lip service to the idea of Russia handing back the Crimean peninsula it annexed in March 2014, Mustafa Jemilev, one of the most influential leaders of the Crimean Tatars and an envoy of the Ukrainian president, has not […]
» Read moreReport: Euphoria over ‘return’ of Crimea has passed among Russians
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Yekaterina Sinelschikova, RBTH – March 30, 2015) A new report suggests that the number of Russians who see the acquisition of Crimea in 2014 one year ago as a positive achievement is decreasing. The authors of the report believe that the reason for that is the fading of the initial euphoria over the […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH Moscow Times: Predicting the Future With Russia’s Economic Nostradamus
[“Predicting the Future With Russia’s Economic Nostradamus. (Mikhail Dmitriyev)” – The Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – March 18, 2015] The Moscow Times talks with former Putin Deputy Economy Minister Mikhail Dmitriyev about unfolding changes in the Russian economy, as well as the interaction between foreign and military policy, economic pressures, political trends and public attitudes towards the Russian government and the […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH CNBC: Falkland Islands’ fears for Russia-backed invasion
[“Falkland Islands’ fears for Russia-backed invasion” – CNBC – Catherine Boyle -March 25, 2015] CNBC covers British military reinforcements of Falkland Islands defenses on the heels of remarks by the Russian Ambassador to the UK comparing the comparing the Falklands to Crimea. The U.K. has sent extra military support to one of its overseas colonies at the bottom of the world, the Falkland Islands, […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH Georgetown Journal of International Affairs: Inequality: The Ukraine Invasion and Public Opinion
[“The Ukraine Invasion and Public Opinion” – Georgetown Journal of International Affairs – Harley Balzer – March 20, 2015] Writing in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, Professor Harley Balzer examines various aspects of Russian involvement in the Ukraine conflict, such as Ukrainian and Russian public opinion, foreign policy considerations and the relevance of Russian public opinion to Russian policymaking. […]
» Read moreBusiness New Europe: Crimea – withering on the vine or Russia’s blossoming new stronghold?
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Anna Kravchenko in Moscow and Nick Allen in Berlin – March 18, 2015) A year on from its whirlwind absorption by Russia, Crimea’s change of flag was on March 18 celebrated with a ‘rebranding’ and a splash of festivities across the world’s largest country. “I’d like to congratulate people in Crimea and all Russian […]
» Read moreMoscow Times: Russia Will Overcome Post-Crimea Challenges, Putin Vows
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – March 19, 2015) With the Kremlin walls glowing crimson in the background Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin praised tens of thousands of adulating fans for their support of Russia’s annexation of Crimea one year ago. He acknowledged that issues have mounted since the annexation, but assured the cheering crowd – the size of […]
» Read moreMoscow Times: East Ukrainian War Refugees Seek Solace in Crimea
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – YALTA, Crimea, March 18, 2015) As Sergei Gabuyev, a kiosk owner in rebel-held Donetsk, watched a street fight between two groups of insurgents devolve into a sea of AK-47 fire in front of the city’s central bus station one evening, he knew it was time to leave. As had been typical among […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: Kremlin rules out handing back Crimea to Ukraine
[“Kremlin rules out handing back Crimea to Ukraine” – Reuters – March 17, 2015] Reuters reports on Russia insisting it will try to sustain its occupation and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, despite the threat of continued Western sanctions. Russia said on Tuesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine, despite warnings by the United States and European Union that […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK BBC: Life in Crimea: One year on from Russia’s takeover
A year ago, reporting from Simferopol about the takeover of Crimea by Russia was a tense and difficult business. At any moment, as the gangs of activists who had flooded across the border swaggered through the city streets, violence seemed on the point of breaking out. Today, Simferopol is completely peaceful. …
» Read morePoliticians trade barbs over Crimea on anniversary
(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Anna Sorokina, Elena Bobrova, RBTH, combined report – March 17, 2015) Putin’s press secretary responds to comments by Jen Psaki and Federica Mogherini on the status of the peninsula. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has responded to comments by foreign officials about Crimea by saying that any situation worth discussing […]
» Read moreInterfax: Kyiv calls for more pressure on Moscow to secure Crimea’s return
KYIV. March 17 (Interfax) – Ukraine has called on the international community to consolidate efforts to pressure Russia into returning Crimea and paying compensation for the losses caused to Ukraine. “We are calling on the global community to pay more attention to the problem of occupied Crimea, to consolidate international pressure on Russia to force it back immediately into complying […]
» Read moreMilitary specialists advised using all means of deterrence in ‘Crimean Spring’ – documentary
(Interfax – March 16, 2015) Some military specialists suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin should have used all means of deterrence in the Crimea situation but Putin declined to do so, it was said in a documentary, Crimea – Return to the Motherland, aired by the Rossiya-1 channel on Sunday. “We were told by the Defense Ministry later that certain […]
» Read moreNEWSLINK Russia Beyond the Headlines: A beautiful place caught in geopolitical games: Expats give their views on Crimea
In the year since Crimea was absorbed by Russia, foreigners living in the country have had to make adjustments due to sanctions and rising geopolitical tensions. Has Crimea affected their day-to-day lives? …
» Read moreNEWSLINK Christian Science Monitor: Putin’s grab of Crimea still rankles West. How about Crimeans?
A new documentary to be aired on Russian state TV confirms a Kremlin plot to occupy Crimea, which has a Russian naval port. The annexation fueled a still-unresolved conflict in eastern Ukraine. … http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2015/0312/Putin-s-grab-of-Crimea-still-rankles-West.-How-about-Crimeans-video
» Read moreThe Crimean conundrum
(opendemocracy.net – John O’Loughlin, Gerard Toal – March 3, 2015) John O’Loughlin is College Professor of Distinction and Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado, Boulder Gerard Toal (Gearóid Ó Tuathail) is Professor of Government and International Affairs at Virginia Tech’s National Capital Region campus. He is the co-author of Bosnia Remade: Ethnic Cleansing and its Reversal (Oxford, 2011). […]
» Read moreOne Year After the Annexation, Crimea Still Bracing for a Brighter Future
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – YALTA, March 6, 2015) A year after Russia annexed their peninsula from Ukraine, Crimeans are overwhelmingly upbeat about their future despite the challenges inherent to the process of severing ties with one nation and integrating into another. In the immediate aftermath of the annexation, many residents of Russia’s newest region were predictably […]
» Read moreNEWSWATCH: Poroshenko pledges to return Crimea to Ukraine
[“Poroshenko pledges to return Crimea to Ukraine” – Interfax-Ukraine – Feb. 24, 2014] Interfax-Ukraine reports on statements by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko pledging to reunify occupied Crimea with the Ukrainian mainland. ‘The Ukrainian state will regain control over this temporarily occupied territory. I am not saying that this will be a simple thing to do which we will go through quickly. But this […]
» Read moreBloomberg/Leonid Bershidsky: One Year Later, Crimeans Prefer Russia
(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – February 6, 2015) As European leaders engage in shuttle diplomacy to still the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, Crimea, where the Russian onslaught began almost a year ago, has become all but forgotten. It isn’t the subject of any talks, and the international sanctions imposed on Russia for annexing the Ukrainian peninsula are […]
» Read moreMoscow Times: Crimea and Sochi Might Just Have Made Russians a ‘Happy’ People
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – February 5, 2015) Russians were much happier by the end of 2014 than a year earlier, according to a recent survey by WIN/Gallup International, which showed the country’s “happiness index” more than doubling over the past year. The index – which is obtained by subtracting the percentage of respondents who said they were unhappy with […]
» Read moreTen New Laws That Will Affect Your Life in Russia in 2015
(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – January 21, 2015) New year, new you: An expression that has taken on a special meaning for those living in Russia, where a plethora of new laws – many with a direct impact on the daily lives of citizens and residents – entered into effect on Jan. 1. The Moscow Times has […]
» Read moreInterfax: Medvedev calls agreements on electricity shipments to Ukraine and Crimea mutually beneficial
GORKI. Jan 20 (Interfax) – Agreements to ship electricity to Crimea and Ukraine are beneficial to both parties, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said at a meeting with Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Gazprom (MOEX: GAZP) CEO Alexei Miller. He also said that work must continue in this area. “I think that this is a form of support, in this […]
» Read moreMeet the EEU family (Eurasian Economic Union)
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – bne IntelliNews – January 5, 2015) Members: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia Prospective member: Armenia Potential members: Kyrgyzstan (likely), Tajikistan (unlikely) Population: 173mn (Russia, including Crimea, 146mn; Kazakhstan, 17mn; Belarus, 10mn) Total GDP: $2.7tn Share of world gas reserves: 20% Share of world oil reserves: 15% On January 1, the Eurasian Economic Union Treaty governing what […]
» Read more