(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexander Panin – May 14, 2014) Crimea has become a multi-billion dollar sponge soaking up funds slated for crucial infrastructure projects in other regions, as the government scrambles to support its newest territory’s economy. On Tuesday, Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said that the federal budget would have to fork out from 160 billion rubles […]
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MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax) – Head of the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council Mikhail Fedotov said he intended to propose to include a provision in the Criminal Code on liability for pursuit over criticism. “The Soviet Code used to have such an article. Now we have proposed adding it again, however this idea has not been supported. Nevertheless, we will […]
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TBILISI. May 14 (Interfax) – Zurab Abashidze, the Georgian prime minister’s special representative on relations with Russia, said he sees no obstacles to Georgia’s having a free trade zone both with the European Union and Russia. “There is no contradiction in Georgia’s having a free trade regime with the European Union and the same privileged trade regime with Russia,” Abashidze […]
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Moscow, 13 May: Moscow Gay Pride activists have notified the Moscow mayor’s office that they will stage a “Conchita Wurst Bearded Women and Men March”, the GayRussia.ru portal reports. “According to the submitted application, the event should take place on Tuesday 27 May, on the 21st anniversary of the decriminalization of consensual gay sex in Russia,” the report says. According […]
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WASHINGTON, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – The rift between Russia and the West over Ukraine could bring the BRICS five major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – closer together, according to Dmitry Beskurnikov, an official with Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the US. “My feeling is that many emerging economies, apart from BRICS, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – May 14, 2014) Amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and lingering patriotic fervor following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, a poll published on Tuesday showed that Russians are more reluctant than ever to participate in political protests. The Levada Center, an independent research organization, found that a record high 85 percent of Russians […]
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(Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 11, Issue 89 – Robert McDermott – Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – May 13, 2014) Since the eruption of the Ukraine crisis, Russian and Western commentators have tried to define those elements of Russian actions and policymaking that constitute “new” factors in Moscow’s relations with the West and its neighbors. On May 9, for example, with […]
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WASHINGTON, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – A complete European embargo on Russian gas imports would lead to an energy catastrophe in eastern European countries, an expert from San-Francisco based Nexant told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. Bulgaria, Macedonia, Slovakia, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina could be completely cut off by Western countries if they no longer serve as gas transits, Nexant’s Global […]
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(Interfax – May 14, 2014) The suspension of the operations of GPS ground stations on Russian territory could affect the accuracy of U.S. precision weapons throughout the world, a source from the Russian rocket industry told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday. “The shutdown of these 11 stations would affect GPS accuracy around the world, and this concerns primarily U.S. precision weapons. However, […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Matthew Bodner – May 14, 2014) Two weeks after warning the U.S. that sanctions on Russia’s space industry would have a “boomerang” effect, Deputy Prime Ministry Dmitry Rogozin announced that Russia was rejecting a NASA proposal to extend cooperation on the International Space Station and would limit exports of its rocket engines to the U.S. […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – May 14, 2014) When President Vladimir Putin paid a visit to Crimea during last week’s Victory Day celebrations, he described March’s annexation of the peninsula as an act of restoring “historical justness,” and military analysts say Russia’s famed Black Sea Fleet may play a crucial role in doing just that. Apart from […]
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BRUSSELS. May 14 (Interfax) – It is clear that certain forces in NATO are preparing the ground to rescind the 1997 Russia-NATO Founding Act, which starts with the statement that Russia and the alliance have stopped being adversaries, Russian Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Alliance Alexander Grushko said. “In addition to cooperation principles, schemes and areas, it carries an […]
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BRUSSELS, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – Ukraine’s state-run Naftogaz has not paid any part of its gas debt to Russia, despite Kiev’s announcement that it is ready to cover the debt at a reduced price, a Gazprom official said Wednesday. “They have not paid even at the old reduced price, the debt remains unpaid,” said Dmitry Khandoga, Head of Gazprom’s […]
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MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – The United Nations is in talks with authorities in Kiev who apparently have been using UN-marked helicopters in a military operation against Ukraine’s restive southeastern territories, according to the RT news channel. “It is the responsibility of troop-contributing countries that provide contingent-owned equipment to peacekeeping missions to remove all logos and signage bearing the […]
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MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – Not holding the upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine scheduled for May 25 would be worse for the country than holding them, Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said Wednesday. “It’s difficult for me to imagine that such elections could be completely legitimate. But it is obvious that not holding [presidential] elections would be even […]
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KIEV, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – The Ukrainian parliament will not restart discussions on holding a decentralization referendum alongside presidential elections on May 25, a Ukrainian lawmaker said Wednesday. “I think we won’t return to this issue,” said Andriy Senchenko, a lawmaker from the Batkivshchyna faction. The Ukrainian government proposed a bill last week to hold a nationwide referendum on […]
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MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will be obliged to take retaliatory measures if the West continues its sanctions policy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday. “If the West continues these absolutely non-professional hysterical policies, we would have to think what we can do in return,” Lavrov said during an English-language interview with Bloomberg. The minister, however, emphasized […]
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MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) – Russia does not consider Ukraine to be its backyard, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during an English-language interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday. Ukraine “isn’t our backyard,” Lavrov said, responding to Bloomberg’s suggestion that Moscow must have been disappointed to see the West meddle in what it regards as its special interest zone. “We […]
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MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti), Rick Rozoff – On May 9 the website of United States European Command, one of six regional unified (land, air, naval and special forces) combatant commands used by the Pentagon to divide up the entire planet, announced the opening ceremony of Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia run by the U.S.’s Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). […]
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… 21. Levada.ru: Poll shows attitudes hardening in Russia towards West over Ukraine.
22. New York Times editorial: What Mr. Putin Can’t Control.
23. Wall Street Journal editorial: The Battle for Eastern Ukraine. Putin presses his annexation by stages while the West watches. …
(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, May 12, 2014) A government’s priorities and plans are most clearly shown in its budget, and over the last four years, the budgets Vladimir Putin has proposed and imposed are those of a leader preparing for war rather than someone concerned about the needs of the Russian people, according to Boris Nemtsov. […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – May 13, 2014) Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the heads of Russia’s two largest banks – state-owned Sberbank and VTB – to report their income, expenses and assets as part of an annual anti-corruption checkup. Sberbank’s German Gref, a former economic development minister, and VTB’s Andrei Kostin were among those officials required to report […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Sergey Chernov – May 13, 2014) With a growing number of Western artists boycotting Russia in protest of its annexation of Crimea and destabilization in southeastern Ukraine, a St. Petersburg concert promoter has spoken out against their actions, saying that these musicians are only hurting fans. Ilya Bortnyuk, whose agency Light Music has brought many […]
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MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – Russians have become more satisfied with their quality of life, while their desire to protest has decreased, according to polls by the Levada Center and the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) released Tuesday. Last month, 46 percent of Russians said they were generally satisfied with their quality of life, compared to 43 percent […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Danila Rozanov, special to RBTH – May 12, 2014) Two years ago, Russia’s opposition movement was in full swing as a series of street protests across the country drew huge crowds of people dissatisfied with the rule of Vladimir Putin. But amid infighting among opposition factions and a state crackdown on public protests, […]
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(Interfax – Moscow, May 12, 2014) The Russian side is ready to discuss lowering the price of gas for Ukraine if debts are repaid, Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoliy Yanovskiy has told journalists. “We want contractual obligations to be met. We say that in order for a compromise to be discussed, debts have to be repaid. Pay the debt, then […]
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(Interfax – May 12, 2014) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described as “an utter lie” the statement on the Donetsk People’s Republic, which Facebook postings said he allegedly made. “What you have quoted as part of my statement is a direct, utter and brazen lie,” the Russian foreign minister said at a press conference in Moscow on Monday. “I […]
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BRUSSELS. May 13 (Interfax) – NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow has accused Russia of attempts to establish a sphere of influence in Eurasia and to push its will on countries of the region. “My message today is that, if we are to enjoy a peaceful and prosperous European future, all countries must have the right to choose their own […]
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MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – A phone opinion poll conducted by the German TV channel N-TV has yielded a surprise finding that 89 percent of its viewers sympathize with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s policy on Ukraine. A poll on Russia’s handling of the Ukraine crisis by the Berlin-based N-TV went spectacularly wrong in the channel’s opinion, when the majority […]
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MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti) – A secret cable released by Wikileaks on Tuesday revealed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Washington as far back as 2008 that US-EU-NATO meddling in Ukraine could split the country in two. “Following a muted first reaction to Ukraine’s intent to seek a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the Bucharest summit (ref […]
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(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 […]
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(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 […]
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… 25. Reuters: Ukraine’s security forces struggle to meet rebellion in east.
26. The Independent: Ukraine crisis: Calm before the storm in Donetsk as a divided nation gears up for one final battle. With a proposed referendum still up in the air, the only certainty is more violence.
27. The Guardian: Ukraine: siege mentality pushes south-eastern region to precipice of civil war. In the town of Konstaninovka, an uneasy atmosphere of threats and violence is building ahead of a vote on independence.
28. New York Times: In Odessa, Home-Grown Combatants Keep Pro-Russia Forces in Check. …
(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 […]
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It is commonly assumed that the main economic challenge facing Ukraine is its dependence on energy supplies, especially natural gas, imported from Russia. But that is only half the story (opendemocracy.net – Margarita Balmaceda and Peter Rutland – May 8, 2014) Peter Rutland is professor of government at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, USA. Margarita Balmaceda is Professor of Diplomacy and […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Christopher Brennan – May 9, 2014) Gay rights activist Alexander Yermoshkin said Thursday that local authorities had approved his request to hold a public event against LGBT discrimination on May 17, a move that may see Russia’s controversial anti-gay propaganda law tested. Other gay rights activists, particularly Moscow’s Nikolai Alexeyev, have frequently complained of applications […]
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(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – May 9, 2014) For the majority of Russian citizens, international brands are a must: As far as cars are concerned they prefer the Korean Hyundai or KIA, but when it comes to phones they opt for Samsung. Muscovites, unlike the rest of Russia, prefer Apple and Volkswagen products. German and American quality According […]
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(RIA Novosti – KIEV, May 8, 2014) Ukraine does not acknowledge the $3.5 billion debt for Russian gas deliveries earlier announced by Russian energy giant Gazprom, acting Ukrainian Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said Thursday. “We cannot accept the figure mentioned by Gazprom because Gazprom includes in this total some calculations that are based on an economically unsound price offered to […]
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(RIA Novosti – Moscow, May 8, 2014) Ukraine is turning into a Middle East in Europe – a source of constant political instability – the Federation Council Chair Valentina Matviyenko thinks. “This is happening because Kiev stubbornly does not want to enter into a dialogue with residents of the country’s eastern and southern regions, to listen to their demands and […]
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(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 […]
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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 […]
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(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 […]
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… 33. Bloomberg: NATO Is Ready for Russia Tactics, Estonia Minister Says.
34. The National Interest: Sean Kay, Understanding-and Misunderstanding-NATO’s Role in the Ukraine Crisis. Was NATO’s open door policy a mistake?
35. www.huffingtonpost.com: Simon Saradzhyan, Photos of Bearded Armed Men in Ukraine Are No Smoking Gun. …
(Business New Europe – bne.eu – May 7, 2014) The Kremlin launched a new initiative to outlaw the use of non-transparent trust funds for the holding of shares, Vedomosti reported on Tuesday. One of the biggest problems investigators face in Russia is the widespread use of trust funds to own shares in companies. Trust funds to not have to declare […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Delphine d’Amora – May 8, 2014) Internet companies have found a forum to defend their interests before the government following a meeting Wednesday with First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov and an array of high-ranking officials. During the meeting, Shuvalov ordered a working group formed within the Communications and Press Ministry, which will bring together […]
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(Interfax – May 7, 2014) President Vladimir Putin has a confidence rating of 78.3% in Russia, and Russian society is drifting toward conservatism, according to the country’s Civil Society Development Foundation (FoRGO). “There exists demand for conservative policy in practically all strata of Russian society despite allegations by liberal critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” FoRGO said in a report […]
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(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Ivan Nechepurenko – May 8, 2014) Fighter jets screamed across a snowy Moscow sky on Monday morning, in the last rehearsal ahead of Friday’s Victory Day parade on Red Square. But this year the annual occurrence evoked more than just the usual awe residents feel when glancing overhead, and some Muscovites noted on Twitter that […]
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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 […]
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(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 […]
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(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 […]
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