RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#134 contents with links :: Tuesday 17 June 2014

St. Basil's file photo

… 7. Carnegie Moscow Center: Balázs Jarábik, Poroshenko`s Team: Managers of the Nation?
8. Christian Science Monitor: Fred Weir, Russia cuts gas to Ukraine. But will Moscow take the bigger loss?
9. Business New Europe: Ben Aris, Exactly what is a fair price for Ukraine to pay for Russian gas?
10. Financial Times: Q&A: the Gazprom dispute. …

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Why Diplomats Curse About Ukraine

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Leonid Bershidsky – June 16, 2014) The escalating conflict in Ukraine marks an unfortunate tendency in the world of international relations: The people responsible for defusing the crisis are losing their ability to be diplomatic. The latest gaffe came June 14, when Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia tried to calm a mob that had attacked the […]

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Russia’s Nationalist Fringe Takes Center Stage In Eastern Ukraine

Ukraine Map and Flag

(RFE/RL – rferl.org – Tom Balmforth – KYIV June 17, 2014) Not long ago, Aleksandr Borodai was a little-known political consultant with nationalist leanings. Back in 1993, he was among those defending hard-liners barricaded inside the Russian White House in their showdown with President Boris Yeltsin. He wrote regularly for the ultranationalist newspaper “Zavtra” and in 2011 co-founded the “patriotic” online television channel Den-TV. […]

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Gazprom’s EU customers not at risk for now

Gas Flame file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.ru – Teneo Intelligence – June 17, 2014) Following the failure of negotiations on natural gas pricing and debt between Russia and Ukraine last weekend, Russian company Gazprom reduced supply volumes to Ukraine, the main transit country for gas delivered to Gazprom’s EU customers. However, Gazprom continues to deliver contracted amounts to the EU for now, […]

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Exactly what is a fair price for Ukraine to pay for Russian gas?

Gas Facility file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Ben Aris in Moscow – June 16, 2014) [Charts here http://www.bne.eu/content/exactly-what-fair-price-ukraine-pay-russian-gas] Russia cut Ukraine off from gas deliveries on June 16 after the emergency talks at the weekend to strike a new price for gas failed. From now on Russia won’t deliver any gas unless Ukraine pays for it in advance. The row has […]

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Interfax: Poroshenko plans to regain control on Ukrainian-Russian border within a week

Map of Western CIS/FSU and European Environs

KYIV. June 16 (Interfax) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced the authorities’ intention to regain control of the Ukrainian-Russian border this week. “We are going to take decisive action to renew security on our national border this week. I hope we will fully succeed in doing so,” Poroshenko told a National Security and Defense Council meeting on Monday. The […]

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RIA Novosti: Lavrov Says West Must Influence Kiev to Implement OSCE Road Map

Sergei Lavrov file photo

BELGRADE, June 17 (RIA Novosti) – Kiev has completely refused to implement the road map elaborated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the West must influence the Ukrainian authorities to resolve the situation in the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday. “Unfortunately, the Ukrainian authorities are so far refusing to support the road […]

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Interfax: Pushkov: Russia-Ukraine relations entering new stage, serious conflict looming

Alexei Pushkov file photo

MOSCOW. June 17 (Interfax) – State Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman Alexei Pushkov suspects the U.S. has pushed Kyiv into refusing to pay for Russian gas. “Attacks on the Russian Embassy, yesterday’s attempt to attack the [Russian] Consulate in Odesa, the affront put upon the Russian president, the ongoing arrests of Russian journalists and the refusal to pay for gas, […]

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Press Digest: Public opinion grows ugly with attack on Russian embassy

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Darya Lyubinskaya, special to RBTH – June 16, 2014) RBTH presents a selection of views from leading Russian media, featuring discussion of the significance of Saturday’s riots outside the Russian embassy in Kiev, Russia’s outrage over the West’s failure to condemn the acts, and NATO plans to offer Ukraine aid in reforming its […]

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Fifty-Eight Percent of Russians Oppose Russian Nationalist Groups inside Russia after Ukrainian Events

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, June 16, 2014) In what might seem counter-intuitive but which in fact underscores the way Moscow media coverage of one thing may cause Russians to draw conclusions about others, 58 percent of Russians say that as a result of developments in Ukraine, they are more negative about nationalist groups in their own […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#133 contents with links :: Monday 16 June 2014

St. Basil's file photo

… 36. Paul Goble: Window on Eurasia: Putin’s War in Ukraine Marks Rebirth of Stalinism in Russia, Chubais Says. (Igor Chubais)
37. Reuters: Disciplined Russia to keep it tight against Korea. (soccer)
38. RFE/RL: Russia To Test Migrant Workers On Country’s History.
39. Interfax: NASA wishes to carry on ISS cooperation after 2020 – newspaper. …

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Putin’s War in Ukraine Marks Rebirth of Stalinism in Russia, Chubais Says

File Photo of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble – Staunton, June 16, 2014) The Russian authorities have unleashed and are conducting a war in Ukraine, “a new type of war without declaration or a front line” and one that is simultaneously “destroying all official Soviet and post-Soviet myths and clarifying the real nature of the political regime in Russia,” according to Igor […]

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NEWSLINK: Meanwhile, Back in Ukraine; Tanks mysteriously roll in from Russia.

File Photo of Russian Tanks in Military Parade

[“Meanwhile, Back in Ukraine; Tanks mysteriously roll in from Russia” – Wall Street Journal editorial – June 16, 2014] The Wall Street Journal addresses claims of Russian material support for instability and revolution in Ukraine, including tanks: Waves of Russian tanks and divisions of infantrymen are one way to undermine the budding democracy in Kiev. But an overt invasion would force a reluctant America and […]

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Russia accuses West of “protecting” Ukraine at gas talks

Sergei Lavrov file photo

(Interfax – Moscow, June 15, 2014) Moscow believes that there may be a third power behind Ukraine’s intransigent position in its talks with Russia over gas. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russian journalists on Sunday [15 June] that the Ukrainian authorities are making use of “impunity because they are being protected by our Western partners, or at least some […]

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Russia cuts Ukrainian gas supplies

Gas Flame file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – June 16, 2014) Russia’s state-owned Gazprom cut Ukraine’s gas supply off at 10 a.m. Moscow time for failing to pay its bills after talks broke down ahead of a June 16 deadline. “This decision was taken due to systematic failure of Naftogaz Ukraine to pay,” Gazprom said in a statement. “The debt of the […]

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NEWSLINK: Russia’s Gazprom reduces gas to Ukraine after deadline passes

Gas Facility file photo

[“Russia’s Gazprom reduces gas to Ukraine after deadline passes” – Maria Kiselyova, Denis Pinchuk – June 16, 2014] Reuters reports on Russia’s move to ratchet back gas flows to Ukraine, with potential also to impact Russian gas supplies to the EU: Russian natural gas exporter Gazprom reduced supplies to Ukraine on Monday after Kiev failed to meet a deadline to […]

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Interfax: Conditions proposed to Ukraine on gas shipments better than those in place under Yanukovych – Miller

File Photo of Blue Flame from Natural Gas

GORKI. June 16 (Interfax) – The conditions that were proposed to Kyiv during gas talks were better than the conditions in place under former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, Gazprom (MOEX: GAZP) CEO Alexei Miller said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Firstly, the Russian side was ready to guarantee that the discount of $100 per 1,000 cubic […]

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Over 60,000 Ukrainians staying in Russia’s Rostov Region – local official

Map of European Portion of Former Soviet Union

(Interfax – Rostov-na-Donu, June 15, 2014) Over 109,000 residents of southeastern areas of Ukraine entered Rostov Region between 4 and 14 June in view of the difficult situation in Donbass [Donetsk Region], chief of the information policy directorate of the government of Rostov Region Sergey Tyurin has told Interfax South [news] agency. “As of today, over 109,000 people have entered […]

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RIA Novosti: Europe Ready to Consider Opal Pipeline For Future Gas Supplies – Gazprom

Gas Flame file photo

MOSCOW, June 16 (RIA Novosti) – If Ukraine disrupts Russian gas transit via its territory, the European Commission is ready to negotiate increased deliveries through the Opal pipeline, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said Monday. “We have discussed this issue with the European Commission. It is now as follows: if we record problems with transit via the territory of Ukraine, then […]

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Interfax: Lavrov: attack on Kyiv embassy led by battalion set up by Kolomoisky

Sergei Lavrov file photo

MOSCOW. June 15 (Interfax) – Members of the Azov battalion, which has been set up and is financed by tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky, the Dnipropertovsk governor, spearheaded Saturday’s “disgusting” attack on the Russian Embassy in Kyiv, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed on Sunday. “The leading role in the attack on the embassy was played by fighters from the Azov battalion, […]

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Interfax: Lavrov accuses Ukrainian interior minister of connivance with extremists

Sergei Lavrov file photo

MINSK. June 16 (Interfax) – The behavior exhibited by Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov in the rampage in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv was an act of connivance with the actions of extremists, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. “Instead of ordering the police, policemen, to stop the act of vandalism against our Embassy, the interior minister made […]

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Igor Strelkov – Moscow agent or military romantic?

Ukraine Map and Flag

(opendemocracy.net – David Marples – June 13, 2014) David Marples is Distinguished University Professor in the Department of History and Classics, University of Alberta, Canada. For summer 2014 he is Visiting Professor at the Slavic and Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University, Japan. Who is Igor Strelkov? He has power, but by whose authority? On 11 June, the self-proclaimed mayor of […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#132 contents with links :: Sunday 15 June 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-#132 :: 15 June 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 JRL: russialist.org/funding.php 1. In Moscow’s Shadows: Mark Galeotti, Those Mysterious Tanks in Ukraine. 2. […]

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“We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers.”

State Department Building and U.S. Flag

US Department of State June 13, 2014 State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf: “We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers.”

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#130 contents with links :: Thursday 12 June 2014

St. Basil's file photo

… 24. Deutsche Welle: Ukraine’s information war
25. www.opendemocracy.net: Joanna Szostek, The limitations of Russian propaganda in Ukraine. Russian TV is waging a propaganda war against Ukraine. But is it working?
26. EuromaidanPR.com: More Russian terrorists arrive in Ukraine. …

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Press Digest: Strategic plan needed from Russia for Donetsk and Lugansk

Collage of Russian Newspapers

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Darya Lyubinskaya, special to RBTH – June 11, 2014) RBTH presents a selection of views from leading Russian media, featuring discussion of the need for Russia to develop a coherent strategy on supporting the Donetsk and Lugansk “republics”, Poroshenko’s “humanitarian corridor” and the prospects for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, and the surprising […]

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Transnistria is a bridge too far for Russia

Moldovan Dancers Dancing with Peace Corps Volunteers

(opendemocracy.net – Pål Kolstø – June 11, 2014) Pål Kolstø is a professor of Russia, Central Europe and the Balkans in the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages at the University of Oslo, Norway. The breakaway republic – de facto state – of Transnistria has steadily been edging closer and closer to Russia, but the Kremlin does not […]

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NEWSLINK: Without water, east Ukrainians struggle to survive

File Photo of Water Facet with Drop of Water Coming Out

[“Without water, east Ukrainians struggle to survive” – AFP – June 12, 2014] AFP covers the difficulties of accessing usable water for civilians caught up amidst instability in eastern Ukraine: For the past week, since fighting between pro-Russian rebels and government troops led to the destruction of the water supply, a trip to the fountain on Lenin Square has become […]

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The limitations of Russian propaganda in Ukraine; Russian TV is waging a propaganda war against Ukraine. But is it working?

File Photo of Russian Television Studio

(opendemocracy.net – Joanna Szostek – June 11, 2014) Joanna Szostek is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, UCL The long propaganda campaign waged by Russian television channels against Ukraine’s political leadership and the West is continuing unabated. This past weekend, one Sunday night news programme headlined the ‘savagery’ (zverstvo) of ‘Fascism’ in Ukraine, which […]

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Interfax: Lavrov says Russia cooperates with Ukrainian militia to provide aid to civilians

Sergei Lavrov file photo

(Interfax – June 11, 2014) The Kiev authorities have officially refused Russia the right to provide humanitarian aid to those who need it in southeast Ukraine, therefore it is necessary to do this through local militia, privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax reported on 11 June, quoting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “We are trying to provide humanitarian aid to those […]

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Russia Sets Ukraine June 16 Deadline as Gas Talks Resume

Gas Flame file photo

(Business New Europe – bne.eu – Tim Ash, Standard Bank – June 12, 2014) Bloomberg reports that Russia gave Ukraine an extra six days to make payments for natural gas as the countries resumed European Union-brokered talks in Brussels on June 11. The new deadline is 10 a.m. Moscow time June 16, Alexey Miller, chief executive officer of Russian gas […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: What is the link between economics and Putin’s popularity?

Kremlin and Saint Basil's

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Denis Volkov, special to RBTH – June 9, 2014) Denis Volkov is a sociologist with Levada Center. The analysis is based on data provided by the independent pollster Levada Center. A recent opinion poll by the Levada Center indicates that amid tensions over Ukraine and the takeover of Crimea, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s […]

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Russia Beyond the Headlines: War ‘lost’ for Kiev; U.S. aid to beef up Ukraine’s borders

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Press Digest: Darya Lyubinskaya, special to RBTH – June 10, 2014) RBTH presents a selection of views from leading Russian media, featuring cautious optimism for a military de-escalation in Ukraine’s east, analysis of the effectiveness of Kiev’s military campaign, and news of a $48 million pledge from the U.S. to tighten Ukraine’s borders. Kommersant […]

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Interfax: Naryshkin: Crimea annexed in 1991 thru transfer to Ukraine by irresponsible politicians

Ukraine Map and Flag

MOSCOW. June 11 (Interfax) – Annexation of Crimea happened in 1991 when the peninsula was handed over to Ukraine by irresponsible politicians, State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said. “A referendum was held in the Crimean region back in January 1991 and Crimea’s transfer to Ukraine was actually disputed. Let me remind you that the decision was made by 93% of […]

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Kremlin distances itself from Putin’s aide’s statements on Ukraine

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Interfax – June 10, 2014) The Kremlin has distanced itself from statements by presidential adviser Sergey Glazyev, which he made at a roundtable discussion on the Ukrainian crisis in Moscow on Tuesday 10 June, the Russian Interfax news agency reported on 10 June. A senior source in the Kremlin once again stressed that “all thoughts and suggestions of Sergey Glazyev […]

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RIA Novosti: Russia Ready to Review Ukraine’s Gas Debt, Scrap Prepayment Scheme – Energy Minister

Gas Facility file photo

BRUSSELS, June 11 (RIA Novosti) – Russia will not introduce advance gas payments for Ukraine and review its gas debt downwards if Kiev pays off $2 billion of its gas debt by June 16 and clears arrears in full by June 26, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday. “It was suggested to review the payoff schedule for debts accumulated in […]

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Interfax: Russians doubt Poroshenko will stop the ‘war’ in Ukraine’s southeastern regions

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Interfax – June 10, 2014) Forty-seven percent of Russian citizens recently interviewed by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) have spoken negatively of Ukraine’s new President Petro Poroshenko, a mere 3 percent have said they like him, another 23 percent of respondents have said they know nothing about him, and 27 percent were undecided. The results of the FOM survey, which […]

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RUSSIA & UKRAINE: JRL 2014-#129 contents with links :: Wednesday 11 June 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-#129 :: 11 June 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 JRL: russialist.org/funding.php 1. Financial Times: Kiev anti-terror operation takes toll on Slavyansk residents. 2. […]

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Putin Won’t Make Any Further Concessions on Ukraine, Two Moscow Experts Say

Vladimir Putin file photo

(Window on Eurasia – Paul Goble -Staunton, June 10, 2014) Over the last several days, many in the West have professed to see Moscow pulling back from its subversive aggression against Ukraine and expressed confidence that the crisis Vladimir Putin’s actions there have caused is approaching an end that both Russia and the West will be able to live with, […]

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On The Road With Volunteers Supplying Ukrainian Troops

Ukraine Map and Flag

(RFE/RL – Levko Stek – June 9, 2014) Working as a courier is usually straightforward. You get a parcel, you get an address, you hit the road. But it’s a different story altogether when your destination is a military checkpoint outside the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk, the epicenter of the smoldering separatist conflict, and your vehicle is packed to […]

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Borderlands: The View Beyond Ukraine

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Stratfor.com – George Friedman – June 10, 2014)  Editor’s Note: This is the final installment in George Friedman’s recent series written during his journey from the Baltics, through Central and Eastern Europe and then east to Turkey and Azerbaijan. I traveled between Poland and Azerbaijan during a rare period when the forces that shape Europe appear to be in flux, and most […]

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NEWSLINK: Russian gas keeps flowing to Ukraine as deadline passes

Gas Facility file photo

[“Russian gas keeps flowing to Ukraine as deadline passes” – Reuters – June 10, 2014] Reuters reports that Russian gas supplies to Ukraine and the EU have remained stable, despite the passing of a deadline over disputed Ukrainian gas bills.  Meanwhile, the European Commission continues to broker related negotiations. Natural gas supplies to Ukraine and the European Union were stable on Tuesday after […]

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Putin and Poroshenko Square Up

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

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber – June 10, 2014) President Vladimir Putin has not shied away from expressing his preferences about the future of Ukraine, suggesting the country should refrain from federalization and joining Western political and military alliances in order to give more power to the Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine and normalize relations with Russia. These […]

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Ukraine Peace Talks Progress as Evacuation Route Set Up

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Bloomberg – bloomberg.com – Daria Marchak, Daryna Krasnolutska, Volodymyr Verbyany – June 10, 2014) Russian, German and Polish officials met in St. Petersburg to advance Ukraine peace talks after President Petro Poroshenko called for an evacuation corridor so civilians can flee fighting in the country’s battle-torn east. A day after Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said peace talks with Russia were yielding […]

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Ukrainian Rebels Channel U.S. Confederates

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Alexey Eremenko – June 10, 2014) There are a few key components that make a Ukrainian separatist, among them Kalashnikov rifles, Cossack hats, golden crosses around their necks, America bashing, orange-and-black “World War II” ribbons … and Dixie flags. You did not misread that: pro-Russian separatists have adopted the Confederate flag. The flag of the […]

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Russia, West look for compromise on Ukraine

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Yuri Paniyev, special to RBTH – June 9, 2014) After meeting his French and German counterparts, Vladimir Putin held informal talks with Petro Poroshenko in Deuville, France, and the two sides agreed that a Russian representative would visit Ukraine to work on resolving conflicting issues Ahead of last week’s celebrations in Normandy to […]

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Interfax: End to military operation key to settlement in Ukraine – Lavrov

Sergei Lavrov file photo

ST. PETERSBURG. June 10 (Interfax) – The militia in southeastern Ukraine will reciprocate if Kyiv ends the military operation against them, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “An end to the military operation against protesters is the key to the settlement, in our opinion. If this is done the people you call separatists will reciprocate,” he said after informal talks […]

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Can Putin and Poroshenko make peace?

Ukraine Map and Flag

(Russia Beyond the Headlines – rbth.ru – Fyodor Lukyanov, special to RBTH – June 10, 2014) Fyodor Lukyanov is the editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs and chairman of the board of the Foreign and Defense Policy Council. The Russian leadership has been more accommodating to the new president of Ukraine than many anticipated. What will it take for Kiev […]

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RIA Novosti: No Plans for Anti-Missile Defense in Georgia, Ukraine – Nuland

Victoria Nuland file photo

KIEV, June 10 (RIA Novosti) – The United States does not plan to establish an anti-missile defense system in Georgia or Ukraine, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland said Tuesday. “There are no plans to place missile defense systems in Georgia or in Ukraine, either now or in the future,” she said at a briefing […]

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