Vladimir Putin and The War in Ukraine - POLITICO Magazine. Vladimir Putin and The War in Ukraine - POLITICO Magazine. American diplomats have now got what they wanted.
European sanctions have spooked Russian elites. They may try and laugh it off, but behind the scenes they have been busy calculating how much they stand to lose. Banks are the organs of an economy: Start to restrict their access to financial oxygen and they can strangle interlinked, and unexpected, parts of the system down the line. This has shaken their confidence in Russia’s banking system. There is a growing consensus in Moscow that the Kremlin has been so distracted with the geopolitics, and its diplomatic fallout, that it has completely taken its eye off the country’s worsening economics. But these sanctions are first a psychological blow to Russia’s ruling class. Pro-Russian Rebel Commander: 'We Did Warn You — Do Not Fly in Our Sky' KIEV, Ukraine — As news broke of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 being downed in eastern Ukraine, the separatist’s shadowy commander with a pencil mustache issued a dark warning on social media.
Through his VK.com account, Russia’s version of Facebook, the self-proclaimed defense minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Igor Girkin — who goes by the nom de guerre Igor Strelkov — boasted about shooting down a plane. "We did warn you — do not fly in our sky," he wrote. Image: DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images Thinking it was a Ukrainian transport plane, Strelkov added that “a plane has just been downed somewhere around Torez, it lays there behind the 'Progress' mine,” referring to the mining town of some 80,000 people. “And here is the video proving another 'bird' falling down,” he continued. However, Strelkov deleted the post when he found out it was actually a commercial jetliner carrying 295 innocent people — not a military aircraft. Then he hung up. Image: Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press. And-unnerving-threats-from-russia. Russa-Ukraine-art_1650452c.jpg (460×288) Russia’s buildup on the Ukraine border. Nn_04_ksi_ukraine_140505.jpg (1920×1080)
Ukra-MMAP-md.png (1036×733) Explainer: What exactly is going on in Ukraine? HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of demonstrators returned to the centre of Kiev last weekend, two months since the start of the first anti-government ‘Euromaidan’ protests. 5 simple things that explain what’s happening in Ukraine - The Source - Latest news and updates from Boston.com. 1.
Ukraine is a divided country. Eastern Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula on the northern coast of the Black Sea have more of a cultural connection to Russia. Eastern residents speak Russian interchangeably with Ukrainian, and their political ideals more closely align with Russia. Western Ukraine residents more clearly identify with Eastern Europe. 2. Ukraine became divided even more when pro-Russia Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych became president in 2010. 3. On Mar. 1, Russian president Vladimir Putin’s request to use Russia’s military in Crimea and throughout Ukraine was approved. "Dear Mr. Still, according to a statement by Kremlin, Putin told US president Barack Obama that Russia approved military action in Ukraine because it “reserves the right to defend its interests and the Russian-speaking people who live there.” 4. 5.
CBBC Newsround - What's happening in Ukraine? Newsround guide. This page was made on Tuesday 27th May 2014Last updated at 13:14 Ukraine has been in the news because it is at the centre of a big argument between the world's most powerful countries.
The disagreement, between Russia and the world's other big nations like the UK and America, is over a region in the south of Ukraine, called Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine. There have been fights and protests in East Ukraine, as some people there want Ukraine to be part of Russia. Now the Ukrainian army is fighting with Russian supporters in eastern parts of the country, and there are concerns it may lead to war. On 25 May, the country held a presidential election - though Russian supporters in eastern parts of the country tried to disrupt the voting. Petro Poroshenko, a successful businessman who made his money by making sweets, claimed victory.
A Quick Guide: What's Happening in Ukraine - WSJ. What's Going On in Ukraine? An Up-to-Date Guide. <br/><a href=" US News</a> | <a href=" International News</a> Copy Russia Increases Military Presence in Crimea Russian troops are reportedly on the move in Crimea, reinforcing their positions, according to The Associated Press.
Vladislav Seleznyov, a Crimean-based spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces, said witnesses had seen amphibious military ships unloading approximately 200 military vehicles in the eastern area of Crimea, according to the AP. Seleznyov also told the AP that another 60 military trucks with no plate numbers were headed towards the Crimean capital of Simferopol from the eastern city of Feodosia. On Friday, pro-Russia soldiers attempted to take over a Ukrainian base, according to the AP. ABC News. Ukraine’s Far Right Loses Big, but Europe’s Russian-Backed Fascists Make Major Gains.
Share Svoboda and Ukrainian nationalist party supporters march with torches in Kiev in early 2014.
(Reuters/Maxim Zmeyev) The scary fascists who, according to Russia, have taken over Ukraine since the “coup d’état” and ousted the former president didn’t do too well. Who did do well were the actual scary fascists in Western Europe who were supported by, well, Russia. What Putin Wants - David Frum. Respect, sure, but also money.
How that shapes his relations with the West. Edel Rodriguez Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell in and out of Love With Vladimir Putin By Ben Judah Yale In September 2009, Václav Havel and 11 other European dignitaries published an open letter challenging the United States and other NATO countries: “Are we willing to accept that the borders of a small country can be unilaterally changed by force? Are we willing to tolerate the de facto annexation of foreign territories by a larger power?” What's Going on in Ukraine? Ukraine’s Far Right Loses Big, but Europe’s Russian-Backed Fascists Make Major Gains. Ukraine-4-630x381.jpg (630×381)