BBC: Ukraine sanctions imposed amid Kiev clashes

[Larry]

Sigh. Europe won;t even permit sanctions.

They're flat out demanding that we all stand around and watch an independent country be invaded and enslaved.

 

Maybe it's just me.  But I'm seeing the Russian Army rolling into European countries. 

 

And I'm looking at the major countries of Europe. 

 

And they've essentially disbanded their own militaries.  (Why should they spend billions of dollars on a military?  They've got ours.) 

 

And they are actually vetoing the US from taking any steps short of military action, to try to turn the Soviet advance. 

 

They're refusing to allow us any option other than unilateral military action, or stand around and watch the Soviet army conquer somebody. 

 

I'm now fantasizing about the US announcing that it's withdrawing from NATO. 

 

Y'all don't care about the Soviet Army invading people, a few hundred miles from your borders? 

 

How you feel about that army, now?  Does it look more scary, now? 

[visionary]

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/crimea-helped-putin-hijack-the-nationalists/497956.html

Crimea Helped Putin Hijack the Nationalists

 

Whether through a stroke of pure political genius or sheer good luck, President Vladimir Putin's Crimea venture and his response to the Maidan uprising in Kiev have helped stave off, at least for now, a potentially formidable challenge to his rule: the merger of the liberal and nationalist agendas.

 

The dramatic events in Kiev have shown what it takes to topple an entrenched post-Soviet autocracy practicing state capture and perpetuating its rule through repression, electoral manipulation and propaganda.

 

Former President Viktor Yanukovych's kleptocracy crumbled when it encountered a broad national liberation movement demanding an accountable government, equal justice, an end to government corruption and freedom of speech and assembly. This agenda is shared by the two political currents driving the movement — pro-Western liberals and conservative Ukrainian nationalists, united behind the idea of building a modern, European Ukrainian state. What brought them together was the vision of Ukraine's future in Europe, jettisoned by Yanukovych and their total rejection of Putin's Eurasian Union.

 

It is around a similar vision of Russia as a modern European state with government accountability, honest elections, rule of law and democratic freedoms that the post-Soviet generation of liberals and nationalists started to coalesce in mid-2013 during Alexei Navalny's spectacular campaign for Moscow mayor. Navalny mastered an almost seamless fusion of the new liberal and nationalist agendas.

 

A new version of Russian nationalism was emerging — focused more on Russia's modernization than on imperial glory. This nationalist force strongly opposed Putin's Eurasian project, seeing Russia's destiny as a European democracy, not a Eurasian satrapy. The new nationalism was strongly anti-Putin, rejecting, along with liberals, the moral and ideological underpinnings of Putin's system.

 

Crimea changed all that. The new generation of nationalists could not help but endorse Putin's actions to bring back Russia's historic lands, proving that imperialism trumps civic patriotism in Russia. The liberals largely denounced the move against Ukraine. Moscow's portrayal of Maidan as a fascist coup coupled with an intense demonization of the European Union works to destroy the unifying idea of a European Russian state. The emerging coalition floundered.

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/CoalsonR

Finland's PM sez Russia's policy of "protecting" Russians abroad cud push Finland to join NATO: http://bit.ly/1gzIQlV   

3:55 AM

 

The 4 new UKR names on EU sanctions list: Arbuzov, Ivanyushchenko, Klymenko, Stavytskyi. Pg 37 of this document: http://bit.ly/1l0LmBn   

4:19 AM

 

 

 

 

[visionary]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/russia-tests-obamas-ability-stop-advances-23327853#.U01YOY2AxNk.twitter

Russia Tests Obama's Ability to Stop Its Advances

 

With the White House asserting that Russia is stoking instability in eastern Ukraine, President Barack Obama is once again faced with the complicated reality of following through on his tough warnings against overseas provocations.

 

Obama has vowed repeatedly to enact biting sanctions against Russia's vital economic sectors if the Kremlin tries to replicate its actions in Crimea, the peninsula it annexed from Ukraine, elsewhere in the former Soviet republic. Despite those warnings, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be testing Obama's limits, instigating protests in eastern Ukraine, the White House says, and massing tens of thousands of troops on the border, but so far stopping short of a full-scale military incursion.

 

"They have been willing to do things to provoke the situation that no one anticipated," Matthew Rojansky, a regional analyst at the Wilson Center, said of Russia. "It's such a high-stakes, high-risk situation, and here they are right in the middle of it."

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/maxseddon/ukraines-new-government-has-lost-its-grip-on-east-ukraine

Ukraine’s New Government Has Lost Its Grip On East Ukraine

 

At 10:33 Monday morning, Sergei, a freelance cameraman in this sleepy industrial town 30 miles from the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, got a call from a blocked number. The man on the line said he was from Russian state television and asked if he could film an angry mob storming the local police station. Unsure what they were talking about — some anti-government activists had protested in Horlivka over the weekend but police held firm and things were now quiet — Sergei, declined.

 

Two hours later, he realized what they meant (and had, he assumes, known about in advance). Horlivka’s police station was a wreck, with most of its windows smashed in and several hundred working-class men milling around the lobby and courtyard, many of them wielding wooden sticks and iron batons. The police chief, who initially vowed to hold out to the end, was hospitalized after being viciously beaten; his deputy was taken away in handcuffs to the regional government building in Donetsk, which anti-government protesters have occupied for the last week. Two figures in masks waved the black, blue, and red flag of the provincial separatist movement from the roof to loud cheers from the crowd. A man in fatigues wandered out to address them.

 

“The police in Horlivka have gone over to the side of the people. They were always with us,” he said. He claimed the officers inside had removed their Ukrainian insignia and replaced them with orange-and-black ribbons, a World War II symbol reappropriated by pro-Russians during Ukraine’s political crisis.

 

Later, video emerged of the same man claiming he was a Russian lieutenant colonel from Crimea and giving officers orders

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27038336

Ukrainian army makes "very public display of force"

 

The Ukrainian army has erected a checkpoint about 40km away from the town of Sloviansk where pro-Russian protesters have taken over several government buildings.

 

Soldiers with tanks and helicopters are patrolling near the town of Izyum.

 

BBC correspondent Daniel Sandford said the army had, "decided to make a very public display of force" - albeit in a different region.

 

http://pressimus.com/Interpreter_Mag/press/2311

The Ukrainian operation to retake Kramatorsk airfield (map) is now over. The Ukrainian government says that there were no fatalities. The Kyiv Post reports:

 

According to the AP, "The mayor of Kramatorsk said Ukrainian troops have now occupied the military airport and are blocking its entrance."

 

The freeing of the airfield is part of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's "anti-terrorist operation," which is being conducted throughout eastern Ukraine to quell Russian-backed separatist movements.

 

Rossiya 24 reports that four Russian-sponsored terrorists were killed as a result of the operation.

 

Further, according to Interfax Ukraine, Andriy Parubiy, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, says the Ukrainian special forces' operation has led to the detainment of Russian officers. - Mark Rachkevyvch and Isaac Webb

 

 

https://twitter.com/maxseddon

Ukrainians have half a dozen APCs and a few buses set up at a checkpoint near Izyum, 25 minutes from Slavyansk 

5:44 AM

 

This Ukrainian installation is just over the border into Kharkivskaya oblast - the frontline of what Kiev still controls in the east

6:40 AM

 

Anti-Kiev protesters have blocked off several back roads into Slavyansk by felling trees & set up more checkpoints in town. But fewer people 

8:20 AM

 

Two helicopters fly off from Slavyansk airfield as a couple hundred local residents march there. "They're scared," one woman says  

11:58 AM

 

Slavyansk residents are marching to defend their local airstrip, which is a cornfield with no fuel, working planes, or real runway 

11:59 AM

 

https://twitter.com/ASLuhn

Locals have set up a barricade outside Kramatorsk airfield. Anti-terrorist operation commander Krutov talking to angry crowd  

10:55 AM

 

Are we terrorists!? Locals yell at anti-terrorist operation commander 

10:58 AM

 

Locals throw rocks at troops, soldiers fire in air  

11:07 AM

 

Locals are piling tires by the airfield entrance, blocking in government troops  

11:14 AM

 

Back online. Two pro-Russian protesters were wounded here at Kramatorsk airport allegedly. I saw one, a bullet graze  

12:18 PM

 

https://twitter.com/RaynerSkyNews

White House: Ukraine govt faces an "untenable" situation in the east. Govt has "responsibility" to safeguard law & order 

12:54 PM

 

White House describes Ukrainian Military operation in Kramatorsk as "measured"  

12:55 PM

 

https://twitter.com/mozgovaya

WH PressSec now : "No update on new sanctions against Russia; evaluating"       

1:01 PM

[visionary]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/16/pro-russian-separatists-seize-ukrainian-armoured-vehicles?CMP=twt_gu

Pro-Russian separatists seize Ukrainian armoured vehicles

 

Pro-Russian armed separatists have seized five armoured personnel carriers and a tank from the Ukrainian army, which they then drove in a victory lap through the centre of Kramatorsk in Ukraine's east, where government forces are attempting to wrest back control of the city.

 

About 100 heavily armed men, some in balaclavas and wearing military fatigues, rode on top of the seized armoured vehicles, the first of which was flying a Russian tricolor. Several hundred locals gathered around the convoy, cheering, tooting their car horns and waving in support as it rolled passed the Kramatorsk's railway station, not far from the airfield where Ukrainian soldiers clashed with separatists on Tuesday.

 

Ukrainian military helicopters hovered above the dramatic scenes in central Kramatorsk but there seemed to be no attempt by government forces to try and wrest back control of the situation.

 

The seized armoured personnel carriers were driven to Savyansk, where a Russian flag had been raised above a checkpoint at the city entrance. Separately, there were unconfirmed reports that armed men have captured the city administration building in nearby Donetsk.

 

Pro-Russian protesters seeking independence from Kiev have occupied at least nine government buildings in the region for more than a week – but this is the first time that separatist forces deep inside Ukraine have managed to seize heavy military equipment and a further sign that the situation in the east is slipping out of Kiev's grip.

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/lukeharding1968

The scene today in Yanekiyevo, where anti-Kiev activists seized town hall on Sunday. Banner: "No to NATO in Ukraine" pic.twitter.com/dz7U1t7Ava

2:55 PM

 

Flags of Russia and Donetsk People's Republic over Slavyansk town hall. Ukrainian trident ripped off. Tanks round the back. Crimea 2? 

4:14 AM

 

Here captured Ukrainian tank on its way from Kramatorsk to slavyansk. We followed it to occupied town hall pic.twitter.com/2JnOKnwCce

4:17 AM

 

Here's APC moments after its capture in Kramatorsk. Note Russia Federation. tricolour. This is, or was, Ukraine pic.twitter.com/lDQ3NAkFMt

4:19 AM

 

More pro-Russia militia enjoying a spin in Kramatorsk. The east of Ukraine lost to Kiev barring divine intervention pic.twitter.com/TMFsM0gBco

4:21 AM

 

https://twitter.com/AFP

BREAKING Armed pro-Russians enter mayor's office in Ukraine's Donetsk  

4:28 AM

 

https://twitter.com/MaximEristavi

What is clear from an eyewitness video in Kramatorsk: Ukrainian soldiers gave away those APCs without any fight  

4:37 AM

 

Facts on captured Ukr APCs: -rebels used some kind of human shield to stop them, soldiers give away APCs w/out fight (eyewitness vid) 

4:57 AM

 

https://twitter.com/lindseyhilsum

4 Ukrainian APCs parked by railway in Kramatorsk - people will not let them past

4:29 AM

 

The crowd stopping Ukrainian soldiers at Kramatorsk, peaceful but determined not to let them in Kramatorsk - Ukraine

4:33 AM

 

Another 4 Ukrainian APCs, 1 flying Ukrainian flag have arrived at Kramatorsk railway line  

4:37 AM

 

8 APCs and support vehicle parked amongst blossom trees at Kramatorsk - chopper still circling.

4:38 AM

 

https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa

Turchynov fires chief of Interior Ministry's interior troops Stepan Poltorak http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/17329.html  

5:02 AM

 

[RichmondRedskin88]

I'm not even sure what the heck is going on anymore.  It just sounds like straight up chaos.

[visionary]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/15/many-east-ukraine-police-back-the-pro-russian-operatives-defying-kiev.html

Are East Ukraine's Cops in Moscow's Pocket?

 

As you journey through eastern Ukraine, the region’s descent into widespread lawlessness becomes more apparent by the day. Who represents authority? Who represents order? These are critical questions on which the fate of a nation now hangs. One after another, government buildings in as many as a dozen cities and towns have fallen to professionally trained soldiers and their Russian-speaking followers calling for referendums, independence and annexation by Moscow. The government in Kiev, its territory and its legitimacy threatened at every turn, has vowed to clean out these “terrorists,” but hesitates lest the tens of thousands of Russian troops poised on the border roll into Ukraine to “protect” them.

 

In the middle of this stand-off stand the Ukrainian police. And standing by, for the most part, is about all that most of them are doing.

 

Donetsk was the first occupied city I hit on my travels in the east over the last several days. Driving in just before midnight the only people I saw on the streets were groups of masked men carrying bats and sticks. There was no sign of police anywhere.

 

It was the same story up by the barricades outside the occupied Donetsk City Hall. Armed protestors wandered freely around in front of the building while people lit fires in the street and drank beer and vodka. I wandered the area for fifteen minutes looking for any sort of a police presence and finally found it: one police car around the back of the building, parked up on the pavement, with two middle-aged officers leaning against it, smoking. When I pointed to the occupied building they just shrugged their shoulders and smiled. It was difficult that night to know whether the police were being negligent, were supporting the protestors or had been ordered to stay back for fear of inflaming the situation.

 

As I returned to City Hall the protestors, who had up until then largely stuck to low-key surliness broken up by sporadic chanting in support of Russia and a referendum, began to become agitated. It was clear that some information had been received and that it was now coursing through the crowd. Groups of the most heavily armed men start running toward a tree-lined avenue off to the right of the occupied building. More baseball-bat-wielding men soon joined them, urging yet more of their fellow protestors to join them and allowing me the opportunity to tag onto the end.

 

As we rounded the corner I saw a bus filled with police parked by the pavement. The protestors surrounded it and screamed at the policemen inside. “Why are you here?” screamed a couple of the ringleaders. “You are provocateurs!” another shouted at the police. “You are here to remove us!”

 

A few members of the mob threw some small stones and other assorted debris, though they were noticeably reluctant to part with the beer bottles they were holding. The police inside, clearly alarmed, did nothing while their senior officer leaned out of the window and tried to placate the mob. As more protestors surrounded the bus one of the policemen inside tapped a text into his phone and held it up to the window. The protestors surged forward to read it: “We are with the people,” it read. “We are not going to storm the building.”

 

I discovered a similar story in the nearby city of Luhansk. Once more, “protestors”—this time armed with machine-guns—wandered around inside the state-security building they had occupied while a few gloomy policeman idled by the side of the road several streets away. Approaching the town of Sloviansk a day later, where armed protestors had stormed the main police station, it was clear that things there were even worse.

 

 

https://twitter.com/leonidragozin

Captured Ukrainian APCs now surround Sloviansk mayor's office. Paratroopers in the building, eating - says mayor. pic.twitter.com/X600IbhSao

6:46 AM

 

No indication that Ukrainian paratroopers defected. Saw them coming out to fetch belongings from APCs, accompanied by armed "green men".

7:27 AM

 

Ukrainian paratroopers were stopped by a crowd of civilians in Kramatorsk, then 'green men' emerged to take over APCs - a green man told me.  

7:41 AM

 

All in all, only a few of the "green men" in Sloviansk resemble Russian regulars. Some from Crimea, some local. Odd uniforms, odd weapons.  

7:43 AM

 

https://twitter.com/leonidragozin

14 Ukrainian APCs from 25th airborne brigade blocked by locals at Pchyolkino, near Kramatorsk. Talks under way pic.twitter.com/0vQsT8xRJE

9:46 AM

 

"Are you tired?"-"We are completely ****ed up". Paratroopers in Pchyolkino - no sleep for two nights. pic.twitter.com/E6sTMO49vF

9:57 AM

 

Heads of Kramatorsk police and Afghan veterans union negotiating exit for Ukrainian APCs in Pchyolkino. Locals don't want to let them go.

10:00 AM

 

People in Pchyolkino accuse paratroopers of shooting at them. Many are aggressive to press. Non-existent Right Sector mentioned all the time

10:04 AM

 

Captured & blocked APCs, locals freaking out about 'anti-terror' rhetoric - Kiev's attempt to pacify Donbass goes really badly. 

10:24 AM

 

https://twitter.com/leonidragozin

Commander Shvets in Pchyolkino announces exit agreement: firing pins to be removed from all weapons, then go. pic.twitter.com/2iX7slCijh

10:39 AM

 

Huge argument between pro-Russians in Pchyolkino: most don't want to release the APCs until 20 others leave the airfield.

10:48 AM

 

Ukrainian paratroopers in Pchyolkino removed firing pins and handed them to people, but not moving yet. pic.twitter.com/GSxZg0If39

11:11 AM

 

Locals in Pchyolkino - mostly reasonable & polite, a few aggressive & poss. drunk. All badly brainwashed. pic.twitter.com/E8dAGT2JD6

11:13 AM

 

https://twitter.com/lindseyhilsum

Ukraine soldier looks pensive as crowd in Kramatorsk blocks path and persuades them to take magazines off weapons. pic.twitter.com/zNXEjL0mgv

5:39 AM

 

Women at kramAtorsk give Ukraine soldiers bread after they took magazines fro their weapons. pic.twitter.com/gzyuHinZBt

5:43 AM

 

Quiet in Slovyansk as people watch pro Russian masked armed men hang around the Ukraine APCs they seized.  

6:58 AM

 

Disconsolate Ukraine soldiers at Kramatorsk - they didn't want to fight. pic.twitter.com/TEKnQYbEKp

12:12 PM

 

 

https://twitter.com/maxseddon

The biggest casualty of Slavyansk's occupation has been the sewage system. Rebels didn't let a chlorine truck in and the town reeks horribly

11:00 AM

 

Am going to call everyone who asks me awkward stuff a provocateur from now on. "Where did you sleep last night?" "Это провокационный вопрос" 

11:39 AM

 

Protesters at Pcholkino are trying to disarm the stuck convoy of APCs to allow them to return to base. But the process is a sloppy mess

11:51 AM

 

Other protesters want to stop the APCs going back to base so they can take them to Slavyansk, disarm them, and send them home in disgrace   

12:17 PM

 

 

 

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/maxseddon

There are several Donbass militia commanders who want different things. None can agree who's boss. Slavyansk folks have come to give orders  

12:38 PM

 

25th Airborne commander in Pcholkino standing on an APC and calling command. "They've captured us and are using dirty tricks." Humiliating  

12:39 PM

 

Hard to see even the biggest Russia hawks in the West wanting to arm Ukraine after Pcholkino. Military command has disgraced itself utterly

12:48 PM

 

https://twitter.com/SimonOstrovsky

Ukrainian column disarming and preparing to leave 

12:42 PM

 

https://twitter.com/MarquardtA

Asked fighters around tanks in Sloviansk what they think of Ukraine anti-terror operation, one started squawking and flapping his elbows.  

10:46 AM

 

Mood in Sloviansk totally relaxed, steady stream of parents taking pictures of their kids w/ militants.  pic.twitter.com/KCU4xh2XsI

11:05 AM

 

Saw the Russian Lt Col from Horlivka today in Sloviansk. Was clearly in charge,militants treating him like a savior. m.youtube.com/watch?v=DinMf_7dQK4

12:43 PM

 

When we talked to him, he responded in Ukrainian, playing games. Pointed at a militant's Berkut patch and said "Ukrainian army."  

12:45 PM

 

https://twitter.com/RasmusTantholdt

Around 100 Ukrainian soldiers are voluntarily being disarmed right now in Kramatorsk. 

12:46 PM

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa

Party of the Regions held a rally and decided not to go for Ukraine's federalization anymore.  

1:06 PM

 

Party of Regions want Russian 2nd official language; independence in financial, economic and humanitarian policies; amnesty for protesters  

1:09 PM

 

To make Russian a second official language and get broader rights for the regions Party of the Regions by a referendum  

1:10 PM

 

Party of the Regions also want the protesters in the East to put down weapons and evacuate government buildings - resolution  

1:11 PM

 

 

[grhqofb5]

So here's my take on this....

 

Our European allies do not support heightened sanctions, nor do they support military action at this point (the US does not either).  Further sanctions may affect E.U.'s fragile economic recovery....

 

Putin is an egomaniac bent on restoring Russian power, not under a communist flag but more akin to an empire. Want to join up? Why not they say, after all there is common ethnicity between these nations, they belong together.  Or they should want to belong together.  Europe has reduced its military forces as a result of an unmatched period of peace, after all, domination through financial markets is the new imperialism. 

 

Now Putin makes his move. The eastern European countries are not yet threatened, save for Ukraine, so there is no reason for alarm.  But once a move is made on any one of Poland, Lithuania, Romania, there no longer will be a question on whether military force is justified.  The only question may be its effectiveness, coming from NATO. 

 

In my view, the U.S. should advise its European allies to handle the situation as they see fit.  Once the big move is made by Russia on one of the NATO member nations, and U.S. military assistance is not only wanted, but needed, we should intervene.  Not only will there be support across the board by then, our allies (i.e. Germany with their "non-offensive military force") may be more willing to open up their checkbooks to foot a large part of the bill.  (none of this takes into consideration the toll on human life, which is another question but seems to have taken a backseat to the economic one).

[visionary]

http://transitions.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/04/16/the_self_defense_of_odessa

The Self-Defense of Odessa

 

This is a surpassingly strange moment for the people of Odessa, the largest city on Ukraine's Black Sea coast. Outwardly, life couldn't be more normal. Smiling teenage girls stroll arm in arm, admiring the explosion of spring flowers. The myriad cafes and restaurants don't want for customers. And there is even a smattering of foreign tourists, come to admire the magnificent ensemble of 19th-century buildings.

 

Yet make no mistake: Odessa has a serious case of the jitters. Turn on the TV and you're likely to see Ukrainian politicians loudly accusing each other of treason, or railing at the government for its failure to respond to the mysterious gunmen who have taken over official buildings in the East. "Let's call things by their names: Ukraine is at war," one deputy declared during a live session from the parliament in Kiev on April 15. In Odessa itself, a pro-Russian demonstration on Sunday night turned violent: Some of the participants attacked the car of a TV crew and turned it over. Each day brings a new rumor about possible Russian intervention. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry is now calling upon Odessans to help dig trenches and install anti-tank barriers along the city's beaches, measures apparently designed to thwart a possible Russian amphibious landing. (The measure also evokes powerful psychological imagery of World War II, when spiky, steel "hedgehogs" were used to block German tanks.)

Svychinsky and his friends -- consisting mostly of students and professionals, all with military backgrounds -- know that they aren't sufficiently well-equipped to withstand an assault by professional soldiers. Right now the self-defense units are armed only with helmets, shields (mostly wooden), and clubs -- "like your American baseball bats," Svychinsky helpfully explains.

 

In the event of trouble, the pro-Ukrainian militiamen plan to form cordons around key strategic points designated by a team of experienced military officers. In the case of the eastern city of Sloviansk, the attacking insurgents numbered just a few dozen, yet managed to carry out their mission nonetheless thanks to the lack of any organized resistance. The pro-independence Odessans hope that a well-coordinated response will enable them to hold off the attackers long enough to allow reinforcements to arrive.

 

http://blogs.channel4.com/lindsey-hilsum-on-international-affairs/bread-bullets-ukraines-locals-soldiers-war/3795

Bread not bullets: Ukraine’s locals and soldiers against war

 

As we saw the crowds gathering round the Ukrainian armoured personnel carriers parked near the railway tracks in Kramatorsk we thought we might encounter a hostile crowd. But in fact the atmosphere was peaceful. “We don’t want war” said a man called Ruslan who spoke English. “That’s why we don’t want them to come into the town.”

 

They were keen to show us a white Opal saloon car that had been partially crushed by an APC. As we were filming it we heard the roar of another armoured vehicle hurtling along towards us. The people started whistling and shouting. When the vehicle stopped they linked arms to prevent it from proceeding any further. One man said to me: “Look they’re pointing weapons at us.” But in fact the soldiers seemed more bemused than aggressive.

The Ukrainian government may want to force the separatist armed men out of buildings they have occupied in towns across eastern Ukraine, but their soldiers are very reluctant.

 

“I don’t want to shoot anyone,” one said to me. “Actually I was against this mission.”

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/ReutersWorld

It is appropriate for Ukraine government to take action to restore law and order: White House  

2:31 PM

 

https://twitter.com/maxseddon

25th Airborne commander reporting back to base from Pcholkino. pic.twitter.com/T0bs6rflBG

2:07 PM

 

Trapped Ukrainian soldiers at Pcholkino dismantling their rifles. http://instagram.com/p/m3Dqjtl1q-/   

2:10 PM

 

The Patriotic Forces of Donbass already have flashy new patches. Photo by @timjudah1 https://flic.kr/p/nb6pE1 

2:17 PM

 

Militia types in Slavyansk gradually becoming more hostile to journos. Poroshenko's Channel 5 is widely hated in Donbass for supposed "lies" 

2:50 PM

 

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR

BREAKING: 200 insurgents trying to storm the military base in Mariupol, southeastern Ukraine. 12 ppl are injured HromadskeTV  

3:08 PM

 

https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa

Shooting in Mariupol, where pro-Russian gunmen stormed a Ukrainian military base. Reports of 12 wounded

3:30 PM

 

https://twitter.com/bishopk

Russian parliament passes law making ability to speak Russian a pre-requisite for seeking residence or work permit http://www.interfax.ru/russia/371913   

11:52 AM

 

Reports of casualties tonight in Mariupol on south coast of Ukraine. Isolated violence spreading, ever the danger it will tip over edge. 

4:09 PM

 

Reports ex Mariupol say a Ukrainian military unit has been attacked with petrol bombs, soldiers opened fire in response, possible wounded  

4:14 PM

[visionary]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/world/europe/russia-economy-worsens-even-before-sanctions-hit.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimesworld&_r=0

Russia Economy Worsens Even Before Sanctions Hit

 

Margarita R. Zobnina, a professor of marketing here, has been watching the Russian economy’s gathering woes with mounting alarm: friends who have moved abroad with no plans to return; others who put off new business ventures because of rising uncertainty. Meanwhile, Ms. Zobnina and her husband, Alexander, also a professor, have rented a safe deposit box to hold foreign cash as a hedge against the declining ruble.

 

Most shocking, she says, is that her local grocery is now selling anchovies packed in sunflower oil rather than olive oil, an obvious response to the soaring cost of imports. “That really freaks me out,” she said.

 

While the annexation of Crimea has rocketed President Vladimir V. Putin’s approval rating to more than 80 percent, it has also contributed to a sobering downturn in Russia’s economy that appears to be worsening even before Western sanctions take full effect. With inflation rising, growth stagnating, the ruble and stock market plunging, and billions in capital fleeing the country for safety, the economy is teetering on the edge of recession, as the country’s minister of economic development acknowledged on Wednesday.

 

Mr. Putin, who just lavished $50 billion on the Sochi Olympics, also must absorb the costs of integrating Crimea, which economists and other experts say has its own sickly economy and expensive infrastructure needs. The economic costs have been masked by recent patriotic fervor but could soon haunt the Kremlin, as prices rise, wages stall and consumer confidence erodes.

 

Even before the Crimean episode, and the resulting imposition of sanctions by the West, Russia’s $2 trillion economy was suffering from stagflation, that toxic mix of stagnant growth and high inflation typically accompanied by a spike in unemployment. In Russia, joblessness remains low, but only because years of population decline have produced a shrunken, inadequate labor force.

 

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/04/what-to-expect-from-thursdays-russiaukraine-talks-spoiler-not-much/

What To Expect From Thursday’s Russia/Ukraine Talks (Spoiler: Not Much)

 

Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, have already spent at least 10 hours together in the past month, not to mention almost daily phone calls, trying to find a diplomatic solution to the Russian incursion in Ukraine.

 

During that period, the region of Crimea has essentially been lost to Russia and pro-Russian militants have spread throughout the eastern part of the country, with little meaningful resistance from the Ukrainians.

 

So what good can come from one more set of meetings Thursday in Geneva, Switzerland?

 

First and foremost, officials say, it’s the first time Russians and Ukrainians will sit together along with the United States and European Union since anti-Russian protests began in Kiev in February.

 

“The idea here is to try to provide a space where the U.S. and the E.U. can squat with Russia and Ukraine and look first and foremost for ways to de-escalate the security situation which has gotten significantly more perilous over the last ten days,” a senior State Department official told reporters during Kerry’s flight to Geneva.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-armys-humiliations-pile-eastern-push-fizzles-211406122.html;_ylt=AwrBEiJHAE9T7FgAC1rQtDMD

Ukraine army's humiliations pile up as eastern push fizzles

 

The humiliation Wednesday of the Ukrainian army in its much-vaunted "anti-terrorist" push into separatist eastern territory makes an embarrassing string of failures even worse.

 

Allowing pro-Russian rebels to seize six of its armoured personnel carriers and disarm its servicemen was evidence of a poorly planned and executed operation, analysts said.

 

They pointed out that the region, the Donbass, is hostile to Kiev's new, pro-EU leaders, and home to magnates and police reluctant to face down the separatists.

 

"It was a mistake to launch an 'anti-terrorist operation' in the Donbass where the overwhelming majority is against the government. Targeted operations against armed groups is one thing, but when there are tanks in the street, people block them," said a Ukrainian political analyst, Volodymyr Fesenko.

 

A military expert at the Razumkov think-tank in Kiev, Oleksiy Melnik, criticised the government for hesitating to use force and in the end sending in a smaller force than the one implied when it announced its "major operation" on Sunday.

 

"The arguments that 'We mustn't provoke Russia' are absurd in the current situation, because Russia needs no pretext to carry out its plan. The reason behind what happened is government inaction," he said.

 

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/nato-promises-military-measures-eastern-europe-canada-continues-191043870.html

As NATO increases its military presence in Eastern Europe, Canada considers its role

 

For weeks, the international community has talked tough against Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, NATO's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen upped the ante promising to increase its military footprint in Eastern Europe amid growing concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions in the region.

 

"Today, we agreed on a package of further military measures to reinforce our collective defence and demonstrate the strength of Allied solidarity," Rasmussen said in a statement.

 

"We will have more planes in the air, more ships on the water, and more readiness on the land.

 

"For example, air policing aircraft will fly more sorties over the Baltic region. Allied ships will deploy to the Baltic Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean and elsewhere, as required. Military staff from Allied nations will deploy to enhance our preparedness, training and exercises. Our defence plans will be reviewed and reinforced."

 

 

[visionary]

http://osce.usmission.gov/apr_14_14_russia.html

On Russia's Illegal and Destabilizing Actions in Ukraine

 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this meeting—I appreciate the Chairmanship’s responsiveness to the concerns raised by my delegation and many others about the ongoing actions of the Russian Federation in and around Ukraine.

 

Colleagues, we have just heard from our distinguished Russian colleague. He read what Moscow has instructed him to read—but we all knew what he would say ahead of time—what he said did not surprise anyone. Because Moscow has established lines: they say that Russia has nothing to do with the actions in the last 48 hours that have led to “pro-Russia” separatist agents seizing a number of public buildings in towns in Eastern Ukraine. They say that these are the actions of local residents who have grievances. They say that Russia is deeply concerned by the grave situation in the East. They try to persuade you that the government in Kyiv is responsible. They say that Russia supports so-called federalization because it cares about Ukraine. They also say that the government of Ukraine should not undertake police or security actions to return seized buildings to government control. They profess great concern about violence and deep worries about what may be over the horizon. These are all core elements of Moscow’s current lines. We know they’re coming before they are spoken. And we also know that they are also based on lies and deceit, just like so much of what Moscow has said in the last month. Remember, colleagues, the Russian government has lied to each of us repeatedly in recent months—just remember the slew of lies about how there were no Russian special forces in Crimea, how they weren’t behind an illegal military incursion. They are doing it again.

 

In truth, there is an abundance of evidence that points to Moscow’s orchestration and direction of the highly-coordinated and professional operations that have taken place in strikingly similar fashion in more than a half dozen places in Eastern Ukraine. 

 

In truth, eyewitnesses have reported on and filmed the kind of military equipment, uniforms, and command structure that shows that these coordinated efforts were carried out by specialized military or paramilitary units, not ordinary or local hoodlums. They are highly trained agents bearing Russian weapons. And they look like the same unidentified uniformed forces we saw in Crimea. The latest news that military / paramilitary units have seized the airfield in Slovyansk also follows the known pattern.

 

In truth, Russia is not deeply concerned by the situation in the east; Russia is causing the situation, and attempting to use it as a bargaining chip and a provocation to increase its leverage over the government in Kyiv.

 

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/saceur-several-nato-members-have-offered-to-deploy-ground-troops-in-eastern-allies

SACEUR: Several NATO Members Have Offered to Deploy Ground Troops in Eastern Allies

 

The Nato commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove, said several Nato member states had offered ground troops for deployment in eastern European member states and that he would be soon making recommendations on how they should be positioned. Breedlove said that the situation represented more than a crisis, adding: "For Nato, it's bigger than that. It's a paradigm shift."

 

However, the general added that he saw no evidence of a strategic Russian buildup on Ukraine's borders. He stressed the military movements were intended entirely to reassure Nato members along Russia's borders who had been unnerved by Russian actions in Ukraine.

 

The air force general said he had attempted to call the Russian chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, to explain that the deployments were entirely defensive but had not been able to reach him.

 

Just weird:  

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/04/17/3427770/putin-tells-nsa-leaker-snowden-theres-no-mass-surveillance-in-russia/

Edward Snowden Makes Surprise Appearance At Putin Press Conference

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa

Avakov on Mariupol: 3 attackers killed, 13 wounded, 63 disarmed and arrested. SBU and police are investigating

2:47 AM

 

Avakov: About 300 people attacked military base of Nat Guard in Mariupol, used Molotovs, opened fire. Nat Guard made preventive shots

2:53 AM

 

Avakov: When attackers started storming the base for the second time, the National guard opened fire at them

2:56 AM

 

Putin makes a move at denying existence of Ukraine:"Novorossiya" [Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Odessa regions etc] was never part of Ukraine

5:11 AM

 

Putin: Let me remind you, Federation Council gave me a mandate to send troops to #Ukraine, I hope we won't be forced to do that

5:17 AM

 

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak

Reuters: Ukraine's state security service says it has detained around 10 Russian citizens with intelligence backgrounds

5:20 AM

 

https://twitter.com/MaxRTucker

Putin admits he lied about Russia's troops in Crimea, but expects world to believe no forces in E. Ukraine...

5:26 AM

 

https://twitter.com/RolandOliphant

Just arrived to Donetsk airport to find five Seperatists giving life news' camera team a hard time.

10:44 AM

 

Turns out the life crew were mistaken for airport officials, no bother. Seps say they're here to "stop American mercenaries coming through."

10:55 AM

 

There's about seven of them. Airport spox says they promised not to interfere with operation of the airport. That's it, panic over, coffee

10:57 AM

 

https://twitter.com/stopnarcotics

We are in Mariupol. At the scene: blood stains destroyed police cars, bullet holes and ... angry pro Russians: 'Right sector did that!

5:14 AM

 

Deputy commander of the military base: 'the shots were fired towards the base. We were under attack by armed men. The base is secured now.'

6:19 AM

 

Inside captured Mariupol city council right now. Protesters detained us!

6:59 AM

 

Police helped us out! But I'm afraid the russian passport magic is over. They are looking for us now

7:17 AM

 

A protester inside the city council in mariupol: yesterday we were setup by our leaders

7:57 AM

 

At pro Ukrainian meeting in Donetsk now. Lots of police. Some riding horses. 2-3 thousand protesters.

11:16 AM

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR

Several thousands of ppl attend pro-Ukrainian rally in Donetsk amidst threats of violence and provocations PR news pic.twitter.com/uBwM0LY09G

11:42 AM

 

Participants of Pro-Ukrainian rally in Donetsk hold hads w/each other as symbol of unity EMPR Ukraine pic.twitter.com/DTCYWwVXMJ

12:09 PM

 

Luhansk, eastern Ukraine today: students want peace and for Ukraine to be united http://tsn.ua/foto/u-lugansku-patriotichna-molod-zibralasya-na-miting-za-yednist-ukrayini-345901.html EMPR pic.twitter.com/D0u37RFbam

12:20 PM

 

BREAKING: Canada sends six CF-18 fighter jets to Poland to carry out enhanced NATO missions in response to Ukraine crisis pmharper |PR News

12:22 PM

 

MP Lyashko attends pro-Ukrainian rally in Donetsk, where 5-6K ppl gathered despite threats EMPR Ukraine pic.twitter.com/rxptpWcEqQ

12:27 PM

 

 

Donestk

 

Luhansk

 

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa

Lavrov: Government in Kyiv that came to power in an armed coup have to solve problems in Ukraine regions themselves

12:28 PM

 

Lavrov: At least I can see that EU and US are interested in trilateral talks with Russia

12:30 PM

 

Lavrov to Ukrainian journo: Our troops are in Russia, yours are in Ukraine. Only difference is our troops aren't going to fight own people

12:32 PM

 

Lavrov makes a dig at NATO like Putin did earlier today. Putin attacked Rasmussen, while Lavrov - his deputy

12:35 PM

 

Lavrov on Putin lying about absence of Russian troops in Crimea before: Putin's never said there were no Russian troops in Crimea

12:38 PM

 

 

 

 

 

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ukraine-us-alternately-cajole-threaten-russia

RUSSIA: DEAL REACHED ON CALMING UKRAINE TENSIONS

 

Russia's foreign minister says top diplomats have agreed to take immediate steps toward calming tensions in Ukraine.

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the four parties gathered Thursday in Geneva — the U.S., European Union, Ukraine and Russia — will work to establish a broad national dialogue to ensure that people's rights are protected.

 

He said that amnesty will be given to pro-Russian protesters who participated in an uprising against the government in Kiev, except those found guilty of capital crimes.

 

The tentative agreement could put on hold — for now at least — economic sanctions the West had prepared to impose on Russia if the talks were fruitless. And that would ease international pressure both on Moscow and nervous European Union nations that depend on Russia for their energy.

 

 

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/04/17/3428041/someone-is-ordering-eastern-ukraines-jews-to-register-with-separatist-group/

Someone Is Ordering Eastern Ukraine’s Jews To ‘Register’

 

A flyer distributed in the eastern Ukrainian city Donestk is telling the city’s Jewish community that they need to “register” with the separatist government, but the head of the self-appointed new leadership in the region has denied involvement.

 

In a set of flyers handed out to Jewish Ukrainians leaving synagogue on Monday, members of the community over the age of 16 were allegedly ordered to register at the government’s main building, which is currently being occupied by pro-Russian gunmen and protesters. Additionally, they would be forced to pay a registration fee of $50 and list all pieces of property, including real estate and vehicles. “Evasion of registration will result in citizenship revoke and you will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property,” a translation of the flyer reads.

 

The original report from Novosti Donbassa said that the leaflet was passed out by “three unidentified men wearing balaclavas and carrying the flag of the Russian Federation” with the aim of causing a conflict, then “to blame the attack on separatists.” The flyers were distributed in the name of the “People’s Republic of Donetsk,” the title that the pro-Russian separatists in the region have given themselves. They also bear the signature of Denis Pushilin, who has been referred to in reports from the region as the “people’s governor.”

 

In an interview with Ukrainian press, Pushilin confirmed that the flyers, marked with the emblem of his organization, were really distributed in Donetsk. But unlike various English translations, in the original interview with Ukrainian media, Pushilin not only rejected the content of the flyers, but also denied that his organization was behind their printing. “Some idiots yesterday were giving out these flyers in targeted areas,” he said, claiming that he had never himself used the “people’s governor” title the flyer bestows on him. Pushilin did not suggest who else may have been handing out the anti-Semetic flyers, but went on to criticize the original site for posting it online.

 

Regardless of who printed and distributed them, the Jewish community was less than thrilled by the presence of the flyers. “The Jewish-Ukrainian leadership supports Ukraine’s new government, but it’s hard to tell whether the leaflet is valid or simply a provocation,” Alex Tenzer, a Kiev native and one of the directors of the National Association of Immigrants from the Former USSR in Israel, told Israeli news site Ynet when asked about the flyer’s origin. “Anyway, the material is very anti-Semitic and reminds me of the kind of material distributed by the Nazis in WWII.”

[visionary]

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/04/russias-diplomats-are-better-than-ours-105773.html#.U1ASi_ldWSq

Russian Diplomats Are Eating America's Lunch

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/videos/2014/04/17/dirty-details-of-russia-ukraine.html

Dirty Details of Russia-Ukraine

 

After a fatal confrontation in eastern Ukraine, revelations from Vladimir Putin, and a surprise Edward Snowden appearance, The Daily Beast's Josh Rogin breaks down the crisis on MSNBC.

 

 

https://twitter.com/NatSecCNN

President Obama has signed off on sending more non-lethal aid to the Ukrainian military, Secretary of Defense Hagel announced Thursday.

11:48 AM 

 

https://twitter.com/julianborger

Kerry:  This day's work has produced principles, commitments and words on paper.  What counts is that they are translated into actions.

12:51 PM

 

We fully expect Russian will encourage protestors to vacate buildings, lay down weapons etc.

12:52 PM

 

Kerry: I told Lavrov we have to see progress by this weekend or will be consequences.

12:53 PM

 

Kerry on withdrawal of Russian troops from border: They made it clear as rights of  protestors recognised etc, troops would pull out

12:58 PM

 

Kerry: Ukraine offering east  far more autonomy that any oblast in Russia.

1:04 PM

 

We have not given up on Crimea, but today we didnt come here to talk about Crimea, but about downward spiralling situation.

1:10 PM

 

https://twitter.com/markmackinnon

Deal announced in Geneva to "de-escalate" situation in Ukraine. "I will never trust the Russians," Ukrainian govt rep beside me says.

12:53 PM

 

My reading of Ukraine deal is everyone on Maidan has to go home now too. Tough sell. Folks in Donetsk say they'll stay until a referendum.

1:47 PM

 

 

 

 

[velocet]

Thanks again Grand Vizier-nary.

[Larry]

Somehow, I feel like the odds of thus working are slimmer than a Redskins Super Bowl, this year.

But dang it if I'm not hopeful, anyway.

[daveakl]

Somehow, I feel like the odds of thus working are slimmer than a Redskins Super Bowl, this year.

But dang it if I'm not hopeful, anyway.

so like 95% then?

[RansomthePasserby]

That Snowden softball question was weird...

[visionary]

Been on the road today, but seperatists in the East already said they won't be going anywhere until they get a referendum and/or the government in Kiev resigns and goes home. Also reports of Pro-Russians moving into Odessa.

[Larry]

I'm shocked. 

[visionary]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/deal-brings-no-immediate-change-eastern-ukraine

DIPLOMACY DOESN'T MOVE INSURGENTS IN UKRAINE

 

Pro-Russian insurgents defiantly refused Friday to surrender their weapons or give up government buildings in eastern Ukraine, despite a diplomatic accord reached in Geneva and overtures from the government in Kiev.

 

Denis Pushilin of the self-appointed Donetsk People's Republic told reporters the insurgents in more than 10 cities do not recognize Ukraine's interim government as legitimate and will not leave the buildings until the government resigns. He demanded that Ukrainian leaders abandon their own public buildings.

 

Talks between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union produced an agreement Thursday in Geneva to take tentative steps toward calming tensions in Ukraine. The country's former leader fled to Russia in February and Russia annexed Crimea in March. The Geneva agreement calls for disarming all paramilitary groups and immediately returning all government buildings seized across the country.

 

Pushilin, speaking at the insurgent-occupied regional headquarters in the eastern city of Donetsk, said the agreement was "reasonable" but insisted "everyone should vacate the buildings," including Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleksandr Turchynov, the acting Ukrainian prime minister and president.

 

Ukraine has scheduled a presidential election for May 25, but Pushilin reiterated a call to hold a referendum on self-determination for the Donetsk region by May 11. The same kind of referendum in Crimea led to its annexation by Russia.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27076226

Eastern Ukraine militants snub Geneva deal on crisis

 

Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk say they will not leave the government building there, defying the Kiev authorities and threatening a new international deal on Ukraine.

 

The separatists' spokesman said that the Kiev government was "illegal" and so they would not go until it stepped down.

 

Russia, Ukraine, the EU and US earlier agreed that illegal military groups in Ukraine must leave official buildings.

Alexander Gnezdilov, spokesman for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said his group would evacuate the government building in the eastern city only when the "illegal" Kiev government vacated parliament and the presidential administration.

 

Another protest leader in Donetsk said the separatists would not leave unless pro-European Union demonstrators in Kiev's Maidan Square - the vanguard of the protest movement that toppled President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of Moscow - packed up their camp first.

 

A statement from the Donetsk separatists said "we cannot accept the values of the Kiev junta, we have our heroic past going back to World War Two, we are the Russian bear which is waking up".

 

"Don't worry, everything will stay peaceful and orderly. The only problem is if the Kiev junta want war."

 

They said they would not ask Russia for help yet, but "we will have a referendum before 11 May, about Donbass independence - after that we will ask for help".

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/04/18/u-s-ground-troops-going-to-poland-defense-minister-says/

U.S. ground troops going to Poland, defense minister says

 

Poland and the United States will announce next week the deployment of U.S. ground forces to Poland as part of an expansion of NATO presence in Central and Eastern Europe in response to events in Ukraine. That was the word from Poland’s defense minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, who visited The Post Friday after meeting with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon on Thursday.

 

Siemoniak said the decision has been made on a political level and that military planners are working out details. There will also be intensified cooperation in air defense, special forces, cyberdefense and other areas. Poland will play a leading regional role, “under U.S. patronage,” he said.

 

But the defense minister also said that any immediate NATO response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, while important, matter less than a long-term shift in the defense postures of Europe and America. The United States, having announced a “pivot” to Asia, needs to “re-pivot” to Europe, he said, and European countries that have cut back on defense spending need to reverse the trends.

 

“The idea until recently was that there were no more threats in Europe and no need for a U.S. presence in Europe any more,” Siemoniak said, speaking through an interpreter. “Events show that what is needed is a re-pivot, and that Europe was safe and secure because America was in Europe.”

 

How likely is such a reversal on defense spending? Siemoniak said there was widespread support at a recent meeting of European defense ministers. “Now they’ll go back to their presidents, prime ministers and ministers of finance, and this will stop being easy,” he admitted. “But the impetus is very strong.”

 

The strongest impetus, he said, is not even Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, but President Vladimir Putin’s bald lies about Russian actions there and his exposition of a new doctrine allowing Russia to intervene in any country where Russian-speaking populations are, in Russia’s judgment, under threat. This poses a potential danger to the Baltic nations, which are members of NATO, and even more to Moldova, Belarus and central Asian nations that are not, he said.

 

Like President Obama, Siemoniak said it’s too soon to judge the agreement reached Thursday in Geneva to defuse tensions. He said he believes that Russia’s “special operation in eastern Ukraine didn’t go as planned” and that Putin may have decided to play a longer game.

 

 

http://mobile.businessweek.com/news/2014-04-17/u-dot-s-dot-said-to-have-warned-money-managers-of-more-russia-sanctions

U.S. Warns Money Managers of More Russia Sanctions

 

The Obama administration told asset managers last week that it was planning additional sanctions against Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

 

Officials from the Treasury Department and the National Security Council met in Washington with mutual-fund and hedge-fund managers, according to a person who attended. Their comments sent a message that more sanctions are on the way and that investors, if they were concerned about the impact, should manage that risk, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions weren’t public.

 

The meeting, convened a week before talks with Russia in Geneva that ended yesterday, left managers grappling with the question of whether the government intended to follow through, or was trying to trigger asset sales through the threat of sanctions, said the person. Former administration officials have said forcing Russia out of global financial markets is the strongest tool President Barack Obama has at his disposal in trying to defuse the crisis between Russia and Ukraine.

 

“A lot of firms on the buy side have cut their exposure to Russia,” Jack Deino, the head of emerging-market debt at Atlanta-based Invesco Ltd., said in an interview, talking about the industry in general.

 

Staff of the National Security Council, which is the president’s main forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters, has reached out to businesses to provide information on sanctions against Russia, said Laura Lucas Magnuson, a spokeswoman for the council.

Ukraine Talks

 

“As Russia continues to destabilize Ukraine, we are prepared to sanction additional individuals and entities, and we’ve made clear that we’d be prepared to target certain sectors of the Russian economy if we see a significant escalation including direct Russian military intervention in eastern Ukraine,” she said. “We are coordinating our actions closely with our partners in Europe and the G7.”

 

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/turchynov-yatseniuk-local-authorities-in-ukraine-to-receive-right-to-decide-on-official-regional-languages-344191.html

Turchynov, Yatseniuk: Local authorities in Ukraine to receive right to decide on official regional languages

 

Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has said that the local authorities will receive the powers to decide on official languages in their respective areas, while Ukrainian will be the state language across the country.

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-sanctions-aside-us-carmakers-eye-russia-market-020029963.html;_ylt=AwrBEiQL_lFT4WkAraDQtDMD

Ukraine sanctions aside, US carmakers eye Russia market

 

Nevermind the Ukraine crisis and Washington's sanctions against Moscow: US automakers say the Russian market is their next big frontier.

 

Russia is simply too large and too important for carmakers to ignore, experts said this week.

 

"The Russian market is going to be larger than Germany," said John Branch, a professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

 

Branch said the structure of the Russian auto industry is in flux as the demand for imports increases despite barriers imposed by the Russian government.

 

But that means that automakers, particularly those with global ambitions, simply can't afford to ignore the market's potential there, despite its volatile nature.

 

Branch was speaking at a conference at the University of Michigan focusing on the opportunities and hurdles for US carmakers to sell to and in Russia.

 

General Motors is already partly involved. It has invested in a joint venture with AvtoVaz, which builds the Lada, Russia's most popular automotive brand.

 

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/miriamelder/a-russian-lawmaker-just-ordered-his-aide-to-rape-a-journalis

A Russian Lawmaker Just Ordered His Aide To Rape A Journalist On Live TV

WTF?

 

https://twitter.com/herszenhorn

Russia Foreign Ministry: "disarmament" provisions in Geneva deal "obviously" intended primarily for Right Sector, other pro-fascist groups

12:39 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

That Snowden softball question was weird...

I'm sorry but imo, the debate about Snowden should be over. He's a piece of ****. Period.

[AdamB]

Ok, good public safety tip: beware of Ukrainian women with "beasts between their legs".

 

"WTF?" is a serious understatement.

[RansomthePasserby]

I'm sorry but imo, the debate about Snowden should be over. He's a piece of ****. Period.

Yeah, it's pretty clear who holds his leash now.

[visionary]

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/04/18/on_the_11th_floor_inside_the_council_donetsk_peoples_republic

Welcome to the People's Republic of Donetsk

 

DONETSK, Ukraine — To get to the occupied Ukrainian government administration building in Donetsk, you must first pass through barriers made of tires and barbed wire -- the aesthetic of choice in Ukraine ever since the Euromaidan protests that toppled the country's former president, Viktor Yanukovych. After walking through the newly installed steel-reinforced doors, it's up the many flights of stairs, past several checkpoints and the broken glass and cigarette butts strewn across the floor. On the 11th floor, the newly established Council of the People's Republic of Donetsk is in working session. 

 

The room is in a state of excitement and chaos. Yulia Vikorovna is angry. "I'm resigning if I can't get an answer on this soon," she yells. "Resigning, you hear!" As the person in charge of sanitation for the new republic, Yulia Vikorovna has identified a particular problem with the toilets. "They've all been blocked with all kinds of crap, and nobody is listening to me or helping me clean up." She adds that there are also distressing problems concerning the electricity supply in the building. 

 

At this point, one of the council's leading figures, Vladimir Ivanovich, is summoned. He enters the room sporting a white beard and black Puma sports jacket, signature pieces with which he unexpectedly graced world news bulletins 12 days ago to declare the creation of the People's Republic. He exudes an air of authority. As he takes his place at the head of the table, the room goes quiet and a group of four convenes around him, to discuss the matter in private council. After a short conference, Vladimir Ivanovich turns to the other members.

 

"Colleagues, it is clear is that all work needs to be properly supervised. Work that is not controlled will never be done!" With this, Yulia Vikorovna leaves the room, apparently satisfied with the response. 

 

Next, a plump woman with wire-wool hair and few teeth motors up. "Our real problem is all these journalists! Because of them, people think there is drunken mayhem downstairs. They've been saying the place is dirty when it just isn't! No more telephones! No more cameras! No more provocateurs! We have to get rid of the provocateurs!"  

 

There are nods and mutterings of agreement around the room.

As the song ends, a man takes to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, be careful! There are PRO-VOC-A-TEU-RS here! All provocateurs, leave now! Or leave dead!"

 

 

https://twitter.com/olliecarroll

Journos in Donetsk! Be careful!Ystdy was nearly attackd by 6 thugs with baseball bats, saved only by police.Told rate $100 per beaten journo

4:54 AM

 

Hearing reports about attacks by armed men on Roma community in Slavyansk

8:41 AM

 

It's said more than 20 armed men have attacked / are attacking 5-6 roma homes.

8:42 AM

 

Report on developing situation in Slavyansk. Women + children beaten by armed guys http://bit.ly/1jj8KsS  via @ngumenyuk

8:58 AM

 

https://twitter.com/maxseddon

At Donetsk soccer derby, Shakhtar ultras hold up Ukrainian flags and sing the national anthem. Other fans boo and hiss throughout.

10:54 AM

 

Mildly interesting shift from Kharkov a few weeks ago, where the whole stadium was pro-unity and applauded the ultras' obscene Putin song.

11:00 AM

 

More boos as ultras chant "U-kra-i-na!" Shakhtar go up 2-1, all three goals scored from terribly defended set pieces

11:20 AM

 

Even louder boos as the Shakhtar ultras joyously sing an obscene song about Putin.

11:23 AM

 

https://twitter.com/hdevreij

Ukraine MT @kandelakigiorgi: Pro-Russia 'people's deputy' in Gorlovka is in fact a professional actor from Moscow

12:01 PM

 

https://twitter.com/lukeharding1968

Ultras at the Shakhtar Donetsk game raise Ukrainian flags. Lots of booing and whistling from some in crowd

10:53 AM

 

Shakhtar Donetsk won their local derby 2-1. Pro-Ukraine Ultras in the crowd sang: "Putin is a ****-sucker" pic.twitter.com/u2JOmQbKPh

1:12 PM

 

Here are Shakhtar ultras waving Ukrainian flags. Small but noisy minority. pic.twitter.com/BLZzmJTsZ2

1:16 PM

 

[visionary]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/world/europe/in-cold-war-echo-obama-strategy-writes-off-putin.html?hpw&rref=world&_r=0&referrer=

In Cold War Echo, Obama Strategy Writes Off Putin

 

Even as the crisis in Ukraine continues to defy easy resolution, President Obama and his national security team are looking beyond the immediate conflict to forge a new long-term approach to Russia that applies an updated version of the Cold War strategy of containment.

 

Just as the United States resolved in the aftermath of World War II to counter the Soviet Union and its global ambitions, Mr. Obama is focused on isolating President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia by cutting off its economic and political ties to the outside world, limiting its expansionist ambitions in its own neighborhood and effectively making it a pariah state.

 

Mr. Obama has concluded that even if there is a resolution to the current standoff over Crimea and eastern Ukraine, he will never have a constructive relationship with Mr. Putin, aides said. As a result, Mr. Obama will spend his final two and a half years in office trying to minimize the disruption Mr. Putin can cause, preserve whatever marginal cooperation can be saved and otherwise ignore the master of the Kremlin in favor of other foreign policy areas where progress remains possible.

 

“That is the strategy we ought to be pursuing,” said Ivo H. Daalder, formerly Mr. Obama’s ambassador to NATO and now president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. “If you just stand there, be confident and raise the cost gradually and increasingly to Russia, that doesn’t solve your Crimea problem and it probably doesn’t solve your eastern Ukraine problem. But it may solve your Russia problem.”

 

The manifestation of this thinking can be seen in Mr. Obama’s pending choice for the next ambassador to Moscow. While not officially final, the White House is preparing to nominate John F. Tefft, a career diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Ukraine, Georgia and Lithuania.

 

When the search began months ago, administration officials were leery of sending Mr. Tefft because of concern that his experience in former Soviet republics that have flouted Moscow’s influence would irritate Russia. Now, officials said, there is no reluctance to offend the Kremlin.