Intro: An expert who prefers to remain anonymous put this together. Well worth reading and perusing the links that follow.
</end intro>
Quite a lot of news piled up over the last three days, although no dramatic developments since the Syria bugout started. A lot of decent analytical and opinion essays on Russia, and argument about Russia’s gains and losses in Syria, and from the pullout.
Motyl’s essay on the risks in the play is excellent, and puts the focus on how Putin makes short term decisions. Lloyd as always on the money, focussing on the closed circle of Putin, Patrushev and Ivanov who appear to be making all decisions in Moscow – worst case Groupthink model. Also explains the reported dumbfounded behaviour of Lavrov and Shoigu when instructed to bug out.
Pondering the Russian play, it may be motivated more than anything by the intractable behaviours of Putin’s two allies in Syria, Iran and Assad, pushing their own agendas at the expense of Putin – he likes to be seen to be duping everybody else, and driving the agenda, and both of these regimes have minds of their own.
Historically, no alliance between narcisstic authoritarian leaders has ever lasted as these relationships always devolve into selfish prisoner’s dilemma mutual backstabs – these is this inherent meta-stability to these alliances as the only stable high outcome play is cooperation that is inherently at odds with the behavioural propensities of narcissistic sociopaths, who are unable to see or accept the other players’ needs.
Nasty report from Russia about a Roma (Gypsy) settlement being “pacified” by Russian security forces following a dispute over local gas supplies.
Most interesting from Ukraine is the NYT essay on Oksana Syroyid, MP, deputy speaker of the Parliament, former Prof of constitutional law, and her campaign to protect the constitution from being adulterated by changes to accommodate Putin’s trojan horse model, as being promoted by Steinmeyer and other EU proxies of Moscow. The leadership squabbles in Kiev continue without resolution.
Reports on UK and Canadian support and aid of interest. Fascinating interview with Prof Mironenko in Moscow, discussing how collectively most Russians have no understanding of Ukraine, its history, culture and values, and how they mostly believe it to be the same as Russia, mirroring the ner identical problems of ignorance pervading EU nations – they all imagine it to be a province of Russia, linguistically and culturally Russian. Top Ukraine media item this week was not Darth Vader, rather the statue of his understudy in Zaporozhiye being taken down.
Fascinating reports on the Crimea Kerch-Taman bridge debacle, Putin’s shenanigans, and the stark truth of how Speer during the German occupation abandoned the plan to put the bridge up after a geological study showed the seabed to be tectonically unstable making a bridge of such length infeasible.
Techie media dominated by Russian 3M22 Zirkon hypersonic ASCM testing – this is the joint Brahmos ASCM follow-on with India.
“The Russian World” is the usual fare, grotesque to distasteful.
Donbass harassment fires continue.
A hollow superpower | The EconomistDon’t be fooled by Syria. Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy is born of weakness and made for television
Alexander J. Motyl | Putin’s Syria Gambit | World Affairs JournalVladimir Putin’s surprise withdrawal of troops in Syria is no stroke of genius. Instead he has acted on yet another whim that will end badly for him.
Putin’s long game has been revealed, and the omens are bad for Europe | Natalie Nougayrède | Opinion | The GuardianThrough his writings, Russia’s foreign minister tells us what the president really wants – a historic realignment in his favour. To get a glimpse into Vladimir Putin’s mind, it’s worth reading the recent writings of his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov. In a long article published this month by the Moscow-based magazine Russia in Global Affairs– translated here into English – Lavrov spells it out with clarity. What Russia wants is nothing short of fundamental change: a formal, treaty-based say on Europe’s political and security architecture. Until Russia gets that, goes the message, there will be no stability on the continent. The key sentence in the article is this: “During the last two centuries, any attempt to unite Europe without Russia and against it has inevitably led to grim tragedies.”
The Daily Vertical: A Coincidence? I Think Not! (Transcript)Well, as if on cue, the pivot to Ukraine has begun. Well, as if on cue, the pivot to Ukraine has begun. Pro-Moscow separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine yesterday began issuing passports for the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the name that they have given to the territory they control.
The Daily Vertical: A Spoiler Not A Superpower (Transcript)The Daily Vertical is a video primer for Russia-watchers that appears Monday through Friday.
U.S. Senators Seek New Center To Counter Russian, Chinese ‘Propaganda’New legislation being introduced in the U.S. Senate aims to improve Washington’s efforts to counter “propaganda and disinformation” spread by Russia, China, and other countries.
John Lloyd | What is the best way to describe Vladimir Putin’s Russia?Patriarch Putin has drawn a small, tight group around him. Alexei Venediktov, head of the still-operating liberal radio stationm Ekho Moskvy, says only two really count: Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia’s Security Council, and Sergey Ivanov, head of the Presidential Administration, both former intelligence officers. “They are close to him both educationally and mentally. The more years pass by, the more influential they become.” To have such narrow influences indicates that the course is set, and won’t change. In this system, everything depends on the tsar-patriarch-president. In testimony to the U.S. Congress in February, Fiona Hill, director of the Brookings Center on the United States and Europe and a formidable expert on Russia for two decades, said that he and his team have “worked very hard to increase (their) tactical advantage by making the Russian President — and thus the Russian decision-making system — as inscrutable and unpredictable as possible… No-one outside the inner circle is supposed to know what is going on.”
Putin’s Syria Gambit: Russian Pundits Ponder What Moscow Achieved Russian President Vladimir Putin’s abrupt decision to draw down his country’s military presence in Syria has left analysts scratching their heads. Does it signal a strategic shift or is it merely an easily reversible public-relations gambit aimed at strengthening Moscow’s hand as the Geneva peace talks get under way?
Podcast: Putin’s New World OrderWill Vladimir Putin succeed in his quest to change the global rules? Listen to the new Power Vertical Podcast.
How Russia Views Its ‘Compatriots’ in the Near Abroad | The National InterestThe Kremlin sees ethnic Russians as a powerful ally in the region.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky Is Putin’s Most Powerful Enemy (in Exile) – The Daily BeastRussia may not be ready for ex-billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky to return, but his arguments are gaining ground.
Khodorkovsky makes gloomy forecast for Putin regime for next 10 years : UNIAN newsExiled Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovksy, who spent years in the Russian jail, stated he was planning to go back to Russia as soon as the Putin’s regime started to fall apart, RBC reported referring to his interview with The Daily Beast.
Atheism on Trial in Russia’s Stavropol | Opinion | The Moscow TimesIn a courtroom in Stavropol, Viktor Krasnov, a physician’s assistant, is accused of the same crime as Giordano Bruno, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Salman Rushdie — atheism.“What are you doing ?! You like the Germans ?! Yes !?” – about 500 Russian security forces participated in the special operation to pacify the rebellious Roma [Gypsies] in Tula. VIDEO
What are you doing ?! You like the Germans ?! Yes !?” – about 500 Russian security forces participated in the special operation to pacify the rebellious Roma [Gypsies] in Tula. VIDEOAbout a hundred residents of the Gypsy camp in the village Plekhanovo near Tula staged a protest after the authorities’ attempts to cut off the gas supply from the village. According Tsenzor.NET , authorities said that due to illegal connections, the Roma left without gas of about 400 houses in the neighboring streets. Roma tried to provide resistance to the police and burned tires, as a sign of protest against the actions of the authorities. After that, for the pacification of “riot gas” in the village came about five hundred police officers, among them the riot police, SWAT, internal forces, PPS and dog handlers.
http://censor.net.ua/cnPlayer.swf?vf=170316_tulRussia slashes space funding amid economic woes – AJE NewsPM Medvedev cuts space budget by 30 percent in an effort to reign in spending in the face of deepening economic crisis.
NATO rethinks strategy after Russia’s renewed military power show in Syria“It is now necessary to plan defence, while previously it was not.”
NATO Needs to Move Two Brigades East, and That’s Just a Start – Defense OneThe world is changing around the alliance; here\’s what its leaders must do to keep up.The President Who Dared to Call Putin’s Russia What It Is: A Terrorist State – The Daily BeastLithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite was blunt about her neighbor’s aggression after it took over Crimea—and in an interview, she sounds the alarm about her nation’s vulnerability.
No-show Obama | EditorialIn Kyiv on May 29, 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon toasted Ukrainians from the baroque splendor of Mariyinsky Palace near the Dnipro River. Ukrainians “are a people who are world famous for their warmth, for their strength, for their courage,” Nixon said. He talked about the sacrifices of Ukrainians during World War II and the rebuilding of a destroyed Kyiv. He toasted “the heroes of the Ukraine in war and in peace.” Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush followed Nixon, visiting Kyiv in 1991, 1995 and 2008, respectively. But U.S. President Barack Obama, his domestic agenda paralyzed by Republicans and the Nov. 8 presidential election, still has no plans to visit Ukraine. Obama will do a lot of international traveling in his last year, as many presidents do. He’s going to Cuba this week and maybe the United Kingdom yet this spring. He will be in Japan for a G7 meeting in June, in Poland for the NATO summit in July, in China for the G20 meeting in September and also possibly South America, the Middle East and Africa. But not to Ukraine. He will be the first president since Ronald Reagan not to make the trip while in office. Reagan had a good excuse: The Soviet Union was still in existence, but not for long. Reagan helped break up the “evil empire,” leaving it on the “ash heap of history” in 1991. We have editorialized for Obama to come to Ukraine. But maybe it’s better that he just stays away, given his dismissal of Ukraine as a “client state” of Russia and not one of America’s core interests.Growing the next generation of Russia experts | TheHillWithout building expertise in countries like Russia, we risk a reactive foreign policy.
Growing the next generation of Russia experts – To Inform is to InfluenceThe author brings up some very valid arguments but misses one major point. Russia is the world’s leading advocate and perpetrator of Information Warfare. For the past 2+ years, the world has been deluged with Russian propaganda. Russia has controlled information flowing internally to its citizens, supporting Russian actions and denigrating anything Western. Russia controlled…
Opinion: How The Presidential Election Could Shape U.S. Defense Policy | Defense content from Aviation WeekThere may be some hints of intent as the presidential campaign heads into the home stretch in September-October.
Maps & Jammers: Army Intensifies Training Vs. Russian-Style Jamming « Breaking Defense – Defense industry news, analysis and commentaryHUNTSVILLE, ALA.: After two decades of largely ignoring the danger, the Army is seriously training for a scary scenario: What if GPS, our satellite communications and our wireless networks go down? It’s hardly a hypothetical threat. Russian electronic warfare units locate Ukrainian troops by their transmissions and jam their radios so they can’t call for help, setting them up for slaughter. American soldiers are much better trained and equipped than Ukrainian ones, but they’re also much more dependent on wireless devices. Almost 80 percent of an armored brigade’s equipment depends to some degree on space. Over 250 systems use satellite communications; more than 2,500 use GPS. Even short-range tactical communications relay on radio. We depend on networks for everything from communications to guiding precision weapons, to not shooting friendly units by accident, “to not getting lost in the woods — not that I’ve ever been lost,” said Gen. David Perkins, head of the Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Our digital technology has been an “asymmetric advantage” adversaries couldn’t match, but all advantages in war are temporary, Perkins warned reporters at the Association of the US Army conference here. In the modern era, he added, the time a technological advantage lasts is getting “shorter and shorter and shorter.” In the future, while we will hopefully never fight Russia or China, we almost certainly will fight someone who has bought advanced jamming and electronic warfare systems from them or even some of our own allies, said Tom Greco, Gen. Perkins’ chief of intelligence: “It is not a stretch to say that just about any capability that we have has the potential of being disrupted.” So the Army is now deliberately disrupting its own units during training. For example, when brigades go to the National Training Center, they naturally bring all their usual GPS navigation systems — but now “we routinely take that capability away from them,” said Perkins. “We’re having to teach people at the Basic Course on up on how you operate if that is taken away, in other words introducing people to maps.” he Army needs to look to its past to see its future in EW.”
US, Philippines agree on 5 base locations under defence deal | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & AnalysisUS, Philippines agree on 5 base locations under defence deal – The deal was reached under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) signed in 2015.
US, Philippines agree on locations covered by defense pact | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.comThe U.S. and the Philippines have agreed on locations where American forces will have access as the U.S. looks to reassert its presence in Asia, officials said Friday.
Japan’s Master Plan to Stop China in the East China Sea: Lawfare? | The National Interest BlogIs Tokyo about to embrace “Lawfare” in the East China Sea?
US-China relationship will be complex: Ashton Carter – The Economic TimesDefence Secretary Ashton Carter said that the US-China ties will be “complex” as there remain areas of concern including in the disputed South China Sea.
Asia Briefs: China provoking arms race: US , Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits TimesChina provoking arms race: US CANBERRA • China’s “might makes right” attitude and “unprecedented examples of aggressive construction and militarisation” in disputed areas of the South China Sea are provoking a regional arms build-up, said Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet.. Read more at
straitstimes.com.China and Russia are planning to take down US satellites, Air Force general warns | Daily Mail OnlineGeneral John Hyten, head of the U.S. Air Force Space Command, says adversaries to America are developing ‘cyber tools’ to degrade and destroy their space capabilities and damage satellites.
Japan Extends East China Sea SurveillanceJapan is expanding the East China Sea surveillance network around the disputed Senkaku Islands
Japan May Bring China to International Court over East China Sea Islands – BreitbartLegislators in Japan’s Ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to bring a case against China to an international tribunal to settle once and for all ownership over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Japanese island caught between military powers | Shoreline BeaconNews, Local, Provincial, Canada, World, Sports, High School Sports, Local Hockey, Hockey, Basketball, Baseball, Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, Curling, Other Sports, Entertainment, Local, Movies, Music, Television, Celebrities, Life, Health, Food, Travel, Money, Opinion, Editorial, Letters, Column, Your Newspaper, Social medias, Events, UR, News, Sports, Life, Entertainment, Money, Opinion, Marketplace, Photos, Videos, Contests, Polls, Weather, Sitemap, Event Submission
Tough new rules may have stopped Darwin port saleTHE Federal Government has announced it will strengthen Australia’s foreign ownership rules, just months after copping criticism for failing to properly assess the sale of the Port of Darwin.
Trump
‘Simpsons’ Writer Who Predicted Trump Presidency in 2000: “It Was a Warning to America” – Hollywood ReporterIt “just seemed like the logical last stop before hitting bottom,” Dan Greaney recalls.
The Simpsons predicted a Trump presidency 16 years agoDonald Trump was president in The Simpsons 16 years ago, but only because the writers needed something absurd.
Kremlin hits out at Trump pre-election video for demonizing Russia | ReutersThe Kremlin on Thursday hit out at a pre-election video promoting U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, complaining it demonized Russia’s image.
Russia’s Putin sees a kindred spirit in Donald Trump | Public Radio InternationalVladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump — in part because Russians don’t want to see Hillary Clinton in the White House.
Michael Den Tandt: Trump’s shadow stretches as far as the East China Sea | National PostTop of mind, for many Okinawans, is that their home remains the staging ground for 75 per cent of U.S. military bases in Japan
Unless Trump Nukes Them, Danes are Very Happy
Letter to the Editor: Trump’s Comments on Strategy Make No Sense to This Army Officer | Foreign PolicyLetter to the Editor: Trump’s Comments on Strategy Make No Sense to This Army Officer « | Foreign Policy | the Global Magazine of News and Ideas
Jewish leaders plan boycott of Donald Trump at AIPAC – CNNPolitics.comSeveral groups of rabbis and Jewish religious leaders are planning to protest Donald Trump’s speech to a major pro-Israel conference in Washington on Monday.
Ukraine – Lt. Savchenko
FLOOR STATEMENT BY SENATOR JOHN McCAIN ON NADIYA SAVCHENKO – Floor Statements – United States Senator John McCain
Obama, G7 Urge Russia To Free Ukrainian Pilot SavchenkoNews media are reporting that U.S. President Barack Obama and the world’s top economic powers are urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to release jailed Ukrainian pilot Nadia Savchenko.
Ukraine Lists Individuals It Wants EU To Blacklist Over Savchenko Trial Ukraine has identified nearly 50 people it considers responsible for the “illegal detention and falsified trial” of Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko and has urged the European Union to impose sanctions against them.
Mock trial of Savchenko: Money is what Putin cares for rather than people – exchange, Putin, Savchenko, Polozov, Ukrainian hostages in Russia, Mock trial of Savchenko (16.03.16 23:38) « News | EN.Censor.net 16.03.16 23:38 – Putin doesn’t care a straw for Yerofeyev and Aleksandrov, – Polozov on possible exchange of Savchenko Nikolai Polozov, the lawyer of Ukrainian pilot Nadiia Savchenko illegally held in the Russian Federation, believes that Vladimir Putin is holding her for another reason that exchanging for GRU operatives Yevgeniy Yerofeyev and Alexander Aleksandrov. View news.
Poroshenko: Ukraine and the EU cannot keep silent on ‘brutal violation of human rights’ – watch on – uatoday.tv Kyiv pressing Brussels for sanctions on people involved in abduction of Ukrainian pilot Savchenko
Savchenko trial: Medvedchuk bumps me and Polozov off on direct order of Kremlin, – Feygin – Medvedchuk, Savchenko, Feigin, Polozov, Ukrainian hostages in Russia, Savchenko trial, Mark Feygin (19.03.16 13:08) « News | EN.Censor.net 19.03.16 13:08 – Medvedchuk bumps me and Polozov off on direct order of Kremlin, – Feygin Mark Feygin, lawyer of Ukrainian pilot Nadiia Savchenko, accuses the representative of Ukraine in the subgroup on Humanitarian Affairs of the trilateral contact group on the settlement of the conflict in the Donbas Viktor Medvedchuk in an attempt to… View news.
Pro-Russian militants: Vladimir Putin tops Savchenko related sanctions list – Savchenko, sanctions, European Union, Sanctions against Russia, Ukrainian hostages in Russia, Pro-Russian militants, Alexei Pushkov | Alexander Bortnikov (17.03.16 18:51) « Incidents « News | EN.Censor.net 17.03.16 18:51 – Savchenko List contains names of 44 Russians and two Ukrainians, – journalist President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko handed over Savchenko related sanctions list to the European leaders today. 29 Russian citizens were earlier reportedly included in this list. According to the media, President Vladimir Putin of Russia topped… View news.
Mogherini urges Russia to immediately release Sentsov and Kolchenko : UNIAN news High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has called on Russia to immediately release illegally detained Ukrainian film director Oleh Sentsov and Ukrainian activist Oleksandr Kolchenko.
Ukraine – Politics
Ex-Professor Upsets Ukraine Politics, and Russia Peace Accord – The New York Times Oksana I. Syroyid has shot to the top of politics in Ukraine by trying to derail a peace accord with Russia.
No trust in leadership Ukrainians and their Western partnes would be justified in giving up on President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Ukraine’s two leaders have betrayed their nation’s hopes to put an end to the oligarchy and legal impunity for the powerful elite. Instead, they have manipulated to preserve the corrupt status quo and their own business interests. Poroshenko would even deny Ukrainians the democratic right to elect their own leaders. He signed into law changes that would allow party leaders, not the people, to decide who gets seated in parliament. Poroshenko is untrustworthy in other ways, namely his control of prosecutors and judges while Yatsenyuk has shown himself to be a tool of the oligarchy and vested interests. It is appalling that the president’s corrupt lackey, General Prosecutor Viktor Shokin, is still on the job. A new and restless generation of incorruptible politicians, civic activists and professionals is on the rise in Ukraine. Their coming to power cannot happen soon enough to save the nation and the dreams of the EuroMaidan Revolution.
How Ukraine’s politicians are spoiling another revolution – The Globe and Mail Street battles in the capital, a separatist war in the east and Russia grabbing the Crimea region. That was two years ago. Mark MacKinnon reports on how Ukraine’s latest crisis involves its politicians.
Yatsenyuk ready to give Groysman premiership under certain conditions – media : UNIAN news Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is ready to step down in favor of the current Verkhovna Rada Speaker, Volodymyr Groysman if the People’s Front party gets an acceptable quota in government, according to several informed sources in the different factions of the coalition, Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda has reported.
Poroshenko hopes political crisis to be overcome before late March : UNIAN news Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said he hopes that the political crisis in Ukraine will be resolved before the end of the month, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
Timothy Ash: Shokin’s return as prosecutor general is story of day in Ukraine Forget about the machinations around the formation/reformulation of the new cabinet (in Ukraine). The return to work today of General Prosecutor Viktor Shokin is the big story today in Ukraine. Remember international financial institutions and civil society movements had called for Shokhin to be removed as a step towards cleaning up the public prosecutor’s office. The problems run much deeper than one individual though. President Petro Poroshenko asked Shokhin to resign and he “usefully” went off on holiday (on Feb. 16, a day after Deputy Prosecutor General Vitaliy Kasko resigned, citing ongoing obstruction of justice by Shokin.) This seemed to calm criticism down a bit – buying time perhaps for Poroshenko to regroup. Now Shokhin has returned to work, and the Rada needs to vote to remove him.
Timothy Ash: Despite messiness today, Ukraine can still be the next Poland Editor’s Note: The following is a question-and-answer session written by Timothy Ash, the London-based head of Central Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa credit strategy for Nomura International, a Japanese financial holding company. Ash said it is based on his communication with institutional investors in the U.S. and Europe in recent weeks.
#DUTCHINUA | No-vote in referendum is a support-vote for Russia – Dutch businessman -Euromaidan Press | Dutch businessman in Ukraine says Dutch exporters are waiting for Association Agreement between EU and Ukraine to come into force
#DUTCHINUA | Referendum organizers spread lies about Ukraine – director of Dutch company in Ukraine -Euromaidan Press | Peter Kinds started his business in Ukraine almost 12 years ago. Today Control Pay has around 150 people of which 140 are located in Kyiv. The company controls an audit freight invoices freight costs for large multinationals. For that, a unique system was set Ukraine. Thanks to the previous experiences with Ukraine, Kinds knew the country, its opportunities for business and for IT development. This is an abridged version of his interview given to Ukraine Today.
A tetter to my Dutch friendEuromaidan Press | Good afternoon. My name is Victor and I need your assistance. I’m a Ukrainian journalist. My job is to provide the public with information. I would like to use this opportunity to present the Dutch population the views, hopes and aspirations of my fellow citizens. In my humble opinion, this would be useful to both parties. In a short period, you will have the opportunity to participate in a referendum and express your negative or positive attitude towards the Association between the EU and my country. I should say that we’re following this process with great interest. We surely cannot give any piece of advice to Dutch citizens on how to vote. It’s solely their sovereign right. Under different circumstances I wouldn’t write this addressed statement at all.
Behind the scenes of civic society’s battle with corruption in Ukraine -Euromaidan Press | The struggle to establish the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption shows how much easier it is to denounce corruption in Ukraine than to fight it
Ukrainian parliament votes to remove embattled Prosecutor General from office – watch on – uatoday.tv Viktor Shokin returned to work after several weeks on leaveEU to Launch Formal Visa-Free Process for Ukraine in April – WSJThe European Union’s executive will formally launch the process for approving Ukraine’s visa-free access to the bloc in April, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, taking Kiev a step closer to a key political goal.
“The cooperation between Ukraine and Spain is really reinforced” – watch on – uatoday.tv Discussing current development of Spanish-Ukraine relations with Ignacio Ybanez Rubio, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Spain
Ukraine – Most Interesting
Britain signs new defence pact to help Ukraine in Russia confrontation – Telegraph Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, says new 15-year defence agreement will see Britain help Ukraine defend itself
UK-Ukraine defense deal: Britain signs new defence pact to help Ukraine in Russia confrontation – army, UK, treaty, Defense, training, UK-Ukraine defense deal, Aid to Ukraine (18.03.16 12:52) « News | EN.Censor.net 18.03.16 12:52 – Britain signs new defence pact to help Ukraine in Russia confrontation, – The Telegraph Britain is to sign a new defence pact with Ukraine pledging to help the country with more military training and intelligence amid its confrontation with Russia.
Canada Imposes More Sanctions Over Russia’s Handling Of Ukraine Dion says Canada has no intention of lifting sanctions until Russia meets its international obligations.
Canada expands sanctions over Russia’s stance on Ukraine | Toronto Star Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion says Canada has no intention of lifting sanction and added more names to the list.
Dmitry Tymchuk: Military update 03.14 #FreeSavchenko | Информационное сопротивлениеOperational data from Information Resistance:
Ukraine-EU cooperation: Top level negotiations – Merkel, Poroshenko, Hollande, Ukraine – EU, Ukraine-EU cooperation, Donald Tusk | Jean-Claude Juncker (16.03.16 20:50) « World « News | EN.Censor.net 16.03.16 20:50 – Poroshenko, Merkel, Hollande and EU leaders to meet in Belgium March 17 President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande will hold a trilateral meeting in Brussels (Belgium) March 17. View news.
Delegates gather at the United Nations for meeting on Russian-annexed Crimea – watch on – uatoday.tv Crimea will always remain a part of Ukraine – Samantha Power says
Voitsitska attempt: Samopomich MP Voitsitska declares attempt on her life, says mastermind unknown – assassination attempt, Samopomich, Voitsitska, Corruption, Voitsitska attempt, Samopomich assassination attempt (17.03.16 10:02) « News | EN.Censor.net 17.03.16 10:02 – Samopomich MP Voitsitska declares attempt on her life, says mastermind unknown Samopomich MP Victoriia Voitsitska has reported an attempt on her life. View news.
Ukraine initiates WTO proceedings against Russia over import, transit restrictions : UNIAN news Ukraine initiates dispute proceedings with the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding restrictions on transit and imports of food and railway equipment imposed by the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian Intelligence: Poroshenko signs National Intelligence Program, – NSDC – Poroshenko, intelligence, NSDC, Ukrainian Intelligence, Ukraine defense capability (16.03.16 16:48) « News | EN.Censor.net 16.03.16 16:48 – Poroshenko signs National Intelligence Program, – NSDC The National Intelligence Program, outlining the development of Ukraine’s intelligence agencies, was signed by President Petro Poroshenko a few days ago. View news.
Turkey to purchase natural gas via Ukraine – Daily Sabah Speaking to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Igor Prokopiv, the president of the Ukrainian Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) Ukrtransgaz, said: Turkey and…
Ukrainian Player Called ‘Traitor’ For Opting To Play In Russia With tensions between Kyiv and Moscow at all-time highs, even the transfer of top Ukrainian soccer player Yevhen Seleznyov to a club in Russia stirs passions.
Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and Canada visit military training field in Western Ukraine – watch on – uatoday.tv Canada’s minister of national defense calls relations with Ukraine ‘unique
‘Linkevičius in Shyrokyne: Minsk in ‘action’ – shelling continued even during my visit to Shyrokyne, – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linkevičius. PHOTOS – shoot out, Minsk agreements, Shyrokyne, Linkevičius, Russian Aggression Against Ukraine, Linkevičius in Shyrokyne, Minsk agreements inefficient (17.03.16 12:28) « Photo news | EN.Censor.net 17.03.16 12:28 – Minsk in ‘action’ – shelling continued even during my visit to Shyrokyne, – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linkevičius. PHOTOS Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius shared thoughts about his visit to Mariupol and Syrokyne. View photo news.
Nolan Peterson: What You Should Know About War in Ukraine“The media tends to downplay the seriousness of what’s at stake,” The Daily Signal’s foreign correspondent says in an on-camera interview.Military resolution of Donbas conflict should not be discussed – Bezsmertny : UNIAN newsDiscussions regarding a military solution to the conflict in Donbas should be excluded from the agenda, Representative of Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group’s political subgroup Roman Bezsmertny said during a talk show on Ukrainian 1plus1 TV channel.
Russian expert on Ukraine: “Overwhelming majority of Russians know nothing about Ukraine” : UNIAN newsHead of the Center for Ukrainian Studies of the Institute of Europe at the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia’s chief expert on Ukraine Viktor Mironenko has told UNIAN about the misconceptions of the Russian elite that provoked the annexation of Crimea and the attempt to create “Novorossiya,” and suggested a way out of the current situation.
Ukraine’s New Sniper Rifles: Deadly weapons to fight Russia’s war in Donbas – watch on – uatoday.tvNew rifles for Ukrainian snipers – now the enemy should be afraid
Triton armored vehicle: Withstands anti-tank mine. Equipped with thermal viewer and radar, – border guards tested Triton armored car. VIDEO – State Border Patrol, testing, arms, Defense, Triton armored vehicle, Army armament (17.03.16 17:40) « Video news | EN.Censor.net17.03.16 17:40 – Withstands anti-tank mine. Equipped with thermal viewer and radar, – border guards tested Triton armored car. VIDEO Ukrainian border guards have tested up-to-date wheeled armored vehicles Triton with enhanced mine protection. View video news.
Ukraine tears down giant Lenin statue | SBS NewsExhaustive efforts to tear down Ukraine’s largest remaining monument to Vladimir Lenin have finally borne fruit as workers prised the late Soviet leader’s statue from its plinth in the city of Zaporizhzhya. Since a pro-Western uprising ousted a Russia-backed president in 2014, Ukraine has passed laws aimed at severing the former Soviet republic from its communist past – a move some have criticised as an attempt to erase history.
Lenin Zaporizhia: Biggest monument to Lenin in Ukraine dismantled in Zaporizhia. VIDEO+PHOTOS – derigging, Zaporizhya Region, Lenin, monument, decommunisation, Anticommunist laws, Lenin Zaporizhia (17.03.16 16:48) « Video news | EN.Censor.net17.03.16 16:48 – Biggest monument to Lenin in Ukraine dismantled in Zaporizhia. VIDEO+PHOTOS In Zaporizhia, Thursday, the monument to Vladimir Lenin on Zaporizka Square (previously – Lenin Square) was finally pulled down. View video news.
Biggest Lenin statue in Ukraine pulled down in Zaporizhia (photos, video) – watch on – uatoday.tvUkraine dismantles its biggest Lenin monumentLast major Lenin monument demolished in Ukrainian-controlled territory (VIDEO)The last big Lenin monument in a major city controlled by Ukrainian authorities was demolished on March 16. The Lenin monument in the oblast capital Zaporizhzhia – the last one in Ukrainian-controlled regional capitals – was taken down by city authorities to comply with the country’s decommunization law, which was passed last May and aims to dismantle the Soviet Union’s totalitarian legacy. The 19.8 meter monument, which weighs 40 tonnes, was Ukraine’s biggest Lenin statue. Demolition works started on March 14 but were thwarted by technical problems. The event completes the demolition of Soviet monuments in central and southeastern Ukraine, which started with the toppling of a Lenin statue on Bessarabska Ploshcha in Kyiv during the EuroMaidan Revolution, on Dec. 8, 2013. Lenin monuments in western Ukrainian regional capitals were toppled in the 1990s, while statues of the Soviet leader in Russian-occupied Crimea and Donbas still remain untouched.
Ukraine topples biggest remaining Lenin statue | World news | The Guardian Bronze and granite monument measuring 20m in south-eastern city of Zaporizhia fell foul of ban on Soviet symbols
Ukraine tears down giant Lenin statueUkraine tears down giant Lenin statue
Crimea / Turkey
Official explains why Crimea-Russia bridge stillborn project : UNIAN news There are documents in archives proving that the construction of the bridge over the Kerch Strait, which would connect the occupied Crimea with Russia, is impossible, according to the representative of Ukraine in the political subgroup at the Tripartite Liaison Group, Roman Bezsmertniy, 112 TV channel reports.
Vladimir Putin threatens to ‘hang’ someone if Crimea and Russia bridge is not done | Daily Mail Online Russian president flew into Crimea on the second anniversary of Moscow’s ‘illegal’ annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine despite the strong opposition of the international community.
Why Vladimir Putin’s Building a Bridge From Russia to CrimeaThe bridge is being built by a company owned by Arkady Rotenberg, Putin’s judo partner.
Putin’s Crimea Is No VacationTwo years ago on March 16, Crimeans voted in a sham referendum for Russia to annex Crimea. Has life improved for the approximately two million people who live there? Not at all. On every measure, from the economy to its treatment of minorities, the beautiful peninsula has become a shell of what it once was. The economic situation in Crimea is desperate. Tourism, one of the peninsula’s main economic engines, took a serious nosedive in 2014, when Crimea received fewer than three million visitors—half the number who vacationed there in 2013. That is because Ukrainians made up the largest portion of tourists in Crimea prior to annexation. But for political and economic reasons, many now choose not to go. The Russian tourists who were supposed to flood into Crimea never came. Crimeans have experienced a sharp decline in their standard of living. Western sanctions prevent European and American companies from operating on the peninsula, cutting into potential revenue and jobs from foreign investment. The Ukrainian government has imposed restrictions on trade with Crimea as well. Since switching to the Russian ruble, Crimeans have been subject to that currency’s massive depreciation, from an exchange rate of about 35 rubles per dollar in 2014 to 70 rubles per dollar today. While Crimeans’ pensions under Russian occupation may be nominally higher, their rubles have lost more than half of their purchasing power.
Russian Sanctions to Remain Until Crimea Returned to Ukraine – U.S. | News | The Moscow Times Sanctions against Russia will remain in place until Crimea is returned to Ukraine, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a press statement Tuesday.
Two years after Russia’s occupation, is life for civilians possible in Crimea? -Euromaidan Press |They’re calling it the “Crimean Spring.” These are the several celebratory events that are being held in occupied Crimea and in Russia from March 15 to March 18. The celebrations are to commemorate what most of the world recognizes as a criminal referendum which took place in Crimea on 16th of March, 2014. The referendum, conducted virtually at gunpoint as Russia’s armed troops were visible at every polling station, were announced the following day. That is the day that Russian occupation officially began. We take a look at Crimea today, two years into occupation, to see what it is Crimea and Russia have to celebrate.
Entire indigenous population of Crimea endangered with looming Mejlis ban -Euromaidan Press |If the ban is enacted, almost any Crimean Tatar could be prosecuted on all-inclusive charges of “extremism.”
Ukraine: Fear, Repression in Crimea | Human Rights Watch
Tatar Mejlis hearing branded ‘kangaroo court’ begins on Russian-occupied Crimea – watch on – uatoday.tv Crimea’s occupational authorities mull banning Crimean Tatars’ Mejlis
EU calls on all UN member states to join sanctions against Russia : UNIAN news High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has called on UN Member States to adhere to non-recognition policy of the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
Kurdish TAK militant group says it was behind Ankara bombing that killed 37 : UNIAN newsThe Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) militant group on Thursday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in the Turkish capital Ankara that killed 37 people, and vowed to continue its strikes against security forces, Reuters reported.
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