Staunton, March 28 – Over the past week, somewhat more than 20,000 residents of Crimea have asked for Russian Federation passports and Russian officials have handed out about 6500, Anatoly Fomenko, the deputy head of Russia’s Federal Migration Service, told Russia’s official ITAR-TASS news agency earlier this week. Fomenko said that Russian officials are trying […]
Staunton, March 28 – The United Nations General Assembly yesterday approved a resolution declaring the Moscow-organized “referendum” in Crimea illegal. The UN vote, of course, has no legal force, although it does highlight the emergence of new divisions in the international community, divisions that will certainly outlast the current crisis. One hundred countries, including the […]
US intelligence estimates for the amount of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders continues to rise, and is eclipsed by Ukrainian estimates. Meanwhile, President Obama warns Putin to “move back those troops.” Yesterday’s liveblog can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see our latest podcast. Please help The Interpreter to […]
Russians continue to protest the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine following a mass march against Putin’s forcible annexation of Crimea last week. (Go here and here for the last weeks’ news.) Defendants in the Bolotnaya Case charged with “instigating riots” remain on trial. The Russian government continues to make moves to suppress dissent, chiefly by blocking […]
Staunton, March 28 – Former Russian finance minister Alexei Kudrin has said and official Russian news agencies have reported that that Russia’s annexation of Crimea is going to have extremely deleterious effects on the Russian economy, including massive capital flight, and any hope of real economic growth this year. Kudrin said yesterday that Russia will […]
Staunton, March 28 – The Russian Federation currently has enough forces on the border of Ukraine to seize the southeastern portions of that country, but because it will face a partisan war after it defeats the out-manned Ukrainian military, the Russian forces currently available are insufficient to hold that region, according to Rashit Akhmetov. In […]
A classified U.S. intelligence assessment gives a high likelihood of Russia’s invading eastern Ukraine, as Russia amasses approximately 30,000 troops on the border. Yesterday’s liveblog can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see our latest podcast. Please help The Interpreter to continue providing this valuable information service by making […]
Staunton, March 27 – Even though polls show Vladimir Putin’s approval rating close to its highest level ever, his Anschluss of Crimea is upsetting many citizens of the Russian Federation, with ethnic Russians at least so far concerned mostly about its cost and non-Russians upset about the rights Moscow says it is defending in Crimea […]
Staunton, March 27 – Many commentators have pointed out that Moscow’s seizure of Crimea will give it much greater freedom of action at its Sevastopol naval base and allow the Russian government to project greater power southward against the littoral states, including Turkey, and into the Mediterranean. But two maps accompanying a blog post by […]
Staunton, March 27 – Under international law at the present time, one country can interfere in the affairs of another “either as response to aggression, as a defense of its own citizens, or in reaction to massive force and genocide,” Vladislav Inozemtsev writes in today’s Vedomosti. But Vladimir Putin’s actions in Crimea, which he justifies […]
