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Russia retaliates on West's sanctions over Ukraine
Let them eat borscht.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/world/article/Russia-retaliates-on-West-s-sanctions-over-Ukraine-5675610.php
"Russia retaliated Thursday for sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine by banning most food imports from the West, dealing a blow to Europe that also takes aim at hurting farmers in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
In choosing to make an economic move, President Vladimir Putin signaled he isn't ready at this point to send troops into Ukraine. He also showed he's willing to inflict significant pain on his own people to make a point.
The U.S. and the European Union have accused Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March, of supplying arms and expertise to a pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine, and have responded by slapping sanctions on Russian individuals and companies. Tensions rose further last month when a Malaysian jetliner was shot down over rebel-held territory, killing all 298 people aboard, and the West accused Russia of most likely providing the militants with the missiles that may have been used to bring the plane down.
Moscow denies supporting the rebels and accuses the West of blocking attempts at a political settlement by encouraging Kiev to use its military to crush the insurgency.
The ban, announced by a somber Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at a televised Cabinet meeting, covers all imports of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, milk and milk products from the U.S. and Canada; all 28 EU countries, plus Norway; and Australia. It will last for one year.
"Until the last moment, we hoped that our foreign colleagues would understand that sanctions lead to a deadlock and no one needs them," Medvedev said. "But they didn't, and the situation now requires us to take retaliatory measures."
That retaliation, however, could hurt Russia as much as the West. With the inclusion of Ukraine, most of whose food products also have been banned, Russia has now cut off 55 percent of its agricultural imports, including about 95 percent of its imported milk, cheese and yogurt.
Washington dismissed Moscow's ban as trivial to the U.S. but destructive to Russia's own population."
http://www.sfchronicle.com/world/article/Russia-retaliates-on-West-s-sanctions-over-Ukraine-5675610.php
"Russia retaliated Thursday for sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine by banning most food imports from the West, dealing a blow to Europe that also takes aim at hurting farmers in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
In choosing to make an economic move, President Vladimir Putin signaled he isn't ready at this point to send troops into Ukraine. He also showed he's willing to inflict significant pain on his own people to make a point.
The U.S. and the European Union have accused Russia, which annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March, of supplying arms and expertise to a pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine, and have responded by slapping sanctions on Russian individuals and companies. Tensions rose further last month when a Malaysian jetliner was shot down over rebel-held territory, killing all 298 people aboard, and the West accused Russia of most likely providing the militants with the missiles that may have been used to bring the plane down.
Moscow denies supporting the rebels and accuses the West of blocking attempts at a political settlement by encouraging Kiev to use its military to crush the insurgency.
The ban, announced by a somber Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at a televised Cabinet meeting, covers all imports of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, milk and milk products from the U.S. and Canada; all 28 EU countries, plus Norway; and Australia. It will last for one year.
"Until the last moment, we hoped that our foreign colleagues would understand that sanctions lead to a deadlock and no one needs them," Medvedev said. "But they didn't, and the situation now requires us to take retaliatory measures."
That retaliation, however, could hurt Russia as much as the West. With the inclusion of Ukraine, most of whose food products also have been banned, Russia has now cut off 55 percent of its agricultural imports, including about 95 percent of its imported milk, cheese and yogurt.
Washington dismissed Moscow's ban as trivial to the U.S. but destructive to Russia's own population."
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/russian-apcs-mass-near-ukraines-border-aid-convoy-waits-n181311
"KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia - Dozens of heavy Russian military vehicles massed on Friday near the border with Ukraine, where a huge Russian convoy with humanitarian aid came to a halt as Moscow and Kiev struggled to agree on border crossing procedures. Russia says it is carrying 2,000 tons of water, baby food and other aid for people in east Ukraine, where pro-Moscow separatists are fighting government forces.
Kiev and some Western officials have said they believe the convoy could be a cover for a Russian military incursion - a claim Moscow has described as "absurd." On Thursday, the convoy of some 280 trucks stopped in open fields near the Russian town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, about 12 miles from the border with Ukraine. It was still stationed there on Friday morning and a Reuters reporter at the scene saw a dozen armored personnel carriers (APCs) on the move not far from the convoy. Another Reuters reporter saw two dozen APCs moving near the border with Ukraine on Thursday night. Kiev and NATO have said they fear Russia will invade east Ukraine after massing more than 40,000 troops near the border. Russia says it is conducting military exercises and has no plans to invade."
"KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia - Dozens of heavy Russian military vehicles massed on Friday near the border with Ukraine, where a huge Russian convoy with humanitarian aid came to a halt as Moscow and Kiev struggled to agree on border crossing procedures. Russia says it is carrying 2,000 tons of water, baby food and other aid for people in east Ukraine, where pro-Moscow separatists are fighting government forces.
Kiev and some Western officials have said they believe the convoy could be a cover for a Russian military incursion - a claim Moscow has described as "absurd." On Thursday, the convoy of some 280 trucks stopped in open fields near the Russian town of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, about 12 miles from the border with Ukraine. It was still stationed there on Friday morning and a Reuters reporter at the scene saw a dozen armored personnel carriers (APCs) on the move not far from the convoy. Another Reuters reporter saw two dozen APCs moving near the border with Ukraine on Thursday night. Kiev and NATO have said they fear Russia will invade east Ukraine after massing more than 40,000 troops near the border. Russia says it is conducting military exercises and has no plans to invade."
http://www.sfchronicle.com/world/article/Pressure-mounts-as-Russian-convoy-reaches-5689955.php
"KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia -- Raising the stakes in Ukraine's conflict, a Russian aid convoy of more than 200 trucks pushed up to the border Thursday but then stopped, provocatively poised to cross into rebel-held territory.
The Ukrainian government threatened to use all means available to block the convoy if the Red Cross was not allowed to inspect the cargo. Such an inspection would ease concerns that Russia could use the aid shipment as cover for a military incursion in support of the separatists, who have come under growing pressure from government troops.
The United States has warned Russia that it needs to secure Ukraine's permission for the convoy to enter.
"We've made that very clear to the Russians that they should not move these trucks in, without taking all of the steps the Ukrainian government has outlined," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Thursday.
Amid the tensions surrounding the convoy, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso called Russian and Ukrainian leaders to arrange three-way consultations on ways to de-escalate the crisis.
Ukraine announced it was organizing its own aid shipment to the war-racked separatist region of Luhansk.
Complicating the dispute over the dueling missions, Ukraine said Thursday it has gained control over a key town near Luhansk city, thereby giving it the means to block the presumed route that the Russian convoy would take to the city.
While the disputed aid convoy stopped short of the border, the Guardian reported seeing a separate convoy of 23 armored personnel carriers with Russian military plates crossed through a gap in barbed wire fence from Russia into Ukrainian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, addressed hundreds of lawmakers Thursday in the Black Sea resort of Yalta in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in March.
In a relatively subdued address, Putin said Russia's goal was "to stop bloodshed in Ukraine as soon as possible." Moscow should improve life in Ukraine "without building a wall from the West," he said, but asserted that Russia would "not allow anyone to treat us with arrogance."
"KAMENSK-SHAKHTINSKY, Russia -- Raising the stakes in Ukraine's conflict, a Russian aid convoy of more than 200 trucks pushed up to the border Thursday but then stopped, provocatively poised to cross into rebel-held territory.
The Ukrainian government threatened to use all means available to block the convoy if the Red Cross was not allowed to inspect the cargo. Such an inspection would ease concerns that Russia could use the aid shipment as cover for a military incursion in support of the separatists, who have come under growing pressure from government troops.
The United States has warned Russia that it needs to secure Ukraine's permission for the convoy to enter.
"We've made that very clear to the Russians that they should not move these trucks in, without taking all of the steps the Ukrainian government has outlined," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Thursday.
Amid the tensions surrounding the convoy, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso called Russian and Ukrainian leaders to arrange three-way consultations on ways to de-escalate the crisis.
Ukraine announced it was organizing its own aid shipment to the war-racked separatist region of Luhansk.
Complicating the dispute over the dueling missions, Ukraine said Thursday it has gained control over a key town near Luhansk city, thereby giving it the means to block the presumed route that the Russian convoy would take to the city.
While the disputed aid convoy stopped short of the border, the Guardian reported seeing a separate convoy of 23 armored personnel carriers with Russian military plates crossed through a gap in barbed wire fence from Russia into Ukrainian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, addressed hundreds of lawmakers Thursday in the Black Sea resort of Yalta in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in March.
In a relatively subdued address, Putin said Russia's goal was "to stop bloodshed in Ukraine as soon as possible." Moscow should improve life in Ukraine "without building a wall from the West," he said, but asserted that Russia would "not allow anyone to treat us with arrogance."
I have heard that round about 80 percent of his people are supporting his efforts, and they love him. How much of that is propaganda I dont know. The only thing I got to say about his latest tactics of retaliation is>
Send him some cheese to go with that whine.
Send him some cheese to go with that whine.
"Vladimir Putin ...... showed he's willing to inflict significant pain on his own people to make a point."
"That retaliation, however, could hurt Russia as much as the West. With the inclusion of Ukraine, most of whose food products also have been banned, Russia has now cut off 55 percent of its agricultural imports, including about 95 percent of its imported milk, cheese and yogurt.
Washington dismissed Moscow's ban as trivial to the U.S. but destructive to Russia's own population."
"That retaliation, however, could hurt Russia as much as the West. With the inclusion of Ukraine, most of whose food products also have been banned, Russia has now cut off 55 percent of its agricultural imports, including about 95 percent of its imported milk, cheese and yogurt.
Washington dismissed Moscow's ban as trivial to the U.S. but destructive to Russia's own population."
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