RUSSIA is not only supplying the Ukrainian rebels, it is actively participating in the rebellion against Kiev,laying the groundwork for Russian invasion of Ukraine and the seizure of the eastern districts of the country. Russia is providing air support for the rebellion, shooting down another Ukrainian Air Force plane, shelling Ukrainian Army troops from Russia, and providing the rebels with light and heavy weapons and surface to air missiles. Now, with the downing of a Malaysian Airlines flight over Ukraine by Russia (or their Ukrainian rebels) the West will have to respond with much stronger economic and diplomatic sanctions against putin and his cabal in Moscow. The Quislings of the West (Obama, Merkel, Hollande, Cameron, Harper and Renzi, among others) have the blood of hundreds of Ukrainians on their hands, if they don't do something about Russia funding, fueling and participating in the Ukrainian civil war they will not only share responsibility for the shooting down of MH 17 but the deaths and wounding of all other victims of this conflict. This from +NPR and there is more at Crisis in Ukraine....
Syritsa Mikhail/ITAR-TASS/Landov
This post updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.
A Ukrainian government spokesman says one of its warplanes was shot down in the country's east by a Russian air force jet, as the U.S. and Europe stepped up sanctions on Moscow over its support of separatist rebels.
Ukraine says a ground-attack was downed by an air-to-air missile Wednesday evening over the eastern region of Luhansk. The pilot reportedly safely ejected before the plane crashed. Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, denied that his country was responsible for the downed plane.
Reuters notes that Kiev's comment on the incident is "the strongest Ukrainian allegation to date of direct Russian military involvement in the conflict."
Separately, another Ukrainian Su-25 was hit by a rebel missile, but suffered only slight damage and landed safely, according to Ukrainian officials.
In another incident last week, Ukraine said one of its transports was shot down by a ground or air-launched missile fired from Russia. Two of the eight crew members were killed.
According to the
In Mosow, NPR's Corey Flintoff says the sanctions are already having an effect, with share prices opening sharply lower on Thursday in Russia's major stock exchange. European leaders agreed Wednesday to impose similar sanctions. says that decision "is a significant ratcheting-up of European pressure on Russia although it falls short of the hard-hitting economic measures against Russia for which the U.S. and hawks in the EU were pushing."
And, :
Sergey Bobok/AFP/Getty Images
President Obama outlined a new package of sanctions against Russian firms and individuals on Wednesday.
"These sanctions are significant but also targeted," Obama said. "Russia will see that its actions in Ukraine have consequences."
The administration targeted large banks, as well as energy and defense firms. The sanctions stopped short of covering entire sectors of the Russian economy.
Obama said they were designed to inflict pain on Russia without harming U.S. companies or the nation's allies.
He said Russia had failed to heed calls that it stop weapons from flowing into Ukraine.
"So far, Russia has failed to take any of the steps that I have mentioned," Obama said. "In fact, Russia's support for the separatists and violations of Ukraine's sovereignty has continued."
The bar American individuals and companies from trading in equities with those firms or extending them credit for periods longer than 90 days.
Among the firms targeted were Rosneft, the largest Russian oil producer; Novatek, a natural gas producer; Gazprombank, the financial arm of natural gas company Gazprom (though not Gazprom itself); and Vnesheconombank, or VEB, an economic development lender.
The administration also targeted eight state-owned defense firms and four Russian government officials, including an aide to President Vladimir Putin, the head of its Federal Security Service and the minister for Crimean affairs, as well as rump groups in breakaway areas within Ukraine.
The new sanctions go beyond , which imposed travel restrictions on individuals and froze their assets.
"These are serious sanctions. They target major Russian energy companies and financial institutions," Steven Pifer, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told .
The Russian firms singled out by the administration will now be blocked from U.S. capital markets for financing medium and long-term debt. They will also have to look elsewhere to find dollars, which are an important financing tool.
"This is a significant step," a senior administration official said in a conference call with reporters. "Today's steps will only further exacerbate Russia's economic problems."
Administration officials emphasized that the Treasury Department, using authority granted by a series of executive orders signed by the president, could extend further sanctions.
European Union leaders, meeting Wednesday in Brussels, on Russia that did not match the scope of the latest moves by the Obama administration.
"There has been a little bit of a yin-yang where sometimes we're catching up with them and sometimes they're catching up with us," said another senior administration official.
A Sukhoi Su-25 single-seat, twin-engine jet
aircraft with Russian markings. A similar Ukrainian jet was reportedly
shot down late Wednesday.
A Ukrainian government spokesman says one of its warplanes was shot down in the country's east by a Russian air force jet, as the U.S. and Europe stepped up sanctions on Moscow over its support of separatist rebels.
Ukraine says a ground-attack was downed by an air-to-air missile Wednesday evening over the eastern region of Luhansk. The pilot reportedly safely ejected before the plane crashed. Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, denied that his country was responsible for the downed plane.
Reuters notes that Kiev's comment on the incident is "the strongest Ukrainian allegation to date of direct Russian military involvement in the conflict."
Separately, another Ukrainian Su-25 was hit by a rebel missile, but suffered only slight damage and landed safely, according to Ukrainian officials.
In another incident last week, Ukraine said one of its transports was shot down by a ground or air-launched missile fired from Russia. Two of the eight crew members were killed.
According to the
Meanwhile, the White House announced Wednesday that it was stepping up sanctions against Moscow in hopes of pressuring President Vladimir Putin to end his support of pro-Russian separatists."[Pro-Kiev] activists have pointed to videos which appear to show Grad multiple rocket launchers being fired from Russian soil in the direction of Ukraine.
"Nato says that Russian troop numbers on the border have increased again to about 12,000."
In Mosow, NPR's Corey Flintoff says the sanctions are already having an effect, with share prices opening sharply lower on Thursday in Russia's major stock exchange. European leaders agreed Wednesday to impose similar sanctions. says that decision "is a significant ratcheting-up of European pressure on Russia although it falls short of the hard-hitting economic measures against Russia for which the U.S. and hawks in the EU were pushing."
And, :
"The U.S. moves to impose restrictions on the Russian state-controlled oil giant OAO Rosneft and other top firms are aimed at squeezing Russia's already struggling economy and financial system. They followed weeks of U.S. threats that Russia would face repercussions unless it helped defuse the crisis in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian government for months.
"Mr. Putin bristled at the new sanctions. 'They tend to have a boomerang effect, and without a doubt, in this case they have driven Russian-American relations to a dead end, causing very serious damage,' he said. 'I am convinced that is to the detriment of the long-term national interests of the American government and its people.' "
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk visits forces stationed near the small city of Izyum on Wednesday.
"These sanctions are significant but also targeted," Obama said. "Russia will see that its actions in Ukraine have consequences."
The administration targeted large banks, as well as energy and defense firms. The sanctions stopped short of covering entire sectors of the Russian economy.
Obama said they were designed to inflict pain on Russia without harming U.S. companies or the nation's allies.
He said Russia had failed to heed calls that it stop weapons from flowing into Ukraine.
"So far, Russia has failed to take any of the steps that I have mentioned," Obama said. "In fact, Russia's support for the separatists and violations of Ukraine's sovereignty has continued."
The bar American individuals and companies from trading in equities with those firms or extending them credit for periods longer than 90 days.
Among the firms targeted were Rosneft, the largest Russian oil producer; Novatek, a natural gas producer; Gazprombank, the financial arm of natural gas company Gazprom (though not Gazprom itself); and Vnesheconombank, or VEB, an economic development lender.
The administration also targeted eight state-owned defense firms and four Russian government officials, including an aide to President Vladimir Putin, the head of its Federal Security Service and the minister for Crimean affairs, as well as rump groups in breakaway areas within Ukraine.
The new sanctions go beyond , which imposed travel restrictions on individuals and froze their assets.
"These are serious sanctions. They target major Russian energy companies and financial institutions," Steven Pifer, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told .
The Russian firms singled out by the administration will now be blocked from U.S. capital markets for financing medium and long-term debt. They will also have to look elsewhere to find dollars, which are an important financing tool.
"This is a significant step," a senior administration official said in a conference call with reporters. "Today's steps will only further exacerbate Russia's economic problems."
Administration officials emphasized that the Treasury Department, using authority granted by a series of executive orders signed by the president, could extend further sanctions.
European Union leaders, meeting Wednesday in Brussels, on Russia that did not match the scope of the latest moves by the Obama administration.
"There has been a little bit of a yin-yang where sometimes we're catching up with them and sometimes they're catching up with us," said another senior administration official.
No comments:
Post a Comment