May 4:
The Russian government is responding forcefully to unrest among the Tatar community on the Crimean Peninsula. A recent decision by the Kremlin not to allow entry into the new Russian territory to Mustafa Dzhemilev, the spiritual leader of the Crimean Tatars, led to widespread protests and the blockading of several highways in the region. The Moscow Times reports that the Russian government has announced plans to prosecute the protestors in an effort to quell dissent among the restive minority. A
Although Crimea is now formally a part of Russia, the territory is still heavily tethered to Ukraine. The Peninsula “relies on the Ukraine mainland for the most basic of necessities such as water and electricity,” the Daily Beastreports. This, in turn, could serve as the basis for still further Russian aggression, as Moscow “resort[s] to an armed southern invasion to take control of the pipelines that feed Crimea.”
May 5:
There has been a significant increase in activities by Russian planes and ships in the Pacific region, the Associated Press reports. According to General Herbert Carlisle, the commander of U..S air forces in the Pacific, long-range Russian air patrols have been spotted near the coast of California and circumnavigating the U.S. territory of Guam in recent weeks. The likely objective of the flights, Pentagon officials believe, is to gather intelligence on U.S. military exercises.
Amid an ongoing propaganda war with Kyiv, Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to honor more than 300 journalists for their “objective coverage” of events in Crimea, Reuters reports. The awards were presented to television, radio, and newspapers loyal to Putin in late April, and only reported publicly two weeks after the event.
May 7:
The White House has announced plans to remove special trade benefits from Russia, a move which would leave the country subject once again to normal tariff rates. According to the Associated Press, the Obama administration is planning to remove Russia from the General System of Preferences program - a commercial initiative designed to economically assist developing countries. The move comes as a blow to Moscow; in 2012 alone, the program provided Russia with over $500 million in savings from import duties. Officially, the White House has said that Russia is too advanced for membership in the program, but has also cited recent events in Ukraine as reasons for Russia’s removal.
Is Russia backing down from conflict in Ukraine? The Washington Times reports that Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced his troops have pulled back from the Ukrainian border, and has hinted that he is prepared to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine. U.S. officials, however, have stated that there has been no evidence of a retraction of Russian forces.