February 13:
Last Fall, the French government decided to cancel a long-planned sale of warships to Russia amid ongoing tensions in Ukraine. Now, it appears to be on the hook for the balance. According to Sputnik News, France may have to pay "somewhere between 500 million euros and 5 billion" for its failure to deliver two Mistral-class helicopter carriers to Russia.
A Russian court has upheld the ban imposed against Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemiliev, ostensibly to "ensure the state's defence capacity and security, and to safeguard public order." The Kharkiv Human Rights Group notes that the order, issued by Moscow's Basmanny Court, prohibits the 71-year-old Dzhemiliev - an advocate of Crimean Tatar autonomy - from entering the Peninsula, now part of the Russian Federation, for another five years.
Russia's parliament is upping the ante in Moscow's standoff with Europe over Ukraine. According to Newsweek, a letter sent by the Russian Duma to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe has warned that Russia is ready to "mobilize all forces" in the conflict over Ukraine. The letter, signed by the State Duma chairman Sergey Naryshkin, paints Russian actions as an effort to prevent "fragmentation in Europe" and secure "the possibility of a peaceful life for over 800 million Europeans."
February 15:
Amid the country's ongoing fiscal turmoil, The Moscow Times reports that one of Russia's best known economic faces is rising in prominence. Former Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin is rumored to have participated in a high-level crisis meeting on Russia's economy at Russian President Vladimir Putin's Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow. Kudrin's presence, observers say, is significant, indicating that Putin's government is increasingly looking for outside assistance in steering the Russian ship of state. "It is possible there is a deficit of experts in the government," says economist Yevgeny Nadorshin.
February 16:
New European sanctions have blacklisted some of Russia's most recognizable faces. Reuters reports that supplemental punitive measures just passed by the European Union have targeted 19 individuals and nine organizations with travel bans and asset freezes, expanding the list of sanctioned entities already penalized as a result of Russia's Ukraine policy. The list includes Iosif Kobzon, a well-known Russian singer turned Duma Deputy, as well as Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov and Andrei Kartapolov, deputy chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces.
Americans now see Russia as the greatest enemy of the United States, a new poll by the Gallup organization has found. Eighteen percent of respondents in the survey deemed that Russia was the most significant foe now facing the U.S. - up from just three percent in 2011. Russia surpassed North Korea, China and Iran in negative perceptions among respondents to the poll.
Moreover, according to the survey, nearly half (49 percent) of Americans polled see Russian military power as a "critical threat" to the country. Another 41 percent see it as an "important" challenge facing America.
Want these sent to your inbox?
Subscribe