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Russia Signals It Will Withdraw Troops From Ukraine Border

Russia signaled on Monday it was pulling some troops away from its border with Ukraine, a move that met with skepticism in the West but could represent the Kremlin’s first notable concession after weeks of frantic diplomacy by the U.S. and Europe. It remained unclear just how many troops Russia was withdrawing. The German government said President told Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone that he had "ordered a partial withdrawal" of military forces massing along Ukraine’s eastern border. Russia’s Defense Ministry said an infantry battalion—a relatively small number of troops—had been ordered to return from a position near Ukraine to their base some 800 miles to the east. Ukrainian officials said as many as 20,000 Russian troops had apparently been moved back from the border in recent days, but that some 40,000 remained. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he couldn’t confirm whether Russian forces were pulling troops back. […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Promises of Diplomacy but No Advances in Ukraine Talks

Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart agreed on Sunday that a political solution was needed for Ukraine and said they planned to continue discussing ways to de-escalate the crisis over the country’s future and Russia ’s annexation of Crimea. But neither side claimed a breakthrough, and Russia did not commit to pulling back the more than 40,000 troops the United States says are massed near Ukraine’s border. “Both of us recognize the importance of finding a diplomatic solution and simultaneously meeting the needs of the Ukrainian people, and that we agreed on tonight,” Mr. Kerry told reporters after meeting with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov. In a separate news conference, Mr. Lavrov said he and Mr. Kerry had agreed to work on securing the rights of minorities and “linguistic rights” in Ukraine, which has a large ethnic Russian population. The treatment of […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Kerry's Talks With Russia's Lavrov Fail to Ease Ukraine Crisis

Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart appeared to make no major advances Sunday in a four-hour meeting aimed at easing the standoff over Ukraine, raising the specter of a prolonged crisis that threatens to bring broader instability to Europe. Mr. Kerry, in remarks after the negotiations, said he received no assurances from the Kremlin that it would pull back thousands of Russian troops amassed on Ukraine’s eastern border. The chief U.S. diplomat and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also didn’t appear to reach any major common ground on discussions aimed at revamping Ukraine’s political system. Mr. Kerry said his counterpart pledged Russia’s desire to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine but offered no specifics. Read about key events since the Cold War. "Any real progress in Ukraine must include a pullback of the very large Russian force that is currently amassing along Ukraine’s border," Mr. Kerry said. "Tonight […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Kerry’s Talks With Russia’s Lavrov Fail to Ease Ukraine Crisis

Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart appeared to make no major advances Sunday in a four-hour meeting aimed at easing the standoff over Ukraine, raising the specter of a prolonged crisis that threatens to bring broader instability to Europe. Mr. Kerry, in remarks after the negotiations, said he received no assurances from the Kremlin that it would pull back thousands of Russian troops amassed on Ukraine’s eastern border. The chief U.S. diplomat and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also didn’t appear to reach any major common ground on discussions aimed at revamping Ukraine’s political system. Mr. Kerry said his counterpart pledged Russia’s desire to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine but offered no specifics. Read about key events since the Cold War. "Any real progress in Ukraine must include a pullback of the very large Russian force that is currently amassing along Ukraine’s border," Mr. Kerry said. "Tonight […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Obama Envisions Russia Sanctions Limiting Global Impact

The U.S. is looking to minimize the global harm from further penalties on Russia over Ukraine , as the International Monetary Fund moves forward with a multibillion-dollar lifeline to the government in Kiev. President Barack Obama said that Russia’s military, energy and finance industries are possible targets if it moves deeper in Ukraine. While additional sanctions would inevitably also affect the economies of the U.S. and Europe, Obama said, the goal is to limit the collateral damage. “Hopefully, we can design sanctions that minimize the impact on U.S. companies or Italian companies, and maximize the impact on the narrow set of interests in Russia that help drive the decisions that they’re making,” he said yesterday at a news conference in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Obama spoke hours after the IMF unveiled a preliminary accord with Ukraine for a two-year loan of $14 billion to $18 billion […]

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Russian Energy Denied Goods as U.S. Exports Suspended

The Obama administration is blocking certain U.S. exports to Russia , including some used in its oil and gas industry, expanding the response to the annexation of Crimea. The State Department said today it halted licensing for exports of defense items and services on March 24. The Commerce Department posted a notice on its website saying it had also suspending licensing, effective March 1. Goods licensed by Commerce alone represented $1.5 billion, or 14 percent of all U.S. exports to Russia last year. “This is a lot more significant than blocking some oligarchs,” said Michael Burton , a Washington lawyer who works on export controls. “In light of the allegations that have been made, how could we continue to license, say, rifle scopes to Russia?” Full coverage of the : The U.S. has previously issued sanctions to business leaders and government officials with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin […]

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IHS: Western sanctions indirectly could hinder Russian oil, gas revenues

Western sanctions imposed against Russian government officials and business executives regarding Russia’s conflict with Ukraine could slow the availability of capital for Russian oil and gas companies trying to launch major new projects, IHS said. The US and Europe earlier this month strengthened economic sanctions against Russia in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. “While the sanctions so far do not impose any direct restrictions on the Russian energy sector, they undermine investor confidence, impeding Moscow’s efforts to generate economic growth through expanded investment,” said Julia Nanay, IHS Russia and Caspian energy analyst based in Washington, DC. International sanctions could weaken the ruble, resulting in what Nanay calls “negative momentum for Russian economic growth.” She said, “The sanctions on Russian officials, as well as ratings downgrades on investment, may negatively impact various big-ticket upstream and midstream projects perceived as vital for the Russian state–including gas pipelines, LNG projects , […]

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G7 ties energy security to Ukraine’s future

Energy security for Ukraine is an essential part of national security, Western leaders said in a joint declaration from The Hague. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, along with high-ranking officials from the European Union, met in The Hague, Netherlands, to express their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. The leaders in a joint declaration , published Monday, said energy security was part of national security for Europe and Ukraine. "We remain united in our commitment to provide strong financial backing to Ukraine, to coordinate our technical assistance, and to provide assistance in other areas, including measures to enhance trade and strengthen energy security," they said. Ukraine descended into chaos in November when the government of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych opted to suspend efforts to sign free trade and association agreements with the EU. Russia has […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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G7 ties energy security to Ukraine's future

Energy security for Ukraine is an essential part of national security, Western leaders said in a joint declaration from The Hague. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, along with high-ranking officials from the European Union, met in The Hague, Netherlands, to express their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. The leaders in a joint declaration , published Monday, said energy security was part of national security for Europe and Ukraine. "We remain united in our commitment to provide strong financial backing to Ukraine, to coordinate our technical assistance, and to provide assistance in other areas, including measures to enhance trade and strengthen energy security," they said. Ukraine descended into chaos in November when the government of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych opted to suspend efforts to sign free trade and association agreements with the EU. Russia has […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Russian Oil Seen Heading East Not West in Crimea Spat

The Crimean crisis is poised to reshape the politics of oil by accelerating Russia ’s drive to send more barrels to China , leaving Europe with pricier imports and boosting U.S. dependence on fuel from the Middle East. China already has agreed to buy more than $350 billion of Russian crude in coming years from the government of President Vladimir Putin . The ties are likely to deepen as the U.S. and Europe levy sanctions against Russia as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine. Such shifts will be hard to overcome. Europe, which gets about 30 percent of its natural gas from Russia, has few viable immediate alternatives. The U.S., even after the shale boom, must import 40 percent of its crude oil , 10.6 million barrels a day that leaves the country vulnerable to global markets. The alternatives to Russia also carry significant financial, environmental and geological challenges. […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple