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29 Aug, 2014

Condemns Russian ‘invasion’

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Abbott says an apparent movement of Russian troops into Ukraine represents an ‘invasion’ and is unacceptable:

Clearly if, as seems to have been the case, Russian armed forces have simply moved across the border that is an invasion and it is utterly reprehensible. It is an absolutely clear cut case of a larger country bullying a smaller country and should have no place in our world.

The act presents a risk to global security:

You cannot have an international order if might is right. You cannot have a safe and secure world if powerful countries are able to take what they want and plainly what we’ve seen in the Ukraine over the last six moths or so is an increasingly aggressive role by Russia and it seems that Russia is now stepping out of the shadows and overtly trying to achieve its objects of domination in the Ukraine. It is completely, absolutely and utterly unacceptable.

30 Aug, 2014

European ultimatum to Russia

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European leaders give Russia one week to scale back its intervention in Ukraine – or face fresh economic sanctions. European leaders order officials to make urgent preparations for a toughening of measures, likely to target senior Kremlin figures as well as the defence, energy and financial sectors. Barroso:

We are in a very serious, I would say, dramatic situation … where we can reach the point of no return. If the escalation of the conflict continues, this point can come.

1 Sep, 2014

Increases sanctions

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Abbott announces increased sanctions on Russia, bringing Australia’s sanctions in line with the European Union. The extra sanctions include restrictions on arms exports, restrictions on Russian State-owned banks to Australia’s capital markets, stopping exports used for oil exploration and production, restrictions on Australian trade and investment in Crimea, and targeted travel bans and financial sanctions on 63 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities. He doesn’t impose sanctions on the uranium trade, but says:

The government does not rule out further sanctions in the future

2 Sep, 2014

‘Russia can take Kiev in two weeks’

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Barroso questions Putin on the apparent presence of as many as 1,600 Russian troops in Ukraine at a closed-door discussion at an EU summit in Brussels, and the Russian leader responds that he could take the country’s capital in a fortnight. Details of the talk leaked by the Italian La Repubblica newspaper show that he responds:

The problem is not this, but that if I want I’ll take Kiev in two weeks

A Kremlin foreign policy advisor says the remarks are out of context, however the Kremlin does not deny that Putin has spoken of taking Kiev.

3 Sep, 2014

Suspends uranium trade

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Abbott announces that uranium trade with Russia is ruled out until further notice due to its actions in the Ukraine, several days after the government announces other sanctions including restrictions on investment, travel, and access by Russian banks to Australian capital markets.

Australia has no intention of selling uranium to a country which is so obviously in breach of international law as Russia currently is

‘Russia at war with Europe’

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Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite says that Russia is now effectively at war with Europe:

It is the fact that Russia is in a war state against Ukraine. That means it is in a state of war against a country which would like to be closely integrated with the EU. Practically Russia is in a state of war against Europe. That means we need to help Ukraine to … defend its territory and its people and to help militarily, especially with the military materials to help Ukraine to defend itself because today Ukraine is fighting a war on behalf of all Europe.

‘Cannot appease Putin’

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Cameron says at a closed-door EU summit in Brussels that the international community cannot afford to appease Putin, comparing Russia’s actions to Hitler in 1938.  The Italian La Repubblica newspaper obtains details of the discussion:

We run the risk of repeating the mistakes made in Munich in ’38. We cannot know what will happen next. This time we cannot meet Putin’s demands. He has already taken Crimea and we cannot allow him to take the whole country.

Downing Street declines to confirm the remarks, but does not contest the accuracy of the report.

5 Sep, 2014

Ceasefire begins

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Ukraine, Russia and the Kremlin-backed separatists sign a ceasefire deal. Gunfire and shelling appear to fall silent across the east of the country as the agreement takes effect. Poroshenko says he ordered his forces to halt hostilities at 6 p.m. local time (11 a.m. EDT) after the deal was signed in Minsk, Belarus capital, by the three sides and a representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Separatist leaders also say they ordered their forces to hold fire. Poroshenko says the cease-fire is based on an agreement reached during a ‘long conversation’ with Putin and will be overseen by international monitors from the OSCE. The European Union is preparing additional sanctions in case it fails. The negotiators also agree on withdrawal of all heavy weaponry, the release of all prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian aid to devastated cities in eastern Ukraine.

10 Sep, 2014

70% of Russian troops withdrawn

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Poroshenko says Russia has withdrawn the majority of its forces from eastern Ukraine. At a government meeting:

According to the latest information that I have received from our intelligence, 70 percent of Russian troops have been moved back across the border. This further strengthens our hope that the peace initiatives have good prospects.

12 Sep, 2014

Sanctions against Russia

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The EU has introduced new sanctions on Russia which would take effect on Friday 12 Sept The EU and NATO believes that Russia still have about 1,000 armed troops in east Ukraine. The EU and US accuse the Kremlin of directly helping pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions by sending regular soldiers across the border, along with sophisticated weapons including tanks. Moscow denies the allegations.

 

17 Oct, 2014

Credit rating cut to just above junk grade

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Moody’s Investors Service cuts its rating on Russian government debt to Baa2, the second ratings notch above speculative grade. The outlook on the credit rating is Negative. It cites ‘increasingly subdued medium-term growth prospects,’ exacerbated by the Ukraine crisis. Low oil prices and other factors also contribute.

Monitors all west African students

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The Russian government has placed all students arriving from west Africa – more than 1,000 people – under monitoring. Deputy education minister Kaganov:

I’m sure there is no real danger of Ebola getting into [Russia].

24 Dec, 2014

Inflation tops 10%

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Russian inflation reaches more than 10% for the first time in more than five years due to sanctions and the rouble collapse, which is the biggest since 1998. Сonsumer prices increased 10.4 percent this year through Dec. 22, the Federal Statistics Service in Moscow said. Prices grew 0.9 percent in the week through that date, the most since April 2008, when the service started to provide weekly data. ING Groep economist:

Companies are saying ‘everybody is raising prices and so will I, especially when people start panic-buying not only electronics and cars but also everyday goods’

A Bank of Russia base case forecast predicts inflation to reach 11.5% next quarter, before then decelerating.

17 Jul, 2015

Expels Russia’s consul general

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The Ukrainian government expels Shibeko, Russia’s consul general, from the Black Sea port of Odessa, declaring him ‘persona non grata’ after the Security Service of Ukraine accuses him of ‘actions incompatible with diplomatic activity.’ Ukraine security:

The security service will continue to identify foreigners who work against our government using their diplomatic status as cover.

25 Jul, 2015

Says Blatter deserves Nobel prize

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Putin praises Blatter in an interview by the Swiss broadcaster RTS:

We all know the situation developing around Mr Blatter right now. I don’t want to go into details but I don’t believe a word about him being involved in corruptiton personally. I think people like Mr Blatter or the heads of big international sporting federations, or the Olympic Games, deserve special recognition. If there is anyone who deserves the Nobel prize, it’s those people.

Security council MH17 vote set

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The UN Security Council is set to vote on whether to set up an international tribunal to prosecute those suspected of bringing down Malaysia Airlines MH17. Russian ambassador:

Malaysia did include some language from our draft in their draft text but it did not go to the core of our concern, they kept insisting on the need to establish right now an international criminal court. This is not a proper thing for the Security Council to do because it’s not a case of a threat to international peace and security.

4 Aug, 2015

Russia claims Arctic

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The Russian government says it has provided “ample scientific data” to the U.N. to support its right to claim over 460,000 square miles of Arctic ocean including the North Pole. This is believed to include a large amount of energy, gems and precious metals. Foreign Ministry:

To justify Russia’s rights in this area, ample scientific data collected during many years of Arctic research has been used.

The area Russia claims includes the Lomonosov Ridge, the Mendeleyev-Alpha Rise and the Chukchi Plateau, along with the Podvodnikov and Chukchi basins between the three sections. Russia expects the U.N. to begin discussing its claim in the fall but a U.N. spokesman says the commisions isn’t likely to gather fully until early next year. Until then they will review the submitted materials which include charts, maps and research data.

7 Aug, 2015

UN to examine chemical weapons attacks

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The UN adopts a resolution aimed at identifying those behind chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Ban and the head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will be asked to prepare a plan for an inquiry. US ambassador to the UN, Power:

Today’s resolution has been adopted with the council’s unanimous support. This sends a clear and powerful message to all those involved in chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The joint investigative mechanism will identify you if you gas people. It bears repeating as well that we need to bring the same unity that we have shown today to urgently find a political solution to the Syrian crisis.”

The resolution follows months of negotiations between the US and Russia. Syria’s ambassador to the UN denies his government was behind the attacks, claiming the Islamic State (IS) group and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front are to blame. Under the terms of the agreement, a team of expert inspectors will be given full access where possible to all locations in Syria and be allowed to collect materials and interview witnesses. Churkin, the UN’s Russian representative, says he hopes that the joint investigative body will work

impartially, objectively and professionally.

The resolution calls for Ban and the OPCW to recommend a team of investigators within 20 days.

9 Aug, 2015

Russia urges US to include Syria

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Russia says the United States is ‘unprepared’ for including the Syrian government in international plans to counter extremist ISIS. Lavrov says he discussed Putin’s proposal on coordinating efforts against IS during a recent meeting in Qatar with Kerry.

I asked him if it wouldn’t be easier to reach an agreement, to sit down at the negotiating table and discuss everything with the involvement of the Syrian Army. Unfortunately, the Americans are unprepared for that.

Lavrov says he also expressed concern about a U.S. decision to provide air support for Syrian opposition groups fighting against Assad’s government. He said he warned Kerry that some ‘grave mistake,’ such as the accidental bombing of civilians, could

explode the situation to such an extent that nobody would be able to control it.

Lavrov also rejects allegations that the Assad government has undeclared stockpiles of chemical weapons. He says ‘groundless accusations’ must be avoided and gave his ‘guarantee’ that all the claims ‘will be double-checked.’

We have every reason to believe that the Syrian government will continue cooperating closely.

10 Sep, 2015

U.S.: Russia building military in Syria

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The U.S says that Russia is continuing its military buildup in Syria. Aerial imagery shows Russia two tank-landing ships have recently arrived at Tartus and about a dozen Russian armored personnel carriers are now at the Bassel al-Assad airport, named after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s older brother. An Antonov-124 Condor military transporter had flown into the airport, bringing the total number of transport flights to at least four in recent days. Despite the buildup of military equipment, officials noted there was no immediate indication Russia had sent in any ordnance or heavy weaponry. A US military official says “under 50” Russian troops had arrived in Syria in recent days. The Russian naval infantry that are already in Syria say their mission is to protect their military hardware rather joining the war. U.S official:

There’s not consensus in the intelligence community about what it means. You have to take what Russia says with a grain of salt because they haven’t always been transparent and honest about their intentions.