Again, I dont endorse the source, but it is real journalism, and specifics can be checked: One senior White House advisor, however, questioned Obama’s selection, suggesting the seven Russian officials facing sanctions are not Putin allies at all. The source, who requested anonymity in discussing the developing story, offered a background for each of the individuals targeted by the White House. Sergey Glazyev reportedly mounted a presidential campaign against Putin in 2004 and has been excluded from the inner workings of the Russian government since. Another target of sanctions, Vladislav Surkov, reportedly resigned from the Putin regime last year following accusations that he would not enforce the Russian president’s policies. A third official, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitiry Rogozin, is reportedly being blamed for bungling Russia’s advancement in the region by backing recently ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. By defying Putin’s wishes, the source claims, Rogozin has been ostracized by Russian leadership. ...According to the White House source, Leonid Slutsky and Valentina Matviyenko both held positions of power in Russia until they fell out of favor with Putin. Furthermore, Andrei Klishas is reportedly feuding with a Putin ally. The final Russian official facing U.S. sanctions, Yelena Mizulina, likely made it on the list due to her anti-gay policy positions rather than any connection to Ukraine policy. ... Obama seems to have targeted individuals Putin himself would have approved. As a result, the U.S. action has had little noticeable effect on Russia’s economy as of this writing. In fact, the Russian market rose today on the news of these weak sanctions.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 13:40:44 +0000