NEWS FROM THE WORLDS GREATEST CHESS PLAYER...voiceofrussia/news/2014_03_23/Putin-gives-gov-t-until-March-29-to-map-out-executive-bodies-in-Crimea-8849/ Russian President Vladimir Putin has given the government until March 29 to draw up plans for the creation of executive bodies in Crimea. This comes after Putin signed the constitutional law incorporating Crimea and the city of Sevastopol into Russia as two new constituent regions. The president also gave instructions to ministries and agencies to ensure the implementation of measures aimed at establishing federal, regional, municipal and other executive administrations in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, including measures to adjust the staff lists of executive bodies to the required numbers, the Kremlin’s press service reports. “The government is to submit its first report on the issue in two weeks and then report once a month,” it says. Crimea finally reunified with Russia while US fails to cut off Ukraine Crimea and Sevastopol have finally been reunified with the Russian Federation. The State Duma and the Federal Council approved the required package of legislative measures to turn the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city of federal importance, into Russian territorial entities. The reunification can be seen as irreversible despite the USs hysterics and Europe’s displeasure, but provocations by the Kiev government, under the control of Maidan radicals, are still likely, and they pose a major threat to stability around Crimea. Crimea actually became a part of Russia on March 18th, when President Vladimir Putin, Crimean Parliament speaker Vladimir Konstantinov, Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov and Sevastopol Mayor Alexei Chaly signed a relevant treaty. Vladimir Putin described the event as historic and said the referendum on the status of Crimea on March 16th had been held fully in conformity with all democratic procedures and international legal standards. 82 percent of voters turned out to polling stations to cast their ballots, with over 96 percent of them coming out for joining Russia. The figures are more than convincing. To understand their choice, one should have a thorough knowledge of the history of Crimea, one should be aware of what Russia has always meant to Crimea and what Crimea has meant to Russia. While Moscow, Simferopol (the capital of Crimea) and Sevastopol (a federal city and the Russian Black Sea Fleets main base) have been finalizing documents throughout this past week, Washington and partly the European Union have been trying to save the US operation to cut off Ukraine. The US launched the operation in November last year, but both Washington and Moscow were caught unawares when developments took a U-turn in February this year. The last few moves to save the cutting off of Ukraine are attempts to impose on Russia certain mediation in settling the crisis in relations with Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov however said on March 21st that the crisis in question is by no means a conflict between Kiev and Moscow, but a deep crisis within Ukraine. He said it is indispensable to disarm the illegal armed groups, take them away from the streets and squares and carry out constitutional reform in Ukraine on the principle of federalization. Washington has already blacklisted several dozen Russian functionaries, politicians and businessmen and ordered the freezing of their bank accounts in US banks. The lists have been obviously drawn up quite randomly. One of those on the black lists is head of the Russian railway company Vladimir Yakunin. But how can one blame him for improving the railway system that has been used, among others, by millions of Ukrainians? The European Union has added to its Crimea sanctions another dozen Russian officials and cancelled preparations for an EU-Russia summit that was due to have taken place in Sochi on June 3rd. Despite the pressure that Washington brought to bear on Europe though, no extraordinary decisions were made during the EU Ukrainian summit on March 20th and 21st in terms of punitive measures against Moscow. No trade sanctions were slapped on, since Europe is clearly reluctant to start a trade war with Russia over the failure of the purely US project to cut off Ukraine. Brussels however couldn’t just ignore a US demand that Moscow be punished, so the EU has so artfully mixed up a cocktail of sanctions against Russia that these can’t even be referred to as a potent economic drink. The European Union’s trade turnover with Russia stands at almost 400 billion euros, or almost 10 times more than the Russia-US trade turnover. The EU would therefore stand to lose more than Washington due to sanctions, the more so since the EU is dependent on Russian oil and gas supplies, says the director of the Institute of Strategic Planning and Forecasting, Alexander Gusev, and elaborates; Strategically, the European Union is a prisoner of US foreign policy. The US brings pressure to bear on the EU, but the Europeans try to put up resistance but Brussels should somehow react to certain moves by the Russian Federation. Many countries openly opposed any trade war with Russia during the summit. Escalation of the conflict around Ukraine would have disastrous consequences both for the parties to the conflict and for Europe, Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo said in a statement. He feels that Europe’s most important leaders should go to Russia to ensure dialogue between Russia and Ukraine and defuse regional tension. Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski also opposed economic sanctions. Who Russia could negotiate with in Ukraine though is not quite clear, for there is no legitimate President or legitimate Cabinet in Kiev. When delivering his address on the Crimean issue in the Moscow Kremlin on March 18th, Russian President Vladimir Putin also pointed out that Ukraine lacks a legitimate government and there is no one to hold official talks with. He said many government agencies had been usurped by impostors who fail to control anything, but are instead under the control of radical elements. One cannot be received by government ministers unless such reception is previously approved by Maidan fighters. Meanwhile these fighters keep making awkward moves. Last week, Ukraine’s Security Council said it had instructed Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry to consider the introduction of a visa regime with Russia. The order was issued while Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk was away from Kiev. But he was quick to advise against any rush either to the introduction of a visa regime for Russians, or the use of foreign travel passports to go to the Russian Federation. If introduced, a visa regime with Russia would only serve to incite more violent protests in the east and south of Ukraine, and to heighten tension in the country, Ukraine’s Supreme Rada deputy of the Batkivshchina party, Gennady Moskal, said. He suggests that everybody should simmer down. Earlier still, the EU said it was suspending talks on easing the visa regime with Russia. Moscow has been pressing for visa free travel since 2002, when President Vladimir Putin suggested that the EU consider prospects for setting up a visa-free Europe from Vladivostok to Lisbon. Talks on the issue have since been held on a regular basis, but with little, if any outcome. The most influential EU member-states, Germany and France, believe it may take years to reach agreement on the issue. The French government has mentioned a possible freezing of contracts for delivery to Russia of Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. But Russia was quick to warn Paris that it will demand that France compensate for losses if the Mistral deal is aborted. This came in a statement from the Deputy Russian Defence Minister, Yuri Borisov. The contract value totals 1.2 billion euros. Voice of Russia, Interfax Vladimir Putin, government, Crimea, Sevastopol, authorities, Kremlin, Russi Read more: voiceofrussia/news/2014_03_23/Putin-gives-gov-t-until-March-29-to-map-out-executive-bodies-in-Crimea-8849/
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 11:56:40 +0000
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