Russia has damaged itself on many levels, Jan Techau, director of Carnegie Europe in Brussels, says. There are only very few real partners and allies they still have left, and even the most hard-core defenders have now realized that Russia will probably never be the kind of partner that they thought Russia would be.

 

After months in which the Kremlin repeatedly lied about what it was doing in regard to Ukraine many Ukrainians will be very suspicious of any talks with Putin bringing real peace to the country.

 

Protestant minister Demidovich was forced to leave Slavyansk. He explains in part: “The events in my city resemble Somalia: the same level of aggression, claims, lack of justice and law. My friend just gave an interview to journalists. Then the neighbors contacted her and said they would kill her when she returns. People do not want someone to have a different opinion.”

 

Ash: “I think the Ukrainians are building up stockpiles to insulate themselves against potential gas cuts from Russia at some point this year. The line will then be, if you are not willing to cut a reasonable gas price deal, go ahead, cut gas supplies, and it will be Europe, not us who will suffer.

 

“Russia has failed utterly to win the hearts and minds of all but except a very small portion of the population of eastern and southern Ukraine.”

“There is no honour in silencing free and objective voices. I call on all those responsible to stop the vicious practice of harassing the messengers,” said the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovi?.

In 2014, the presidential election itself was a vehicle to express support for the Ukrainian state in its current borders…” 

 

"We believe that the openness of all parties to the dialogue can bring to the implementation of relevant interests.”

Analyst: “Obama’s offer of military supplies, amid growing violence in Ukraine’s eastern regions, indicates the conflict is escalating despite statements calling for dialogue. We don’t see de-escalation in the conflict in sight, which means we can expect ongoing violence in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts for months.”

“To understand Putin’s moves in Ukraine from a domestic standpoint, go back to the start of Putin’s return to the Kremlin, announced in late 2011, effective early 2012. His return to the presidency from his prime minister’s perch has been nothing at all like Putin’s first eight years in the Kremlin. His base is vastly different now than 1999-2008. Then, his base was primarily Russia’s urban liberals and bourgeois elites. Putin lost them in 2011; his base is now Russia’s Silent Majority.”

 

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