Russia

France Offers to Halt Russian Ship Sale if UK Hits Oligarchs

By Hugh Carnegy and Peter Spiegel, Financial Times

France says it could suspend its controversial deal to sell helicopter assault ships to Russia if more sanctions are adopted against Moscow over Ukraine – but only if Britain also takes action against Russian oligarchs in London.

Russia’s Foreign Policy Reflects Domestic Dysfunction

By Barbara Slavin

Vladimir Putin appears well on his way to reclaiming the Crimea for Russia, restoring the peninsula to a status forfeited by Nikita Khrushchev’s Soviet Union in 1954. But this territorial achievement may provide only temporary distraction for Russia’s 140 million people who have seen their quality of life deteriorate dramatically since Putin took power in 1999. […]

Analysts: As Crimea Vote Is Declared, Putin Is Reaching for Lands Beyond

By New Atlanticist

Sunday’s referendum in Crimea produced the expected result. That vote – and steps by the Russian parliament, the Duma – lay the groundwork not only for Russia’s annexation by Crimea, but for a more formal takeover of lands beyond, say Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Adrian Karatnycky and other analysts. Like many, Karatnycky  begins by noting […]

US Issues Targeted Sanctions on Russian Elites

The US and EU rejected Crimea’s referendum Sunday, issuing statements and new sanctions outlining the West’s overwhelming disapproval of Russian activities in Crimea.

White House List of Russian and Ukrainian Individuals Under US Sanctions

By White House

President Obama today issued a new Executive Order (E.O.) under the national emergency with respect to Ukraine that finds that the actions and policies of the Russian government with respect to Ukraine -– including through the deployment of Russian military forces in the Crimea region of Ukraine –- undermine democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten […]