Calling Putin's bluff
Eastern approaches 2014-05-08
Summary:
Has Vladimir Putin blinked? When Russia’s president said on May 7th that rebels in Ukraine’s east should postpone a referendum on independence that they have planned for May 11th his remarks were met with a mixture of confusion and anger in rebel strongholds. In Donetsk and Luhansk, rebel leaders today rejected his call and said they would push ahead with the ballot.
In his remarks Mr Putin also gave qualified support for Ukraine’s presidential election on May 25th and said that troops on the Ukrainian border, which many believe had been mobilized for an invasion were being stood down. NATO has not observed any such movements though.
In Kiev Arseniy Yatseniuk, the Ukrainian prime minster, reacted with scepticism saying that Mr Putin’s words were just “hot air”. But there...Continue reading