O the world it seems is never quiet. Russia has once again caught this news cycle. For one President Obama recently announced new US sanctions against Russia. Second another Malaysia flight 17 has been brought down this time by Russia Rebels located in the Ukraine.
President Obama’s new sanctions will be far more effective then the previous ones. Past sanctions have only punished members of Russia’s political lite (Putin’s inner circle) by freezing bank accounts and preventing travel to the US. These new sanction’s will directly harm the Russia state by attacking several of its largest corporations threaten to severely damage.
The corporations under these sanction are Gazprombank and Vnesheconombank two of Russia’s Banks, OAO Novatek “Russia’s largest independent producer of natural gas, and Rosneft, the largest petroleum company [in] [the] [world]”. Unless Ukraine is allowed to flourish without Russian interferences (which I doubt will happen) I believe that these sanctions will wreck havoc with the Russian economy.
The second development regarding Russia and Ukraine tragically involve the loss of human life. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by pro Russian rebel forces while flying over eastern Ukraine. Russia via its powerful propaganda machine is stating that western media is over sensationalizing the event. I disagree.
Putin seems to be callous about the fact that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was an all-civilian passenger plane with no stake in the Russian Ukrainian conflict. The world must force Putin to get his troops and supporters in the Ukraine under control. I fear as the Ukrainian conflict heats up more civilian casualties are sure to occur due to actions of pro-Russian forces with little restrained.
Demos Rhino 