Kerry: Sanctions haven't altered Moscow stance on Ukraine but hit its economy

Reuters ^ | Dec. 2, 2014 | Lesley Wroughton

[Berlin_Freeper]

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday Western sanctions have not halted Russia's support for separatists in Ukraine but have damaged the Russian economy, which is now projected to slide into recession next year.

A senior State Department official, accompanying Kerry to a NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, said he would talk to allies about imposing further sanctions on Russia if pro-Moscow separatists do not cease violence in Ukraine.

Kerry told a news conference Russia could avoid further sanctions by agreeing to steps towards ending backing for the rebels, who seized mainly Russian-speaking areas of eastern Ukraine after protesters toppled Kiev's pro-Moscow president in February. Russia denies supporting the separatists militarily.

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Russia's currency, the ruble, has suffered its biggest one-day drop since 1998

Russia's Economy Has Shrunk So Much It's Now Almost The Same Size As Spain

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With Russia on Brink of Recession, Putin Faces ‘New Reality’
Every day brings a barrage of woeful economic news. World oil prices just hit a five-year low. The Russian ruble is down 40 percent against the dollar so far in 2014. Inflation is due to rise 9 percent this year and to continue climbing. Capital flight is expected to reach $128 billion.

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The ministry also said it now expects the Western sanctions to still be in place by 2016, reflecting the hard line being repeated by leaders in Europe.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Moscow was far from having economic sanctions eased or lifted—a tough stance she reiterated last week during a parliamentary debate in Berlin, where she accused Russia of calling Europe’s peaceful, postwar order into question. In September, she said that it may even be necessary to reconsider energy cooperation with Russia.

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sudden spike in people leaving the country

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Russian special forces are leading attacks on Donetsk airport as fighting in east Ukraine intensifies despite a two-month-old ceasefire, the country's military claims.

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Russia accused NATO on Monday of destabilizing northern Europe and the Baltics by carrying out drills there and announced new military exercises of its own, increasing tension over the Ukraine crisis.

NATO responded by blaming Moscow for instability in the region, while British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he was concerned by "extremely aggressive" probing of Britain's air space by Russian planes.

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The Prosecutor General's Office is looking into the Central Bank's operations after a ruling party lawmaker accused it being an "enemy of the country" by supposedly driving down the ruble and plotting "evil" against Russia.

The ruble weakened over 6 percent to the U.S. dollar over Monday and Tuesday amid Western sanctions against Moscow's over its policy on Ukraine and slumping energy prices.

[Bobalu]

When is a bear most dangerous?

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On Friday, Alexey Ulyukaev, Russia’s Minister of Economic Development, said it might be required to revise the budget plan for 2015-2017. That will mean further cuts to social spending and the military.

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In Diplomatic Defeat, Putin Diverts Pipeline to Turkey

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The rouble was down by more than 6% against the dollar in early trading and is vying with the Ukrainian hryvnia as the world’s worst-performing currency of 2014.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

When is a bear most dangerous?

For the Russian bear, it is a murderous and frothing at the mouth horror show 24/7. The best thing to do to Red Russian bear is to put several bullets in its head before it craps all over the planet.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-02/vtb-chairman-dubinin-sees-some-panic-in-russian-banks.html

[Bobalu]

Anyone that thinks Russia can be destroyed without also destroying pretty much everything else is a fool.

Some dangers are just so great that all wise men tread lightly.

Fools rush in where.....

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1.7 percent lower at 54.8 against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday morning

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Russia’s central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina found herself accused of plotting against her own country.

Being branded a traitor in Russia is usually reserved for government critics. But in the midst of the renewed rouble rout, ruling party lawmaker Evgeny Fyodorov demanded a criminal investigation into the Bank of Russia, calling it an “enemy of the nation” and claiming its leaders were trying to drive the rouble down and do “maximum evil”.

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For the first time, NATO has approved a special combat force to protect the alliance against the threat posed by Russia in wake of its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.

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Putin ally Serbia screwed

October 16, 2014 - BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Greeted by enthusiastic chants of "Putin! Putin!," Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a military parade Thursday in Slavic ally Serbia, where he held talks on economic issues, including on the South Stream gas pipeline opposed by the European Union.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-19/german-army-opens-first-u-s-style-recruitment-office-in-berlin.html