Ukraine (closed; covers till August 2014)

[kaur]

Piontkovsky about Putin's choices in Ukraine.

Putin has few good choices in Ukraine, Piontkovsky says.

1. Backing off will offend Russian nationalists at home,

2. and more open support of the secessionists will lead to more sanctions from the West.

3. Consequently, he will likely try “a third variant,” one in which he will seek to entangle Kyiv in talks, “legitimize” the secessionists, and block Ukraine from “successfully developing according to the European model.”

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.be/...s-no_8949.html

The Kremlin is at present concentrating its efforts on pressing for a prolonged ceasefire and “substantial negotiations” between the rebels and Kyiv—an arrangement that would give Putin leverage to keep Kyiv and the unruly Russian nationalist rebels under control, while containing Western influence in Ukraine and possibly inserting wedges into the transatlantic connection between the U.S. and EU. Moscow has been apparently influencing the rebels to scale down their demands and offering some tactical concessions to Poroshenko, while trying to sideline the U.S. and engage European powers as intermediaries (EDM, June 26).

http://www.jamestown.org/programs/ed...1#.U7bqYmIaySM

Luhansk People's Republic Appoints Russian Lobbyist to Head Council of Ministers

Bashirov joins a number of other representatives of the Russian business community with close ties to the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk. Kremlin insider Konstantin Malofeyev, the founder of Marshall Capital investment fund, has been linked to Russian rebel leader Igor Strelkov, Donetsk People's Republic head Denis Pushilin and Alexander Borodai, prime minister of the self-proclaimed republic.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...rs/503015.html

It seems that Putin is forcing his oligarhs to participate in his adventures. Once feudals had to give to king their soldiers, now oligarchs have to provide PR specialists