Putin is 'thuggish, dishonest and reckless', says British ambassador to US http://t.co/gQAwrn28LT pic.twitter.com/fDRNGx2X6r
— The Independent (@Independent) July 29, 2014
The Ukraine crisis is also having cultural ramifications it seems (from "The Moscow Times"):
The Ukrainian Culture Ministry has banned the distribution of two Russian films, accusing the movies of displaying "contempt" toward Ukraine and distorting historical facts in favor of Russia.
One of the movies in question, "The White Guard," is set against the backdrop of Russian Civil War clashes in Ukraine's Kiev and is based on the eponymous novel by celebrated Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov. The second film, "Poddubny," is a biographical movie about famed Russian and Soviet wrestler Ivan Poddubny, who was born into a Ukrainian Cossack family in what now constitutes central Ukraine.
The ban falls under the bracket of "cultural sanctions," enacted against Russia in line with a government order to target individuals who "support and finance terrorism in Ukraine," the ministry said Monday in an online statement.
"According to the experts who have reviewed these movies, they 'show contempt for the Ukrainian language, people and the state,' and 'some facts are distorted to benefit Russia,'" the Culture Ministry said in the statement.
Read the entire article here.
Meanwhile at the MH17 crash site (from RFE/RL's news desk):
Fighting between government forces and pro-Russian separatists has again prevented international investigators from going to the MH17 crash site in eastern Ukraine.
The Dutch Justice Ministry said July 29 that fighting "on and around the road to the crash site" was keeping a group of Dutch and Australian experts from leaving their base in Donetsk.
Kyiv said on July 28 that its troops entered a string of towns around the scene of the Malaysian airliner disaster, including Shakhtarsk which lies 10 kilometers away.
The fighting and explosions has already forced the unarmed mission of Dutch and Australian police to give up their plans to visit the site during the previous two days.
Fighting is also reported to be continuing around the city of Donetsk, with train service suspended due to damage to tracks.
(AFP, Interfax)
In what looks a direct response to sanctions against Russia, State Duma deputies want to introduce a new legal term: “aggressor countries,” Izvestia reports. Companies registered in these countries can be barred from Russia. These amendments are going to be introduced by United Russia deputies. You can read about the story in English here.
First Mistral helicopter carrier will be transferred to Russian Navy in 2015 http://t.co/BJxMXH1gCi
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) July 29, 2014
Donetsk authorities report overnight shelling of city http://t.co/L7n8QTWv6s
— Kyiv Post (@KyivPost) July 29, 2014
Here Putin's advisor Glazyev argues that EU bureaucrats are true Hitler's heirs. Not him, no no no. (RUS) http://t.co/qfyk2pgVQl
— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) July 29, 2014
While the EU and the United States ratchet up sanctions on Moscow, Russia is ratcheting up the pressure on Kyiv by banning imports of Ukrainian fruit, vegetables, and fish (from RFE/RL's news desk):
Russia's ban on imports of canned fruits, vegetables, and fish from Ukraine has gone into effect.
The ban was introduced by Russia's consumer rights agency Rospotrebnadzor because it says those Ukrainian products violate Russian laws on labeling and have inaccurate ingredient listings.
Rospotrebnadzor cited violations by Ukrainian canned-food companies in Odesa, Nezhin, and Vinnytsia.
Russia most recently banned Ukrainian dairy products and has also prohibited chocolate made by Roshen, the company owned by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Critics claim the Russian bans have no real basis and are politically motivated because of Kyiv's signing of Association Agreements with the European Union.
Russia's Federal Customs Service said Ukrainian imports of agricultural products into Russia totaled some $495 million in the first six months of this year.
(ITAR-TASS, Ukrainian News Agency)
Over 60% of Russians aren't concerned over latest round if sanctions against Russia http://t.co/0xzSVraQiH
— Ryskeldi Satke (@RyskeldiSatke) July 29, 2014
MH17 changed nothing. The war goes on. @maxseddon from Donetsk http://t.co/i8QL8TF5x0
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) July 29, 2014