The latest round of EU and U.S. sanctions over Ukraine will restrict Moscow's access to what Russia needs most: Western financing and new technology. Here are five things to know about the sanctions and their impact. Read more.
The lines between "pro-Russian" and "Russian" keep fading:
Paul Goble observes how "Russian commentators are scrambling to explain why the Russian-speaking population in that region have not flocked to the banners of the secessionists in Donetsk and Luhansk." Read more here.
The situational map distributed by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council for today:
As Interfax reports, Ukraine is working on getting the Donetsk and Luhansk "people's republics" declared terrorist organizations:
Ukrainian diplomats are working on the recognition of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk "people's republics" as terrorist organizations by international organizations and foreign states.
"Ukraine is currently holding an active diplomatic work with international organizations, countries, all the more so as after terrorists shot down the Malaysia Airlines plane killing 298 civilians, it is obvious that this act of terrorism must be punished," Deputy Head of Ukraine's Presidential Administration Valeriy Chaly said at a briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, at present foreign states and international organizations are considering this matter.