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.
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)
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.
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
Here's the latest situation map for east Ukraine from Kyiv's National Security and Defense Council:
Russia cancels second ruble bond auction in a row amid threats of more sanctions.
— Paul Waldie (@pwaldieGLOBE) July 29, 2014
From @CharlesCrawford - thoughts on his former colleague calling Vladimir Putin 'thuggish, dishonest and reckless' http://t.co/AzyzvI2YL5
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) July 29, 2014
Wow! #Kremlin insider Kolesnikov: #Putin looking for other sources of information as doesn't trust own http://t.co/j7mdaLLpXF h/t @b_judah
— Fabian Burkhardt (@sanwaldinjo) July 29, 2014
It seems that news of more impending sanctions against Russia is causing waves on financial markets:
Russian bank and company bonds denominated in dollars and euros have slumped in value in the past few days in anticipation of tough European Union sanctions.
The EU has already slapped sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans on some Russian officials after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region earlier this year and began supporting separatists fighting Kiev's forces in eastern Ukraine.
The United States has also issued six rounds of sanctions, with its toughest imposed on July 16.
But the downing on July 17 of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, has led European leaders to beef up their own measures.
Read the entire article here
Since Girkin/Strelkov took over as 'Commander in Chief', separatists have lost three quarters of their territory and shot down an airliner.
— Alexander Clarkson (@APHClarkson) July 29, 2014