Putin, Crimea and Russia’s Collapse – Anders Aslund

Anders Aslund pulls no punches in this Op-ed from The Moscow TImes: “In one month, Putin has managed to squander the diplomatic achievements of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and President Boris Yeltsin and turn Russia into an international pariah similar to Iran, Belarus or Venezuela….”

This is worrying though, if one thinks through the logical implications: “An overlooked fact is that 40 percent of Ukraine’s exports to Russia consist of machinery and armaments. Motor Sich in Zaporozhe produces all of Russia’s helicopter engines, Yuzhmash in Dnipropetrovsk manufactures carrier rockets and missiles and Antonov makes planes in Kiev. The Russian military-industrial complex will be in great trouble without these imports. ”
Worth reading the entire piece:

No sex please, we’re Ukrainians!

Al Jazeera reports that some Ukrainian women are calling for a sex embargo against Russians in response to the Kremlin’s intervention in Ukraine. This is just one of many tactics Ukrainians and citizens of neighbouring countries are using to protest Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The Facebook page “Don’t give it to a Russian” was launched last week.

Don’t hold your breath, but I’d not be surprised if there was already a site guaranteeing that Russians gals will only give out to Russian men….