Imogen Calderwood
EUROPE and the United States have imposed tough sanctions on Russia and on President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle.
The sanctions – which target Russia’s key financial, arms and energy sectors – come in response to Moscow’s intervention in the Ukraine crisis, particularly the shooting down of a passenger jet over Ukraine this month.
US President Barack Obama has denied that the West has launched a new Cold War against Russia, but also urged Putin to reverse his actions.
“Russia’s energy, financial and defence sectors are feeling the pain,” said Obama. “Projections for Russian economic growth are down to near zero.”
But Europe’s own economy could feel the pinch as well, as Russia is Europe’s biggest source of energy and a key trading partner.
Spain’s own economy – which has seen a large influx of Russian capital over the last few years – could also suffer as a result.
Marbella town hall statistics reveal that there has been a significant increase in Russian expats and holidaymakers over the last year.
In that time, two Russian magazines and a radio station have opened, as well as various businesses entirely geared towards the Russian community.
Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, described the sanctions as a ‘strong warning’ and added that if Russia does not change course then ‘it will find itself increasingly isolated by its own actions’.
“The European Union will fulfil its obligations to protect and ensure the security of its citizens. And the European Union will stand by its neighbours and partners,” he added.
Four of Putin’s inner circle – many of whom have connections with the Costa del Sol – will also have their assets frozen, the names of which will be announced this week.
One EU diplomat warned that: “Putin is going to try and divide the Europeans and his response will be a test of the EU’s unity.”
The remains of some of the Ukraine passenger jet disaster’s 298 victims are still at the site, 13 days after the plane was shot down.
And with absolutely nothing factual to link Putin or Russia to the downing of the Malaysian passenger jet.
Kiev jet fighter shadowing the airliner which was redirected to the war zone by Kiev ATC.
Refusal by Kiev to halt hostilities in the area where the plane came down why? Refusal by Kiev to publish records of their ATC, this stinks but the USA’s puppets’ dance the dance.
Israel killing children deliberately, no excuse as the UN gave co-ordinates of all UN schools and safe areas – sanctions, no way – what a sick and twisted world.
Nothing factual to link Putin? You are spreading the diabolical lies of this evil regime and doing that willingly and knowingly.
In Russia, under Putin’s regime, hundreds of journalists have been eliminated who opposed him, and the truth has been suppressed and such lies as you repeat above spread among the people, just as in the former soviet days. It seems that he wants to go back to the old days when “there was no truth in Pravda and no news in Izvestia.” Putin’s rape of Ukraine continues…first, by sending thousands of troops into Crimea (unmarked uniforms of the same military intelligence spetsnaz special elite forces of military intelligence–GRU whose fellows are now operating in the eastern oblasts of Ukraine, around Donetsk, a region that I remember well from the long periods I have lived in Ukrainian Crimea and other parts of Ukraine, including Donetsk, as well as Russia and other countries of the old USSR. These GRU operatives have been actively working on both sides along the eastern border of Ukraine, and a retired GRU colonel is the leader of the so-called “pro-Russian separatists” in the Donetsk oblast. He coordinates with another active-duty colonel of the same military intelligence GRU on the Russian side, all operating on orders from Putin’s Kremlin. The SA-11 missile that shot down the airplane was fired from a village on the Ukrainian side, where the so-called separatists (really GRU Russian military intelligence) are in firm control. In fact, it was one of them who “pulled the trigger” to shoot down the airplane. This weapon is nothing like a shoulder-held surface-to-air heat-seeking missile which can be easily fired but only effective at comparatively low altitude. No, these are very sophisticated weapons which (according to the Russian military manual of training) require two years’ training in order to master their operation–and they are made in Russia. We know exactly from where this was fired. We have recordings of conversations between the GRU Russian officers on both sides of the border. We conclude that they did not know that they were shooting at a passenger airplane; they supposed it was another Ukrainian military cargo plane (like the one they had just shot down earlier). We have recordings of their reaction when they discovered their error.. At the first, they bragged about bringing down another airplane, and then when they found the civilian body parts, there was no expression of horror and sorrow at the criminal deed as they discovered they had been mistaken. Rather, just the need to report to those higher up. Most of the blame lies with Putin, for he is the one who has sent many hundreds of armed agitators from Russia into this region, so that the Ukrainian national government is not even able to get to the area to investigate and remove the bodies and secure the evidence. It is Putin whose soldiers (or former GRU soldiers sent in by him) shot down the airplane; this weaponry is not anything that those local Ukrainians could operate, as if it were a Kalashnikov AK-47…this had to have been operated by Russian special forces. The blood is on Putin’s hands. We have photos/video of the missile launcher itself, afterwards, showing that two missiles had been fired. These are radar-guided missiles and had to be “aimed” from the Russian side, where the radar is located. The satellite photos we have show that these military forces have very quickly moved this missile launcher back into Russia in an effort to cover up, as is always done when Putin does his criminal mischief. He has re-opened the Cold War and set back the cause of freedom in his own Russia. Those of us old enough to remember the Moscow bombings remember also the murder of the female journalist who was investigating Putin’s role in that situation, many years ago. I have met Gorbachev, and I liked Yeltsin, but Putin is a criminal of the worst sort and a mass murder! And, although he controls what the Russian people can see and watch on the news programming, the truth will be revealed even to them. These so-called “pro-Russian separatists” are for the most part themselves Russian agents who have been sent across the border into Ukraine to pose as if local citizenry. They are controlled, manipulated, and ARMED by Putin. They still refuse to allow the international police to investigate the airline they destroyed with some 300 people aboard. How could these few provocateurs hold off the national army of Ukraine and the police forces of the international community–these coal miners of the Donbas? Only a blind, ignorant fool would close his eyes to the obvious–their strength comes only from the Kremlin-supplied troops and weapons such as they used to shoot down and destroy 298 innocent passengers and afterwards block the world from proving their criminality.
*mass murderer (corrected)
Paul F if anything you say is true why has it not been on any news channel on the planet.
You liked the drunk Yeltsin who sold Russia down the river – now who employs you?
What a cold-war warrior we have in Paul F. It is in all of our interests to see what the real game is in Ukraine. From all the evidence it appears that the Kiev ATC control guided the Malaysian plane 14kms north of its proper flight path into the war zone, also a Kievan military jet shadowed the plane -may we ask for what purpose ? And the only operational BUK missiles on the ground belonged to the Ukrainian forces. Draw your own conclusions.
In all my 70 years I have never seen such hysterical anti-Russian lies and propaganda emanating not just from the gutter press but also from papers such as the FT and the Guardian. But remember it started well before the popular Crimean absorption back into Russia. Remember how Russia was constantly rubbished over its successful winter Olympics. No, what the West (the US and it’s satraps) can’t abide is any State standing up for its own interests and attempting to build the new architecture for our 21st century ie our new multipolar planet – and the longed-for end to the most cruel and viscous rule of the USA.
As for Ukraine, the latest game for the domination and subjugation of the Russian Federation by the US -remember how Ms Nuland boasted about sinking 5 billion dollars into masterminding the regime change and coup,and now manipulating this aircrash in order to justify attempts to cripple the RF.
Stuart I completely confer with what you say. Note the crocodile tears of the US administration over the mass and deliberate slaughter of the palestian people by the Israeli regime and at the very same time supplying the killers with more weapons.