Russian Federation Makes Proposal for Ukraine Debt, Easing Standoff

Russia had previously said it was considering tariffs, and not an embargo, against Ukraine, which will leave the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States’ free trade zone to participate in the EU’s tariff-free market, beginning January 1.

Thus, Moscow’s disinformation specialists see their chief task as getting information into the hands of European journalists about Ukraine, and especially about Ukrainian government and security officials, and to suggest that these institutions are “disorganized” and “disorienting” Ukrainians and others.

“Some politicians in Poland, where a new government deeply distrustful of Russian Federation was sworn in on November 16, have likened Hollande’s decision to join forces with Moscow to siding with Soviet dictator Josef Stalin to fight the Nazis during World War II”. Siluanov said the ministry was ready to meet its Ukrainian partners to discuss the offer, provided it was supported by the International Monetary Fund, its shareholders and Ukraine by December 8. “As we have said, we expect the Russian and Ukrainian authorities to conduct direct discussions on this matter”, he said in an emailed statement.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia began sinking to an all-time low past year when Kiev ousted its pro-Russian president during mass protests calling for closer ties with the EU. “We are talking here exclusively of sovereign debt”.

Moscow renewed gas deliveries to Ukraine after receiving $234 million in prepayment out of the agreed $500 from Naftogaz.

In mid-August of 2015 Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that in case Kiev accepted the economic part of the agreement on its association with the European Union supplies of agricultural products from the country to Russia would be banned.

“I think Putin has successfully created a frozen conflict and he has diverted attention from it so he doesn’t have to invest as many resources into it. In the short term this is a tactical win for him”, said Anna Borshchevskaya, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank based in Washington, D.C. when speaking with worldwide Business Times.

His visit, the first by an European Union leader since Chancellor Angela Merkel jetted in to mark 70 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany in May, is likely to be viewed by the Kremlin as an important step in its post-Ukraine rehabilitation.