The World – The Washington Post
Live coverage – Reuters
Ukraine’s economic and political crisis may be heating up, but Kiev still has enough emergency cash reserves to
cover its obligations for the next two months. But what would it take to push
the country into default?
Parallels have already been drawn between current events in Ukraine and the
Russian-Georgian conflict of 2008. These parallels are unmistakable, yet the one
big difference so far is that Ukraine has taken care not
to give Russia any excuse to engage
in a full-scale invasion to other parts of eastern Ukraine
Search on to find
face-saving exit for Putin – FT
Although the US and EU could hit
Russian economic interests through sanctions, diplomats stressed on Monday that
their priority was different: lowering tensions and offering Vladimir Putin a
face-saving way out of the crisis.
Ukraine's reliance on Russia goes far beyond just
energy. While Ukraine would like $3bn in
IMF loans, that will not even cover interest and principal payments through
June.
Russia justified its
intervention in the Crimea as a legitimate response to a request from Ukraine’s ousted president
amid threats posed by extremists, while Western leaders sought to keep the
standoff from spiraling into war.
Gazprom Warns
European Gas "Supply Disruptions" Possible – ZH
Russia's Gazprom warned that not only could it cancel its "supply
discount" as Ukraine's overdue payments reached $1.5 billion but that
"simmering political tensions in Ukraine, that are aggravated by
inadequate economic conditions, may cause disruptions of gas supplies to
Europe."
Downing Street document indicates
British concerns over economic impact of Crimea stand-off as Russian
aggression intensifies
Ukraine should not have major implications for financial markets in the major
countries, but much will depend on the response from NATO and, particularly,
the U.S. However, Ukraine may degenerate into a Yugoslavia-style civil
war regardless of any de-escalation of tension between Russia and the West.
In the days after Yanukovych's fall, the Ukrainian president's lavish
lifestyle spurred outrage around the world. Now the provisional government is
struggling to avoid the corruption and clientelism that plagued its
predecessors.
Ukrainian bonds:
back, but not from the brink – FT
Putin appeared to pull further back from armed conflict in a mid-day
press conference, so the rally may have more legs. But yields are still at the
brink.
Putin hits back at
Ukrainian billionaire – FT
IAMA G8 leader
contemplating invasion. Ask me anything. – FT
Vladimir Putin’s gave
his first official address on the Ukraine crisis on Tuesday.
Why Russian stocks
are ridiculously cheap – TradingFloor
Russian equities are extremely cheap at these levels, offering an
attractive risk- reward ratio. We are betting that the Russia-Ukraine conflict
will not escalate into a war and, as result, Russian equities should reflect a
brighter outlook.
While a significant number of ethnic Russians do exhibit a Russian
identity, there is evidence that this is not the case for many younger citizens
who grew up after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Forget Sanctions;
What Could Really Hurt Putin Is Investor Backlash – Businessweek
Western governments
may not have to make good on their threat to punish Russia for invading Crimea. Investors are doing it for them.
U.S. Had Let Europe Take Lead in Guiding Westward Drift of Former Soviet Republic