Voices and Visions:Ukraine Crisis Update

Both the Standard&Poor's and Fitch credit rating agencies have put Russia on credit watch negative,while keeping the credit rating itself at the second lowest level of BBB.Russia's annexation of Crimea and the resultant threat of Western sanctions may cause companies to avoid investing in Russia,and those already invested there may withdraw,S&P said.Banks may also be reluctant to lend to Russian companies,causing the economy to slow further,Fitch pointed out.Russia's growth slowed to 1.3% in 2013 and investment is contracting.*
The EU has imposed asset freezes and visa bans on 33 prominent Russians in response to Russia's move in Crimea,while the US has done the same to 31 leading Russians.Russia's stock market has fallen more on the news of the imposition of sanctions,and the ruble has declined in value as well.*
Although some impact of Western disapproval of Russia's actions is being felt,the next phase,economic sanctions,will be more difficult to impose.Slovakia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,Miroslav Lajcak,said he is wondering whether the EU and US are willing to share the pain of more sanctions.Sanctions are painful;but they cannot be painful for Russia only.Are we willing to bear the burden?Mr.Lajcak asked.
Russia is not the enemy,in Slovakia's view,but it has violated the rules,Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak explained.Slovakia borders Ukraine,but Slovaks watch Russian TV,and so hear Russia's point of view,he pointed out.*
I expressed my very strong,grave concerns about what is going on,said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon of his visit to Moscow, where he met with Russian leaders.The political emotions have hardened,he observed.
Meanwhile,President Barack Obama added that Russia has positioned its forces in such a way that it can move into Eastern and Southern Ukraine as well.In consequence,he has signed an executive order enabling him to impose sanctions on key economic sectors,should Russia invade those regions as well.*
Russian troops continued their takeover of Ukrainian military bases in Crimea,seizing Ukraine's Black Sea warships.Shots were fired,but no one was injured.The Ukrainian naval commander had been detained earlier when naval headquarters was seized,but was released unharmed.About 25,000 Ukrainian troops and their families must be evacuated from Crimea and reassigned.

UN Special Envoy to Join US-Russia Talks

Lakhdar Brahimi,the former Algerian foreign minister who is now UN and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria,will join the second day of talks between Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva,Switzerland.Mr.Brahimi is an expert in mediation and peacekeeping operations and serves as a Special Adviser to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Kerry and Lavrov had a dinner meeting Thursday evening to discuss technical details of the Russian proposal to turn over Syrian chemical weapons to international supervision.Syria itself submitted a letter that begins the process of its membership in the chemical weapons convention,which actually entails a series of legal obligations over a period of years,including the destruction of all of their chemical weapons within ten years.There are 189 other member countries of the treaty which has the force of international law.
Kerry told Lavrov we are serious,as you are,about engaging in substantive,meaningful negotiations even as our military maintains its current posture to keep up the pressure on the Assad regime.Expectations are high.They are high for the United States-perhaps even more so for Russia to deliver on the promise of this moment,Mr.Kerry continued.The talks could reportedly extend into Saturday.The two top diplomats had a cordial demeanor in public as the US insists on a definitive,verifiable plan that catalogs,collects and destroys Syrian chemical weapons based on a full accounting with exact locations.
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said that the threat of military action must be maintained.Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel spoke to some of the US Navy ships in the Eastern Mediterranean,who assured him they remain ready to execute the president's orders.