(Russia's invasion of Ukraine) - 'Russian offensives in .. Ukraine' - '..Russia continues to support the separatist militias..' - '..Just as in Soviet days..'

<blockquote>'..Russia continues to support the separatist militias through a steady flow of military equipment, mercenaries and regular Russian units, including main battle tanks, sophisticated anti-aircraft systems and artillery.'

- European Parliament resolution on the situation in Ukraine, January 14, 2015</blockquote>


<blockquote>'A growing body of information about Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine has started to reveal a damning picture of Moscow’s intervention in the separatist conflict there, despite Kremlin denials of involvement.'

- They were never there: Russia's silence for families of troops killed in Ukraine, January 19, 2015</blockquote>


'..Just as in Soviet days .. a lack of property rights have forced the most efficient companies out of the market..'

<blockquote>'JUDGING by the lack of economic news in Russia’s media, a crisis has arrived. Just as in Soviet days, state television does not report facts, it conceals them..

..

Alexei Kudrin, a former finance minister, and Evsey Gurvich, an economist, argue that Russia’s economy cannot be repaired by monetary or fiscal measures. Even weak institutions are a secondary issue. At the heart of Russia’s malaise is the weakening of market forces and suppression of competition, which means there is no longer much of a market economy. The expansion of the state means that, although Russia no longer has Gosplan, its economy is dominated by state or quasi-state firms whose revenues depend not on their economic efficiency but on political contacts. Skewed incentives as well as corruption and a lack of property rights have forced the most efficient companies out of the market, strengthening the position of parasitic and badly managed state firms. Falling oil prices have revealed these defects, not caused them.

As Mr Kudrin and Mr Gurvich explain, Russia’s exceptional growth between 1998 and 2008 was essentially imported: it was down to easy money, brought about by rising oil prices and cheap credit. This fuelled consumption that was satisfied by imports and an increase in domestic output. The government was busy redistributing rents rather than restructuring or modernising the economy. Private firms and the Kremlin opted for quick profits rather than long-term investments. Even in 2009 the government’s goal was to minimise the political fallout of the financial crisis, rather than to make the economy more competitive.'

- The Economist, 'The Russian economy .. badly needs structural reforms that it is unlikely to get', January 17, 2015</blockquote>


<blockquote>'The state will capitalize the banks and increase its stake in them, and the banks will buy industrial enterprises and become financial-industrial groups. All our economy will be state-run.'

- Gref (Warnings of Russian Financial Crisis Spread as Banks Start Failing, January 17, 2015)</blockquote>


Context '..the biggest problem of Russian leadership is inability to admit mistakes..'

<blockquote>Parliament to condemn Russia’s ‘aggressive and expansionist policy’, January 14, 2015 (<a href="[www.interpretermag.com] Vote</a>)

Russian military intervention in Ukraine

Making sense of the latest Russian offensives in eastern Ukraine, January 9, 2015


Ukraine Reporter

The Russian army offensive in northern Luhansk region – Day 1, January 20, 2015

Putin's Wars: The Rise of Russia's New Imperialism