The much discussed tumble in the Russian ruble (or as Japan would call it “mission accomplished” if its was the Yen instead of the Ruble) may have stabilized somewhat, and judging by the Russian central bank’s response to no longer intervene in the FX corridor-setting market on a daily basis, Russia is hardly too concerned by the impact to the economy as a result of the beating its currency has taken, but where Putin may have brushed off the “speculative” attack on its currency for the time being, things for Russia’s western adversary, the Ukraine – the country whose economy is in a state of near terminal collapse and which unlike Russia doesn’t have massive raw materials to fall back on – are just starting to go bump in the night.
As has been the case for nearly a year, the Ukraine has been on life support by its “western allies” ever since the Victoria Nuland/US State Department/CIA catalyzed coup early in the year. The problem is that those same “allies” now look like they have had enough of their “alliance” and are about to pull the “blank check” rug.
According to Reuters, nearly a year on from the first “EuroMaidan” protests that would topple the pro-Moscow president who had spurned an EU trade deal, some in Brussels are disillusioned by the experience of helping Ukraine. EU generosity in waiving import duties and funding gas supplies from Russia may be being abused, they say.
Corruption in Ukraine? Unpossible. But wait, it gets better:
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