Why isn’t the World more Pissed at Russia? Were There 10k Protesters in Moscow?

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The news: The European Union is now under increasing pressure to pass strict sanctions against Russia in response to Thursday's downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which killed all 298 onboard.

Prior to the attack, the U.S. had already issued tougher sanctions on Russia in response to their involvement with Ukrainian rebels. The sanctions specifically targeted energy companies, major banks, defense companies and separatists that were fueling the pro-Russia rebel movement in eastern Ukraine.

But at the heart of European hesitation to ice out Putin is Russia's pivotal role as an energy supplier to the majority of the continent. Europe risks enduring a cold winter if they act too brashly. With an important commodity at stake, the EU is interested making in a more delicate response, at least for the time being.

Russian foreign relations: Europe gets an estimated 30% of its natural gas from Russie, more than half of which enters European countries through Ukraine. The EU could feasibly compensate gas flows if Russia interrupted Ukraine's current flow, but that's contingent upon total cooperation of all European nations and Gazprom, the Russian energy giant.

If Russia decides to change European gas flow, Ukraine would be most at risk of shortages, potentially not having enough gas for 8% to 15% of the normal demand, especially in winter when temperatures drop and heating becomes a necessity.

But… U.S. analysts believe it is highly unlikely that Russia would ever halt or disrupt service with Europe, because Russia is so dependent on the money that comes from the flow.

Additionally, Russia would not threaten their biggest trading partner. Russia and the EU have a $412 billion trading relationship, which is more valuable to Russia than to the EU, whose top trading partner is the U.S.,according to Vox.



Europe's reliance on Russia is temporary. By 2020, the U.S. could become a major energy exporter, supplying Europe with about half of the gas that Russia supplies now, according to the Obama administration. If the EU and the U.S. can agree upon an "energy policy," then Europe could rely on the U.S. as one of their main energy suppliers. That endangers Russia's grip over the EU, but it also means that Europe would only have to manage the next few years under Russian dominance.

The EU's dependence on Russia is affecting their decisions in the wake of the MH17 disaster. Even though Europe relies heavily on Russia for gas, and likely will suffer if Russia cuts gas ties completely, Russia has a lot more to lose than the EU in the long term. 

Jenna Kagel 
mic.com

10,000 Protesters March in Moscow and Putin is keeping it quiet:



The news: All eyes are on eastern Ukraine as separatists demand to secede from the country and join Russia. But even as Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoys a tide of favorable opinion, he may have some trouble brewing closer to home.

On Sunday, 10,000 people took to the streets of Moscow to protest the state media's coverage in eastern Ukraine. Waving the Ukrainian flag, protesters at the anti-Kremlin "March for Truth" demanded greater transparency and objectivity in Russian news, as well as protection for independent journalists who speak out against the state.

"Russia's main problem at the moment is lying, a problem leading to war in Ukraine, (and) the isolation of Russia from the rest of the world," said Igor Yakovenko, the former head of Russia's Union of Journalists.
The background: Both sides of the crisis in Ukraine have been accusing each other of spreading false information that is designed to inflame nationalist sentiments and overrepresent radical stances. Critics of the separatist movement in eastern Ukraine believe that the Russian media is overblowing the actions of a few hundred rebels, some of whom have been accused of being Russian agents provocateur.

Just in the past few weeks, the Russian government has also removed the editor of the popular news site Lenta.ru and forced an independent news channel to close. Last month, it blocked access to forums that voice opposition and to the blogs of famous dissidents such as Alexei Navalny and Garry Kasparov.

There's some dissent in the ranks as well. In a high-profile act of protest, an anchor on the state-funded channel Russia Today quit on-air last month, after another anchor criticized the network's coverage of the occupation of Crimea two days earlier.

In turn, Russia has accused the West of "harsh, uncompromising information war." After NATO released satellite images of 40,000 Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, the country's foreign and defense ministries claimed the organization was trying to sabotage the peace process. "We see what NATO is doing in Ukraine to prevent them from normalizing ties with us. Horror stories about the Russian armed forces are being spread," said deputy defense minister Anatoly Antonov.

Russia has also claimed that Ukraine is responsible for inciting the violence in its eastern regions, with the cooperation of the CIA and other Western government agencies.

The issue of free speech is not a new one in Russia; this February, weeks before the Russian occupation of Crimea, Reporters Without Borders released its annual World Press Freedom Index. Out of 180 countries, Russia ranked in lowly 148th place — below countries such as Libya, Chad, Ethiopia and Myanmar.

Eileen Shim 

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