INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2014 Ukraine’s navy at end of rope in

SEVASTOPOL: The tugboats came in the pro-Western government in Kiev. Russia activists, declined to be interviewed, evening, carrying three dozen Russian took control of the ’s head- explaining that he “only talks to Russian tel- sailors and pro-Russian militiamen who quarters in on Wednesday. Its evision channels”. Not everyone is tempt- climbed aboard the Ternopil and told the commander, rear admiral Sergiy Gayduk, ed by the offer of switching sides. “If I join crew to leave. The captain of the Ternopil in was detained and driven to Crimea’s border the , they will send me some- the port of Sevastopol in Crimea lined up his with Ukraine. where as far from Ukraine as possible,” said crew of 91 men, thanked them for their Sporadic moments of defiance have the sailor from the Ternopil, adding that his service and told them that they were free to continued. At a naval academy in whole family is in Ukraine and he does not go. Left with little choice, the sailors headed Sevastopol on Thursday, a group of students want to risk being tried for desertion when for dry land. On Friday, the mast of the refused to stand quietly as the Ukrainian he returns. Instead, he hopes to emigrate Ternopil was flying the white and blue flag was replaced by a Russian one. During a to Europe. Russian navy flag. Their ship had become speech by the commander of Russia’s Black But Maksim, a young man standing in the enemy. One of the crew, a 22-year-old Sea fleet, Alexander Vitko, they defiantly line to register at the headquarters, said he sailor who preferred to remain anonymous, sang the Ukrainian national anthem before now wanted to serve Russia. “I served in told AFP he was now stranded in heading back inside the school, videos from Sevastopol, not in Ukraine,” said Maksim, Sevastopol with no job and a prospect of the scene showed. Some are more sanguine who is studying to be a military doctor. prosecution for desertion if he headed about the situation, blaming the govern- “Times change, but people stay the same.” home to Ukraine.”I had plans here, I wanted ment in Kiev for failing to fight back. It was Asked if he had a guilty conscience about to stay in Crimea, to go to a university here,” every man for himself, said the sailor from making the switch, he said: “Yes”. “But I am said the sailor, who had served for two years. the Ternopil: “I don’t blame the Russians. We a doctor first and a soldier second, and the “Your fate can really be decided within have been abandoned by the government.” NOVOFEDORIVKA: A pro-Russian protesters takes down a Ukrainian flag as Hippocratic oath is to the people, not any hours,” he said. “Our guys wept over the For weeks, he said, the Ternopil received no they storm a Ukrainian air force base in the small city of Novofedorivka.—AFP government.” For three months, Maksim ship.” As the flags go down one by one on direction from Kiev. The ship did not fire at was in Kiev, standing face-to-face as part of Ukraine’s fleet in Crimea, Russian forces are the Russian intruders because the captain to switch allegiances. Sevastopol’s maver- headquarters of the pro-Russian militia in the riot police confronting anti-govern- laying siege to the few ships still refusing to “did not want to start a war”. ick mayor Sergiy Chaly on Thursday said the outskirts of Sevastopol, surrounded ment protesters on Independence Square. stand down. The command ship Slavutich they can either transfer to other Ukrainian with barbed wire and sandbags.A deputy “We were hit, we were abused,” he said. was one of the last still flying Ukraine’s flag Serve Russia? ‘Why not?’ bases, leave the military or enlist with commander of the headquarters, sitting in “Only a fool was not scared there. “After on Friday, but it is increasingly isolated in a The new pro-Russian authorities have Russian forces. Dozens responded to the a makeshift situation room with giant that experience, I don’t want to serve Kiev region that is strongly hostile to the new meanwhile invited Ukrainian servicemen call on Friday to register their names at the charts and lists of numbers of pro-Russia anymore,” he said. — AFP Troops surround Crimea airbase, issue ultimatum Russia trying to break apart Europe: Germany

BELBEK AIRBASE: Russian troops have sur- Kiev as it faces new rounds of pressure by Russian industries-because its only response to when Moscow removed its objections and rounded a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea and Russia that include open threats to throw date has been the release of a list of nine US allowed monitors from the Organization for issued an ultimatum to forces inside to surren- Ukraine’s wheezing economy into convulsion officials and lawmakers who will be barred Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to der, the deputy commander of the base in by raising its gas rates and demanding colossal from entering the country. be deployed in the heavily Russified southeast- Belbek, near Sevastopol, said yesterday. The payments for disputed debts it could ill afford. Putin on Friday made light of the US deci- ern swathes of Ukraine. The interim leaders in base, above which the blue and yellow The biggest such signal from Europe came on sion to effectively cut the bank suspected of Kiev fear the huge forces that Russia has Ukrainian flag was flying, is one of the few mili- Friday with the signing in Brussels of the very being close to him from the Western financial amassed along their country’s eastern frontier. tary facilities on Crimea still controlled by agreement on closer EU-Ukraine relations system and suggested in televised comments Putin has vowed to use any means necessary Ukraine after the annexation of the peninsula whose rejection by the Moscow-backed that “we should for now hold off on reciprocal to “protect” his compatriots against what he by Russian forces. regime sparked three months of deadly steps.” He notably made no mention of the describes as violent ultranationalist elements “The Russian troops at our aerodrome gave protests that led to its February 22 fall. Europeans-their punitive steps so far mostly now running wild in Ukraine. But Moscow us an hour to surrender or they will start The pact puts Ukraine on a firmer footing limited to the largely symbolic suspension of agreed to let an initial force of 100 OSCE moni- storming. We are going nowhere, let’s see toward EU membership that the protesters- free travel talks and a summit Putin had been tors watch out for any possible troop move- what this storming is,” Oleg Podovalov said. tired of corruption and Russian domination- The ultimatum was due to expire at 1230 GMT, sought and that Putin feared because of the but there was no sign of the Russians moving doom it spelled for his dream of recreating a in on the base. The Russian takeover of the Kremlin-run empire of post-Soviet states. The peninsula has been largely blood- political deal should be followed months later less, though one Ukrainian serviceman was by an economic agreement permanently lift- CHISINAU: An elderly man sells plastic bags at the cen- killed and two others wounded in a shooting ing trade barriers and requiring Ukraine to tral market in Chisinau, Moldova. — AFP in earlier this week. Ukraine’s undertake the structural changes needed to Defense Ministry said on Friday Crimea’s bases kickstart two decades of stuttering growth. But In Moldova, Crimea were still formally under Ukrainian control, but Ukraine is unlikely to hear its calls for US and most are now occupied by Russian troops and EU military support answered despite the fly Russia’s tricolor flag. hourly advances Russian troops and pro- crisis fuel fears of Kremlin militia are making on the rebel Black Breaking Europe apart Sea peninsula of Crimea. poverty, annexation Meanwhile, Germany yesterday accused Yatsenyuk said after his meeting with Russia of trying to splinter Europe as a Cold Steinmeier that “we discussed military and CHISINAU: Moldova, another former Soviet state with a War-style struggle over the future of ex-Soviet technological cooperation assistance” but restive Russian-speaking minority, fears events in neigh- Ukraine ratched up following the Kremlin’s reported no further progress. Russian forces on boring Ukraine will provide a blueprint for its own sepa- defiant annexation of Crimea. The haunting Friday marked Putin putting his name on a ratists, and bring further hardship to Europe’s poorest warning from a nation whose friendship treaty sealing the Kremlin’s absorption of the country. In the central market of the capital Chisinau, Russian President had nurtured mostly Russian-speaking region by storming many are concerned about the future in the wake of over his 14 years in power came amid Western and seizing Ukraine’s only submarine in the Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula this week efforts to shore up backing for the besieged region. “Don’t worry Mum, I’m picking up my NOVOFEDORIVKA: Ukrainian soldiers walk out of a Ukrainian air force base in the and its impact on Moldova’s disastrous economy. interim leaders in Kiev who toppled a Kremlin- things and then I’m coming home,” one small city of Novofedorivka, in the Saki district of western Crimea, after it was “Pensions are already tiny and insufficient. This trouble will backed regime last month. Ukrainian soldier in a camouflage uniform was stormed by some 200 pro-Russian protesters yesterday. — AFP only make things worse,” said Zenovia, a 58-year-old selling Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper heard saying on the phone as Russian troops bread to bolster her meagre 60-euro (82-dollar) monthly will be the first leader from the G7 group of raised their flag at the main entrance to the due to host in June. Leading EU nations such as ments or other forms of Russian incitement pension. top industrialized powers to meet interim large military base. a Britain and Germany-their financial and ener- after the rights and security body of 57 nations She is anxious about a thaw in the “frozen conflict” over president in Kiev since gy sectors intertwined with Russia’s-have partic- agreed to stay out of Crimea-an area that it Transdniestr, Moldova’s own separatist region-a long, thin Crimea staged a contentious March 16 inde- Tougher sanctions ularly questioned why they should be the ones was already barred from entering this month. strip made up mostly of Russian speakers along the border pendence vote that saw Russia formally stake Both the Unites State and Europe have thus to suffer most in case of an all-out trade war. Russia’s OSCE ambassador Andrei Kelin said in with Ukraine. A brief conflict over the region between its claim to the Ukrainian peninsula on Friday. far limited their retaliation against Putin to tar- Vienna after the decision the fact that the mis- Moldovan and pro-Russian forces left hundreds dead in the The foreign minister of Germany-its economic geted travel and financial sanctions that con- Monitors deal sion will not be deployed in Crimea was in line early 1990s. Russia intervened at the time and has main- power playing a decisive role in forging cern officials but steer clear of impacting the Kiev scored one small success on Friday with “geopolitical realities”. — Agencies tained troops in the region ever since. “We don’t want a Europe’s response to Putin’s increasingly bel- Russian economy. Washington’s steps have repeat of that. There were so many deaths, so many wid- ligerent stance-warned that the continent’s been more meaningful because they target ows,” said Zenovia. Such concerns were heightened on entire future was at stake. what US officials call a Putin “crony bank” as Friday when Russia’s military announced that it had carried “The referendum in Crimea... is a violation well as oligarchs who are believed to be clos- out exercises in Transdniestr. of international law and an attempt to splinter est to the Russian strongman and-in one case- Russian military spokesman Colonel Oleg Kotchetkov Europe,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters actually be running a joint business with him. said the exercises were just routine preparations for an after meeting Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Moscow appears to have been taken aback by enemy attack. Yatsenyuk. The show of diplomatic solidarity the force of US President Barack Obama’s mes- But they will only add to fears of Russian revanchism in may play an important psychological role in sage-as well as the threat to one day hit Moldova, especially after reports earlier this week that politicians in Transdniestr-who have their own self- appointed assembly-had asked Russia to absorb their Wielding sanctions, Obama region along with Crimea. The pro-Western Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti responded on Tuesday, saying: targets Putin’s inner circle “Such actions are counterproductive and would not bene- fit either the Republic of Moldova or the Russian WASHINGTON: US sanctions this week against Russia’s 17th largest. Bank Rossiya was targeted Federation.” Russia were carefully crafted in an attempt to to put Putin on notice Russia’s financial sector target President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle was not immune, officials said. Other than the Russia or EU? without provoking a backlash from Moscow bank, which the Treasury Department said also Transdniestr, with a population of 550,000, made its bid against US businesses, senior US officials said. was used by senior Russian officials and whose for secession in 1990 as the crumbled, fearing Concerns about possible Russian retaliation shareholders included members of Putin’s inner domination by the Romanian-speaking population that “helped shape the discussions about appropri- circle, all of the US sanctions have targeted indi- makes up the majority in the rest of Moldova. Moldova ate sanctions” within the White House, said a viduals rather than companies. Since Putin’s rule was part of Romania up to World War II. After independ- senior US official, speaking on condition of in Russia is highly personal, the aim is to put ence in 1991, Chisinau tried to recover Transnistria without anonymity. “There’s an awareness that even tar- pressure on the coterie of people closest to him success. Skirmishes turned into a short war in 1992. Russia geted sanctions can have broad effects.” Obama in terms of money and power, officials said. To has kept soldiers in Transnistria against the wishes of the on Thursday announced assets freezes and make an impact, “you’ve got to go in that politi- Moldovan government, and despite a commitment in 1999 bans on US business dealings against 20 cal system to people around the president,” the to remove them. Nonetheless, few believe Russia is inter- Russians and a Russian bank, in response to senior official said. A Treasury Department ested in annexing Transnistria. Putin’s annexation of the Crimea from Ukraine. spokesperson did not rule out further sanctions “I believe the Russians don’t need to re-attach a territory The measures, notably tougher than those against entities, but said, “When sanctioning this small, which is already occupied by their army,” said Obama unveiled just three days earlier, have individuals, our focus remains on identifying Chisinau-based economist Victor Grama. In the central helped spark steep losses for Russian stocks, their personal assets, not any businesses that market, there were mixed feelings. Some see Russia’s and Russia’s Finance Ministry said it may be they operate.” annexation of Crimea as merely “repairing an historic mis- forced to cancel plans to borrow abroad this take”. “We should not be forced to choose between the EU year. Whether the sanctions will dissuade Putin Next step would be difficult and Russia,” said stall-owner Nicolae Spanu. from further incursions into Ukraine, much less US officials believe any further rounds of But most still look to Europe as their hope for the future. reverse Russia’s annexation of Crimea or force sanctions will need to be even more carefully “I hope Moldova will enter the European Union. We hope him to the negotiating table, is unclear. targeted to avoid a ban on an entire sector of that this will bring us better pensions and more Moreover, the careful balance of punishing the Russian economy, like oil or metals, that respectable people,” said Zenovia. Moldova, along with Russia while shielding U.S. businesses and the could reverberate through the global econo- Georgia, initialled an association agreement with the 28- global economy will be harder if Obama’s my. Europe, for instance, remains dependent nation bloc in November-the same deal that Ukraine administration decides another round of meas- on Russian natural gas.In an executive order rejected, triggering the huge protests that brought down ures is necessary. on Thursday, Obama opened the door to tar- the pro-Kremlin government in Kiev. Chisinau and Tbilisi geting entities in specific sectors of the are expected to sign the agreements by 2015. The Targeting Putin’s circle Russian economy, such as energy and gas, Moldovan president has urged the EU to hasten the Moscow brushed off a first set of US sanc- mining, and financial services. He has not yet process in the wake of events in Ukraine. Wedged tions, asset freezes and travel bans against sev- used that tool. Absent from the Thursday list between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east, en Russian officials and four Ukrainians. The were major Russian state-owned enterprises Moldova with 3.5 million people is the poorest European Thursday action targeted 16 Russian officials, such as energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft, country with a per capita income of $2,037 in 2012, accord- four wealthy individuals linked to Putin and or the state-run arms export firm ing to the World Bank. — AFP Bank Rossiya, which the US Treasury said was Rosoboronexport. —Reuters