Wednesday, March 18, 2015

A Look At Crimea A Year After The Russian Takeover



Reuters: (Reuters) -- A year after Russia's takeover of Crimea sparked a wave of euphoria across the Black Sea peninsula, residents are suffering growing hardship as prices rise and many fear for the future.

Russia's flag is flying across Crimea on the anniversary of what President Vladimir Putin calls the region's historic "return home" after Russian troops seized control of it from Ukraine and the people backed annexation in a referendum.

Since then Putin's popularity has soared - his face looks down from banners and is emblazoned on T-shirts - and some Crimeans, such as pensioners, say they have benefited.

But foreign investors have fled, the banking sector is paralyzed and many other residents are struggling to make ends meet.

WNU Editor: There was a time in my life that I once thought of settling down in Crimea .... that is until I discovered Odessa .... falling in love with that place right away. But Crimea has always had a special place in my heart .... its geography and location makes it a great place to settle down, and having the Black Sea at your doorstep makes the amateur sailor in me all that more excited. For the moment life for everyone is very difficult on the peninsula .... a dysfunctional banking system, high unemployment, inflation, and sanctions .... but there is no civil war raging in the countryside, and everyone knows that once the crisis has past, the economy will recover very quickly. As to when will the situation stabilize .... that is the million dollar question.

More News On Crimea

One Year On, Crimea Celebrates Russian Annexation, But Many Crimeans Are Unhappy -- IBTimes
Crimea One Year After Russia Referendum Is Isolated From World -- NBC
Russia rules out handing back Crimea, expands war games -- Reuters
Kremlin: Crimea Will Not Return to Ukraine -- VOA
Russians See Most Nations Accepting Crimea Takeover, Poll Says -- Bloomberg
East Ukrainian War Refugees Seek Solace in Crimea -- Moscow Times
Russia rules out return of Crimea, defying sanctions on its ailing economy -- Paula Rogo, CSM
One Year After the Annexation, a Darkness Falls Over Crimea -- Mark P. Lagon and Alina Polyakova, WSJ
Searching for the Disappeared in Putin’s Crimea Fortress -- Anna Nemtsova, Daily Beast
Life in Crimea: One year on from Russia's takeover -- John Simpson, BBC

1 comment:

Jay Farquharson said...

WNU Editor,

Might want to google "California Crimea".

Beautiful place, not really a good investment, past or future. Too much of a crossroads for the dying dreams of Empires.