The website of Republican Senator John McCain, who has frequently jousted publicly with Vladimir Putin, has posted a response to Russian reports that he's been added to an expanded sanctions list:
“While I suppose this means I’ll spend this Easter in Sedona rather than Siberia, I couldn’t be more proud of being sanctioned by Vladimir Putin for standing up for freedom and human rights for the Russian people and against Putin’s deadly aggression in Ukraine. I will never stop my efforts to support democracy, free speech, and the rule of law in Russia.”
Putin's "Peace Plan," according to our Ukrainian Service political cartoonist Zhenya O.
Today's conflict map from Ukrainian military authorities:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel talking to the German parliament today:
"Last year, we Europeans, introduced sanctions in several rounds of meetings. Those expiring in July and September, respectively, we won't be able to suspend if only the first demands of the Minsk agreement have been met. That would be wrong."
"Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova have signed association agreements with the European Union. The goal is European support in setting up a functioning state of law, a successful market economy, and to improve the standard of living for the people in those countries. The goal is not a European Union or NATO membership."
More than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers have died fighting pro-Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine, according to government figures. Many left behind wives and children. As our Ukrainian Service reports in this piece, local charities are playing a key role in helping those families overcome financial hardship and cope with their loss.
