Not much of a Russian war chest, according to S&P's man.
Bernard-Henri Levy and George Soros contributed an op-ed to The New York Times appealing for the international community to Save The New Ukraine.
The new Ukraine, however, faces a potent challenge from the old Ukraine. The old Ukraine is solidly entrenched in a state bureaucracy that has worked hand in hand with a business oligarchy. And the reformers are also up against the manifest hostility of Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, who wants at all costs to destabilize Ukraine.
It adds:
Unfortunately, just as democracies are slow to move, an association of democracies like the European Union is even slower. Mr. Putin is exploiting this.
It is not only the future of Ukraine that’s at stake, but that of the European Union itself. The loss of Ukraine would be an enormous blow; it would empower a Russian alternative to the European Union based on the rule of force rather than the rule of law. But if Europe delivered the financial assistance that Ukraine needs, Mr. Putin would eventually be forced to abandon his aggression. At the moment, he can argue that Russia’s economic troubles are caused by Western hostility, and the Russian public finds his argument convincing.
If, however, Europe is generous with its financial assistance, a stable and prosperous Ukraine will provide an example that makes clear that the blame for Russia’s financial troubles lies with Mr. Putin. The Russian public might then force him to emulate the new Ukraine. Europe’s reward would be a new Russia that has turned from a potent strategic threat into a potential strategic partner. Those are the stakes.
UN Political Affairs Chief Jeffrey Feltman and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power speaking yesterday at the United Nations in New York, via Reuters:
Feltman: "Mariupol lies outside of the immediate conflict zone. The conclusion can thus be drawn that the entity which fired these rockets knowingly targeted a civilian population. This would constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. We must send an unequivocal message. The perpetrators must be held accountable and brought to justice."
Power: "Unfortunately we are back here today because Russia and the separatists have once again flouted these commitments. The targets are fresh ones, but Russia's end goal remains the same: to seize more territory and move the line of Russian-controlled territory deeper and deeper into Ukraine."
There are fresh accusations -- and possible evidence -- that pro-Russian forces are executing captured Ukrainian soldiers. Here are two of the most compelling summaries of what we know so far about the appearance of videos and other images that show dead and captive pro-Kyiv troops, possibly in an area recently taken by pro-Russian forces.
Warning: BOTH OF THESE LINKS ARE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC, WITH DISTURBING VIDEO AND STILL IMAGES!
Ukraine@War blog tried to make the case on Sunday that "Russians execute Ukrainian POWs south of Krasnyi Partizan."
And The Interpreter has followed up, including this conclusion:
"While that is always possible, we do not believe that the available evidence in the dialogue, the behavior of the prisoners, and the setting, proves that those who have died were executed."