Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern #Ukraine is suspended due to Easter and Geneva Agreement https://t.co/JPpfaomRxZ |DefenceUA
— Defence Ministry UA (@DefenceUA) April 19, 2014
[File photo of U.S. President Bush walking past Russian …]
U.S. President George W. Bush (R) walks past Russian President Vladimir Putin as G8 leaders and outr …The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, without U.N. authorization and over the objections of France, Germany and Russia, was a turning point for Putin. He said the war made a mockery of American claims of promoting democracy abroad and upholding international law.
Putin was also deeply skeptical of U.S. efforts to nurture democracy in the former Soviet bloc, where the State Department and American nonprofit groups provided training and funds to local civil-society groups. In public speeches, he accused the United States of meddling.
In late 2003, street protests in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, known as the Rose Revolution, led to the election of a pro-Western leader. Four months later, street protests in Ukraine that became known as the Orange Revolution resulted in a pro-Western president taking office there.
Putin saw both developments as American-backed plots and slaps in the face, so soon after his assistance in Afghanistan, according to senior U.S. officials.
In 2006, Bush and Putin's sparring over democracy intensified. In a press conference at the first G-8 summit hosted by Russia, the two presidents had a testy exchange. Bush said that the United States was promoting freedom in Iraq, which was engulfed in violence. Putin openly mocked him.
"We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq," Putin said, smiling as the audience erupted into laughter, "I will tell you quite honestly."
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Here in BBC News report from @antelava with CCTV video of man handing Ukrainian Jews threatening flyers this week http://t.co/yZTdjuatxj
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) April 18, 2014
Commando tells of defectors from #Donetsk, #Luhansk and #Kharkiv regions who didn't want to fight their people
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) April 19, 2014
Commando also tells of being promised of 3500 UAH weekly salary and a free housing would he decide to defect
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) April 19, 2014
SBU issues a video of a 25 airborne brigade commando being questioned of events in #Kramatorsk http://t.co/9G5bZ0dxH2
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) April 19, 2014
Pavel Sheramet tweets: "I read this and it gave me goosebumps."
Последняя ошибка Николая I – Крымская война -читаю и мурашки по коже( http://t.co/goGsaM2cmF
— Павел Шеремет (@pavelsheremet) April 19, 2014
Albanians in Odessa region lean towards Russia http://t.co/wqAzDJNsNv V @timjudah1 Next report on Albanians in Zaporizhia please! #Ukraine
— Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick) April 19, 2014
Would be interested to know which reps of Donetsk People's Repub Tymoshenko spoke with--doubt any of em would fess up http://t.co/CPqU2Kj3kI
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 19, 2014
Would be interested to know which reps of Donetsk People's Repub Tymoshenko spoke with--doubt any of em would fess up http://t.co/CPqU2Kj3kI
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) April 19, 2014
In an interview with the state-run Rossiya television station to be broadcast on April 19, the Russian presidentsaid his relations with Stoltenberg were "very good."
He described Stoltenberg, who takes over in October, as "a very serious, responsible person" and voiced hope that his appointment will improve ties.
Relations between Russia and the NATO military alliance are badly strained following Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Putin has said Russia's actions in Ukraine were partly influenced by NATO's expansion into eastern Europe.
In his interview with Rossiya, he reiterated an accusation that current NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen had secretly taped and leaked a private conversation between them when he still served as Danish prime minister. Rasmussen has denied the charge.
Putin said there was "nothing that would hinder a normalization and normal cooperation" with the West, but said it was up to the West to make that happen.