Putin to Ukraine: You belong with Russia, not Europe Fred Weir July 29, 2013PoliticsForeign PolicyRussiaVladimir Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Ukraine over the weekend to attend a joint commemoration marking the 1,025th anniversary of Russia's conversion to Christianity, which took place in the original Russian state centered in Kiev. Mr. Putin used the occasion to press a far more secular and, for the Kremlin, urgent agenda. Ukraine is facing an historic choice that may determine its development for decades to come. Much of Russia's own strategic future plans also revolve around what it decides. The Kremlin wants Ukraine to integrate economically with Russia by joining a Moscow-led customs union and then go on to become part of Putin's grand "Eurasian Union" of former-Soviet states, which would have an eastward-looking focus. But Ukraine plans to sign a landmark association agreement with the European Union in November, which would grant it trade preferences with Europe and preclude membership in an alternative trading bloc such as Russia's customs union. Putin arrived in Kiev Saturday, with Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church in tow, to attend lavish celebrations marking the day in 988 AD when Prince Vladimir of Kiev adopted Orthodox Christianity and then ordered a mass baptism of his subjects in the Dneiper River. Though the church has since fragmented, millions of Ukrainians still adhere to the Moscow-based church headed by Kirill. But Putin's mind was clearly elsewhere. "This day marks the unity of our peoples. We have several common questions we will be able to discuss during these days of celebrations. There will be another meeting tomorrow… where we will talk security," the Kremlin-funded English-language RT network quoted Putin as telling Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Ukraine was on a pro-Western path following the 2004 Orange Revolution, but that movement was reversed after the Russian-speaking Mr. Yanukovych won a hard-fought 2010 election, in part on pledges to repair Ukraine's tattered relations with Russia. In the months that followed Yanukovych's election, he largely succeeded in reversing the Orange Revolutionand, in particular, derailed Ukraine's bid to join the Western military alliance NATO. He also sealed good ties with Moscow by extending Russia's lease on Sevastopol, headquarters of the Russian navy's Black Sea fleet, by another 25 years. However, Yanukovych has been unable – or unwilling – to deliver Ukrainian agreement to join the customs union, whose main members are Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, a step that might forever cement Ukraine into a Russian-led economic and political union of ex-Soviet countries. At the same time, he has insisted that Ukrainian cooperation with Europe shouldn't close the door to better relations with Moscow. At a meeting with Ukrainian religious and political leaders Saturday, Putin made his best pitch for choosing the Russian path. "Competition on global markets is very fierce today. I am sure that most of you realize that only by joining forces can we be competitive and stand a chance of winning in this tough environment. We have every reason too, to be confident that we should and can achieve this," Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript of his remarks. Putin argued that Ukraine was built up and industrialized within the USSR, and it still shares a considerable amount of common infrastructure with Russia. He claimed that living standards in Soviet Ukraine were even better than in some European countries, such as Italy. "As you know, there are various integration processes underway now in the post-Soviet area.... There are facts that speak for themselves. Our bilateral trade with Ukraine fell by slightly over 18 percent in the first quarter of this year. Our trade with the customs union countries increased by 34 percent in 2011, by 11 percent, I think, in 2012, and was up by 2 or 3 percent in the first quarter of this year, despite the downturn in the global economy. We have steady growth," he said. Putin added that Russia will respect Ukraine's choice, whatever it may be. "Russia is really desperate, because Ukraine is the major trophy in Putin's Eurasian Union project. That's what leads Putin to pull out all the stops in the race to win this," says Sergei Strokan, a foreign affairs columnist with the Moscow daily Kommersant. "Ukraine is trying to delay this choice as much as possible, because it wants to keep its European window open. But the Europeans have been quite tough, basically telling Ukraine that it can't sit on two chairs. Ukrainian public opinion is divided over this, but it seems that the dominant mood – at least of the younger part of the population – is for a European strategy. Trying to sit on two chairs is probably the best Yanukovych can do for Putin. But the European option is looming, and Ukraine will probably try to use it – regardless of what Putin wants," Mr. Strokan says.
Putin makes me uneasy, very uneasy. Even his name, 'Putin' seems spooky. The Russians , especially the Orthodox Church love the guy and this makes me more uneasy than ever. I think Government is more naturally the foe of Faith , it is worrisome to see them so cosy in bed together. Might the Patriarch not be better to challenge, rather than to pet?
World leaders should unite to end anti-Christian persecution, Vladimir Putin says http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/wo...end-anti-christian-persecution-vladimir-putin I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD HE SAY'S
On the one hand Vladimir Putin seems to push all the right buttons. He has for instance done a huge amount for Orthodoxy in the Russian Federation. He openly espouses his Christian faith , openly wearing the crucifix his grandmother gave him. Placing Orthodoxy right back in the heart of Russian life. But there is a much darker side to all this public religiosity. For instance the immense corruption in Russia, it is pretty well a Mafia run state. Putin's own net worth is estimated at $70 billion dollars. Yes that's billion not million. Well where did the money come from? This from a man on an official salary of $187,000 a year? 'Putin is known to sport a $150,000 Patek Philippe watch on most occasions and his total collection has been valued at at $700,000. He also has full access to a $40 million ultra luxury yacht that features a wine cellar, Jacuzzi, helipad and outdoor barbecue area. In terms of living accommodations, Putin has access to 20 mansions throughout the world including a lavish ski lodge and Medieval castle. The crown jewel of his property portfolio is a $1 billion palace overlooking the Black Sea that he allegedly owns through an anonymous trust. Furthermore, Putin makes frequent use of 15 Presidential helicopters and more than 40 private jets, many of which feature gold plated interiors. If Vladimir Putin's net worth truly sits at $70 billion, that would be enough to make him the second richest person on the planet right behind Carlos Slim Helu. It would likely also represent one of the largest personal fortunes ever accumulated by a sitting President. The only other world leader who possibly looted more cash from his country was Muammar Gaddafi who after 40 years of power stashed away a reported $200 billion in ill-gotten oil money.' He himself served as a KGB agent for 16 years..again a cause of concern. I don't believe or trust him either. But my main concern is the Russian Patriarch and Bishops... if I can ask questions about all this, why can't they?
I absolutely do not trust this guy! I'm trying to figure out what his game is. He's saying all the right things that we faithful Christians want to hear but something is up. Is he trying to convince the world that Russia has "converted" while at the same time he's rebuilding their military. I believe it is Sister Elena Aiello who said during the chastisement that Russia would invade and take over Europe including the Vatican. Lots of prayer is needed to avert what may be coming.
Here is a good documentary on Putin's rise to power. Its long but worth watching, its scary how much control he has right now.
