Russian oppositionist politician Boris Nemtsov wrote on his FB page that Putin has closed the ‘Novorossiya’ project; none of the objectives laid out by President Vladimir Putin were achieved.
“Putin ordered 17,600 troops to return to their places of permanent deployment. Now we can take time out and draw some conclusions. They are terrible.” he said.
“Putin wanted to tie Ukraine to Russia, to encourage its entry into the Customs Union. He got the exact opposite … He wanted Ukraine to maintain a neutral status. He failed miserably… He wanted to win the respect of the Ukrainian people. He created a long-lasting enemy and received Putin- xy@lo as a gift in return.” stated Nemtsov.
“Putin wanted a ‘Novorossiya’, stretching from Donetsk to Odesa. He got a small section of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts… he wanted a corridor to the Crimea via Mariupol. He raised awareness and resistance among the locals, and spurred Russians residents in Mariupol to dig trenches around the city… He wanted to seize land without firing a single shot, like in Crimea. He got 4,000 people killed on both sides.” said the politician.
Nemtsov maintains that Russia’s economy has “plummeted due to capital leaving the country – over $ 100 billion, exchange at 40 rubles for one dollar (depreciation of 20%), double-digit inflation for food products and total economic stagnation with no investments and innovations.”
“Putin wanted to be recognized as a strong leader in world politics. He became an outcast…. Soon Russians will realize that prices have risen, but not their salaries or profits. It won’t be possible for him to blame Obama any longer.” concluded Nemtsov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Defense Ministry to transfer Russian troops (about 17,000 soldiers), which were conducting military exercises in Rostov oblast (Russia), to their places of permanent deployment.
