A war of words, tinted with matter of economic importance and constant predictions of a military invasion that never comes continues between Russia and Ukraine, with Russian President Vladimir Putin suggesting the interim government of Ukraine be more careful about making “irreversible” mistakes.
Putin’s comments were seen as a warning against the planned Ukrainian military offensive against the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, along the Russian border, which Ukraine’s Interior Ministry suggests is needed to crush separatist sentiment there.
Underscoring Russia’s continued influence, President Putin also suggested his government might start insisting that Ukraine pay for its gas up front, something the nation probably can’t afford to do.
Ukraine’s interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced earlier this week that Ukraine isn’t going to pay for the gas it receives from Russia at all anymore, which is a rhetorical shift from the pro-Russian government that preceded him, but is practically the same, since they were many months behind on their bills themselves, and were constantly making empty promises to eventually make good.
