Russian president Vladimir Putin, facing financial sanctions, signs in a law that may create a ‘gambling area’ in annexed Crimea. But could their timing be any worse?
The story that is old Roman emperor Nero fiddling while his city burned to the floor has a mythic quality that could be used to Vladimir Putin these days. Dealing with an international scandal after Russia’s seeming involvement in shooting a Malaysia Air passenger jet out of the sky, the Russian president has chosen now to okay a new gambling area in Crimea; a small region simply to the south of Ukraine, where in actuality the horrific incident took place last week.
Of course, unlike Nero, Putin remains firmly accountable for all things Russian, and has borne the brunt of surprisingly little international outrage over the incident that was allegedly carried out under their military’s auspices.
Putin signed into effect a law this week that will transform the annexed territory of Crimea into a gambling zone for Russian holidaymakers. Into the light of recent events in Eastern Ukraine, Putin, faced with all the prospect of increased US/EU sanctions, could perhaps have plumped for a more apposite moment to make this particular announcement, but he is nothing if not bull-headed, and it’s really clear he is determined in order to make the region economically self-sufficient.
Russia overran the territory that is largely russian-speaking the Ukraine in March, adhering to Continue reading “As Rome Burns, Putin OKs Crimea Gambling Zone”