An outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a leading opposition politician, and former deputy prime minister, Boris Nemtsov, has been assassinated. He was shot dead near the Kremlin in Central Moscow. The 55 year old was shot four times in the back, as he walked on a bridge over the Moskva River with a Ukrainian woman.
Putin's regime has taken the investigation of the killing under presidential command, placing the investigation in the hands of government security agencies. Mikhail Kasyanov, a fellow opposition leader, told reporters, "That a leader of the opposition could be shot beside the walls of the Kremlin is beyond imagination. There can be only one version: that he was shot for telling the truth."
Nemtsov has said in the past that he believed Putin might have him killed regarding his opposition to Russian involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. An opposition march was planned for Sunday, intended as a protest against the war in east Ukraine, where pro-Russian rebels have seized a swathe of territory.
Another opposition figure, Ksenia Sobchak, said Nemtsov was preparing a report that would reveal the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine, an allegation Putin's government in Moscow denies.
Nemtsov's assassination follows a continuation of Russian presence in Ukraine, dismantling Ukraine, and seizing portions of the country for Russian occupation (in the name of pro-Russian rebels/separatists).
Experts suggest that Putin's goal is to take control of Ukraine along the Russian border down to Crimea, land-locking Ukraine, and providing a warm-water port along the Black Sea for Russia.
Meanwhile, though U.S. military vehicles have been paraded in Estonia near the Russian border, American forces are being held back, and the White House seems to be unwilling to do anything to stop Putin's invasion, and land grab, in Ukraine.
Russia has also been strengthening ties with eastern European countries, as seen with their recent energy deal with Hungary, creating a stronger presence in Europe, and showing how far Putin believes he can push without any concern over Western disagreements over his actions.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Putin Continuing to Dismantle Ukraine - Yahoo News
This is Putin's Objective in Ukraine; expert - Yahoo Finance
U.S. Military vehicles paraded 300 yards from the Russian Border - Washington Post
Russia's Geo-Political Positioning - Political Pistachio
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