ASSESSMENTS
Ukraine's Economy Needs Russia
Feb 18, 2015 | 10:03 GMT

A statue of former Russian leader Vladimir Lenin stands in front of a Sberbank sign in Lenin Square in Donetsk, Ukraine.
(JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images)
Summary
Despite Russia's annexation of Crimea and fighting in Ukraine's east, Ukraine and Russia remain economically intertwined. Kiev has lobbied Western governments to impose sanctions on Russian companies and advocated reducing dependence on Russia natural gas imports. However, Ukraine's banking and energy sectors are tied to Russia, giving the Kremlin several options with which to influence Kiev.
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