At last - some good news from Ukraine

[Anotherkiwi]

Saw this in the paper on Friday, although I can't imagine why it's under "Entertainment" instead of "Culture":

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11622981

Good to know that these paintings have been recovered; just a shame that the others are possibly in a rebel-held area of Eastern Ukraine.

[mendeleyev]

It seems that at least the others are safe for now. I hope that the Dutch do no buy them back from the rebels.

Several thoughts on the rebels:

- The rebels are in need of cash, but not desperate. As long as the fighting advances Kremlin goals, there will be funding.

- While there is no money for Crimea after it has joined Russia, there is still money for the rebels regions--at least until they are folded into Russia. Then the free money supply will likely stop, unless Putin needs to demonstrate to the world that he has made it so much better than did Kyiv.

- There is no guarantee that if the stolen art was sold that it would go into rebel coffers. It stands just as much a chance of going into some rebel leaders personal account, although the Kremlin would take a very dim view of such an action given that Moscow is in a budget crisis.