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Criticism of the Russian government has been common due to thoughts of Russia abusing human rights. Most of the criticism is targeted due to the 2014 Ukraine crisis or Russia's support for Syria during the Syrian Civil War.

Putin Government

Support for Syria in the Syrian Civil War

Main article: Russia's role in the Syrian Civil War

On August 7, 2012, opponents of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria (which is strongly supported by Russia) protested outside the embassy in London, allegedly damaging it

Intervention in Ukraine

Annexation of Crimea

Main article: Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

International reaction to the 2014 Crimean crisis according to official governmental statements.

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  Statements only voicing concern or hope for peaceful resolution to the conflict

  Support for Ukrainian territorial integrity

  Condemnation of Russian actions

  Condemnation of Russian actions as a military intervention or invasion

  Support for Russian actions and/or condemnation of the Ukrainian interim government

  "Recognition of Russian and other interests"

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  Ukraine

  Russia

Reports and statements by the US State Department repeatedly accused Russia of orchestrating the April unrest across eastern and southern Ukraine. Russia denied these reports.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17

Main article: International reactions to the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shootdown

Accusations of Discrimination

Against the Jews

Main article: Antisemitism in Russia

Against homosexuals

Main article: LGBT rights in Russia

On July 1, 2011, Peter Tatchell and his supporters protested outside the Russian embassy of London about the allegedly poor state of gay rights in Russia

Relations with NATO

Main article: NATO-Russia relations

Relations between Russia and NATO became strained in summer 2008 due to Russia's war with Georgia. Later the North Atlantic Council condemned Russia for recognizing the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia as independent states. The Secretary General of NATO claimed that Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia violated numerous UN Security Council resolutions, including resolutions endorsed by Russia. Russia, in turn, insisted the recognition was taken basing on the situation on the ground, and was in line with the UN Charter, the CSCE Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and other fundamental international law;

In the beginning of March 2014, NATO condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea as a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. On April 1, 2014, NATO decided to suspend practical co-operation with Russia, in response to the Ukraine crisis.

The Russian government's decision to send a truck convoy into Luhansk on 22 August 2014 without Ukrainian consent was condemned by NATO and several NATO member states, including the United States. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called it "a blatant breach of Russia's international commitments" and "a further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty by Russia".

Criticisms by country

Afghanistan

In October 2010, the Afghan President Hamid Karzai reprimanded Russia after its forces entered the country without permission during the Afghan war. He also stated that Russia has "violate Afghan sovereignty" in a joint mission with United States agents.

Albania

On 3 March 2014, in a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania condemned the military intervention of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, in defiance of the norms of international law and in violation of territorial sovereignty and integrity of the country.

Australia

On 19 March 2014, Australia imposed sanctions on Russia after annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The Australian government also imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on those who have been instrumental in the Russian threat to Ukraine's sovereignty.

On 8 August 2014, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that Australia is "working towards" tougher sanctions against Russia, which should be implemented in the coming weeks.

Canada

On 24 July 2014, Canada announced sanctions targeting Russian arms, energy and financial entities.

Japan

In March 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, Japan introduced several sanctions against Russia, which included halting consultations on easing visa regime between the two countries and suspension of talks on investment cooperation, joint space exploration and prevention of dangerous military activity.

According to a 2012 Pew Global Attitudes Project survey, 72% of Japanese people view Russia unfavorably, compared with 22% who viewed it favorably, making Japan the most Russophobic country surveyed.

Norway

On 12 August 2014, Norway decided to adopt the tougher sanctions against Russia that were imposed by the European Union and the United States. Although Norway is not a part of the EU, the Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende said that it would impose restrictions similar to the EU's 1 August sanctions. Russian state-owned banks will be banned from taking long-term and mid-term loans, arms exports will be banned and supplies of equipment, technology and assistance to the Russian oil sector will be prohibited.

Ukraine

Interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov accused Russia of "provoking a conflict" by backing the seizure of the Crimean parliament building and other government offices on the Crimean peninsula. He compared Russia's military actions to the 2008 Russia–Georgia war, when Russian troops occupied parts of the Republic of Georgia and the breakaway enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were established under the control of Russian-backed administrations. He called on Putin to withdraw Russian troops from Crimea and stated that Ukraine will "preserve its territory" and "defend its independence". On 1 March, he warned, "Military intervention would be the beginning of war and the end of any relations between Ukraine and Russia." Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov placed the Armed Forces of Ukraine on full alert and combat readiness.

On September 1, 2014, Valeriy Heletey, Ukraine's Defence Minister, accuses Russia of launching a "great war".

United States

Political cartoon by Ranan Lurie

As unrest spread into eastern Ukraine in the spring of 2014, relations between the United States and Russia began to sour. Russian support for separatists fighting Ukrainian forces attracted U.S. sanctions against Russia. After one bout of sanctions announced by American President Barrack Obama on July 16, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin said sanctions were driving Russia into a corner that could bring relations between the two countries to a "dead-end."

On July 17, 2014, relations between the two countries deteriorated further when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was brought down by a suspected surface-to-air missile in eastern Ukraine, near the Russian border. Obama said the missile was fired from an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists, who he said were being supplied by Russia with sophisticated weapons, training, heavy arms, and anti-aircraft equipment; though no evidence backing these claims has been released. America's top military officer Martin Dempsey said that in response the United States was "looking inside our own readiness models to look at things that we haven’t had to look at for 20 years, frankly, about basing and lines of communication and sea lanes."

In August 2014, Obama stated: "We had a very productive relationship with President Medvedev. ... I think President Putin represents a deep strain in Russia that is probably harmful to Russia over the long term..." Obama also verbally attacked Russia, saying: "Russia doesn't make anything. Immigrants aren't rushing to Moscow in search of opportunity. The life expectancy of the Russian male is around 60 years old. The population is shrinking."

The end of 2014 saw the passage by the US of the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, aimed at depriving certain Russian state firms from Western financing and technology while also providing $350 million in arms and military equipment to Ukraine, and the imposition by the US President's executive order of yet another round of sanctions focussed on stifling the economy of the Russian Crimea.

The unrest in Ukraine has affect relations between Russia and the United States and some speculate a Cold War II.

See also

• Anti-Russian sentiment
• Russia–Ukraine relations
• Criticism of the United States government