TODAY: Effects of sanctions hit Russia, economic recession looms, EBRD says world economy may suffer as a result; Putin wants a self-sufficient defense industry; Moscow may not recognise new Kiev government; Ukraine on brink of civil war, says Lavrov; Duma wants to criminalise GMOs; Medvedev says open to gas talks if Ukraine pays some of its debt; new NGOs under fire; anti-Semitism on the rise; fight against HIV hampered.

In response to sanctions, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov says Russia is seeking a way to have its largest exporters paid in rubles instead of dollars.  The U.S. asserts that its economic sanctions against Russia are ‘starting to bite’, with effects already visible in tougher lending restrictions for Russian companies – but what will be the effect on the rest of the world? The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development says the global economy will suffer if Russia hits a recession, as it is expected to: economic growth for the first quarter was ‘probably the slowest since 2009’, says Bloomberg.  President Vladimir Putin says he wants Russia’s defense industry to become self-sufficient and end its reliance on foreign parts.  Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has warned world leaders that Putin is on a mission to ‘re-establish Russian greatness’.  An oil price per barrel of $60 might thwart Russia and combat the West’s ‘diplomatic fecklessness’, says the WSJ.  The State Duma has submitted a bill that would criminalise GMO-related activities.