Now we're getting somewhere:
Ukraine's ecology and natural resources minister estimated on Monday that Kiev had lost natural resources and related assets worth 127 billion hryvnias ($10.8 bln) when Russia annexed the Crimea region.
Ukraine has said it will file compensation claims with international courts over the annexation of Crimea, which Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said could ultimately cost Kiev "hundreds of billions of dollars".
Andriy Mokhnyk's spokesman said the minister had told a news conference Ukraine intended to go to court to recover the money Ukraine would lose through its natural resources assets, which included businesses, 198 fields and 380 prospective ones.
That's what I had in mind, although I think Ukraine would be best to split their claims between outright compensation for natural resources and rent for Crimea to avoid giving up claim to the land.
And don't forget first and last months' rent plus a security deposit to deep clean the carpet when the Russians leave. Ugh.
Such a judgment would put Ukraine in a better position to write off their debts to Russia as payment in part for what Russia owes Ukraine, rather than risking Ukraine's credit rating by repudiating what are arguably "odious debts."
Heck, Ukraine could, in the spirit of moving on, accept natural gas as part of the rent payments for Crimea occupancy.
