Last week, Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union and Eurasia celebrated Passover. Despite the economic crisis, communities throughout the region held Seders and other celebratory events. The update includes an overview of the Passover events in Russia and an NCSEJ Special Update on the Passover celebrations in Ukraine.

This week, President Vladimir Putin announced a decision to lift Russia's ban on supplying Iran with S-300 missiles. The U.S. and Israel strongly condemned the move. President Putin tried to assuage criticism by arguing that the missiles are defensive and don't pose a threat to Israel. He also praised Iran for showing "great flexibility" in the nuclear talks.

I want to recommend an Institute for National Security Studies article by Zvi Magen, Sarah Fainberg, and Ilan Shklarsky that analyzes Russian policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian political process.

I also want to highlight a CNN article about Ukrainian Holocaust survivors living in Ukraine's war-torn regions. As we mark Holocaust Remembrance day this week, this is another stark reminder that some Holocaust survivors in the region continue to face extreme hardship.

I want to recognize outgoing Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. Oleksandr Motsyk, who has been a good friend of NCSEJ and to me personally. Ambassador Motsyk is leaving his position this month, after being in Washington for almost 5 years.

I  also want to bring to your attention an insightful interview with Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the U.S. Elin Suleymanov who discusses implications of the nuclear deal with Iran on Azerbaijan, and the Central Asia region.

Sincerely,