BBC: Ukraine sanctions imposed amid Kiev clashes

[visionary]

UN SC meeting now, also more from the Head of NATO talking at Brookings about Russia and Ukraine.

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/russias-action-gravest-threat-europe-since-cold-war-180633170.html;_ylt=AwrBJSA3.SlTNGoAh3nQtDMD

Russia's intervention in Crimea part of wider strategy: NATO

 

The head of NATO said Wednesday the alliance was worried Russia might extend its intervention beyond Crimea into eastern Ukraine and that the crisis reflected a wider "strategy" by Moscow to exert control on the region.

 

"Our major concern right now is whether he will go beyond Crimea, whether Russia will intervene in the eastern parts. . ." of Ukraine, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during an event in Washington.

 

 

https://twitter.com/strobetalbott

AndersFoghR NATO SG @BrookingsFP - "I have to ask whether Russia is partner or adversary, & our allies are asking themselves same thing"

3:17 PM

 

AndersFoghR NATO SG @BrookingsFP - "I think it's wishful thinking that situation is calming down... R. strategy" is to destabilize region

3:25 PM

 

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak

AFP: Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Nato is worried Russia may move into eastern Ukraine

3:51 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR

“It's in Simferopol (Crimea) where the human rights are violated, not Kyiv, Lviv or Donetsk” - France @ UNSC live

3:41 PM

 

https://twitter.com/HannahAllam

Russia's UN rep Vitaly Churkin to UNSC: Reunification with Crimea is something our people waited six decades for.

3:46 PM

 

https://twitter.com/baysontheroad

Russian amb to UN accuses UN's human rights envoy Simonovic of being one-sided

3:51 PM

 

https://twitter.com/baysontheroad

Russia un amb Churkin attacks "imperial and colonial habits" of western nations. 

3:52 PM

 

https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa

Russia's Rep at UN Churkin's making hell of a speech at Security Council right now. As if Goebbels had written it.

3:55 PM

 

https://twitter.com/NickBryantNY

Samantha Power: 'A thief can steal property but that does not confer the right of ownership on the thief."

4:01 PM

 

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR

"After Russian ambassador assaulted our colleague, asst General Secretary of UN a few min earlier,I can see Russia’s logic now” -US @ UNSC 

4:04 PM

 

"The Republic of Korea will not recognize the annexation of Crimea by Russia” - South Korea @ UNSC live

4:06 PM

 

"The future of Ukraine should be decided by Ukraine only without any intervention of outside forces” -South Korea @ UNSC live

4:07 PM

 

Germany suspends military cooperation with Russia http://bit.ly/1ovu4Pc  @korrnews

4:11 PM

 

Message 2 Russia remains clear: everything must comply with international law but Russia ignores it & annexes Crimea -Australia @ UNSC live 

4:17 PM

 

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR

Journalists & monitors were prevented from visiting Crimea. Not a single credible international observer was present. Lithuania @unsc live

4:32 PM

 

Lithuania calls on rejecting the act of annexation of Crimea that happened via an illegal referendum- Lithuanian @unsc live 

4:34 PM

 

Its a disturbing signal for all states that territories could be taken illegally. Who will be next? Lithuania @unsc live |PR

4:35 PM

 

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR

Despite repeated calls by international community the territorial integrity of Ukraine has been undermined and it continues -Chad @unsc live

4:40 PM

 

Referendum runs contrary to the constitution of Ukraine. Its conditions removed any legitimacy of it. -President of the UNSC @unsc live |PR 

4:42 PM

 

Its urgent to defuse the crisis starting from the immediate withdrawal of Russian army -President of the UNSC @unsc live

4:43 P

 

The “referendum" in Crimea is the attempt to legitimate Russia's actions in Crimea -President of the UNSC @unsc live

4:46 PM

 

https://twitter.com/NickBryantNY

Russian ambassador Churkin accuses Samantha Power of sinking to 'levels of tabloid press.' Offended by her Tolstoy and Chekhov barb.

4:48 PM

 

 

 

There's too much going on today, it's hard to keep up with all this.

 

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-17/billionaire-usmanov-turns-to-china-after-selling-apple-facebook.html

Billionaire Usmanov Aims at China After Apple, Facebook Sale

 

Billionaire Alisher Usmanov sold shares in Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc., focusing on technology investments in China such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and may expand stakes in Russian assets, an executive said.

 

“Chinese companies account for about 70 percent to 80 percent of the portfolio of our foreign Internet investments,” Ivan Streshinskiy, head of Usmanov’s asset-management company USM Advisors LLC, said in an interview on March 14 in Moscow. Most of the investment is in “Alibaba, JD.com and some other companies with great potential,” Streshinskiy said.

 

Usmanov, 60, built his Metalloinvest Holding Co. iron ore business by acquisitions and is Russia’s richest man, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He bought a stake of about $100 million in Apple last year and sold it recently this year, according to Streshinskiy. The sale follows a gradual reduction of Usmanov’s stake in Facebook, he said.

 

“We hope that our investments in China’s Internet companies may show the same and even better returns as we had with the American companies,” Streshinskiy said. China is Russia’s largest trading partner.

 

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/russian-forces-take-over-ukrainian-military-bases-in-crimea-ukrainian-naval-commander-missing-340047.html

Interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov said today that Ukrainian authorities would give seperatist forces in Crimea until this evening at 9 p.m. to release Haiduk and other hostages and cease hostilities. If they do not, Ukraine will take “adequate measures, including those of a technical and technological character,” he said.

 

Turchynov's phrasing suggested a cutoff of electricity and water from the mainland, but the deadline came and went without immediate action.

Vasily’s wife told the Kyiv Post that she was urgently bringing things out of the captured headquarters as she feared looting. “They are already stealing laptops,” she said, refusing to give her name out of fear for her personal safety. She was very upset and did not want to talk. “How can you be in a good mood when people you lived alongside for many years break in to your house and then throw you out?” she asked. 

 

When the couple’s son appeared, he threw down his navy uniform and walked away, almost in tears. 

All children have been sent away to homes in Sevastopol and surroundings, although many wives remain, according to Colonel Yuli Mamchur. Over 500 soldiers are at the base under Mamchur’s command, as well as civilians and veterans living or working in barracks. Mamchur was frustrated at the lack of direction from Ukraine authorities, who he says are in constant contact but still have not issued any directive on the future of the base. 

 

“We feel as if the government doesn’t need us at all,” he said. “We’re on Russian territory, Putin signed the agreement. There should be some kind of response from the government. I’m afraid to say it, but I fear that they want to make us a Crimean ‘heavenly hundred’,” he added, referring to the people who died in Kyiv in the EuroMaidan protests and are now Ukrainian heroes and martyrs. 

 

Mamchur said that if the base is stormed the Ukrainian soldiers will not use force. “Of course we’re not planning on shooting unarmed civilians. You saw how the other places were stormed, they used human shields from local people,” he said.

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don't know. Although I will observe that, on this matter, it's not like everybody else is urging Obama to do more. Obama's trying to do more, and the major NATO countries are holding things back.

 

This is why, IMO, we can not trust the words of other nations, where our interests are concerned.   They are not in it to support the U.S.   They are in it to support their own interests.   None of the European Nato members are going to support any action against Russia because they are all buying Oil and/or Natural Gas much cheaper from Russia then they are from the MIddle East or other sources.  

[Larry]

This is why, IMO, we can not trust the words of other nations, where our interests are concerned.

The Ukraine isn't "our interests". It's the Ukraine's, immediately, and Europe's long term.

[JMS]

This is why, IMO, we can not trust the words of other nations, where our interests are concerned.   They are not in it to support the U.S.   They are in it to support their own interests.   None of the European Nato members are going to support any action against Russia because they are all buying Oil and/or Natural Gas much cheaper from Russia then they are from the MIddle East or other sources.  

 

(1)  We all support our own interests.

 

(2)  Germany and our European Allies are much closer to this than we are.   I'm frustrated with them too but I think we have to remain calm and see how it ends up.   They know what's at stake here just as well as we do.

 

(3)  With regards to natural gas...   Russia actually charges Europe 4 times what consumers pay here in the United States.   Which is why our gas companies want to build up our export facilities because it would raise what Americans pay immediately and it would also reduce gas prices around the globe.   Thus hurting Russia.     EU doesn't want to buy our gas because they want to put pressure on us over reforming how we support our farmers.  The EU has a big problem with our farms and ranches which are the most efficient in the world.   A lot of our advantages in producing farm and cattle have to do with how we are creative with genetics, pharmaceutical and the government price supports we pay our farmers.  The EU objects all of this behavior which is entirely ingrained in our politics..    

 

I think our New best friend in the ME  Qatar would love to sell Europe Natural gas, and they would love to undercut Russia too.    They are the home of the US Central Command so they aren't afraid of Russia or anybody..  The problem here is Russia has been pretty smart.   The spend a lot of money in western Europe, and western Europe doesn't want to cut itself off from those funds in favor of Qatar who doesn't represent the same potential Russia does as being an EU asset for the next millennium..

[ABQCOWBOY]

The Ukraine isn't "our interests". It's the Ukraine's, immediately, and Europe's long term.

 

 

That may or may not be true.   The 1994 Arms agreement is in question here.   However, that is beside the point.  My earlier statement was not specific to Crimea.  It was more of a statement about our willingness to bend over backwords to try and appease European  Powers over the past several years.   It's not in our best interests to do so because their agendas do not aligne with ours in many situations. 

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/AFP

BREAKING: Russia calls on Crimea to free Ukrainian navy chief  

5:18 PM

 

https://twitter.com/RichardEngel

Sr military officials tell NBCNews “thousands” of Russian troops staged along Ukrainian border have raised serious concerns at Pentagon

5:30 PM

 

https://twitter.com/mashant

In Russia, troops are also reportedly blocking Poroshenko's chocolate factory pic.twitter.com/i7NFZkWJGL http://gorod48.ru/news/230432/ 

5:31 PM

 

https://twitter.com/olgatokariuk

Inscription in Crimean Tatar language taken off the building of Supreme Council in Crimea. Protecting minorities... pic.twitter.com/sPS168mEcs

4:55 PM

[ABQCOWBOY]

(1)  We all support our own interests.

 

(2)  Germany and our European Allies are much closer to this than we are.   I'm frustrated with them too but I think we have to remain calm and see how it ends up.   They know what's at stake here just as well as we do.

 

(3)  With regards to natural gas...   Russia actually charges Europe 4 times what consumers pay here in the United States.   Which is why our gas companies want to build up our export facilities because it would raise what americans pay immediately and it would also reduce gas prices around the globe.   Thus hurting Russia.     EU doesn't want to buy our gas because they want to put pressure on us over farm subsidies which the EU has a big problem with.    Our farms and ranches are the most efficient in the world, and a lot of that is genetic, pharmaceutical and price supports we pay our farmers;  all of which EU objects too.    

 

I think our New best friend in the ME  Qutar would love to sell Europe Natural gas, and they would love to undercut Russia too.    The problem here is Russia has been pretty smart.   The spend a lot of money in western Europe, and western Europe doesn't want to cut itself off from this funds.

 

 

I agree, we should have been smart but we were not.  At no point in this entire process have I witnessed U.S. foreign policy act intelligently in this matter.  

[JMS]

The Ukraine isn't "our interests". It's the Ukraine's, immediately, and Europe's long term.

 

And legitimately Russia's.   If Ukraine were admitted to the EU tomorrow.    Russia would remain her largest foreign trade partner and her largest foreign investor.    There is no scenario where the Ukraine and Russia aren't closely linked moving forward.    

[Larry]

And legitimately Russia's.   If Ukraine were admitted to the EU tomorrow.    Russia would remain her largest foreign trade partner and her largest foreign investor.    There is no scenario where the Ukraine and Russia aren't closely linked moving forward.

Then sounds to me like the Ukraine has a non-military card to play, here, too. If they want to.

[JMS]

That may or may not be true.   The 1994 Arms agreement is in question here.   However, that is beside the point.  My earlier statement was not specific to Crimea.  It was more of a statement about our willingness to bend over backwards to try and appease European  Powers over the past several years.   It's not in our best interests to do so because their agendas do not align with ours in many situations. 

 

I agree it's not in our best interests to allow this invasion to stand.    You punish aggression or you will surely reap more of it.   Today we are talking about sanctions which will potentially cost us tens of billions.    Tomorrow we will surely be talking military action which will cost of trillions and American lives.     

 

That having been said what can we do?   If we unilaterally implement harsher sanctions we've just isolated ourselves,  not Russia.   

All we can do is hang on tight,  twist arms the best we can,  and hope the EU allies come to their senses.   What you have to remember though is politics and diplomacy are slow tools.     We need consensus, and consensus is what makes them so powerful.

Then sounds to me like the Ukraine has a non-military card to play, here, too. If they want to.

 

Well they will...   Ukraine's economy linked to EU looks pretty bright..    But Ukraine's economy today isn't bright at all.   Corruption mismanagement and bad political deals are killing Ukraine.  Russia basically charges them an arm and a leg for gas, and Ukraine is forced to pay it or go cold.     A strong move here would be for US to guarantee the natural gas and oil ships to Ukraine to replace Russia's shipments...    And then for Ukraine to close the gas and oil pipelines Russia has running through Ukraine to western Europe.    Europe would be pissed...   and so would Russia.   Coarse that's not going to happen because that would sour the EU on Ukraine and Ukraine really needs that EU membership.

[JMS]

I agree, we should have been smart but we were not.  At no point in this entire process have I witnessed U.S. foreign policy act intelligently in this matter.  

 

It is smart for us not to politically or economically isolate ourselves.   It is smart for us to bring our allies along, even though both of these acts are frustrating and give the impression we are indecisive.    We just have to sit back and let Russia continue to act like a baby, and eventually Europe is going to come around..     

[Predicto]

To Predicto's post: it may turn out better for Ukraine to lose the Crimea, but....

 

1. They're also losing military bases and lots of ships and military equipment.

2. There are minorities in Crimea that may suffer because of this.

3.  If Russia doesn't stop with the Crimea and either invades/annexes Eastern/Southern Ukraine, or encourages all sorts of problems there it would be very bad for Ukraine as a whole (not even taking into account possible war or invasion of Western Ukraine in the fallout).

 

 

Oh, I'm not saying there is no downside.   I don't think the military bases matter much (who are you going to fight except Russia- good luck with that...)   The other two points are very valid.  

[JMS]

And I will also point out that I'm not at all certain that Crimea voted this way.

 

Yes it's ridiculous to entertain that vote on secession reflected the will of the people in Crimea.

First consider Russia did not allow a single credible organization to monitor the vote..  that should be your first tip off.

 

Second, It looks like the Crimea vote didn't have a huge voting block of the people who live there up to 30% of the population boycotted the referendum (Tartar's and native Ukrainians),   but the Russians did allow thousands of Russian citizens currently occupying Crimea to vote.

 

Turnout in Sevastapol for example was reported at 123 percent.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/03/17/221514/questions-surround-crimea-referendum.html

 

 

Worse..  the only two choices on the ballot both favored Russia.

 

 

Russia's vote statistics were also pretty unbelievable...   Russia said 97% of the votes cast favored annexation and 88% of the people voted...    That with all the ethnic Tartar's and Ukrainians boycotting the referendum?    Not exactly believable... nothing coming out of Russia is believeable.

 

[visionary]

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/obama-rules-out-military-excursion-ukraine-n57081

Obama Rules Out 'Military Excursion' in Ukraine

 

President Barack Obama on Thursday ruled out a "military excursion" by the United States in Ukraine, saying that engaging Russia militarily "would not be appropriate."

 

"We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine," he said in an interview with KNSD in San Diego.

 

"What we are going to do is mobilize all of our diplomatic resources to make sure that we've got a strong international coalition that sends a clear message, which is that Ukraine should decide their destiny."

 

"There is a better path, but I think even the Ukrainians would acknowledge that for us to engage Russia militarily would not be appropriate and would not be good for Ukraine either," he added.

 

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/03/19/learning_to_live_with_a_cold_peace_us_russia_crimea

Learning to Live with a Cold Peace

 

Russia's annexation of Crimea may be a shock to the international system. But it need not be the beginning of a new Cold War -- or even a watershed moment. 

 

The officials I have spoken to in the U.S. government are incensed by Russia's disregard for international law and adamant that further violations of Ukrainian sovereignty will bring ever-increasing penalties from the West. Nonetheless, there is a sense among diplomats that an eye must be kept on the long view and there is hope that they can help contain the crisis and stabilize the situation. 

 

"We're focused on de-escalating," one senior State Department official said to me in a conversation late Monday. "Getting onto this track where we can sit down and figure out where we're going with Crimea, what's going to happen. But we have to make sure that further provocations are not occurring, that people are pulling back, that no further moves take place in Donetsk or Kharkov or any of these places [in eastern Ukraine]. We're going to do major things to try to prevent that from happening."

 

 

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/russian-embassy-spokesman-says-australias-sanctions-will-have-little-effect-20140319-352yk.html

Russian embassy spokesman says Australia's sanctions will have little effect
 

Russia has brushed off Australia's move to slap asset freezes and travel bans on key players in Moscow's interference in Ukraine, saying they won't have much effect and could help an anti-corruption drive.

 

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Wednesday Australia was joining the US and Europe in imposing sanctions on 12 Russian and Ukrainian people who had ''been instrumental in the Russian threat to Ukraine's sovereignty''.

 

She did not name the individuals. But the move follows similar actions by Washington and Brussels, whose sanctions are widely thought to target close aides to President Vladimir Putin and senior members of the Russian parliament.

 

A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Canberra, Alexander Odoevskiy, dismissed the sanctions, saying if anything they would help the government in its drive to stamp out corruption among senior officials.

 

 

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR

Today in Vienna, Russia was the lone dissenting voice(out of 57countries!)to block an @OSCE monitoring mission to Ukraine

 

[JMS]

Obama Rules Out 'Military Excursion' in Ukraine

I think that's a mistake. I think Jimmy Carter did that early on in the Iranian Hostage crisis and it just empowered the Iranians. Jimmy ruled out military action, and retired into the Rose Garden so as not to offend the Iranians. Jimmy described the Iranian Hostage takers as students...

I remember after nearly a year after the hostages were taken President elect Ronald Reagan was asked if he too would rule out military actions and Reagan said he wouldn't rule anything out.. Including using the bomb. You could hear the Iranian bottox's puckering from half way around the globe.

Reagan further went on to say he wouldn't describe the hostage takers as "students"... but as criminals, thugs, and terrorists.

I think it's best to keep guys like Putin guessing and not do their calculations for them on how you might react. Even if it's true what Obama says.... Nothing empowers a crazy ego maniac like Putin more than to hear you aren't going to knock the snott out of him when he well understands you could.

[visionary]

https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa

7 hostages released in Crimea last night. Oleksiy Hrytsenko, Automaidan leader and son of ex-Defense minister, among them

2:16 AM

 

https://twitter.com/AFP

BREAKING Crimea authorities release detained Ukraine navy chief: report

2:55 AM

 

[AdamB]

I am not exactly sure Obama taking military action in the Ukraine off the table is going to matter much either way. Putin has to know that right now Obama is catching it from all sides:

 

1) One segment of the US who likes Putin and has referred to him as the leader of freedom and "Defender of the Faith"

2) One segment of the US who is saying "not our problem" 

3) One segment of the US who distrusts the US government and anything the US media says but trusts Russian Media  

4) One segment of the US who is primarily interested in their business interests

5) One segment of the US who is against any military action or is just tired of it after Iraq and Afghanistan

6) One segment of the US who is going into full "hawk" mode

 

Without western Europe taking the lead, military action really was a slim possibility anyways. Now, I can see Obama saying "no" right now, but continuing to beef up NATO countries like Poland, and conducting military exercises with allies and the Ukraine as a dare to Russia. At that point, if Russia does try to go further there is more likely justification for military action by US and Europe, and more assets in the area.

 

 

*I am not an expert on foreign relations or military operations, but I did stay at a Holliday Inn once...

[TD_washingtonredskins]

 

 

I am not exactly sure Obama taking military action in the Ukraine off the table is going to matter much either way. Putin has to know that right now Obama is catching it from all sides:

 

1) One segment of the US who likes Putin and has referred to him as the leader of freedom and "Defender of the Faith"

2) One segment of the US who is saying "not our problem" 

3) One segment of the US who distrusts the US government and anything the US media says but trusts Russian Media  

4) One segment of the US who is primarily interested in their business interests

5) One segment of the US who is against any military action or is just tired of it after Iraq and Afghanistan

6) One segment of the US who is going into full "hawk" mode

 

Without western Europe taking the lead, military action really was a slim possibility anyways. Now, I can see Obama saying "no" right now, but continuing to beef up NATO countries like Poland, and conducting military exercises with allies and the Ukraine as a dare to Russia. At that point, if Russia does try to go further there is more likely justification for military action by US and Europe, and more assets in the area.

 

 

*I am not an expert on foreign relations or military operations, but I did stay at a Holliday Inn once...

 

Adam, though I think we all probably agree that any US military action is a long-shot, there's still no advantage to taking it off the table publicly. This is essentially a negotiation and we just gave the other party something to confirm an assumption of his. Even the slightest possibility that we might intervene gives us some advantage and could be bouncing around in the back of Putin's head somewhere.

 

Now having said that, there are two reasons why this is still a very minor mistake in my opinion. First of all, his comments only confirm what was probably a very sound assumption already so the impact of it is probably negligible. Secondly, it doesn't really matter what Obama says publicly...he can still mobilize if he changes his mind. Granted there would be backlash with public opinion, but it's still an option.

[AdamB]

I do not disagree in that I would have preferred it stay on the table as well. It feels like during the health care debate when he took single-payer off the table - it moves the negotiations further in favor of the other party/individual.

 

I just do not think in this case it is really going to have that big of an impact in regards to the Ukraine. Either Putin already took it into consideration and, along with the public sentiment here, does not consider it a viable threat, or he has gone around the bend and doesn't care. The first means that taking it off the table is bad optics but not a big deal. The second...well...anything Obama or Europe says in regards to the military is, in my opinion, not going to work well unless the big business interests in Russia turn on him quick.

 

My bigger concern is how it will impact the public sentiment in the Ukraine. This all started because of a large part of the population wanting to move closer to the EU. If the EU continues tip-toeing around, it could create a lot of resentment (and give Putin what he wanted in the first place). There is already some resentment being expressed on the twitter feeds out of the Ukraine.

[ABQCOWBOY]

It is smart for us not to politically or economically isolate ourselves.   It is smart for us to bring our allies along, even though both of these acts are frustrating and give the impression we are indecisive.    We just have to sit back and let Russia continue to act like a baby, and eventually Europe is going to come around..     

 

There is actually a great deal we could do economically and militarily but it would mean reversing some of the decision this administration has come to over the past few years.  

 

The first of these is to recognise that Russia is not an ally and does not have our best interests at heart.   That's a good first step.  Europe, historically, does not come around.  They wait till it's unatainable and then rely on us to take extrodinary measures.   This is also not in Europes best interests, long term, but they are financially committed to certain positions short term and do not want to act IMO.  The longer this behavior is allowed to continue, the more costly it will be for both Europe and the U.S. IMO.  

 

It would be better if we curbed this now. 

[visionary]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26672089#TWEET1077822

US imposes more sanctions on Russia

 

US President Barack Obama has announced further sanctions on Russian officials and a bank over the crisis in Crimea.

 

Mr Obama also said he had signed an order enabling the US to impose sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy.

 

Meanwhile EU leaders have arrived in Brussels amid warnings that they may impose tougher economic sanctions.

 

Tensions are high as Moscow approves a treaty enabling Crimea - an autonomous republic in Ukraine - to join Russia.

 

Mr Obama said: "Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community."

 

He said the US was watching with concern the situation in southern and eastern Ukraine.

 

A White House official said the latest wave of US sanctions targeted 20 Russian individuals with interests in the Crimea.

 

The Russian bank being targeted - for supporting government officials - is Bank Rossiya, the US Treasury said.

 

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/eu-summit-looks-boosting-kiev-punishing-russia

Russia bans entry to US lawmakers, officials

 

Russia says it has imposed entry bans on nine U.S. lawmakers and officials in retaliation to Washington's sanctions over Crimea.

 

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday released the list that includes John Boehner, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Robert Menendez, the head of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, other senators and administration officials.

 

The move came minutes after President Barack Obama introduced a new round of U.S. sanctions.

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/CoalsonR

Obama new sanctions: Sergei Ivanov, Viktor Ivanov, Kovalchuk, Mironov, Naryshkin, Rotenbergs, Timchenko, Yakunin. http://1.usa.gov/1icJNAi 

11:19 AM

 

https://twitter.com/SpiegelPeter

9 US pols on Russia list: Caroline Atkinson, Dan Pfeiffer, Ben Rhodes, Harry Reid, Boehner, Bob Menendez, Mary Landrieu, McCain, Dan Coats  

11:48 AM

 

https://twitter.com/lrozen

yes 4 oligarchs from Navalny's list: Rotenberg bros, Yakunin, Kovalchuk ('putin's banker')  pic.twitter.com/UDUZDUXFAU

11:54 AM

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I am not exactly sure Obama taking military action in the Ukraine off the table is going to matter much either way. Putin has to know that right now Obama is catching it from all sides:

 

1) One segment of the US who likes Putin and has referred to him as the leader of freedom and "Defender of the Faith"

2) One segment of the US who is saying "not our problem" 

3) One segment of the US who distrusts the US government and anything the US media says but trusts Russian Media  

4) One segment of the US who is primarily interested in their business interests

5) One segment of the US who is against any military action or is just tired of it after Iraq and Afghanistan

6) One segment of the US who is going into full "hawk" mode

 

Without western Europe taking the lead, military action really was a slim possibility anyways. Now, I can see Obama saying "no" right now, but continuing to beef up NATO countries like Poland, and conducting military exercises with allies and the Ukraine as a dare to Russia. At that point, if Russia does try to go further there is more likely justification for military action by US and Europe, and more assets in the area.

 

 

*I am not an expert on foreign relations or military operations, but I did stay at a Holliday Inn once...

 

Putin is leader of freedom and "Defender of the Faith"?

 

That must be the most misguided and delusional segment we have in this country.

 

 

LOL........

[Predicto]

Adam, though I think we all probably agree that any US military action is a long-shot, there's still no advantage to taking it off the table publicly. This is essentially a negotiation and we just gave the other party something to confirm an assumption of his. Even the slightest possibility that we might intervene gives us some advantage and could be bouncing around in the back of Putin's head somewhere.

 

I don't agree.   Russia is a nuclear power with a genuinely paranoid leadership that has publicly announced that its thousands of nukes are automatically preset to destroy the world even if every single Russian is dead.  There is a value to assuring that there are no misunderstandings with such people.  

 

There are times when ****-wagging isn't really productive.  This is one of them.   No one, not even the US, is in a position to militarily intervene when Russia pulls a stunt like this on its own borders with one of its former satellites who is not a member of NATO.  Bush couldn't do a thing about Georgia in 2008, and Obama can't do a thing about Crimea in 2014.  Russia knows it, we know it, everyone knows it.   

 

Russia needs to be punished in the wallet and in the area of international relations.  ****-wagging is useless here, and would make us look stupid.

[visionary]

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20140320_33.aspx

Ukraine-related Designations

 

The following individuals have been added to OFAC's SDN List:

A little more info on those sanctioned.

 

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/20/eu-mulls-furthersanctionsonrussiaovercrimea.html

The move comes as Russia faces further sanctions from the European Union on Thursday over the annexation.

 

In an address to the German parliament in Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU was readying further sanctions and that the G-8 forum of leading economies had been suspended indefinitely.

 

Russia holds the presidency of the G-8, and President Vladimir Putin was due to host his counterparts, including President Barack Obama, at a summit in Sochi in June.

 

"So long as there aren't the political circumstances, like now, for an important format like the G-8, then there is no G-8," Merkel said. "Neither the summit, nor the format."

 

http://live.america.aljazeera.com/Event/Ukraine_Crisis

 

The Bulgarian prime minister says he will not support large scale economic sanctions against Russia without assessing the impact first, Reuters reports.

The prime minister reportedly went on to say he is pessimistic that large scale sanctions will be imposed.

The Bulgarian prime minister says it is likely to be among a 'big group' of countries that oppose large scale sanctions, adding that he is convinced the European Council will find a 'balanced and strong' decision to the response to the Crimea situation, Reuters reports.

The prime minister says compensatory mechanisms should be discussed in sanctions are approved, according to Reuters.

Speaking from Moscow, UN chief Ban Ki-moon says he told Russian President Putin he is profoundly concerned that Ukrainian military bases are being taken over, Reuters reports.

 

 

https://twitter.com/lrozen

Gennady Timchenko, founder of Gunvor, citizen of Russia & Finland, lives in Geneva Switzerland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gennady_Timchenko … http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl23331.aspx

12:14 PM

 

One DC Russia expert on those Russians targeted by US sanctions today: "holy cr@p"! 

12:19 PM

 

 

https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller

Russian FM Lavrov to Kerry: Decision on the reunification of Crimea and Russia "is not subject to review” @Reuters http://alj.am/UkraineCrisis 

12:30 PM

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I don't agree.   Russia is a nuclear power with a genuinely paranoid leadership that has publicly announced that its thousands of nukes are automatically preset to destroy the world even if every single Russian is dead.  There is a value to assuring that there are no misunderstandings with such people.  

 

There are times when ****-wagging isn't really productive.  This is one of them.   No one, not even the US, is in a position to militarily intervene when Russia pulls a stunt like this on its own borders with one of its former satellites who is not a member of NATO.  Bush couldn't do a thing about Georgia in 2008, and Obama can't do a thing about Crimea in 2014.  Russia knows it, we know it, everyone knows it.   

 

Russia needs to be punished in the wallet and in the area of international relations.  ****-wagging is useless here, and would make us look stupid.

 

 

I generally agree with you here.   I don't believe that it is impossible for the U.S. to act militarilly against Putin and Russia.  In fact, I believe that we could easily do this if we wanted to spend the considerable amount of money it would take but it's not financially feasible and it's not the best use of our resources by any means.   The idea that we would use Military action against Putin would, IMO, be very effective against him because it's something that is tangible to him.   He understands this and I believe it would be effective but that's here nor there.   We aren't going to do this so what does it matter?

 

However, financially, I do believe we could cause him serious problems, if we wanted to take action.  Putin's hold on Russia is not iron clad.   The Russian people have no desire to go back to the "Good Old Days" of the USSR.   They have gotten a tast of what it's like to have certain comforts and people in Russia, who have acquired money are powerful and have sway over Putin and what he can or can't do.   I think they would depose him before they would go back to the good old days.  

 

That's just my opinion thou.