visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/world/europe/in-crimeas-phantom-war-armed-men-face-unseen-foe.html?hp&_r=0 In Crimea’s Phantom War, Armed Men Face Unseen Foe Oleg and Irina Shevtsov, a proudly patriotic Russian couple, took their three young children on an outing Sunday morning to admire a long column of Russian troops and armor that, a day earlier, had secured their Crimean town’s dusty main street. By the time the family got there, however, the Russians had all vanished, disappearing as quickly and mysteriously as they had appeared. “The children were very disappointed,” said Mr. Shevtsov, a computer expert who, like many others in this nominally Ukrainian but zealously pro-Russian region, was delighted when he first learned of what the Ukrainian government in Kiev and much of the world has condemned as an illegal military occupation. A day after what seemed to be the start of a full-scale Russian offensive, however, Mr. Shevtsov and just about everyone else are trying to figure out what it is exactly that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is up to. The swirling drama in Crimea has produced not so much a phony war — as the early and almost entirely peaceful phase of World War II was known — but a strange phantom war in which heavily armed men come and go, mostly in masks and in uniforms shorn of all markings, to confront an enemy nobody has actually seen, except in imaginations agitated by Russian television. At the headquarters of a newly established pro-Russian self-defense force in the city of Sevastopol on Sunday, would-be recruits gathered beneath a Russian flag and frothed with fury at the “fascists” who they believe have seized power in Kiev and are now preparing to flood into Crimea to plunder and kill anybody who speaks Russian instead of Ukrainian. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ukraine-must-exercise-restraint-in-the-face-of-russian-aggression/2014/03/02/ba72c218-a252-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf39c_story.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop Ukraine must exercise restraint in the face of Russian aggression William B. Taylor was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 and is vice president for the Middle East and Africa at the United States Institute of Peace. Steven K. Pifer was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 1998 to 2000 and is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. John E. Herbst was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006 and directs the Center for Complex Operations at National Defense University. They collaborated on this op-ed with the other two former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, Roman Popadiuk and William Green Miller. The Ukrainians will fight. For the past few days, the Russian military has attempted to provoke the Ukrainians into making the mistake the Georgians made in 2008: shooting first. First, Russia sent unmarked troops off their base in Sevastopol; the Ukrainians did not take the bait. Next, the Russians sent armored units up the road to Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, but still the Ukrainians did not respond with violence. Then these unmarked troops took over airfields and administration buildings around Crimea, effectively occupying the peninsula. The Ukrainians put their military forces on high alert and called up their military reserves — but have not attacked. This restraint is wise but agonizing. If the Russians attack Ukrainian forces in Crimea or eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military will respond, and the war would be terrible. First, they should continue to exercise restraint in the face of Russian aggression: Don’t shoot first. Second, they should continue to make clear that there is no threat to Russian citizens and Russian speakers in Ukraine and that the new government in Kiev intends to represent and serve all Ukrainians. Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov’s veto of legislation that would have demoted the Russian language is one concrete action to highlight. Third, they should invite international monitors to patrol Ukraine’s eastern border, report on any hostile actions and reassure the international community that minorities, including Russians, are being treated fairly. Fourth, the new government in Kiev should bring in moderate politicians from the east, including members of the Party of Regions who have disowned Viktor Yanukovych, the president who fled last week. Fifth, the new government in Kiev should be willing to sit down with Putin in the presence of international mediators and discuss a return to the status quo ante or a mutually agreeable compromise, possibly based on enhanced autonomy for Crimea within a united Ukraine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 https://twitter.com/CNBCWorld BREAKING: Russian central bank raises key interest rate to 7% from 5.5% due to rising inflationary risks 1:33 AM https://twitter.com/DanWilliams French foreign minister says Ukraine situation has not yet reached point where France could halt warship sales to Russia - @Reuters 2:00 AM https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak Foreign Secretary William Hague visiting Independence Square protest site in centre of the Ukrainian capital Kiev 2:09 AM https://twitter.com/bishopk Russia raises interest rates, rouble takes tumble and stock market falls sharply. Crisis will soon be about more than troops on the ground. 2:03 AM Kerch Crimea from where reports are coming in that border guards can see a build up of Russian armoured vehicles. pic.twitter.com/YDYRDdmcAF 2:14 AM https://twitter.com/carlbildt Soon wheels up for Brussels and emergency EU meeting. We must clearly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Crimea. 2:31 AM https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa News from Russia's markets: In less than 30 mins Gazprom sank by 10%, Sberbank by 8% http://bit.ly/1fBtgXS 2:43 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixcuincle Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 @rlewisafc After failing to win an #Oscar, Leonardo Di Caprio has gone on an all night coke binge and ended up in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/7tK9ITxxJs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss_Hogg Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 It's happening, not buying any of the drivel from Putin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixcuincle Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 @VictorCNN 11:15 AM Russia issues ultimatum to Ukrainian forces in Crimea to leave by Tuesday morning or face ‘military storm’, according to Russian state media Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-putins-error-in-ukraine-is-the-kind-that-leads-to-catastrophe/2014/03/02/d376603e-a249-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf39c_story.html Putin’s error in Ukraine is the kind that leads to catastrophe By David Ignatius Napoleon is said to have cautioned during an 1805 battle: “When the enemy is making a false movement we must take good care not to interrupt him.” The citation is also sometimes rendered as “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Whatever the precise wording, the admonition is a useful starting point for thinking about the Ukraine situation. Vladimir Putin has made a mistake invading Crimea[/url], escalating a crisis for Russia that has been brewing for many months. It might have been beneficial if President Obama could have dissuaded him from this error. But Putin’s move into Crimea appeared to spring from a deeper misjudgment about the reversibility of the process that led to the breakup of Soviet Union in 1991. The further Russia wades into this revanchist strategy, the worse its troubles will become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 http://m.europe.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702304360704579415592160601418-lMyQjAxMTA0MDAwMzEwNDMyWj?mobile=y How Moscow Orchestrated Events in Crimea A week ago, Dmitry Polonsky was a fringe political activist in the Ukrainian province of Crimea, signing up middle-aged men rankled by the new authorities in Kiev to a small pro-Russia militia. Today, as thousands of Russian troops swarm through Crimea, Mr. Polonsky's star is rising. He introduces himself as an adviser to Crimea's new prime minister. His Russian Unity party, though holding only three of 100 seats in the regional assembly, is the de facto authority in the Black Sea peninsula that has cut itself off from mainland Ukraine. On Sunday, the party's leader said he would be raising an army to defend Crimea against invasion from Kiev. "The government of Crimea will be owned by Crimeans," Mr. Polonsky told a gathering Sunday, as Russian flags waved above the crowd. The sudden rise of Russian Unity shows how the Kremlin, faced with a pro-Europe uprising in Kiev that emerged victorious, responded by helping push a once-marginal group of Russian nationalists into power—a feat of political stagecraft that played out like clockwork under the cover of chaos. http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20140303/188053100/Russia-Conducts-Live-Fire-Exercises-in-Baltic.html Russia Conducts Live Fire Exercises in Baltic Russian naval warships and coastal troops conducted live fire exercises Monday in the country’s western Kaliningrad and Leningrad Regions, a Ministry of Defense spokesperson said. The exercises, part of a combat readiness test ordered by President Vladimir Putin last week, come amid a growing international crisis as evidence mounts that Russian troops have been deployed across Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. Putin visited the Kirillovsky training ground near St. Petersburg Monday afternoon to personally oversee the final stage of the snap check involving an airdrop mission by paratroopers. But the mission had to be cancelled because of a blizzard. A spokesman for the Western Military District, which borders Ukraine, said that a broad range of weapons systems, including ground troops, tanks, and naval artillery and air defense missiles, took part in the Baltic Fleet exercises. The Baltic Fleet units engaged dummy air, sea and land targets simulating enemy forces, including tanks, aircraft and submarines. http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-liveblog-day-14-could-a-cold-war-turn-hot-today/#1607 Ukraine’s first president, Leonid Kravchuk, who served between 1991 and 1994, wrote in the Russian publication Snob.ru today that this crisis could spark World War III: If the Russian troops try to take these bases, and the soldiers inside resist, is it possible that Kravchuk’s warning could come true? “I call on the Russian authorities to stop. Between our peoples should not be war. Does Russia not understand that this is the beginning of World War III?” he warned. He vowed to defend the land of his forefathers despite his age. “My great-grandfather and grandfather fought in World War I, along with Russia. I am 80 years old, but I’ll take a gun and I will defend their land. Every citizen will defend their territory as their home. “We knelt and Russia sat us down. Czechoslovakia, Poland, Afghanistan, Hungary. Now Ukraine is on the line?” he continued. 1554 GMT: Global stock markets have taken a tumble today over worries of a war in Ukraine. CNN reports: Ian Bremmer of political risk firm Eurasia Group called the crisis “the most seismic geopolitical events since 9/11.” … Russia’s Micex index plummeted by nearly 13% Monday, with the ruble also taking a major hit. In a surprise move, the central bank raised key interest rates in an attempt to insulate the country against inflation and market volatility. “The threat of war, the central government in Kiev losing control over eastern regions, fear of imminent default — these are all unnerving messages for markets,” said IHS Global Insight’s Lilit Gevorgyan. “Many investors do not have much faith that the country is going to quickly turn around from the double political and economic crisis.” How big a drop is this for the Russian markets? Reuters reports: On Monday afternoon, MICEX capitalisation stood at 18.4 trillion roubles ($512.03 billion), down from 20.5 trillion on Friday, the press service said in a statement. The sum beats the $51 billion Russia spent on preparations for the Winter Olympics held in the southern city of Sochi last month. Meanwhile, the ruble continues to fall against the euro and the dollar. BBC reports: The rouble fell 2.5% to 36.5 roubles against the dollar and 1.5% against the euro to 50.30… The Russian Central Bank said last month that its international reserves totalled $493.4bn as of 21 February. The sharp falls came as Russia’s central bank hiked its key lending rate on Monday to 7% from 5.5%. “The decision is directed at preventing risks to inflation and financial stability associated with the increased level of volatility in the financial markets,” the central bank said in a statement. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/c94c5186-a2c6-11e3-ba21-00144feab7de,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fc94c5186-a2c6-11e3-ba21-00144feab7de.html%3Fsiteedition%3Dintl&siteedition=intl&_i_referer Crimea concerns hit London-listed Russian and Ukrainian groups Tom Reed has one word for the mood gripping Moscow’s business community as it watches events unfolding in Crimea: “panic”. https://twitter.com/meddybln OSCE secretary general sending 3-person advance team to Ukraine to lay groundwork for possible fact-finding mission. 10:33 AM OSCE's rep for national minorities already in Ukraine, Swiss chairman's personal envoy headed to Kiev tonight; both to visit Crimea on Tues 10:36 AM https://twitter.com/mpoppel REU: WHITE HOUSE SAYS US WILL NO LONGER SEND PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATION TO WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES IN SOCHI TO PROTEST UKRAINE SITUATION 12:07 PM REU: RUSSIAN BLACK SEA FLEET SAYS IT HAS NO PLANS TO LAUNCH ASSAULT ON UKRAINIAN MILITARY UNITS IN CRIMEA - INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY 12:14 PM https://twitter.com/ChristopherJM Despite what Russian Defense Ministry says, those of us who were there heard this ship deliver ultimatum to Slavutych pic.twitter.com/fuf0enF19O 12:17 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 REU: RUSSIAN BLACK SEA FLEET SAYS IT HAS NO PLANS TO LAUNCH ASSAULT ON UKRAINIAN MILITARY UNITS IN CRIMEA - INTERFAX NEWS AGENCY 12:14 PM Well that's some good news.. I wonder if one or the other got the orders wrong, or if someone changed their mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Possibly they're trying to rattle the men on the ship and get some sort of reaction (attack or surrender) to use as propaganda. Although: https://twitter.com/washingtonpost Russian tugboats and warships are surrounding a Ukrainian naval vessel http://wapo.st/1pVuuA3 pic.twitter.com/8Cbtoow8kN 12:30 PM At the moment though I'm more worried about pro-Russia groups taking over government buildings in South and East Ukraine (they did that in at least one city today) and trying to create facts on the ground that don't really exist. This could force authorities and Ukrainian people to either try to stop them or give in on things they shouldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bearrock Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 At the rate the market is reacting, economic sanctions may not be necessary. So far, good job by Ukraine not to give Georgia like excuses to the Russians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 At the rate the market is reacting, economic sanctions may not be necessary. So far, good job by Ukraine not to give Georgia like excuses to the Russians. Oh no... The market is reacting to what is coming next. The sanctions are coming. It's going to go from very mild, to moderately mild, to personally crushing... to crushing across the entire Russian economy. It might take some time for them to come into full effect.... It's going to start off by not attending the para Olympics and G8 summits which folks are already starting to refer to as the G7 in the press. Then it's going to move to kicking Russia out of such prestigious international organizations.. one after another. Then Russian leaders will not be able to get Visa's to travel abroad.. Then Russian leaders assets will be frozen abroad.. ( Putin it's claimed has tens of billions abroad)... Then they are going to start freezing Russia's state assets abroad... Then they are going to start working on her trade agreements... The entire time this is happening Russia will be getting more and more isolated politically and more and more desperate economically at home. Ukraine and eastern Europe will continue to prosper, Russia's prosperity will go backwards. In the end Russia will be less secure, less able to defend itself, politically isolated, and more irrelevant on the world state than they've been at anytime in the passed. That's the game plan... I will and should take years to implement. It's going to be slow methodical steps.. one after another... each one telegraphed a head of time. Coarse if Russia starts shooting up the Ukrainian Armed forces, that pace can be accelerated. Look for Putin's assets to be frozen next week, and the fact that he makes about 200k and has 10's of billion in assets to be splashed on the front page of every newspaper east or west... Here is a suggestion... Ukraine needs an economic bail out... Why not use the Putin's billions to ease the shock of Ukraine's entry into the west economically? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 None of th above is going to happen because Russia holds the natural resource wild card that all of Europe relies on They know it, Russia knows it. There will be some public posturing but in the end Russia will do what it wants and the West will drink a nice warm cup of STFU In the meantime, dumbass comments from the likes of Graham and other GOP dolts complaining about Obama do nothing other than illustrate their own ignorance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 http://live.america.aljazeera.com/Event/Ukraine_Crisis EU's Ashton says the European Union calls on Russia to withdraw troops to bases and hold consultations with Ukraine, according to Reuters.Ashton says she expects the European Union to convene a summit of leaders and heads of state this week to discuss Ukraine, the news organization reports. https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak Reuters: EU leaders to meet for extraordinary summit on Thursday in Brussels to discuss situation in Ukraine 12:52 PM https://twitter.com/vanessamock EU will reconsider its bilateral relations with Russia if Moscow doesn't de-escalate Ukraine crisis, but no sanctions for now 1:02 PM https://twitter.com/bbcnickrobinson BREAKING Government will not curb trade with Russia or close London's financial centre to Russians an official document reveals 1:03 PM Document was photographed when carried in to Downing Street by an official. Also makes clear UK opposing any discussions of military plans 1:04 PM https://twitter.com/AC360 First picture @andersoncooper in Ukraine. AC360 is live from Kiev tonight 8p E.T. On @CNN pic.twitter.com/fIuv3ZKvlj 1:06 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stadium-Armory Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Yea, there's nothing we can do about it so why bother fighting a battle you already know you won't win. Its like in the UN, we don't bring a resolution to a vote unless we already know it will pass. Read the tea leaves, then act act only in situations where you know you will win or the alternative to inaction is too great. I might go so far as to publicly condemn but privately approve. In private: "Vlad, this is your sphere of influence we won't stand in your way. You know how we feel about human rights and such but do what you need to do. And by the way, we need a hand with China over here." Use it as a chip to get something we want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Sweet. Might as well let them have Alaska too and Poland and nearby countries while we're at it. But no, there's plenty that can and will be done either now, or later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stadium-Armory Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 There is no evidence to indicate that they have any interest in Poland or Alaska much less the rest of Ukraine. They want to secure access to their naval base. I'm not saying they're being fair the Ukrainians, not at all. Only that we should be measured in our response factoring in the reality of what can be accomplished against what could be lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88Comrade2000 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Putin Strikes me as someone who will go out in a blaze of glory if need be and the Russian people will love him for it. Putin will say, the evil west is holding Russian money hostage and the only way to get our money back to to take out the West. And then the WW3 starts and Europe is nothng but a nuclear wasteland. Whatever sancations that come about will be for show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 (in reply to Stadium) (quote function doesn't work for me for some reason when it comes to other posts) People in Poland and nearby states seem to think otherwise from what I've seen. (Alaska was obviously an exaggeration for emphasis, though Russia has been very predatory out in the artic of late) But clearly this does not end with the Crimea, if Putin gets what he wants. Anyway, there would no point in attempting to work with Russia as long as Putin thinks he can do whatever he wants without consequences. http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikegiglio/resignation-inside-crimea-as-russian-forces-extend-control Resignation Inside Crimea As Russian Forces Extend Control Besieged military officers kept their composure in Crimea on Monday, and said the right things. But it was clear their battle had already been lost — and that the only questions left were how and when.Ukrainian forces have been surrounded at their bases across Crimea for two days, with Russian troops fanning out in cities across the peninsula in a move that raised tensions with the west to their highest levels since the Cold War. Russia shows no sign of backing down — it reportedly has 150,000 soldiers along the border with Crimea, and the Ukrainian government on Monday accused it of violently seizing border posts. In recent days, the cities of Odessa, Donetsk and Kharkov have all seen violent demonstrations as pro-Russia crowds capture administrative buildings in a push for autonomy from Kiev. A move by Russian forces to mount a Crimea-styled operation in those places would significantly ratchet up tensions in the country — as well as between Russia and the West.Meanwhile, the battle for Crimea already seemed to be over. Outside the gate at the Perevalnoye base in Crimea stood family members of some of the soldiers holed up inside. Asked how she was feeling, the wife of one officer immediately broke into tears and walked away. “At the moment she’s hysterical. She hasn’t been sleeping well, because she’s worried about her husband,” said the woman’s mother-in-law, Svetlana Gorbachova.Gorbachova has been the librarian for the base behind the closed-off gates for around 20 years. She was on hand to lend support to the men inside, whom she said were struggling to cope with the fast-changing events. “They are cut off from everything,” she said, complaining that there had been no clear directives from Kiev. “Now there is a concern that we’ve been left on our own.”As she spoke, a bus arrived with Russia supporters bused in from other cities in the region. They quickly marched to join their comrades who had set up a barricade in front of the base, refusing to let reporters pass and seeming to further isolate the troops on the other side. One of the men at the barricade, who gave only the name Vitalik, said the barricade was there “for peace.” https://twitter.com/MajorCBS State Dept says admin is "farther along" on economic sanctions against Russian than yesterday. Absent Putin pullback, sanctions will occur 1:10 PM https://twitter.com/HannahAllam State: I refute the notion that US is just 'talk, talk, talk' on Russia. "We're very much walk, walk, walk." Cites reputation, econ damage 1:39 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Then again: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/harry-reid-russia-ukraine-europe-104185.html Harry Reid: Get Europe on board before punishing RussiaThe United States should hold off on punishing Russia until the European community is on board with a specific response to the growing crisis in Ukraine, the Senate’s top Democrat said Monday. In an interview, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Congress should let the situation play out for “a while” before trying to impose any new sanctions on Russia, which is dispatching military forces into Crimea — forcing the West to scramble for a response. “The most important thing is for us – the United States – to make sure that we don’t go off without the European community,” Reid said Monday in the Capitol. “We have to work with them. Their interests are really paramount if we are going to do sanctions of some kind. We have to have them on board with us.” https://twitter.com/mpoppel REU: POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER SIKORSKI SAYS ON TWITTER NATO AMBASSADORS TO MEET ON TUESDAY FOR CONSULTATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 4 2:10 PM Poland has been very worried. They hinted that the crisis if not averted could lead to a regional if not global war. UN Security council meeting to start in a few minutes, called by Russia this morning. http://stream.wsj.com/story/deadly-clashes-in-ukraine/SS-2-457850/SS-2-469908/?mod=wsj_streaming_deadly-clashes-in-ukraine China, Russia Have Different Takes on Beijing’s Position If you ask Russia’s foreign ministry, China agrees with the Kremlin about Russian military action in Ukraine. China’s foreign ministry, however, is singing a slightly different song. In describing a phone call between the foreign ministers of Russia and China, the Russian ministry said Monday that “there was a broad convergence of views between Russia and China in connection to the situation in Ukraine and around it.” The statement was widely broadcast by Russian media outlets as proof Russia doesn’t stand alone on Ukraine. But China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Qin Gang, gave a somewhat different take on China’s position. “It is China’s long-standing position not to interfere in others’ internal affairs. We respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said, according to a statement posted on the Chinese ministry’s website on Sunday. Although his statement didn’t criticize Russia outright for sending troops into Ukrainian territory and threatening further use of force, China called for dialogue to resolve the fractious situation in Ukraine. “China is deeply concerned about the current situation in Ukraine. We condemn the recent extreme and violent acts there and have been urging the relevant parties in Ukraine to resolve their internal disputes peacefully,” he said. https://twitter.com/juliaioffe Kremlin-friendly pollster VTsIOM had a poll up earlier today, saying 73% of Russians were against war. The poll has since disappeared. 2:00 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins24 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Yea, there's nothing we can do about it so why bother fighting a battle you already know you won't win. Its like in the UN, we don't bring a resolution to a vote unless we already know it will pass. Read the tea leaves, then act act only in situations where you know you will win or the alternative to inaction is too great. I might go so far as to publicly condemn but privately approve. In private: "Vlad, this is your sphere of influence we won't stand in your way. You know how we feel about human rights and such but do what you need to do. And by the way, we need a hand with China over here." Use it as a chip to get something we want. lol, isn't that how WWII started? I can't help but think this is somehow our fault. "Our" meaning us, the American people. Remember when Syria used chemical weapons and nothing happened because we let Russia take care of it. We let them take care of it because we the people would have been pissed off if a couple airstrikes did what needed to be done. We turned to Russia for whatever reason. Russia sees all that's happened. Laughs at us and is now like - Wow. We can do whatever we want? Awesome. Actually, while the Syrian situation may have slightly emboldened Putin more, I'm pretty sure this has been in the works for a long time. He's been building power and biding his time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 http://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/photo/pro-russian-kharkiv-338253.html Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, divided over Russia's invasion of Crimea On a cold and blustery day with snow falling in Ukraine's second largest city, some some 200 people still came to the city's main square to discuss the latest developments in the nation. The people on the square are a smaller echo of the protest that pro-Russia supporters held on March 1, when thousands of people stormed the oblast government's administration to kick out the EuroMaidan activists based there, part of the revolution that ousted Viktor Yanukovych as president on Feb. 22. The activists were beaten severely and several pro-Russian protesters carrying guns. Kharkiv has been one of the centers of unrest that started to rise in eastern and southern Ukraine after Yanukovych was ousted on Feb. 22, following the murders of scores of people -- mostly demonstrators -- by snipers working behind police lines and police from Feb. 18-20. In all, Ukraine's Health Ministry said that 95 people have been killed since the start of the EuroMaidan Revolution on Nov. 22. News media in Kharkiv are reporting that up to 2,000 Russians were brought in by buses with Russian car plates to take part in the violent rally on March 1. However Kharkiv natives found near Lenin monument on March 3 said that no Russians took part in the rally, only city residents who "got fed up with these fascists." Some 15 percent of resident of Kharkiv region believe that Ukraine and Russia should be united in one state, according to a recent poll by Democratic Initiatives Foundation and Kiev International Institute of Sociology presented on March 3. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/02/us-ukraine-crisis-poland-idUSBREA210KY20140302 Poland's Tusk says must stop Crimea crisis expanding to regional conflict Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday it was essential to prevent Russia's seizure of Crimea expanding into a wider regional conflict. "We should be able to stop Russia in its aggressive moves precisely in order to avoid a conflict," Tusk told reporters on Sunday after an extraordinary meeting with party leaders. But he said doing nothing was also not an option. "History shows - although I don't want to use too many historical comparisons - that those who appease all the time in order to preserve peace usually only buy a little bit of time." Poland shares a border with Ukraine and large parts of the western part of the country were Polish before World War Two. Warsaw's foreign policy is driven by a fear of its former overlord Russia pushing west into Ukraine and threatening Poland's own borders. http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/121068 Kerry Accuses Russia of Exerting 'Pressure on Moldova' U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry took another swipe at Russia on Monday, saying that Moscow "has put pressure on Moldova," as he backed the former Soviet state in seeking closer ties with the West. Kerry, who has lambasted Russia over its military actions in Ukraine, another former Soviet state and neighbor, was speaking after meeting in Washington Moldovan Prime Minister Lurie Leanca, who is seeking closer ties with the European Union. "I regret to say that Russia, in some of the challenges we're seeing right now in Ukraine, has put pressure on Moldova," said Kerry. "There are challenges with respect to their energy sources and also their ability to trade. We are committed firmly to the direction that Moldova has chosen for itself." Russia has strong ties with separatist movements in Moldova's Russian-speaking region of Transdniestr and has not met long-standing pledges to withdraw its soldiers from the country, which it committed to do in 1999. Russia also keeps a large amount of armaments there. https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt State's @jrpsaki @statedeptspox says "we're not just considering sanctions" against Russia. "It is likely that we will put those in place. 2:11 PM https://twitter.com/mike_giglio A town administrator in Crimea turned away from a base by Russian troops: "They have no right to do this. But they threaten us w/ weapons." 2:31 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I bet we send a strongly worded letter. Seriously though, let the EU handle this one. Not our job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 UN SC meeting on CNN now. Powers is laying into Russian propaganda now. https://twitter.com/mpoppel REU: Russian forces seize border guard checkpoint at ferry crossing between Crimea and Russia 3:46 PM REU: 3 truckloads of soldiers brought through Russia-Crimea ferry crossing after Russian forces seize border guard checkpoint 3:46 PM REU: RUSSIAN U.N. ENVOY SAYS UKRAINE’S YANUKOVICH HAS SENT LETTER TO PUTIN ASKING HIM TO USE RUSSIAN MILITARY FORCE IN UKRAINE 3:50 PM https://twitter.com/CharlieKayeCBS At UN Security Council @AmbassadorPower says the "Russian mobilization is a response to an imaginary threat." 3:53 PM https://twitter.com/lrozen France's UN envoy says Russia's Churkin today using same justification that Soviet Union used to invade Czechoslovakia in 1968 3:59 PM https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa Mark Lyall Grant, UK Rep to UN: Russia's claims were fabricated to justify its military action 4:06 PM https://twitter.com/lrozen I must say, this UNSC session is terribly sad to watch. Russia not taking an exit ramp. using Soviet justification to invade 4:00 PM https://twitter.com/myroslavapetsa Mark Lyall Grant: Yanukovych is an ex-president who abandoned his post and whose own party left him 4:09 PM https://twitter.com/APDiploWriter Think it now official:Cold War back on. High drama at UNSC over Ukraine. Nation after nation brutal in denouncing Russia. Will it matter? 4:14 PM CNN pointing out that in a statement by Putin's office on phone calls with Kazakstan and Belarus leaders, he mentioned Crimea AND Eastern Ukraine. http://www.haaretz.com/mobile/.premium-1.577735?v=9A112E298EE1B797F605D10FA6A2B9B2 Jewish leaders in Crimea back Ukrainian government, call for Russian withdrawal The Russian invasion of Crimea has also affected the local Jewish community. Synagogues in the cities of Simferopol and Sevastopol were closed this weekend due to security concerns. Last Thursday night, vandals sprayed “Death to the Zhids [Jews]” on the entrance to the Ner Tamid Reform synagogue in Simferopol. “I have no idea who could be behind it,” said Rabbi Misha Kapustin, who couldn’t discount the possibility that the attack had been carried out to smear the Ukrainian government. Despite many residents of the Crimean capital openly welcoming the Russian army and calling for a breakaway from Ukraine, Rabbi Kapustin took the rare step of starting a petition against the Russian occupation. “Many here are against the Russians but are afraid to talk,” he said. “I am a Ukrainian citizen and want to live in democratic Ukraine. The government has always provided protection for the Jews, and all the talk of anti-Semitism is exaggerated. The Russians have invaded illegally and that must be opposed. So far, people have encouraged me and I don’t believe my petition will cause any harm to the Jews.” Add this to the Tatars who have already made their position against Russian intervention in Crimea known. http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/dont-expect-the-eu-to-get-tough-on-russia-eu-officials Don’t Expect The EU To Get Tough On Russia: EU Officials With the U.S. State Department now saying that sanctions against Russia are “likely,” don’t expect the European Union to take as tough a stance: people with knowledge of the EU’s plans say the body, whose member states have deep economic interests in Russia, is not currently weighing the kind of tough moves the Americans are talking about. According to sources with knowledge of EU discussions, one possibility being raised among EU foreign policymakers is visa bans for officials connected to Russia’s military incursion in Ukraine’s Crimea. “I think what they’re talking about are sanctions along the lines decided three weeks ago vis-a-vis the Ukrainian government,” said an advisor to the right-of-center European People’s Party. “I don’t think they’re talking about freezing accounts at this moment. I don’t see a decision on that today.” “I think most of these [Russian] bank accounts are in the European Union, so it would have much more of a bite if the EU joined the U.S. on this,” the advisor said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I bet we send a strongly worded letter. Seriously though, let the EU handle this one. Not our job. Are you suggesting we not respond militarily.. which nobody is considering?... Or suggesting we not respond through condemnation, sanctions, and selective economic punitive actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 How does this action by Russia affect us? I don't think we need to respond at all at this point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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