Russia invades Ukraine

[tahir_dj]

Re: Reports that Russia have invaded the Crimea

Crimea wasn't gifted to Ukraine after the USSR split though, it has handed over in 1954 and Russia SIGNED a treaty promising to respect Ukrainian borders in 1994 so they themselves accept its not their territory.

You do realise that Crimea is only mainly Russian speaking is because Russia ethnically cleansed/deported millions of Muslims from the Crimea ?

Posters on here are praising Russia for a military occupation that they would otherwise condemn and create a thousand threads if it was a western country, India or Israel.

Check again no one is praising russia for invasion everyone is critising the west for being hypocrites

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Markhor]

The point is ALL sides are hypocrites - its not black and white, west = evil, Russia = strong.

It seems to have escaped the people who are quick to praise Putin's "strength" for invading a Russian speaking region - when the only reason why Crimea is ethnically Russian is because the Russians wiped out all the Muslims who originally lived there !

The Russians are doing the exact same thing people on here would condemn if there was an Israeli or Indian flag in Crimea instead of the Russian tricolour.

There must be a UN referendum and not a vote forced by the barrel of a Russian gun.

On the flip side - the likes of David Aaronovich right now on BBC Question Time, preaching about the west's 'moral duties' in all this - HA give over David. The west never cared about morality or legality, 2003 being a prime example.

 

[ElRaja]

The point is ALL sides are hypocrites - its not black and white, west = evil, Russia = strong.

It seems to have escaped the people who are quick to praise Putin's "strength" for invading a Russian speaking region - when the only reason why Crimea is ethnically Russian is because the Russians wiped out all the Muslims who originally lived there !

The Russians are doing the exact same thing people on here would condemn if there was an Israeli or Indian flag in Crimea instead of the Russian tricolour.

There must be a UN referendum and not a vote forced by the barrel of a Russian gun.

i agree with your first point, i.e. it is the truth of politics, no one acts in anything but self interest. however i dont see how the ethnic cleansing of the crimea is relevant now, some tatrs have since returnd, and ukraine could have, if it so wished encouraged greater repatriation, but it wasn't really interested in that.

russia is exploiting a situation it may or may not have designed and the un has little power to intervene, the ruskis would stall any proceedings long enough to achieve there aims. from a british pov antagonising the russians is pointless, far better to understand if there is any political manouviring possible in the situation, and work towards a situation where ukraine can save face, and russia can "administer" a "fully autonomous" crimea.

it was also serve in fulfilling the russian objective to send a message to other former soviet nations to not get too cosy with the west unless they fancy figuratively losing chunks of their country.

 

[akheR]

"Horizons of our Revolution
From Crimea to Lisbon
(abstract March 7, 2014)

1. Not to limit ourselves to Crimea. Not in any way. Yesterday the reunion with the Crimea was a victory. Today this is infinitely small. Rates rise. The people of South-East are waking up gradually. It is exactly that "long at harnessing" (old Russian saying).

2. All the important is to come. Do not expect a quick victory. Everything is to be paid for. Now if there is a birth of a new political reality, then everything has a special significance. This is not a technical enterprise, not a bargain. This is history itself. The struggle for Ukraine - is a struggle for reunification. Today it is clear that this reunion should be geographically different. Galicia and a number pro-western areas, and as well a large part of Kiev do not strive to Unity. We understand that. We won't drag anyone by force. But we will not leave nor betray ours. However, for everything you have to fight and struggle to create a new political and historical reality.

3. Important: The power in Novorossiya must be clean. Free from any hint of oligarchy - including the Russian or pro-Russian. Kiev started the Revolution, but there everything ended with U.S. snipers and dirty russophobia and demands to take Ukraine into NATO. And it could all have been different. Oligarchs and corruptioners have everyone fed up. If Kiev and Maidan would of rose against them, without NATO, dirty pig Nuland, American directors and disgusting Russophobia , it would not yet have been known on which side would be today our liking. Maidan was initially for something good. Probably. But manipulation and general ignorance of people of Kiev (how else to explain all this, perhaps by a low level of culture ...) turned everything into a dirty bloody farce. And then on Independence square has appeared Sanya Bily, as a sentence. There was still time to roll out of it, but this has not occurred. Kievans have failed the revolution. And here in Crimea and South East, by contrast, people have taken up it's initiative. The scream "Russia" now in Ukraine, means the same as "death to the oligarchs", "freedom", "justice". Not pro-Russian proteges should head now every region of Ukraine, but the most honest and decent having the direct support of the people. This is direct democracy, without farce, mediation, manipulation. People's governors - brilliant idea. This is the complete democracy. And what would junta oppose to it? - Oligarchs (Taruta, Poroshenko, Kalomoysky ...)! That is the revolutionary spirit of the Maidan actually wins in the East. Not even in the Crimea, in the East! Gubarev against Taruta. Rogov against ******* Kolomoyskiy. This is the Revolution - national, social, all and immediately! In Kiev, the Revolution failed, in Malorossiya it starts to win.

4. It's time to think about what we will do in Kiev. It is is necessary to prepare a new force. Not necessarily pro-Russian. Slavic force. Anti-NATO, anti-oligarchic. Now we must understand whether all nationalists are fully engaged by the CIA, oligarchy and unnatural Russophobia, or there something to with and among them, which can recognize the reality critically and objectively. In any case, it is obvious that in this composition the junta will be demolished before the election, in such circumstances it is impossible to conduct any election since half of Ukraine's population leaves the former country, and actively creates a new government. Claims to preserve Ukraine former borders with previous laws are unrealistic. We need new people who will understand what happened and somehow irreversibly to adapt to new conditions. That is actually here now Maidan can become our ally. If you peel it away from the pro-American neo-Nazi provocateurs who are moving gradually to power (the one that over time people will overthrow), the Maidan becomes an interesting political center. This is the core of the political being of the people of Kiev, who's made a mistake. But who may well fix it. Maidan, for example, may revoke the ghouls and types like Taruta and Kalomoyskiy from governors and publicly hear the arguments of Paul Gubarev, illegally detained by mercenaries. May ask the leaders of the junta about the incident with the snipers. May invite Russian politicians and public figures to clarify their positions and their views on life. To speak with the junta and neo-Nazi nitwits nobody will go, but to the people of Kiev and to the Maidan, why not ... Therefore Kiev is not cleared from the accounts. It can not be equated with the junta. There is junta and there is Kiev. This is also not the whole Right-Bank Ukraine, especially as part of Kiev on the left bank (!). But this is a political entity in an emergency situation. Now that it is clear that people were killed by CIA and Mossad people, an not Yanukovych, the whole story looks different. This junta at the behest of its American masters have killed the "hundred", sending her to the next world (to heaven or not is an open question).

5. For the right bank, too, there is a need to prepare a political project. Chervonaya Rus. Western-Ukrainian Republic. Very attractive. Quite affectionately. It may also not be in a hurry to welcome NATO, as it will cause territorial problems with Carpathian Rus. But in any case a compact Ukrainian state with its own language, without ethnic and linguistic minorities. A sound project. More would be better, if this country will become part of the common Slavic bloc. But that's how Galicians will themselves decide. At the same time what will be quite appropriate are the wildest dreams of current ultranationalists. Russian-speaking people and the mentally adequate out will quickly leave out of there. And then it is possible to freely communicate with their own language and even put everywhere monuments to Shukhevych, Bandera, Petlyura and even Hitler. From the perspective of postmodernity, that State has every right to exist. Then there Yarosh could become President, Karchinsky Minister of Culture and Sanya Bily the General Prosecutor or the head of the Interior Ministry. I'm completely serious, by the way. It is a good idea. At the next historical stage this western-russian enclave of peculiar postmodern insanity might well come in handy.

6. However, our revolution will not stop in Western Ukraine. It must go further in Europe. This is the most interesting: With Kiev's Maidan the U.S. have opened Pandora's box in Europe. And it cannot be not closed anymore. Kissinger rightly said that the putsch on Independance Square of Maidan shows to Putin what is awaiting him (Bolotnaya, Echo of Moscow and other domestic swine in Russia itself, the fifth column). But ... It is a threat not only to Moscow. It is a threat and Europe - including Germany, France, Italy and all the rest. Once the US learned to manipulate neo-nazi accomplices, they may easy repeat the same in any other European country. And they WILL REPEAT it. Tomorrow or later. So now that their situation goes extremely bad, then it is most likely tomorrow.

7. Europe faces a revolution in both cases: if we win, and if we stop somewhere under NATO pressure. If we win, we will begin the expansion of liberational (from americans) ideology into Europe. It is the goal of full Eurasianism - Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok. Without the States. Great Eurasian Continental Empire. And we will build it. This means European Revolution as Eurasian Revolution. That's right - this is our last horizon. And each of our successful step (from maintaining the integrity of Russia in the face of Chechen separatism in the 2000s to the liberation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in August 2008 and until now the Crimea in March 2014) - it is a step towards the European Revolution. Which will be carried out by the Man of Destiny.

8. Now the second case, if we (God forbid) stop. Then the pressure in Ukraine and civil and political conflict on its territory, with rebound will spread to Europe itself. It will be also a revolution, but more similar to the one that occurred on the Maidan. That is, it will the splash of neo-Nazism, a la Breivik, and connivance of certain identitarian movements and factions in recent years in Europe from the side of the System shows that the global financial oligarchy and the U.S. clearly intend to use this element for a radical destabilization of the situation in Europe. If in Ukraine energy of the conflict was Russophobia of Ukrainian neo-Nazis, without which Maidan would not acquired such a radical form of staging a coup, in Europe the same fuel of hatred will become the hatred of nationalists towards immigrants, to Islam and to LGBT. And accordingly, the hatred of immigrants, Muslims and LGBT towards indigenous population, represented in neo-nazis by caricature. Now the support of some European identitarians t(many, but not all) to the Right Sector is clear - they have the same structural aims and one employer. Therefore, in this case as well, Revolution is waiting for Europe."

- Alexandr Dugin

 

[Markhor]

i agree with your first point, i.e. it is the truth of politics, no one acts in anything but self interest. however i dont see how the ethnic cleansing of the crimea is relevant now, some tatrs have since returnd, and ukraine could have, if it so wished encouraged greater repatriation, but it wasn't really interested in that.

There's no doubt that Ukraine hasn't done enough to reach out to the Tatars in terms of land disputes and so on but it pales in comparison to the historical persecution that has been committed by the Russians.

What I'm saying is that its sad that a minority group like the Tatars who form a very sizeable minority in Crimea are once again going to go back to the hands of their persecutors. They identify themselves as Ukrainian, as do the ethnic Ukrainians and even many Russian speakers.

Crimea is an extremely divided region and to merely brush the Russian annexation off as righting some historical wrong (1954) is dangerous - we could see conflict there for years to come.

http://www.dw.de/tatars-fear-ethnic-conflict-in-crimea/a-17481694

The main fear many people in Crimea voice, is that agent provocateurs working for pro-Russia nationalists or Kremlin security services, could launch attacks used to justify Russian military intervention.

Already Russian forces - wearing no insignias and refusing to identify themselves as such - are blockading Ukrainian military detachments in the town and that makes people uneasy.

Relations between ethnic Tatars and local Ukrainians and Russians have been good up till now, says Ahtem Chiygoz, head of the local Mejlis, the traditional council established for Crimean Tatars since they returned to this region from their exile in Central Asia.

"People of different nationalities who live here would never do such a thing it could only come from elsewhere," Chiygoz said. "We are expecting according to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's plan, [that what could happen is that ] groups of people [posing as] Crimean Tatars [could start] attacking ethnic Russian families -or the opposite."

That's led to the hasty organization of night patrols and watch posts of unarmed men looking to prevent escalation or inter-ethnic conflict. After sunset, groups of men stand at crossroads and community halls, peering uneasily into the darkness.

At one such post, a dozen men are smoking furtively and chewing sunflower seeds. They aren't stopping cars, rather noting the comings and goings of unfamiliar vehicles and keeping in touch with each other by phone and text message.

"We have no authority to check documents, we can only call each other from the posts or call the head office to follow unknown vehicles or we can call the police," said Zamir Khaybulaev, 60, head of the local Mejlis.

At a second post, volunteer Ernest Bekirov is philosophical. He says Crimea's Tatars have weathered many hardships and said he hoped this crisis would pass soon.

"We just want peace, happiness and to provide for our children and have a comfortable life in our native land," the soft-spoken 48 year old said. "We don't want a war - all this is coming from higher authorities."

These men are under no illusion that their unarmed patrols are any match for Russia-backed militias or regular soldiers.

But they say they're determined to prevent escalation that would cause this growing conflict between Russia and western powers over Ukraine to tear apart their small communities in Crimea.

russia is exploiting a situation it may or may not have designed and the un has little power to intervene

I agree with that - the Russians have the veto so any UN sanctions is a non-starter and I doubt there will be EU sanctions beyond visa restrictions and asset freezing considering that the likes of Germany receive 40% of their gas from Russia.

the ruskis would stall any proceedings long enough to achieve there aims. from a british pov antagonising the russians is pointless, far better to understand if there is any political manouviring possible in the situation, and work towards a situation where ukraine can save face, and russia can "administer" a "fully autonomous" crimea.

it was also serve in fulfilling the russian objective to send a message to other former soviet nations to not get too cosy with the west unless they fancy figuratively losing chunks of their country.

Yeah agreed. Its a shame though as clearly many Ukrainians have seen the relative prosperity of Poland since they joined the EU - they have a GDP three times that of Ukraine and Ukrainians have every right to express that they do not want to forever exist in the shadow of Moscow.

On the flip side, the Ukrainian government itself has many distasteful elements, particularly including the far-right. The interim Ukrainian PM himself looks like a low-grade bank clerk. There's also the likes of Yulia Tymoshenko, who herself has her hands dirty when it comes to the political corruption that has been protested against recently, has been released from jail and is riding a wave of popular support. There is no black and white situation here.

 

[ElRaja]

There's no doubt that Ukraine hasn't done enough to reach out to the Tatars in terms of land disputes and so on but it pales in comparison to the historical persecution that has been committed by the Russians.

What I'm saying is that its sad that a minority group like the Tatars who form a very sizeable minority in Crimea are once again going to go back to the hands of their persecutors. They identify themselves as Ukrainian, as do the ethnic Ukrainians and even many Russian speakers.

Crimea is an extremely divided region and to merely brush the Russian annexation off as righting some historical wrong (1954) is dangerous - we could see conflict there for years to come.

fair point, but what chance is there of stability unless the russians are appeased in some way.

I agree with that - the Russians have the veto so any UN sanctions is a non-starter and I doubt there will be EU sanctions beyond visa restrictions and asset freezing considering that the likes of Germany receive 40% of their gas from Russia.

Yeah agreed. Its a shame though as clearly many Ukrainians have seen the relative prosperity of Poland since they joined the EU - they have a GDP three times that of Ukraine and Ukrainians have every right to express that they do not want to forever exist in the shadow of Moscow.

but moscow is wary of the insiduous creep of pro western elements in its neighbouring regions, allied to insecurity over the likelihood of increasing chinese influence over its southern neighbours from a russian pov working some "diplomatic muscle" is understandable and likely to become more frequent, and there interests, imo, today as historically, are not in obvious conflict with british interests.

On the flip side, the Ukrainian government itself has many distasteful elements, particularly including the far-right. The interim Ukrainian PM himself looks like a low-grade bank clerk. There's also the likes of Yulia Tymoshenko, who herself has her hands dirty when it comes to the political corruption that has been protested against recently, has been released from jail and is riding a wave of popular support. There is no black and white situation here.

indeed, all the more reason to tread lightly. britain is no longer a world power, if an opportunity to future proof diplomatic relations in the east presents itself..... american style sabre rattling at least serves no purpose for britain, one can hope british foreign policy on this occasion shows more depth than simply toeing the american line.

 

[James]

You do realise that Crimea is only mainly Russian speaking is because Russia ethnically cleansed/deported millions of Muslims from the Crimea ?

Posters on here are praising Russia for a military occupation that they would otherwise condemn and create a thousand threads if it was a western country, India or Israel.

Correct, sadly predictable stuff from the Time Pass contingent.

 

[Saeed]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2576490/Are-Blackwater-active-Ukraine-Videos-spark-talk-U-S-mercenary-outfit-deployed-Donetsk.html
Black water in Ukraine?

 

[ElRaja]

a most exceptional piece of journalism by the new york times

LONDON — THE city has changed. The buses are still dirty, the people are still passive-aggressive, but something about London has changed. You can see signs of it everywhere. The townhouses in the capital’s poshest districts are empty; they have been sold to Russian oligarchs and Qatari princes.

England’s establishment is not what it was; the old imperial elite has become crude and mercenary. On Monday, a British civil servant was photographed arriving in Downing Street for a national security council meeting with an open document in his hand. We could read for ourselves lines from a confidential report on how Prime Minister David Cameron’s government should respond to the Crimea crisis. It recommended that Britain should “not support, for now, trade sanctions,” nor should it “close London’s financial center to Russians.”

The White House has imposed visa restrictions on some Russian officials, and President Obama has issued an executive order enabling further sanctions. But Britain has already undermined any unified action by putting profit first.

It boils down to this: Britain is ready to betray the United States to protect the City of London’s hold on dirty Russian money. And forget about Ukraine.

Britain, open for business, no longer has a “mission.” Any moralizing remnant of the British Empire is gone; it has turned back to the pirate England of Sir Walter Raleigh. Britain’s ruling class has decayed to the point where its first priority is protecting its cut of Russian money — even as Russian armored personnel carriers rumble around the streets of Sevastopol. But the establishment understands that, in the 21st century, what matters are banks, not tanks.

The Russians also understand this. They know that London is a center of Russian corruption, that their loot plunges into Britain’s empire of tax havens — from Gibraltar to Jersey, from the Cayman Islands to the British Virgin Islands — on which the sun never sets.

British residency is up for sale. “Investor visas” can be purchased, starting at £1 million ($1.6 million). London lawyers in the Commercial Court now get 60 percent of their work from Russian and Eastern European clients. More than 50 Russia-based companies swell the trade at London’s Stock Exchange. The planning regulations have been scrapped, and along the Thames, up go spires of steel and glass for the hedge-funding class.

Britain’s bright young things now become consultants, art dealers, private banker and hedge funders. Or, to put it another way, the oligarchs’ valets.

Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, gets it: you pay them, you own them. Mr. Putin was absolutely certain that Britain’s managers — shuttling through the revolving door between cabinet posts and financial boards — would never give up their fees and commissions from the oligarchs’ billions. He was right.

In the austerity years of zero growth that followed the 2008 financial crash, this new source of vast wealth could not be resisted. Tony Blair is the latter-day embodiment of pirate Britain’s Sir Walter Raleigh. The former prime minister now advises the Kazakh ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev on his image in the West. Mr. Blair is handsomely paid to tutor his patron on how to be evasive about the crackdowns and the mine shootings that are facts of life in Kazakhstan.

This is Britain’s growth business today: laundering oligarchs’ dirty billions, laundering their dirty reputations.

It could be otherwise. Banking sanctions could turn off the financial pipelines through which corrupt officials channel Russian money. Visa restrictions could cut Kremlin ministers off from their mansions. The tax havens that rob the national budget of billions could be forced to be accountable. Britain has the power to bankrupt the Putin clique.

But London has changed. And the Shard — the Qatari-owned, 72-floor skyscraper above the grotty Southwark riverside — is a symbol of that change.

The Shard encapsulates the new hierarchy of the city. On the top floors, “ultra high net worth individuals” entertain escorts in luxury apartments. By day, on floors below, investment bankers trade incomprehensible derivatives.

Come nightfall, the elevators are full of African cleaners, paid next to nothing and treated as nonexistent. The acres of glass windows are scrubbed by Polish laborers, who sleep four to a room in bedsit slums. And near the Shard are the immigrants from Lithuania and Romania, who broke their backs on construction sites, but are now destitute and whiling away their hours along the banks of the Thames.

The Shard is London, a symbol of a city where oligarchs are celebrated and migrants are exploited but that pretends to be a multicultural utopia. Here, in their capital city, the English are no longer calling the shots. They are hirelings.

looks like someones a bit hurt. lol

 

[Itachi]

staying in ukraine for 5 years, i am not surprised of the current events. it was bound to happen sooner or later. the demography is very different in east and western ukraine.

 

[velu]

staying in ukraine for 5 years, i am not surprised of the current events. it was bound to happen sooner or later. the demography is very different in east and western ukraine.

guess u r @ luhansk ..
i m curious to know whether eastern Ukrainians favor russia over west ??

i am really impressed by putin for his badassness n cunningness

 

[Itachi]

guess u r @ luhansk ..
i m curious to know whether eastern Ukrainians favor russia over west ??

i am really impressed by putin for his badassness n cunningness

i was at simferopol, turnopil, dnipropetrovsk at different point of time.

you see, you can divide ukraine in two broad categories. east and west.

whilst west people are proud to call themselves as "ukrainian", eastern people feels proud due to heritage of russia.

it reflects upon the language. in west, the major language is ukrainian (russian is non existent), in eastern part, russian is more prevalent.

if you goto west part and speak russian, people will look at you like you are some kind of "aliens". vice versa in eastern ukraine.

this cold clash is going on for too long.

economy isn't helping either. till 1991, education was free. basic needs of life were cheap. now, to get education, you need to pay thousands of $$$$. people are getting frustrated cz even middle class family can't think of higher studies.

every two/three year, russia needs to bail out ukraine to avoid economic depreication.

the poor people are dying of hunger. believe me, the basic situation is not much different than india. only, in india, we show it to world, in ukriane, media hides it.

people are starting to believe, life was much simpler, richer when they were under soviet union.... (that is debatable but people will speak as they see it).

and most importantly, the ukrainians dont need any document to goto russia. they can just take the flight and go. so to some people, it never felt like "being seperated" and felt it is still a part of russia (perhaps)....

bottom line is, this outbreak is sudden but has causes which go way back....

 

[USaqaf]

I have no sympathy for the Crimean Tatars, they were responsible for 2 million Slavic people ending up as slaves in the Ottoman Empire, innocent women and children. Also this was one of the causes for the Russo-Turkish war, ending with Catherine basically slapping the Turks to submission and gaining the territory.
Also Stalin deported the Tatars, a Georgian nothing to do with Russia per se.

Some people are talking about the deportation hence the Russian majority, same can be said of Eastern Turkey which was almost exclusively Armenian (Van area) now completely Turkish and Kurdish. So what, no point comparing?

 

[OZGOD]

The point is ALL sides are hypocrites - its not black and white, west = evil, Russia = strong.

It seems to have escaped the people who are quick to praise Putin's "strength" for invading a Russian speaking region - when the only reason why Crimea is ethnically Russian is because the Russians wiped out all the Muslims who originally lived there !

The Russians are doing the exact same thing people on here would condemn if there was an Israeli or Indian flag in Crimea instead of the Russian tricolour.

There must be a UN referendum and not a vote forced by the barrel of a Russian gun.

On the flip side - the likes of David Aaronovich right now on BBC Question Time, preaching about the west's 'moral duties' in all this - HA give over David. The west never cared about morality or legality, 2003 being a prime example.

I think the reason a lot of people praise Putin is because he, and Russia, act as a counterpoint to the fear of US hegemony in the world today. Anyone who stands up to the US tends to get this anti-hero type moniker - Chavez, Ahmedinejad, and Putin as the big daddy amongst them. It's the human societal desire to disperse power by creating checks and balances to a superpower. Plus they think Putin is a bad@ss for just taking what he wants and creating some excellent maskirovka to justify it.

I think Russia are going to annex Crimea. The US and Europe lack the political will to do anything, and in any case are certainly not going to start a new Cold War over it. They will use the excuse that it "was always part of Russia anyway". They will hem and haw and impose meaningless sanctions but that will be it.

 

[Robert]

a most exceptional piece of journalism by the new york times


looks like someones a bit hurt. lol

Right, by some expat with a chip on his shoulder.

Just reads like the same old London as ever to me.

 

[Kianig89]

Any chance of U.S.S.R again there is some gossip/wrist slitting on websites that Kazakhstan is next

Also the loan which Saudi's have given to Pak recently they would in exchange get a nuke/nuke program

 

[Saeed]

What’s at Stake in the Crimea Referendum and How Will US React?

On Sunday, the region of Crimea will hold a referendum on whether to declare its independence from Ukraine and ask to be absorbed by Russia. The region’s leaders have suggested they might move quickly to join Russia after the vote, but the United States and its allies have warned of sanctions if that plan goes ahead.
What are they voting on?
There are two questions on the ballot.
The first asks: “Are you in favor of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation?”
The second asks: “Are you in favor of restoring the 1992 Constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?”
The second item may be a trick question, according to Reuters. Although it appears that the question asks if Crimea should remain part of Ukraine, the 1992 constitution afforded Crimea the rights of an independent entity within Ukraine.
Why is Crimea so important?
The region is home to many ethnic Russians, but it is strategically important to Russia. Its Black Sea Fleet is based there, affording Russia’s navy access to the Mediterranean Sea.
It is also important for the fledgling Ukrainian government in Kiev which wants to maintain the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The United States and its allies also do not want Russian President Vladimir Putin to make a land grab in the region.
“Vladimir Putin has violated a major post-Cold War rule in Europe – respect for territorial integrity. If the West does not make clear there are consequences, will there be other cases?” Pifer asked.
The Kiev government, the Obama administration and its allies all insist the referendum is unconstitutional because it is not nationwide and violates international agreements.
Further afield, many worry Crimea voting for independence would set an example for other breakaway regions around the world, potentially escalating crises elsewhere.
What has Russia done so far?
The United States and the European Union have accused Russia of taking control of the peninsula with its own troops and auxiliary pro-Russian forces. Thousands of troops have flooded the region, taking over military bases (while surrounding others), the airports and other strategic locations. Though they wear no insignia, it is evident that they are Russian. Russia has also sent thousands more troops to its border with Ukraine and launched military drills.
There are also what appear to be freelance protesters from Russia – including some that have been described as intimidating thugs – that have swarmed into Crimea and Eastern Ukraine to protest loudly in favor of joining Russia and to menace those who oppose.
Russia also has launched a massive propaganda campaign. Russian media, controlled by the Kremlin, has flooded the airwaves with misleading reports of “fascists” taking over Ukraine and threats to ethnic Russians. Billboards erected ahead of the referendum offer the choice between Russia’s flag and a Nazi flag.
What will Russia do after the vote? Invade?

This is the big question. Will Russia push to annex Crimea or allow it to float in limbo?
“Annexation almost certainly would lead to a tough Western response, including financial sanctions,” Pifer said. “Leaving Crimea in limbo, on the other hand, would create a bit of space for a dialogue that might defuse the crisis. Secretary of State John Kerry presumably spent much of his time with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in London urging the limbo course. A lot depends on Mr. Putin’s decision.”
Lavrov said his country would decide what to do after the Sunday vote. He insisted his country has no plans to invade eastern Ukraine, which is mostly pro-Russian, but the Foreign Ministry issued a statement earlier in the day noting Russia’s “responsibility” to protect Russian speakers and Russian passport holders in Ukraine. Analysts say this is a page directly out of Russia’s 2008 playbook, when it used the same pretext to militarily support breakaway regions in Georgia.
What will the U.S. and its allies do in response?
The Obama administration has threatened sanctions if Russia does not “de-escalate” the situation. Some penalties – including visa bans and asset freezes – could come as early as Monday just for holding the referendum.
Exactly what those penalties entail will depend on what happens on Sunday. The White House and the European Union have warned of more sanctions on individuals and even include financial institutions if Russia perseveres.
“If the crisis spins further out of control, we’ll get pulled into it in any case,” Pifer said. “We might as well engage now and try to contain the damage.”
Europe is starting to get on board with sanctions as well. It has much more trade with Russia, so sanctions from Europe would bite. But much of Europe, particularly Germany and the Netherlands, are dependent on Russia for large percentages of their energy and are worried about retaliation from the Kremlin.

Lets hope they resolve this peacefully.

 

[ElRaja]

Just reads like the same old London as ever to me.

london buses are not dirty

 

[Saeed]

1 hour and some 20 minutes for the votes and they will end after 12 hours. So Crimea has around 14 hours to decide their future.

 

[OZGOD]

Looks like Ukraine will be partitioned soon.

 

[Markhor]

Russian state TV says the exit polls show 93% of Crimeans vote to join Russia, though many did boycott the poll.

So now it gets interesting, will the Ukrainians simply leave Crimea, or will they have to be forced out by the Russians ?

 

[OZGOD]

This is an interesting precedent. Does this mean that if Kashmiris vote to be part of India they can? Or if NZ's North Island votes to be part of Australia they can?

 

[pakistanalltheway]

Re: Reports that Russia have invaded the Crimea

This is an interesting precedent. Does this mean that if Kashmiris vote to be part of India they can? Or if NZ's North Island votes to be part of Australia they can?

Never thought of that all though for anything to happen like that one of the countries pretty much has to invade .

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

 

[Saeed]

This is an interesting precedent. Does this mean that if Kashmiris vote to be part of India they can? Or if NZ's North Island votes to be part of Australia they can?

What Kashmiris, Azad Kashmir?

 

[Markhor]

This is an interesting precedent. Does this mean that if Kashmiris vote to be part of India they can? Or if NZ's North Island votes to be part of Australia they can?

Well this is why even China, who usually vote with Russia at the UN, don't support their actions in Crimea due to the message it would send out to Tibet and Xinjiang.

 

[Poison]

Or if NZ's North Island votes to be part of Australia they can?

I dont think sheep can vote

 

[Convict]

This is an interesting precedent. Does this mean that if Kashmiris vote to be part of India they can? Or if NZ's North Island votes to be part of Australia they can?

No more than Kosovo I would think.

All it proves is that a nation that has the ability to enforce it's interests will do what it wants which is what the past few thousand years of history have told us.

That is why China is supporting Russia on this. Because it doesn't set a precedent on Tibet and likewise the Russians don't believe it sets a precedent for Chechneya

 

[Markhor]

That is why China is supporting Russia on this. Because it doesn't set a precedent on Tibet and likewise the Russians don't believe it sets a precedent for Chechneya

China are not, they abstained at the UN vote yesterday - because of the message it would send out to Tibet and Xinjiang. Not that those two provinces will actually in reality separate from China, but the principle behind the Russians' actions in Crimea.

It is ironic that Putin for years has lectured everyone about not encouraging separatism when he's doing it right now - what's next, Eastern and Southern Ukraine ? Its all well and good pointing out western double standards but when Putin does it - its him being a strong and courageous leader.

"The Crimea issue ought to be resolved politically within a legal and orderly framework. The international community ought to play a constructive role in ameliorating the present situation," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Monday.

That is probably all we're going to get out of China on this issue.

 

[Convict]

China are not, they abstained at the UN vote yesterday - because of the message it would send out to Tibet and Xinjiang. Not that those two provinces will actually in reality separate from China, but the principle behind the Russians' actions in Crimea.

It is ironic that Putin for years has lectured everyone about not encouraging separatism when he's doing it right now - what's next, Eastern and Southern Ukraine ? Its all well and good pointing out western double standards but when Putin does it - its him being a strong and courageous leader.


That is probably all we're going to get out of China on this issue.

China is supporting Russia on this. They're not going to apply any sanctions and will continue to trade and even deepen economic ties. That is support.

 

[Markhor]

China is supporting Russia on this. They're not going to apply any sanctions and will continue to trade and even deepen economic ties. That is support.

Trading ties between Russia and China was always going to continue though and there is not a single statement from the Chinese to suggest they support this. The abstention of China from the UN vote is telling.

China openly supporting the separation of Crimea is suicidal as it would be like waving a red flag to a bull with regards to the Tibet/Xinjiang issue.

 

[ElRaja]

Trading ties between Russia and China was always going to continue though and there is not a single statement from the Chinese to suggest they support this. The abstention of China from the UN vote is telling.

China openly supporting the separation of Crimea is suicidal as it would be like waving a red flag to a bull with regards to the Tibet/Xinjiang issue.

except that tibet and xinjiang have no local international backer that could intimidate china. given the situation with russia having the veto tacit approval from china is more than enough imo.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The greatest leader of our time.

Confirmed.

 

[OZGOD]

And just like that, Ukraine's borders are redrawn.

 

[Markhor]

except that tibet and xinjiang have no local international backer that could intimidate china. given the situation with russia having the veto tacit approval from china is more than enough imo.

Indeed. As for veto power at the UN - I don't think there's ever been a political instrument that has been as abused and manipulated quite like the veto.

The UN has been rendered into nothing more than a glorified Oxfam.

It has been completely powerless in Crimea, Syria and quite frankly for every single conflict for the last 20-30 years.

 

[ElRaja]

Indeed. As for veto power at the UN - I don't think there's ever been a political instrument that has been as abused and manipulated quite like the veto.

pretty beneficial for a country like the UK though, ultimate big boys club.

The UN has been rendered into nothing more than a glorified Oxfam.

come on bro, oxfam is nowhere near as patronising as the UN

 

[akheR]

Moscow on its way to play its role assigned by traditional eschatology, that of the third Rome.

Like Adolf Hitler, Putin will perhaps have to play the tragic role of the "man against Time", bring war and contempt for his own individuality, as defined by esoteric doctrines, but at the end he'll be remembered as the fallen Tsar, and one of those walls who stood firm to hasten the advent of the Kalki Avatar/Mahdi/Saoshyant/Maitreya.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lmXBJlHfxv8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[akheR]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PDLwu4E35us" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Saeed]

Any body expect support for Chechen terrorists by west?

 

[prayas]

Russia suspended from G-8
G-8 summit of this year is cancelled as it will held in Russia.And Russia is no more G-8 nation

 

[prayas]

Russia suspended from G-8
G-8 summit of this year is cancelled as it will held in Russia.And Russia is no more G-8 nation

 

[Saeed]

Even india supported them.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/putin-thanks-india-for-its-stand-on-ukraine/article5800989.ece

President Vladimir Putin thanked India for taking a “restrained and objective” stand on Russia’s muscle flexing in Ukraine.

Addressing a joint meeting of the Russian Parliament on Tuesday on the occasion of Crimea’s reunification with Russia Mr. Putin singled out China and India as the countries that showed understanding for Russia’s role in the Ukraine crisis.

“We are grateful to all those who understood our actions in Crimea,” Mr. Putin said. “We are grateful to the people of China, whose leadership sees the situation in Crimea in all its historical and political integrity. We highly appreciate India’s restraint and objectivity.”

India did not join the Western powers’ condemnation of Russia’s intervention in Crimea and kept a low profile on the issue.

The Ministry of External Affairs on March 6 issued neutral comment expressing concern for the fate of “more than 5000 Indian nationals” in Ukraine and called for “sincere and sustained diplomatic efforts to ensure that issues between Ukraine and its neighbouring countries are resolved through constructive dialogue”.

National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon gave a clearer indication of where India’s sympathies lied when he said in reply to a question, “There are legitimate Russian and other interests involved and we hope they are discussed and resolved.”

India has not reacted to the Ukrainian Ambassador’s request to recognise the new interim government in Kiev and to voice “support against the Russian invasion”.

China was the only U.N. Security Council member to abstain on a U.S.-tabled draft resolution criticising Russia for Crimea. Thirteen Security Council members supported the resolution, which was vetoed by Russia.

At the height of the crisis Mr. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed on telephone “from close positions” the Ukraine standoff, according to the Kremlin.

 

[Convict]

Any body expect support for Chechen terrorists by west?

Nope. It's not in the Wests interest for this to excalate.

 

[OZGOD]

Barack Obama just wants this problem to go away in the next couple of weeks so that he can get back to his healthcare issue and other domestic policies he is more focused on. The sanctions the US imposed on Russia are comical really. The Russian stock market went up 3.7% after the sanctions were applied lol.

 

[prayas]

Even india supported them.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/world/putin-thanks-india-for-its-stand-on-ukraine/article5800989.ece

Not suprising
India-Russia are allies and China-Russia share strong relation after 91 and formation of SCO

 

[Convict]

Barack Obama just wants this problem to go away in the next couple of weeks so that he can get back to his healthcare issue and other domestic policies he is more focused on. The sanctions the US imposed on Russia are comical really. The Russian stock market went up 3.7% after the sanctions were applied lol.

The US can't apply any significant sanctions to the Russians. The Russians would just have to demand that people buy it's oil and gas in rubbles instead of the US dollar.

The US won't risk that over Crimea and Ukraine.

 

[prayas]

India will choose its old ally if its come between West and Russia @NDTV

 

[prayas]

Argentina’s president accuses US, UK of hypocrisy over Crimea.
NATO decided to discuss with Russia tomorrow.
So pressure building on west block as more nations supporting Russia

 

[prayas]

Argentina’s president accuses US, UK of hypocrisy over Crimea.
NATO decided to discuss with Russia tomorrow.
So pressure building on west block as more nations supporting Russia

 

[akheR]

Another Russian on the sanctions list, Vladislav Surkov, also seemed unconcerned.

Surkov, a top Putin ideologue often called the Kremlin’s grey cardinal, reportedly told a Russian newspaper, “It’s a big honor for me. I don’t have accounts abroad. The only things that interest me in the U.S. are Tupac Shakur, Allen Ginsberg, and Jackson Pollock. I don’t need a visa to access their work. I lose nothing.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/03/russian-deputy-pm-laughs-at-obamas-sanctions/

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Argentina’s president accuses US, UK of hypocrisy over Crimea.
NATO decided to discuss with Russia tomorrow.
So pressure building on west block as more nations supporting Russia

The USA has been a negative influence in Latin America at times explicitly supporting dictators, mass murderers and undemocratic coups. The US 'empire' is fading fast and it doesn't have long to go.

It is about time Britain eases its relationship with the USA and embraces a strong Europe with open arms. We have ridden on their coattails and reaped the rewards but we need to jump ship soon, before we are left friendless in an unfamiliar world ( Major economies are anti US or neutral and Europe doesn't like us for our arrogance.)

I sense a reluctance as our 'Establishment' is Protestant( same as the USA) whereas Europe is deeply Catholic.

 

[Convict]

The USA has been a negative influence in Latin America at times explicitly supporting dictators, mass murderers and undemocratic coups. The US 'empire' is fading fast and it doesn't have long to go.

It is about time Britain eases its relationship with the USA and embraces a strong Europe with open arms. We have ridden on their coattails and reaped the rewards but we need to jump ship soon, before we are left friendless in an unfamiliar world ( Major economies are anti US or neutral and Europe doesn't like us for our arrogance.)

I sense a reluctance as our 'Establishment' is Protestant( same as the USA) whereas Europe is deeply Catholic.

The Protestanism wouldn't have much to do with it. Anglicans are pretty similar to Catholics anyway. The major differences were always Presbyterians and Methodists against Catholics.

 

[prayas]

U.S. and Russia in ***-for-Tat Sanctions Over Crimean Crisis

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday announced that he would expand sanctions against Russia, blacklisting wealthy individuals with ties to the government and a bank used by them, and opening the door to broader measures against Russian energy exports.
The measures deliver on Mr. Obama’s warning this weekthat the United States would ratchet up the costs for Russia if President Vladimir V. Putin moved to annex the breakaway province of Crimea. But they were aimed at forestalling further Russian incursions into eastern Ukraine, after what Mr. Obama described as troubling Russian military movements.
In a ***-for-tat response, Moscow banned nine American officials from entering Russia, including Speaker John A. Boehner, the Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, Senator John McCain of Arizona, as well as three senior White House officials.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/u...ng-sanctions-against-russia-over-ukraine.html

 

[prayas]

U.S. and Russia in ***-for-Tat Sanctions Over Crimean Crisis

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday announced that he would expand sanctions against Russia, blacklisting wealthy individuals with ties to the government and a bank used by them, and opening the door to broader measures against Russian energy exports.
The measures deliver on Mr. Obama’s warning this weekthat the United States would ratchet up the costs for Russia if President Vladimir V. Putin moved to annex the breakaway province of Crimea. But they were aimed at forestalling further Russian incursions into eastern Ukraine, after what Mr. Obama described as troubling Russian military movements.
In a ***-for-tat response, Moscow banned nine American officials from entering Russia, including Speaker John A. Boehner, the Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, Senator John McCain of Arizona, as well as three senior White House officials.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/21/u...ng-sanctions-against-russia-over-ukraine.html

 

[Saeed]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhKvV1aTAL8lol was this guy Australian PM?

 

[DoosraTeesra]

Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fTOqplOTKjU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Convict]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhKvV1aTAL8lol was this guy Australian PM?

Malcolm Fraser

 

[Saeed]

Your heart should have referendum and thanks convict.

 

[prayas]

What ever Russia handle this problem without bath blood/without shooting single bullet.

 

[R1a1]

Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fTOqplOTKjU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Russian/Eastern European women are just stunning

 

[The Dark Corner]

What ever Russia handle this problem without bath blood/without shooting single bullet.

If only all nations would settle their conflicts without the situation resulting in a bath blood.

 

[Robert]

The Russian Army has seized three Ukrainian corvettes. This isn't good........

 

[akheR]

Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya

Apparently that's what got Japanese interested in Crimea...

http://www.ibtimes.com/crimeas-attorney-general-natalia-poklonskaya-goes-viral-china-japan-1562620

 

[Saeed]

RT saying West spent 5 million to destabilize Ukraine but no other credible news reporting it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2xBhpFi9JU

 

[OZGOD]

The Russians have taken Ukraine's only submarine away from them and incorporated it into their Black Sea fleet.

SEVASTOPOL, March 22 (RIA Novosti) - The St.Andrew's flag of the Russian Navy was raised on Ukraine's only submarine, the Zaporizhzhia, on Saturday.

The Zaporizhzhia, commissioned in 1970, will join the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which previously had three submarines.

Captain 1st Rank Anatoly Varochkin, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet's submarine flotilla, told RIA Novosti that half of the Zaporizhzhia's crew, including the captain, refused to serve in the Russian Navy and left the vessel.

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140322/188661872/Russian-Navy-Flag-Raised-at-Ukraines-Only-Sub.html

 

[speed]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SadkPvPTooo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[GenericBrand]

Lol their only submarine )

 

[akheR]

Time to grab guns and kill damn Russians: Tymoshenko tape leak

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6RxSzSWbcxo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[akheR]

For those who blame "Russians" for Communist crimes in "Islamic nations" (for instance Crimean Tatars who, have to say, played the role of Ottoman ambassadors when it came to bully ethnic Russians), please do know that, out of 500 Bolshevik leaders, some 450 were from a community which made 1% of the population at the time, namely the Jews (incl. Lazar Kaganovich, the man who literally orchestrated Holodomor, a Holocaust-like famine which killed 6 millions of Ukrainians) and those who weren't Russian Jews, weren't particularly Russians either (incl. Stalin, a Georgian, and his Indo Europeans roots might have been behind his project of "National Bolshevism", as opposed to Trotsky's and Lenin's internationalism, the later with Jewish roots through his mother he always tried to hide.)

Russia is the Third Rome, it's totally inclusive of other faiths and the Islamic nations particularly will play a substantial part in its final role.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5Xt5IQrC5ZE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Saeed]

Petition in Alaska to join Russia.https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/alaska-back-russia/SFG1ppfN

 

[Saeed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V09SNfNdSE4lol I find this video funny for some reason. Guy said that army took their food because government does't not even feed them.

 

[sweep_shot]

Ukraine conflict: Moscow could 'defend' Russia-backed rebels

A top Russian official has warned that Moscow could intervene to help Russian-speaking residents in eastern Ukraine if Ukraine launches an all-out assault on separatists there.

Russian-backed separatist rebels and Ukrainian troops have been clashing in the east of the country.

Russia has also been building up troops on the border with Ukraine.

The official, Dmitry Kozak, said that Russian forces could intervene to "defend" its citizens.

"Everything depends on the scale of the conflagration," he said.

He also warned that an escalation could mark the "beginning of the end" for Ukraine - "not a shot in the leg, but in the face".

The United States and Germany have both expressed concern at the increase in tensions.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56678665.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-politics-analys/analysis-russian-military-buildup-raises-stakes-as-fighting-in-ukraine-intensifies-idUSKBN2BW1SX?il=0

Dozens of troop carriers and missile launchers sit on flatbed wagons lining up along tracks running through southern Russia, in a region bordering Ukraine. Tanks are parked in columns beside the railway, which runs parallel to the M4 highway. Military trucks rumble past, heading toward the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, close to the border.

Ukraine and Western countries accuse Russia of sending troops and heavy weapons to support proxy fighters who seized a swathe of the eastern Donbass region in 2014.

Moscow denies it is part of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and says it provides only humanitarian and political support to the separatists.

The recent deployment of hardware close to Ukraine’s border, captured this week on video seen by Reuters, is what a source close to both the Kremlin and to pro-Russian separatists said was a deliberate show of force at a time of rising tensions between the former Soviet states.

Two sources close to separatist leaders in Donbass said skirmishes were increasing around the separatist-held city of Donetsk, and Kyiv has reported that five of its soldiers have been killed in fighting there this week.

But the military buildup is not a sign of a major escalation in the conflict, according to the source and the two people close to the separatists.

“Moscow is doing it openly, deliberately uncovering tanks in the daytime. This is not how war is prepared, this is just a show of strength,” said the source close to the Kremlin and to separatists.

When asked about the footage of military equipment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined comment and referred Reuters to the Defence Ministry. The Defence Ministry did not reply to requests for comment.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has displayed caution.

Since the build-up, it has said it is ready to defend itself against any attack in its eastern Donbass region, a mainly Russian-speaking area that fell to pro-Russian separatists who attacked in 2014.

Kyiv says 14,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

Washington and the NATO alliance have accused Russia of a “provocative” build-up, with unverified images of army trucks and missile launchers, taken from the ground and by satellite, widely circulating on social media.

For its part, Russia accuses Ukraine of unspecified provocation and says it can move military assets around its country as it sees fit.

A senior U.S. administration official said they believed Russia’s mobilisation was meant to test Zelenskiy and also perhaps challenge the resolve of the administration of President Joe Biden, who pledged “unwavering support” for his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week.

Ukraine is no military match for Russia and it sits outside the NATO alliance. Kyiv lost its Black Sea region of Crimea to Russian troops in 2014 without a fight.

Ukraine turns to the United States and the European Union for support against Russia, but beyond sanctions it is unclear what it can expect from its Western allies. Many years of lobbying for NATO membership have yet to bear fruit.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the threat of further economic sanctions by the West looms if countries deem Russia responsible for stoking the conflict.

Russian state banks and oil firms have been hit hard with U.S.-led sanctions, and, while reserves remain healthy at $575 billion, they could take a significant hit if the punishments are harsh.

Ukrainian security chief Oleksiy Danilov told Reuters he believed Putin was using the military build-up to distract Russians from an internal opposition movement led by jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, ahead of September parliamentary elections.

“Today we are calculating all scenarios from the most critical to the most light, and I emphasize once again - it all depends on Putin,” Danilov said on Wednesday.

Peskov denied there was any link to internal opposition, adding that Russia had to be cautious towards its “restless” neighbour Ukraine while repeating that the military build-up should not be a worry to anyone.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-usa-turkey-russia/u-s-to-send-two-warships-to-black-sea-russia-voices-concerns-idUSKBN2BW23D?il=0

The United States will send two warships to the Black Sea next week, Turkey said on Friday as Russia, which has beefed up its military forces near Ukraine, accused non-coastal NATO powers of increasing naval activity in the region.

Washington says Russia has amassed more troops on Ukraine’s eastern border than at any time since 2014, when it annexed Crimea from Ukraine and backed pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbass region of Ukraine.

Violence has flared between Ukrainian troops and the separatists, spurring fears of a major escalation. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine on Friday of “dangerous provocative actions” in the Donbass region during a telephone conversation with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey, a NATO ally, said on Friday the United States would deploy two warships to the Black Sea from April 14-15.

“A notice was sent to us 15 days ago via diplomatic channels that two U.S. warships would pass to the Black Sea, in line with the Montreux Convention. The ships will remain in the Black Sea until May 4,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said.

The 1936 Montreux accord gives Turkey control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, which connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. It also limits access of naval warships and governs foreign cargo ships.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko raised concerns on Friday over what he said was increasing Black Sea naval activity by powers that did not have a coast line in the region, an apparent reference to the United States.

“The number of visits by NATO countries and the length of the stay of (their) warships have increased,” he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

According to a Reuters witness who keeps track of ships passing through Turkey’s Bosphorus strait, the United States and NATO increased their presence in the Black Sea early this year, when U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration took power.

The Reuters witness said the level had reached that seen in 2014-2015 at the time of the Crimea annexation.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was due to meet Erdogan in Turkey on Saturday on a previously scheduled visit.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-minister/ukraine-says-it-could-be-provoked-by-russian-aggression-in-conflict-area-idUSKBN2BX072

Ukraine’s defence minister said on Saturday his country could be provoked by Russian aggravation of the situation in the conflict area of Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region.

The minister, Andrii Taran, said Russian accusations about the rights of Russian-speakers being violated could be the reason for the resumption of armed aggression against Ukraine.

“At the same time, it should be noted that the intensification of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is possible only if an appropriate political decision is made at the highest level in the Kremlin,” he said in a statement.

Kyiv has raised the alarm over a buildup of Russian forces near the border between Ukraine and Russia, and over a rise in violence along the line of contact separating Ukrainian troops and Russia-backed separatists in Donbass.

The Russian military movements have fuelled concerns that Moscow is preparing to send forces into Ukraine. The Kremlin denies its troops are a threat, but says they will remain as long as it sees fit.

Senior Kremlin official Dmitry Kozak last week said Russia would be forced to defend its citizens in eastern Ukraine depending on the scale of the military conflict there.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French and German counterparts on Friday called on Russia to halt a troop buildup and reaffirmed their support for Kyiv in its confrontation with Moscow.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-russia/russia-calls-u-s-an-adversary-warns-its-warships-to-avoid-crimea-idUSKBN2C00WD

Russia on Tuesday called the United States an adversary and told U.S. warships to stay well away from Crimea “for their own good”, calling their deployment in the Black Sea a provocation designed to test Russian nerves. Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and two U.S. warships are due to arrive in the Black Sea this week amid an escalation in fighting in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a conflict Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people.

“The United States is our adversary and does everything it can to undermine Russia’s position on the world stage,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was cited as saying by Russian news agencies.

“We do not see any other elements in their approach. Those are our conclusions,” the agencies quoted him as saying.

The comment suggests that the veneer of diplomatic niceties that the former Cold War enemies have generally sought to observe in recent decades is wearing thin.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in March that he thought his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was a killer who would “pay a price” for alleged meddling in U.S. elections - an accusation that Moscow denies.

Ryabkov’s remarks suggest Russia will in turn robustly push back against what it sees as unacceptable U.S. interference in its own backyard.

“We warn the United States that it will be better for them to stay far away from Crimea and our Black Sea coast. It will be for their own good,” said Ryabkov.

The West is sounding the alarm over what it says is a large unexplained build-up of Russian forces close to Ukraine’s eastern border and in Crimea, which NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday called on Moscow to unwind.

Russia has said it moves its forces around as it sees fit, including for defensive purposes, and has regularly accused NATO of destabilising Europe by moving its military infrastructure closer to Russia’s borders. Ryabkov was cited as shrugging off U.S. talk of consequences for any “aggressive” Russian actions and as saying that Moscow had studied U.S. tactics towards Russia and adapted accordingly.

U.S. military support to Kyiv was a serious challenge for Russia, he added, accusing Washington and NATO of turning Ukraine into a “powder keg” with increasing arms supplies.

Washington says Ukraine needs a strong army to defend itself from potential Russian aggression.

“Any threat to us merely confirms our belief that our course is the right one,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying, warning U.S. warships in the Black Sea to keep their distance, given what he said was the high risk of unspecified incidents.

“There is absolutely nothing for American ships to be doing near our shores, this is purely a provocative action. Provocative in the direct sense of the word: they are testing our strength, playing on our nerves. They will not succeed,” Ryabkov said.

The Pentagon has declined to discuss the ships’ deployment, saying only that the U.S. military routinely sends vessels to the region.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based in Crimea and it has powerful missile and radar facilities on the peninsula.

Russia confirmed on Tuesday it was continuing to move 15 navy vessels to the Black Sea from the Caspian Sea to take part in drills.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis/russia-ukraine-hold-military-drills-nato-criticises-russian-troop-build-up-idUSKBN2C129L

Russia and Ukraine held simultaneous military drills on Wednesday as NATO foreign and defence ministers began emergency discussions on a massing of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. Washington and NATO have been alarmed by the large build-up of Russian troops near Ukraine and in Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014, and two U.S. warships are due to arrive in the Black Sea this week.

Russia -- which said the U.S. naval move was an unfriendly provocation and warned Washington to stay far away from Crimea and its Black Sea coast -- says the build-up is a three-week snap military drill to test combat readiness in response to what it calls threatening behaviour from NATO. It has said the exercise is due to wrap up within two weeks.

Ahead of the arrival of the U.S. warships, the Russian navy on Wednesday began a drill in the Black Sea that rehearsed firing at surface and air targets. The drill came a day after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Moscow to end its troop build-up.

In Ukraine, armed forces rehearsed repelling a tank and infantry attack near the border of Russian-annexed Crimea while its defence minister, Andrii Taran, told European parliamentarians in Brussels that Russia was preparing to potentially store nuclear weapons in Crimea.

Taran provided no evidence for his assertion but said Russia was massing 110,000 troops on Ukraine’s border in 56 battalion-sized tactical groups, citing Kyiv’s latest intelligence. Fighting has increased in recent weeks in eastern Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in a seven-year conflict that Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who held talks in Brussels with Stoltenberg ahead of a video conference of all 30 NATO allies, said the alliance would “address Russia’s aggressive actions in and around Ukraine”, without elaborating.

Russia’s relations with the United States slumped to a new post-Cold War low last month after U.S. President Joe Biden said he thought Vladimir Putin was a “killer”.

In a phone call with Putin on Tuesday, Biden proposed holding a summit between the estranged leaders to tackle a raft of issues, including reducing tensions over Ukraine.

The Kremlin on Wednesday said it was too early to talk about such a summit in tangible terms and that holding such a meeting was contingent on Washington’s future behaviour, in what looked like a thinly veiled reference to potential U.S. sanctions.

Russia has regularly accused NATO of destabilising Europe by bolstering its troops in the Baltic countries and Poland - all members of the Atlantic alliance - in the wake of Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.

NATO has denied a claim by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that the alliance was deploying 40,000 troops and 15,000 pieces of military equipment near Russia’s borders, mainly in the Black Sea and the Baltic regions.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-beefs-up-warship-presence-black-sea-ukraine-tensions-simmer-2021-04-17/

Two Russian warships transited the Bosphorus en route to the Black Sea on Saturday and 15 smaller vessels completed a transfer to the sea as Moscow beefs up its naval presence at a time of tense relations with the West and Ukraine.

The reinforcement coincides with a huge build-up of Russian troops near Ukraine, something Moscow calls a temporary defensive exercise, and follows an escalation in fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

Russia's relations with Washington, which cancelled the deployment of two of its own warships to the Black Sea last week after fierce Russian protests, are at a post-Cold war low.

Moscow expelled 10 U.S. diplomats on Friday in retaliation for the expulsion of the same number of Russian diplomats from the United States over alleged malign activity.

Russia has also temporarily restricted the movement of foreign warships “and other state ships” near Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, a move condemned by both Kyiv and Washington.

Two Russian Ropucha-class landing ships from Russia's Northern Fleet, capable of carrying tanks and of delivering armour and troops during coastal assaults, transited the Bosphorus on Saturday, a Reuters reporter in Istanbul saw.

More Russian naval reinforcements in the form of two more landing ships, this time from Russia's Baltic Fleet, are expected to imminently transit the Bosphorus.

The RIA news agency on Saturday also reported that 15 smaller vessels from Russia's Caspian Flotilla have completed their transfer to the Black Sea as part of an exercise.

In a further sign of heightened tensions in the region, a ship carrying logistics trucks and equipment for NATO forces in Romania transited the Bosphorus on Friday evening, the same Reuters reporter saw.

In St Petersburg, Russia's FSB security service briefly detained a Ukrainian diplomat, Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The Interfax news agency earlier cited the FSB as saying Oleksandr Sosoniuk was taken into custody when he tried to obtain classified information from Russian law enforcement databases during a meeting with a Russian citizen.

 

[Napa]

It should always be remembered that the neocons are the ones most responsible for the Ukraine War. They got mobs which included Neo-Nazi Svoboda to overthrow a pro-Russian but legally elected Ukrainian President. Victoria Nuland was recorded discussing who should replace the legal President. The same Nuland has been brought back by Biden as the #3 official in the State Department.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It should always be remembered that the neocons are the ones most responsible for the Ukraine War. They got mobs which included Neo-Nazi Svoboda to overthrow a pro-Russian but legally elected Ukrainian President. Victoria Nuland was recorded discussing who should replace the legal President. The same Nuland has been brought back by Biden as the #3 official in the State Department.

It's hilarious how the world has suddenly got less safe as soon as the maniac in the White House was replaced by grown-ups. Apparently, Putin had to wait for his stooge to leave to resume his expansionist designs over Ukraine.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-military-build-up-near-ukraine-numbers-more-than-150000-troops-eus-2021-04-19/

Russia has concentrated more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine's border and in annexed Crimea, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday after EU foreign ministers were briefed by Ukraine's foreign minister.

"It is more than 150,000 Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian borders and in Crimea. The risk of further escalation is evident," Borrell said, declining to give a source for the figure.

He said no new economic sanctions or expulsions of Russian diplomats were planned for the time being, despite saying that the military build-up on Ukraine's borders was the largest ever.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, after addressing EU foreign ministers, called on the EU to impose new sanctions on Russia.

Tensions between Moscow and Kyiv have been rising amid the military build-up and clashes in eastern Ukraine between the army and pro-Russian separatists.