Where's freaking maverick when you need him?
Posted on 04/14/2014 12:14:08 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
President Obama plans to call Russian President Vladimir Putin about the escalating crisis in Ukraine "very soon," possibly in the coming hours, the White House said Monday.
Press secretary Jay Carney slammed Russia for “clearly provocative actions” in Ukraine and said it is consulting with European allies about the “next steps” to take in response to the crisis. Obama has already spoken to French President François Hollande.
"I can assure you that Russia's further provocations and transgressions will come with a cost," Carney said.
The White House said it was "assessing" Russia’s actions and accused the Kremlin of unacceptable behavior both in Ukraine and with the military buildup across the border.
Heavily armed pro-Russia militias seized government buildings and reportedly launched attacks on local police stations over the weekend, prompting new concern about the stability of the former Soviet republic.
Carney accused the Russian military of taking "provocative and unprofessional" actions when a warplane buzzed a U.S. navy ship in the region. The White House also acknowledged that CIA Director John Brennan was in Kiev over the weekend for meetings with Ukrainian officials.
But the White House spokesman stopped short of saying that Russia's attempts at destabilization would trigger the administration to move ahead with broader sanctions.
Carney praised the government in Kiev for "professionalism and restraint" after its acting president said he was open to the possibility of a referendum to provide greater autonomy to the country's ethnically divided regions.
Oleksandr Turchynov told parliamentary leaders he was open to holding a constitutional referendum alongside next month's presidential elections that would weaken the control of Kiev over the separate regions within the former Soviet republic.
"I am certain that a large majority of Ukrainians at this referendum, which, when the parliament decides so, could be held alongside the presidential election, will favor an indivisible, independent, democratic and unified Ukraine," Turchynov said, according to The Wall Street Journal. "Any changes to the constitution demand wide discussion in all the regions of Ukraine."
The comments underscored the political quandary facing Turchynov and other leaders in Kiev, who are grappling with increasingly aggressive pro-Russian forces in the country's eastern region.
The Ukrainian military is reluctant to intervene, fearful of sparking an all-out civil war or an invasion by Russian forces.
Over the weekend, Turchynov warned that the Ukrainian military would conduct "anti-terrorism" operations if the militants did not disperse by Monday morning. But that deadline passed without action from Ukrainian forces — or a retreat by the pro-Russian militias.
Turchynov also lobbied United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send U.N. peacekeeping troops to the region in a phone call on Monday. That's unlikely to happen, however, because Russia holds veto power on the Security Council.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew warned the U.S. was ready to impose more sanctions on Russia and separatist leaders within Ukraine, as he moved to sign a $1 billion loan guarantee intended to stabilize the country.
“Working with our allies, we are fully prepared to impose additional significant sanctions on Russia as it continues to escalate the situation in Ukraine, including apparently through support to a concerted campaign by armed militants in eastern Ukraine,” Lew said, according to Bloomberg.
The United States and European partners have already targeted some Ukrainian and Russian officials for economic and travel sanctions after the Kremlin moved to seize the ethnically Russian Crimean peninsula earlier this year.
Obama has vowed broader sectoral sanctions against Moscow if the Russian incursion continues further into Ukraine.
The Su-24 jets were unarmed, though one made "numerous close-range, low-altitude passes" near the USS Donald Cook, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said.
Warren would not specify how close the Russian fighter got to the U.S destroyer but said, "It was close enough to be provocative and unprofessional."
The jet made as many as 12 passes by the ship, but did not pass over its deck, Warren said. The Associated Press said the jet came within 1,000 yards of the destroyer.
The USS Donald Cook, which arrived in the Black Sea last week, made several attempts to contact the pilots with no response. The episode lasted 90 minutes, Warren said.
Warren would not specify whether sailors onboard went to their battle stations, but he added that the Cook "remains prepared to defend herself."
According to Navy spokesman Cmdr. Ryan Perry, the Navy operates in the Black Sea "regularly and routinely," though Warren said there had never been an incident of this type before.
The Cook is currently docked for a visit at a Constanta, Romania, port in the western Black Sea.
So far, U.S. and Russian defense officials have not discussed the incident, Warren said.
Just as soon as he’s finished partying with JayZ and beyonce, and when he finds time between golf and vacations.
When the phone don’t answer he’ll know it’s Putin.
Where's freaking maverick when you need him?
and tell him the check is in the mail for that Gas bill.
Where on my tax forms can I credit my portion of this donation? Are why are we paying $1b, of which $380M is borrowed and the other $250M is printed by the Fed.
I had guys tell me that they’d call “very soon”.
Still waiting. :-)
.
Love that sense of urgency. Maybe Barry thinks Pooty Poot will quake with anticipation.
Or Valerie wasn’t available to tell him what to say.
” - - - “I can assure you that Russia’s further provocations and transgressions will come with a cost,” Carney said. - - - “
Yup, and as usual the “cost” will be to increase our Permanent Total National Debt, with NO positive foreign policy change.
The Obamanation Transformation of the United States of America is now “The Law of the Land,” - - - FOREVER.
FORWARD!
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/203475-obama-to-call-putin-on-ukraine#ixzz2ytFfjeHX
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook
Maverick lost that lovin’ feeling...
We are witnessing something that can start world war three and all I can do is laugh.
When he comes to that part of the day when he can make phone calls, what is he even going to say to Poot?
“Uh, I see what you’re doin’ there. Glad you waited til after my last election cause I’m a whole lot more flexible now. Got rid of all those old generals from the Cold War and all. Well, STRONG WORDS AGAINST WHAT YOU ARE DOING, and all. Catch you later, bye!”
>>Maverick lost that lovin’ feeling..<<
Oh man, I hate it when he does that...
Just as soon as he's done with his call to "Pimp With a Limp."
‘Oh no’ says Vlady-I don’t know how many more sternly worded comments I can afford. (Comes at a cost you know) Hopefully Vlady won’t move on Alaska next.
A fighter from a hostile nation that is on a quest for empire buzzes one of our ships 12 times and El-Presidente will call Putin?
The call should be, where would you like to us to drop off your downed pilot (or his remains).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.