Posted on 03/08/2014 12:05:27 PM PST by Fennie
SEVASTOPOL, UKRAINE - Dozens of military trucks transporting heavily armed soldiers rumbled over Crimea's rutted roads Saturday as Russia reinforced its armed presence on the disputed peninsula in the Black Sea. Moscow's foreign minister ruled out any dialogue with Ukraine's new authorities, whom he dismissed as the puppets of extremists.
The Russians have denied their armed forces are active in Crimea, but an Associated Press reporter trailed one military convoy Saturday afternoon from 40 kilometres west of Feodosia to a military airfield at Gvardeiskoe north of Simferopol, over which a Russian flag flew.
Some of the army green vehicles had Russian license plates and numbers indicating that they were from the Moscow region. Some towed mobile kitchens and what appeared to be mobile medical equipment.
(Excerpt) Read more at thestar.com ...
Any other kind would be a waste of time.
Who would blow up the pipeline? The military? Is it guatanteed that the military would follow such an order? And who would give the order? A protester on the streets?
I see the biggest problem is nobody is really in charge in Ukraine.
But if you look at Iraq, Afghanistan, and the 21st century, it just seems crazy to do that. An army movies in? Well, your roads are going to be unsafe, because IEDs are easy. Your pipelines can be blown up by just about anyone. City streets will be completely unsafe. Snipers can make public gatherings a thing of the past, and suicide bombers can enter public buildings at any time.
Ukrainians might not be completely crazy (not so many Muslims there), but I'm not sure modern nation states still have the capability of taking and holding ground the way they used to. Armies may have less utility than one might think -- unless the local population wants the army to be there.
Certainly our army, which is the best in the world, and superbly equipped, has had a lot of trouble winning wars.
“Ukraine does business with Russia”
22% of its export goes to Russia
and
Ukraine imports 33% goods from Russia.
So if they want to shoot themselves in the foot, let them.
Besides, Ukraine owes Gasprom $2 billion for the delivered natural gas it hasn’t paid for and which was sold at half the market price. Gasprom announced that will turn off the taps, if the debt isn’t paid, and that in the future Ukraine will have to pay the gas at market price, no more reduction of 50%. Ukraine relies at the level of 60% of its energy needs on Russian oil and gas.
In other words, Putin is keeping Ukraine by the balls.
Russia has other pipelines to Europe that do not go through Ukraine. Pipeline through Belarus, Blue Stream through Turkey, Nord Stream and South Stream.
Ukraine would only hurt itself if it blows up pipelines.
“Ruled out dialogue”???
Whaaaa???
We called “Reset”; what happened to that???
They reset. Back to the cold war era.
(quote from Doctor Zhivago, 1965): "They'd call it counter-revolution. That makes us counter-revolutionaries, too. They SHOOT counter-revolutionaries."
Therein lies the problem. The Russians would find out immediately who all were involved, and their families, and execute every last one of them.
Reset?
Sure, we reset to August 1968, Czechoslovakia, or maybe you like 1956 Budapest, Hungary? No problem.
“We called “Reset”; what happened to that???”
Hillary believed that the word on the button meant “reset”. In fact in Russian “peregruzka” means “overcharged”.
The word “reset” in Russian is “sbros”.
For instance “to reset the clock’ is said “sbrosit chasy”
if you want to keep your doctor
|
|
So I guess the Crimea is self sufficient in food, because they aren’t getting any deliveries from the Ukraine.
So Russia is a good trading partner when they come in and steal your stuff, what evidence exists that Ukraine will be paid for their trade? They surely will not be paid for berthing rights in Crimea. I would make Russia pay in advance for pipeline usage.
I am very anxious to hear what Secretary Of Pants Suits Hillary has to say.
“Again, time for some Ukrainians to blow some of the pipeline as a message for Russia to leave or loose your oil money.”
Are you bloody brain-dead stupid? I told you yesterday that blowing up the pipelines would shut down Europe and destroy Europe’s economy.
Is that what you want? You’re an idiot. I have family in Europe, and they’re not ready to sacrifice their children for your neo-con fantasies.
Other posts already mentioned, Russia is carrying Ukraine already, to the tune of billions.
Russia is simply making sure its naval base, the one it’s had since 1783, is secure.
The problem is that many people in Ukraine are on Russia’s side and most others would abhor the approach you advocate.
What you’re suggesting is not realistic and would be counter productive. If some elements(presumably the most extreme nationalists) were to to try this, it would play into Russia’s hand.
US and Europe also trade with and invest in Ukraine, to the tune of billions.
They (US and Europe) also trade with Russia; billions.
This whole thing is nothing more than the West wanting Ukraine to submit to joining the EU.
Do you know who Jack Heller is ? Do you know who Michael Bleyzer is ?
Ukraine has billions of trade going with US and Europe - for twenty years; Putin and/or Russia has not stopped that trade.
RUSSIA IS TAKING PART IN THAT TRADE.
Russia became a shareholder in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in 1992. Their capital subscription to the bank is about 1.2 billion euros.
The US is a shareholder, in for about 3 billion euros.
The EBRD is funded by borrowing; it sells debt on the world market.
Russia is no doubt interested in keeping its navy base - it has been their navy base since 1783, back when John Paul Jones was working with the Russian Navy.
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.
