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 ...
Is there any evidence that the base was in any danger? This is all a staged event you know that, right? Hegemony was scheduled to be the final event in the Sochi Olympics.
That would be basically a declaration of war on Russia. They should do that only if they are prepared to resist the Red Army (is it still called that?)
The Russians are already using land mines in certain areas of the Crimea and even north of the isthmus. That was reported by my brother-in-law who live in Alushta on the Crimean coast but get reports from his contacts elsewhere.
Obviously, the President fled the country in the face of protests; he could not control the situation.
An “unscheduled” change in government, especially one that joined the EU - which comes with TONS of legal requirements - could conceivably mean a “new” government that would try to eject the Russians from the base.
They appear to be wanting to make sure that this does not happen.
If Cuba had a revolution, I’m sure the US would move to secure its base in Guantanamo.
“why can’t they be told leave or we remove your pipeline?”
Because Russia believes in “blood for oil”. They’ll remove the opposing population if need be - done it before, will do it again, the third 40,000,000 dead is easy.
No surprise there, Russia is where Putin puts his army. His army is in Crimea and nobody is about to push them out of there.
“Why can’t they be told leave or we remove your pipeline?”
Because Ukraine depends on Russia for most of its economy, a complete severing of relations will literally stop Ukraine’s economy. Also Putin is not above annexing the Eastern half of Ukraine or even all of it if pushed into a corner.
Putin’s Army is not professional compared to ours. Ukraine’s problem is they have no money and thus their Army is too small and ill-prepared.
But a Russian officer may blow Putin’s brains out within a year or two.
Just as an FYI, Ukraine is several billion in arrears to Gazprom. Russia cut the price on gas by 1/2 and offered $15 billion in aid if Ukraine joined the Russian orchestrated trade group including the former Soviet republics (that now pump oil and have money).
The EU offered only one thing to the west Ukraine people — eventual membership (which lets them go work in any EU country without a work visa and probably entitles them to all EU work regulations aka welfare). So of course the western people wanted to go with the EU.
But the bills had to be paid and only Russia offered money to pay them, so the prez selected Russia and set off the firestorm.
Ukraine gets its natgas from Gazprom and there’s no substitute way to deal with that. The pipelines flow only one direction because the pumps point that direction. East to west. So Gazprom has that business.
The item people miss is that 44% of Ukraine electricity comes from natgas. It’s not just a winter heat issue. And further, Ukraine consumes more electricity than they make, and the remainder comes from the Russian grid.
Obama and the EU need to back off and stand down before their positions are too hardened.
To understand what’s behind the Russian takover of Crimea, google:
Skifska Natural Gas Field
Why blowup when closing a valve works just as good.
Even better would be for the West to stop buying. Then the Russians have to invade the West to force them to buy.
“Our military only has difficulty winning wars when they are restrained by rules of engagement designed to prevent winning”
I think it is even more basic and fundamental than that. Difficult rules of engagement is something our army can do, but they cannot fulfill a mission that is fundamentally impossible.
Liberate Crimea from Russian occupation - our army could do it.
Protect Taiwan from full scale Chinese invasion - our army could do it.
Turn Afghanistan into a civilized country - our army can’t do it because nobody can, and our boys should not have been given that impossible mission.
Not in any way supporting Putin, but he has now won three conflicts, resulting in significant and lasting benefit to his country, only one of these conflicts cost a significant amount of lives and resources. That is how one should wage war, building Democracy is Iraq is how not to do it.
Vladislav Seleznyov, a Crimean-based spokesman for the Ukrainian armed forces, told AP that witnesses had reported seeing amphibious military ships unloading around 200 military vehicles in eastern Crimea on Friday night after apparently having crossed the Straits of Kerch, which separates Crimea from Russian territory.
The amphibious operation appeared to be one of the largest movements of Russian military forces since they appeared in Crimea a week ago.
Putin shows the ineptitude of the EU and the UN who can only be roused to action when Israel deals with Pali terrorism & towards Israel with sanctions & divestment threats.
“Like maybe Europe going there with their military to free the Ukraine”
An army from Europe,, sweeping into Ukraine,,, to fight Russians. I cant remember,,,,but that sounds kinda familiar. Ohhh wait,, now I remember. The Battles of Krivoy Rog, Karkov, Kiev, Poltava, Donets Basin, the Siege of Sevastopol.
Europe has already been there once. More better that they stay out. They’ve already been enough help recently, along with McCain.
Russian combat engineers were seen placing mines in the land bridge connecting the peninsula to the mainland in order to foil any Ukrainian attempt to retake Crimea, reports Haaretz.
“The EU offered only one thing to the west Ukraine people — eventual membership (which lets them go work in any EU country without a work visa and probably entitles them to all EU work regulations aka welfare).”
They also “offered” a bribe of $600 million if Ukraine accepted to cut people’s retirement pensions in half.
If US and EU consider economic sanctions, Russia has the means to retaliate. What Russia asks for is RESPECT. One doesn’t treat the biggest country on earth and a nuclear power like a sattelite country. If Obama, EU and NATO want to play in the bear’s backyard and poke him in the ribs, the bear might get annoyed and strike back ...
One thing I wish is Russia to put an end to that private club of UN non-elected profiteers who’re getting fat on peoples’ back, while preaching globalism and considers itself to be “the government of the world”. Indeed, a member of Security Council with veto power can completely neuterise the council decisions, and budget. The US never dared do it, but Putin might, he’s got the balls for.
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.