Posted on 04/25/2014 12:27:40 PM PDT by tcrlaf
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been unable to get Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on the phone amid escalating tension near the country’s shared border with Ukraine.
Mr. Shoigu announced Thursday that Russia planned to engage in a new series of military exercises near the Ukraine border. The military move, he said, is in response to ongoing NATO training exercises in Poland and the death of at least two pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Friday that Mr. Hagel has been trying to communicate with Russian officials but has yet to hear back from Mr. Shoigu or anyone else. Pentagon officials have reached out to Russia on Mr. Hagel’s behalf within the past 24 hours, according to Col. Warren.
“We have made it clear to the Russians that Secretary Hagel is available for a phone call at any time,” he said. “We have reached out to them and made it very to them that he is willing to speak to his counterpart there at any time.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Meanwhile, CNBC was calling for Obama to come up with a "Military Option" for this situation. Are they nuts????
If you want respect, you got to earn it.
All over again.
Because the previous Administrations of the US Federal Government once had this respect, and it was acknowledged all over the world.
But the Current Regime has drizzled it completely away, all in the name of wanting to be “loved”.
So they have ended up neither loved nor respected.
Hey Chucky, here's a quarter, call someone who cares.
“Meanwhile, CNBC was calling for Obama to come up with a “Military Option” for this situation. Are they nuts???? “
Military options are perfectly fine for liberals. They only don’t work when conservatives use them.
Liberals love a great war...as long as they entered us into it.
I’ve been following some of the lib websites like Kos, and some of the more radical ones.
They have been calling for blood (from military attacks to outright murder)from the beginning of this, for the dire Russian crime of dissing Obama.
It’s a reminder of just how nuts the people running today’s Democrat Party really are.
“Hey Chucky, when the phone don’t ring you know it’s Sergei.”
I wonder what Hagel’s FSB profile file looks like?
What?
Do they know what the Russian force doctrine is? Is the Crimea worth a nuke on New York?
Mr. Shoigu is . . . . busy.
Excellent post.
In this world you have to say what you mean, and mean what you say. Empty talk soon becomes very dangerous.
Weakness invites aggression. Always has, always will.
What is Hagel going to do?
Invade Russia? I can’t see why on earth Russia has to pick the phone when he calls.
The Americans should restrain the Maidan regime. But I can imagine Shoigu doesn’t want to hear a lecture from Hagel about Russia not living up to its commitments.
Sounds like some ringers here.
I haven’t seen too many liberals calling for military action at all. I’ve seen most of the leftist agree with Obama’s weak, feckless foreign policy. They justify and excuse it.
The hawks on this seem to be the McCain’s and Graham’s of the world. Same people that were most excited about bombing Syria.
Much as I don’t particularly care for McCain or Lindsey, I do find myself on the hawkish side of foreign and defense policy, and it concerns me that this libertarian isolationist streak is developing within the party. I am not so sure letting Russia gobble up parts of Ukraine is, regardless of whether you think the coup govt in Kiev is good or bad, a very good idea.
I also don’t believe Russia is really particularly strong. I think Putin is playing a masterful hand with a pair of two’s. They’ve upgraded their military and perhaps 20% of it is 1st world now, but I am not even convinced they could hold any part Ukraine outside of the immediate east.
I think Putin is a thug and has once again pulled the Russian people away from any chance they had for a workable democracy. I wouldn’t mind finding a way to bloody his nose here. If that takes sending weapons to Ukraine, I’d consider it - especially if Russia went for the whole enchilada (all of Ukraine). I think outside the east (and even in parts of the east), the Ukrainians would bleed Russia via guerrilla/partisan actions until they withdrew. I’d be all for helping them with equipment and arms.
Unfortunately we have idiot Obama in office and, whatever your views on this, I think we can all agree he has ensured the world has no respect for us at all.
Russian Gestures — How to Speak, Eat and Drink with the Russians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uSw_JC_xOw
Funny Jokes About Russians
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjhPIw1kmIc
I wouldn’t take Hagel’s calls either.
He’s a loser.
If Russia invades, what is the US under this bunch gonna do? Seriously?
It’s always funny when Peaceniks and anti-war activists try to talk tough.
Sounds as if the US under this cockamamie Administration has amateurishly wandered right up to the brink of war.
My hope is that FR folks use judicious and wise use of their words on FR, at least until we are past what appears to be coming.
Hagel will have to go out in front of the cameras like Rodney Dangerfield used to do and say “I don’t get no respect, no respect....”
Seriously, the whole strategy right now is containment.
The Ukrainians being advised by guys like Hagel are limiting their military action to avoid a massive Russian response.
The Ukrainian operations are right out of the Robert McNamara playbook, the Donald Rumsfeld playbook.
The Russians are being held back like the Communists in Vietnam were 50 years ago and the Taliban and Al Quaeda were in Afghanistan in the W Bush era. There was no desire for a “wider war” with nuke countries like the Soviets and or Pakistan.
George Patton and Douglas MacArthur aren’t in charge of the situation, here.
I tend to think we should stay out of this situation since it would only humiliate this country to be a loser if we get in.
“Seriously, the whole strategy right now is containment. The Ukrainians being advised by guys like Hagel are limiting their military action to avoid a massive Russian response.”
I see it as the exact opposite...
The phone lines from Washington are likely on fire, demanding action, that the Ukrainians “Do Something!!!”
Immediately after Hagel’s visit, they announced an attack on the pro-Russians that ended embarassingly.
Immediately after Biden’s visit, they announce another offensive that gets repelled, and causes Russia to start rattling sabres.
This has become a world-wide embarrassment for Obama, as well as impacting the larger efforts the Saudi’s have been pushing of Energy Geopolitics. They want ACTION for their money.
I don’t think that, “Don’t you know who I am?”, is going to work for Hagel in this situation.
If the Russians move into eastern Ukraine there will be some sanctions but nothing other than defensive military steps by the US-NATO.
The traditional strategy is to contain, not destroy and defeat enemies. Its been that way with a bipartisan foreign policy by our leaders since WW II.
Like Don Rumsfeld said not too many years ago, this war on terror is not like WW II, its a “new kind of war”.li
No total victory like the kind we got over Germany and Japan in WW II.
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.