[goldstategop]

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has toughened his position on the Ukraine conflict. The only solution he will now entertain is "statehood" for eastern Ukraine. Autonomy and federalization are now off the table.

And that's his response to the latest EU ultimatum. Russia has just raised the ante.

[lormand]

This will result in many Putin-gasms by the growing number of Putin lovers on this forum.

[Sacajaweau]

I believe “statehood” and “Federalization” means the same thing in this case. Autonomy is included under that umbrella.

[Sacajaweau]

http://rt.com/news/182356-merkel-visit-poroshenko-kiev/

[montag813]

Putin is wise to take advantage of an America under siege by the attempted coup of Obama al-Husseini. He can do whatever he wants without consequence.

[Grzegorz 246]

“The only solution he will now entertain is “statehood” for eastern Ukraine.”

lol

[no-to-illegals]

Hey putin ... you and your military are woosies!

[KC_Lion]

We FReepers saw this coming at the start of this crisis, and Commsiar Vald just proved it.

We will end up with a "East/West Ukraine" Scenario.

The Russians will want everything East of the Dnieper River.

However, know that a full annexation of the entire Ukraine would Really REALLY freak people out, Putin will get with Ubama and the E.U. and Compromise that if he can have Eastern and Southern Ukraine than he is okay with Volhynia, Podolia, and Galicia forming West Ukraine and joining the E.U.

Because Compromise is what it is all about right?

[Jim Noble]

What is Putin’s position on the Kaliningrad Oblast?

[dfwgator]

We’ve seen this movie before.

Step 1. Demand autonomy for Germans in the Sudetenland.

Step 2. Demand the Sudetenland return to the Reich.

Step 3. Demand the rest of Czechoslovakia become the “Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.”

[BurningOak]

The cum crusted Putin whores on Free Republic are lying as always. East Ukraine will be part of Russia, any autonomy it might be granted will be purely on paper as it will always be occupied by the Russian army and its government will be Kremlin appointed.

[SES1066]

There are multiple long-term trends working within this crisis and as culture and tradition frequently trump logic and constraint, the position of Kiev and Ukraine in RUSSIAN history cannot be ignored. Kiev was the first capital of "The Russ", a kingdom founded by Viking Varangians in the late 800s AD. A highly significant event in that history came at the change of the Millennium when Vladimir the Great converted his nation to Orthodox (Byzantine) Christianity. Russia and Vladimir [name note] Putin had a great celebration about the 1,000 years of Russian Christianity rather recently! So when the discussion about Ukraine and its independence comes to the fore, there are more than a few ghosts at the table.

[BeadCounter]

It’s written though in the coming decades, Russians will be a minority in their own country, hence, this might be part of the reason for conquest.

[Cementjungle]

Well, there’s no super-power to counter his moves, and it’ll be that way for at least 2 more years. He can do pretty much what he wants during this time.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Putin’s comrades Daniel Ortega, Nicholas Maduro, and Omar al-Bashir will be happy to recognize the new Eastern Ukrainian state.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I think the immediate strategic goals are two:

1. A land bridge to the Crimea.
2. A lessening of the pressure on the “separatists” by the Ukranian army.

Long term he probably wants some sort of partition but I think in this case he’s asking for the moon and will appear to settle for less.