Hagel Warns Russia Not to Intervene in Ukraine

New York Times ^ | 27 Feb 14 | HELENE COOPER

[SkyPilot]

BRUSSELS — Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel warned Russia on Thursday to stay out of the turmoil in Ukraine, while NATO defense ministers issued repeated statements meant to show support for the new leadership in Kiev.

“We expect other nations to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and avoid provocative action,” Mr. Hagel said after the ministers met at NATO headquarters here. “That’s why I’m closely watching Russia’s military exercises along the Ukrainian border, which they just announced yesterday.”

The Russian defense minister, Sergey K. Shoigu, was quoted by state news media saying the exercises were meant to “check combat readiness of armed forces in western and central military districts as well as several branches of the armed forces.” Though General Shoigu did not mention Ukraine, Western officials interpreted the exercises as a warning from Moscow. Continue reading the main story Related Coverage

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Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary general of the NATO, posted Twitter messages Thursday morning warning Russia not to intervene in Ukraine after armed men seized a government headquarters in the Crimea region of southern Ukraine and raised the Russian flag.

“I urge Russia not to take any action that can escalate tension or create misunderstanding,” Mr. Rasmussen wrote on Twitter. “I’m concerned about developments in Crimea.” In a news conference later in the day, Mr. Rasmussen called the Crimea events “dangerous and irresponsible.”

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I thought the proposed Army strength would go down to 450K, not 250K.

[SoFloFreeper]

So the Clown came out and made a statement, went to happy hour, then sent his woman Hagel out to shake her rolling pin at the Russians....

Is this the same old lady who announced that she and her boss Obama want to cut the military back to pre-WWII levels?

[Revolting cat!]

If Reagan were the President those are the steps he would have taken.

[Mariner]

"If Reagan were the President those are the steps he would have taken."

Bullsh!t.

Reagan was not crazy and he did not pine for nuclear war.

The Russians will defend their interests in Ukraine with every ounce of their ability...for right or wrong. And, we have absolutely NO interests in Ukraine.

[Revolting cat!]

You are presenting the Obama/Hagel point of view, enough said.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Yes, that’s sort of what I was thinking. An East Ukraine (Russia) and West Ukraine (US).

[Mariner]

"You are presenting the Obama/Hagel point of view, enough said."

Please, say more.

Have you adopted the lefts' favorite method of ad hominem attack rather than cogent argument?

Tell us, what are US interests in Ukraine and what would be the result of bringing Ukraine into the NATO treaty whereby were are obligated to defend their territory militarily?

What would be the result of sending arms to Ukraine...assuming you know of some magical way of getting them there in the face of Russian military opposition?

[Revolting cat!]

No, I’m not in favor of ad hominem attacks, but I am in favor of a muscular foreign policy. (None of us has any influence over it, let’s admit it at the outset, it’s not only Jeff Head’s ideas that will be ignored!) Reagan executed aggressive foreign policies. You are the one who brought up nuclear war. That’s projecting, in my view, and projecting too much into Jeff’s ideas that I happen to support.

The U.S. interest all over the world for as long as I remember has been freedom, is that not enough? With the Obamas in power the country has abandoned promoting this idea. Ukraine desperately wants to leave Russia’s sphere of influence, join EU, join NATO, what do we do, follow our emaciated leader in the White House and tell Ukraine, sorry fellows you belong to the Bear?

[Enterprise]

Really! You can’t make this stuff up. Does anyone with a smidgeon of intelligence understand the black comedy of stating that they are reducing our Military to Pre WWII levels?

[Zhang Fei]

If the EU hasn’t already begun supplying the Ukrainians, despite opening their wallets to supply the Islamic radicals in Libya and Syria against Gaddafi and Assad respectively, then they are either stupid or gelded or maybe both.

[USAF80]

420K was a lowball figure thrown out. Still too low. The ratio is something like 8 support troops for every one in the field. Don’t know much about the Army but in the AF on a typical base only about 1/4 of the populace is involved in aviation activities. This is on the bases with an aviation component.

[Mariner]

"The U.S. interest all over the world for as long as I remember has been freedom, is that not enough? "

Yes, that's enough for our vocal and, potentially, economic support. It's enough for our moral support...and most certainly our sympathies.

But what Jeff advocated and you seconded is a certain trip to full-scale war with Russia.

We have no existential interest...hell, casual interest at best...and we would be faced with existential war.

[Revolting cat!]

Frankly, I don’t know where in the world we have existential interest any more, since we produce so little for export. Western Europe? Mexico and Canada? Bush promised Poland defense missiles. Obama withdrew that promise. Ukraine has long wanted to join the EU and NATO, like other Eastern European countries, and only Russia’s muscle and Ukraine’s corrupt oligarchy have prevented these steps, not even the Russian minorities there, which are as numerous in the Baltic states and have not succeeded in their dreams of Russian rescue.

I am not sure that we would be faces with an existential war with Russia following Jeff’s ideas. Maybe now, that is today as opposed to, say, last week, it is too late, the game has changed.

There are still economic and other than military steps that can be taken against Russia, let’s not discount those, as the World Bank threatens Uganda over the homosexual law. Russia is much more integrated in the world economy than the Soviet Union.

[Jim Robinson]

Well, it was happy hour.

[Red White and Blue patriot]

If Ukraine had been brought in, Putin would never have invaded.

[demshateGod]

When O or whoever it is gets us into a war with Russia, China , and Iran, no flag waving unless we’re waving a Gadsen flag over a smoldering heap somewhere. They’re our number one enemy.

[Red White and Blue patriot]

If Reagan was president we would honor our security agreement with Ukraine and kick the Russian bastards out. What am I saying? If Reagan were president, Ukraine would be part of NATO and the Russians wouldn’t be in Ukraine right now but drowning their wounded pride in a bottle of vodka like they usually do.

[Red White and Blue patriot]

That's nonsense. We have elections to change things over here. The only way to change things over there is war. Let's keep our focus on the most dangerous enemy to world freedom - Uncle Vlad and his red menace. A civil war would be absolutely disastrous now in the face of such an outside threat. Putin and his red Chinese buddies would take over Europe and Asia in the meantime. We can settle our differences with the left later, but for now we must stand together like we did in the Cold War.

[MaxMax]

FEARMONGERING! Where have I heard that before. Hmm. Where are all the anti-war protestors from the RAT party?

[rcrngroup]

Odumb0 and his stupid ass lip implosion look. The others are just stupid. 0dumb0 is both stupid & evil!