Posted on 03/01/2014 2:16:03 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Update March 1, 2014: The Russian Parliament granted President Vladimir Putin authority to use military force in Ukraine as Russian security forces effectively seized control of the Crimean peninsula.
President Vladimir Putin of Russia played the genial host at the Olympic Games in Sochi, but his dangerous approach to geopolitics could be his true legacy.
On Friday, Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations, Yuriy Sergeyev, said that Russian troops had taken control of two airports in Crimea and that the Russian Navy was blocking the Ukrainian Coast Guard.
Moscow denied that it had sent troops in. But the fact is, Russia was outrageously provocative when it put 150,000 troops on high alert on Wednesday for war games near Ukraines border and then on Friday allowed the deposed Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, to give a news conference when he showed up in the Russian city Rostov-on-Don.
The situation has now gone from chaos to the verge of military confrontation. The pro-Russia region of Crimea is seething, and the new central government that took over in Kiev after Mr. Yanukovych fled is barely functioning.
President Obama, speaking at the White House, was right to warn Russia against any military move and to indicate that the United States would join the world in condemning a violation of Ukraines sovereignty. He also said that there will be costs for any intervention in Ukraine, though it was not clear what, if realistically anything, that might involve.
~~snip~~
Russia and the West need to work together to help stabilize the country politically and develop an economic and trade package that will begin to resolve the economic crisis.
Mr. Putins dangerous tactics are sure to backfire and do more to alienate Ukrainians than to encourage them to accept any Russian role in their nations future.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I'm sure our community organizer and boy military genius is on it.
0bama will send a letter.
I hope not.
Ain't no situation so bad what it can't be made worse by adding Obama.
True dat.
The Russian guy at the U.N. gave a clear signal when he referred to “The Republic of Crimea.”
Crimea will separate from Ukraine and end up part of the Russian Federation.
I only thing I believe coming from the NYT is the Date on the masthead.
"Did someone say Boy King??"
“Ain’t no situation so bad what it can’t be made worse by adding Obama. “
Don’t you just get the feeling that anytime Obama announces a visit or an initiative aimed at a particular country that that country’s leader just sorta rolls their eyes, slumps their shoulders, and, just sorta wanders off wondering what they’ve done to deserve this sh!t.
To win?
Putin’s mission in the Ukraine is the same as Stalin’s — reconquer it from the west. (unfortunately back in the 40s it was controlled by the Nazi’s)
Russia’s aim is to control the Black Sea. No more complicated than that.
Yup. And win easy as pie.
To do the job Ukrainians won’t do.
This is MUCH WORSE than Kennedy and Khrushchev. Who here thinks we would have had a “Cuban Missile Crisis” had Nixon won (which he actually did) in 1960?
Bingo!
That could very well be all there is to it. But there’s obviously a lot of history here. And opportunity.
IMO, Crimea should have never became part of Russia to start with.
SWAT punitive expedition. At some point, we’ll hear from the “department spokes-people” that they meant well but got the wrong house ... er ... country.
Americans have gotten really stupid and weak. Our power is residual and generational.
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