Unlikely to be a seizure. More a very willing secession, since they are ethnic Russians.
there should be two elements of Ukraine to settle this issue
The same applies to the US
Yes.
It wont be tagged as him seizing the AO. Nope. It’ll be tagged, both by his and our media, as Russia coming to the aid of an oppressed minority.
The Ukraine won’t sit still for it. The legit portion of The Ukraine, anyway.
It will then turn into a full blown civil war much in the form of the Spanish civil war.
Poland has already, more or less, declared for the western Ukraine. I suspect Hungry to do the same soon.
The EU will interfere in their usual passive aggressive, cowardly and mealy mouthed manner as well.
To Khrushchev it wasn't just a gift....He was trying to win a power struggle at the time, and he needed to win over the Ukrainians he ruled over as Stalin's appointed boss.
Crimean main anti-Russian element are Muslim Turkish leftovers, making between 10 and 15% population. It is enough to make troubles.
The Kenyan bastard’s weakness and cowardice practically invites a Russian attack and has brought us to the verge of World War III.
Hard to believe Russia would let Crimea go. They didn’t expel the Tatars en masse for nothing.
They have already hauled up the Russian tricolor and taken down the Ukrainian flag.
The new authorities in Kiev are more bent on seeking revenge than in working for national unity.
Moscow would not mind if Ukraine split up and for most Russians the NovoRossiya has always been part of the Motherland.
Same issues as Georgia.
Half pro Russian or transplanted Russian Nationals...Other half wants independence and there is also a religious aspect.
This is all far from over..and even when victory is declared by one side or the other, it’s still not over..
If he’s read Clancy’s last novel, he might just do that.
“They will lose Crimea first [because] we will go in and protect [it], just as we did in Georgia.”
I knew it!
Not until after the West pours millions into the country to help its economy.
Why rob a bank that doesn’t have any money???
That very Tsarich of Vlady do something like that
Hagle and Herr Obozo will downsize our army, weaken our Navy and may be do away with our Air Force.
Then, Herr Obozo and Kerry will defend the gays and Muslims in that area. After that, Herr Obozo and his pal Kerry will draw more red lines like they did in Syria and other places.
Putin will ignore the so called Red Lines. He will treat their naval base and port like we do Gitmo.
We will then probably see the Ukraine area divided into two camps, Muslim and other minorities in one area, and then the majority into a Russian state in the other area.
Of course Putin will act to “protect” the naval base at Sevastopol/Crimea, under the pretext of preserving the treaty they have with the Ukraine.
Or, he may just march in like Hitler at Danzig and take it.
Who’se going to oppose him? Obama? Hagel? Kerry? -The “Three Apostles of Appeasement”?
Oh, maybe Obama will send in Hillary on her broom to wag her boney finger at Putin and say “Tisk, tisk”.
I won’t even speculate what kind of finger Putin will give back to Hillary but she won’t get a thrill out of it.