8 Steps Obama Must Take to Punish Russia

BI ^ | March 01, 2014 | Marco Rubio

[Zhang Fei]

Russia’s illegal military incursion in the Crimea region in Ukraine is a grave violation of a nation’s sovereignty and cannot go unpunished.

First, President Obama should speak unequivocally and call this what it is: a military invasion. The Obama administration must publicly acknowledge that its “reset” with Russia is dead. The president must now accept that the only way to deal with tyrants like Vladimir Putin is with a clear understanding that they can’t be trusted and that only decisive action will deter their provocative moves.

Second, President Obama should dispatch Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to Kiev to show U.S. support for Ukraine’s transitional government, and urge our allies in the European Union and NATO to send representatives there as well.

[Iron Munro]

It may escalate despite our involvement or lack of it. The whole world will be affected one way or another. There will be some hard decisions to be made and we have exactly the wrong team in and around the WH to be part of that process. ,p> I think you are right.

One way or another Europe will drag us into another World War unless we act wisely.

If not over the Ukraine and Crimea, it will be over some other needless conflict.

[onedoug]

The little islamist is in way over his head.

[abclily]

Putin doesn’t have to figure Obama out. Putin has ALL of Obama’s personal information. Obama is being soundly blackmailed.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I never listen to anything congenital liars say.

[Texas resident]

Either blackmailed or the old soviets did a good enough job of research on him that they know who he is and what his experience is. Experience that counts. The Russians know tons more about Obama than the American voter.

[livius]

It comes from Gazprom, but don’t most of the pipelines pass through Ukraine? Any disruption of the area would certainly disrupt the gas supply - which Europe depends on, and which Russia depends on too (for the income).

[Cossak]

This pipeline was big project of USSR time, handed to Ukraine after USSR dissolution. Ukraine blackmailed Russia not once not paying for consumed gas even at subsidized prices, when Russia stopped gas supply for them, they stole gas intended for Western consumers, and it was big scandal and Russia was declared guilty in all possible sins. Gasprom realized alternative gas supply routes to Europe and kept afloat Ukrainian ,heavily worn out infrastructure mostly for political reasons. Ukrainian economy produces enormous debts and oligharchs, it indebted to Russian banks only 10 000 000 000 $, Russian business has big assets there, 3,5 mln Ukrainians earn their living in Russia, all their industrial production consumes Russia, many items only for better relations for there is enough domestic production. Ukrainian debt to West is 140 000 000 000 and they asked for additional 35 000 000 000 on next two years. New Kievan government is most oligharchic in last two decades. This Maidan thing was not about democracy and freedom, usual fight of oligarchic clans. (Yawn :))

[Cossak]

No dice :-) For every Russian name of greatest poet Pushkin, an Ethiopian grandson, is holy

[Cossak]

Ukrainians too LOL

[Cossak]

Unauthorised are protesters. Them are banderovtsy, heirs of Nachtigal anb Galitsia SS.

[Cossak]

If Russia fails in this case Europe acquires hemorroides to feed basket case Ukrainian economy and millions angry Ukrainians who will lose their jobs and pensions.

[Tax-chick]

I doubt Obama knows that. He probably couldn’t find Ukraine on a map.

[AK_47_7.62x39]

I am assuming no one standing and cheering for us “standing up to Russia’s incursion” would have an objection to Russia fomenting a rebellion against Mexico in the northern states, installing a puppet government, and then putting a missile shield in place on our southern border?

[Zhang Fei]

I am assuming no one standing and cheering for us “standing up to Russia’s incursion” would have an objection to Russia fomenting a rebellion against Mexico in the northern states, installing a puppet government, and then putting a missile shield in place on our southern border?

Russia's record during the 20th century is that of a nation that has annexed neighboring territory at every opportunity, including land that has never been historically Russian. It imprisoned the nations of Central Europe for over 4 decades after WWII, conducting mass killings of class enemies, emplacing dictators who answered only to the Kremlin, and preventing the victims of their tyranny from escaping to the West. Like Germany, Russia has a lot to live down. Unlike Germany, whose record of evil ended 70 years ago, Russia's criminal past ended less than 3 decades ago. That it continues to have Lenin statues in public places, and Lenin's carcass remains in its place of honor near Russia's seat of government is a hot poker in the eye of everyone who has ever suffered under either Russian-imposed or -sponsored tyranny.

The appropriate analogy is what the European reaction would have been to Germany conducting a second Anschluss back in the early 1970's, roughly 3 decades after the end of WWII. Russians see themselves as Europe's savior, when the reality is that they, along with Germany, were arsonists who helped burn Europe to the ground via the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Russian perfidy remains fresh in the minds of just about anyone who grew up during the Cold War.

[AK_47_7.62x39]

I don’t justify aggressive hegemonistic behavior on behalf of any nation or group of nations. I certainly am no fan of the murdering cabal of leftsts in the old USSR who plunged half of Europe and Asia into abject misery and almost blew up the world.

I am also saying that it is a pathetic and tissue thin lie to point to this as some kind of spontaneous nationalist Ukranian uprising against Papa Bear that Putin is determined to crush. This was fomented by the EU and USA, and Putin is responding the way we would if some foreign entity instigated revolution in Mexico and funded a new government that was hostile to the drug lords we are funding there. (we are clear sponsors in the Sinaloa cartel, and PICKED them as our sponsors in the drug wars down there... that much has come out in emails subpoenaed for a trial here).

Just saying that the idea that Russia is the bad guy (and they are) vs us being the “good guy” is a bunch of hocum.

I despise the thug Putin, but I understand why he reacts as he does. He is also very smart and savvy, besides being a murderous thug. We had better be careful