70% of the population speak Russian and nearly 60% are ethnic Russian so Moscow’s peaceful takeover of the peninsula was pretty much a foregone conclusion. I don’t see Russian troops being welcomed with flowers and salted bread in Kiev, however.
don’t see Russian troops being welcomed with flowers and salted bread in Kiev, however.
Correct. And that is where the pedal will meet metal. Methinks Putin will take what he can get without bloodshed. Although, bloodshed really doesn't matter to Vlad.
5.56mm
Yes, I agree. If we had a rational president, this could all be resolved with a meeting between the three parties that signed the Memorandum...the US, the UK and Russia.
But Obama has seriously p’d off the UK, Russia realizes Obama’s out of his very shallow depth, and there’s really nothing we can do. Or maybe nothing we should do.
This is something that could take a diplomatic solution. It’s not even entirely clear to me that even Kiev was 100% behind the nationalists...many of them simply appear not to have liked the Russian-supported president they had in charge and getting him out was their main goal.