Posted on 03/17/2014 9:02:48 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
KIEV, Ukraine Obama on Monday imposed sanctions on 11 Russian and Ukrainian officials blamed for Russia's military incursion into Crimea, including two top aides to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The sanctions were the most visible sign of U.S. anger at Russia's attempt to absorb the Crimea region of southern Ukraine, reflecting the deepest plunge in U.S.-Russian relations since the Cold War.
The sanctions came in an executive order signed by Obama a day after a Crimea referendum on Sunday aimed at allowing Russia to annex the autonomous region, a vote that the United States says was illegal and would never be recognized by Washington.
During a White House press briefing, Obama warned that continued Russian military intervention in Ukraine would only increase Russia's isolation and exact a greater toll on its economy.
"If Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Putin and Obama have too much in common for Obama to put sanctions on Putin.
What exactly does the ‘sanction against 11 Russian officials’ mean? So they can’t enter US, is that it?
Looks to me a case that Obama wants to “sound” tough.
And Vlad replies: “Oh, I’m shaking in my custom baby seal leather boots!”
There must have been a lot of angst from the Administration to escalate this situation from “giving them a good talking to” to this impotent declaration.
Looks the same way to me.
It's not like Obama cares about a bunch of ethnic Ukrainians being under the boot heal of a tyrant, Putin.
Perhaps the Tartars and gays he'd get huffy about.
At least he’s consistent. He does the same thing to conservatives and Tea Party activists.
The goal of sanctions is to make the recipient so uncomfortable that they change their behavior. There’s no other reason to impose them.
Have sanctions ever accomplished that goal? Ever?
I feel a new t-shirt coming on...
“Putin invades Ukraine, and all I get is this lousy sanction?”
This is one big diversion to keep the public eye off the IRS corruption and Benghazi.
Wonder if there was collusion between zero and Putin to make this a diversion from zero’s big time problems?
Oh, I get it. The Marxist is holding more sanctions in his pocket to impose provided Putin goes even more rogue?
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, this is entirely pathetic.
Sounds like the US bankers got the Ukrainian gold and Russians got Crimea and the western Ukrainian people will get the shaft. What’s new?
The sanctions amount to illegal interference in Russia’s internal affairs in an effort to force Russian officials to serve the West’s geo-political interests. I can well imagine how American officials would react if Russian officials tried through sanctioning them to force American officials to serve Russian interests.
Treating Russia like an errant child is counter-productive as well as in terms of a meaningless political display of pique to assuage American public opinion. The US did not even do this during the worst days of the Cold War. Russia is being punished simply for having a difference of views with the US about Crimea. This is not going to force Russia to reverse course. It will have precisely the opposite effect.
We can count on Barry not looking out for our best interests.
“It’s not like Obama cares about a bunch of ethnic Ukrainians being under the boot heal of a tyrant, Putin.
Perhaps the Tartars and gays he’d get huffy about.”
The Dems always claim some people are more special than others, while they and their media call the less special ones the bigots.
And none of them have bank accounts or property holdings in the West.
Legally, I don’t see how they can be enforced. Sounds like a bill of attainder to me. Foreign officials are being punished for having political views we don’t like.
None of this involves any alleged or even real violations of international law. Criminal offenses should always be referred to the proper prosecuting authorities who have competent jurisdiction.
But America has no right to decide for itself the policies Russian Federation should follow. That borders on sheer arrogance.
Obama’s 11 names list.
The State Duma deputy, Yelena Mizulina, was perplexed when she read her name on the list:
The decision is puzzling, because I dont have any accounts or real estate abroad, nor do any of my family members live abroad. Why was I particularly included?
Citizens of other countries do not have a right to enter the US any more than we have a right to enter theirs.
Comrade @BarackObama, what should do those who have neither accounts nor property abroad? Or U didn't think about it?)http://t.co/16KUTJPXOl— Dmitry Rogozin (@DRogozin) March 17, 2014
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