Posted on 05/12/2014 11:45:26 AM PDT by goldstategop
Hmmm, did I do that?
If Ukraine does nothing but plead for international support we should sit back and do absolutely nothing. A nation that will not fight to preserve its sovereignty does not deserve the title of or respect due a nation state. Georgia fought to preserve its sovereignty.
The Maidan regime cannot even capture a small town. Its hard to see how it will stop two new countries from gaining substance if they invite Moscow to provide them with diplomatic recognition, economic aid and military assistance.
Looking like there was more than one carload of pre-marked ballots. There other 9 made it in from Pooty.
“If Ukraine does nothing but plead for international support”
“Ukraine” has a standing Army of 88,000 men, the tanks and equipment for them, and hundreds of APC’s.
The rebels have Circa 1970-1989 weapons that they got from an Old Soviet weapons storage facility, and what they have either taken or bought from the Kiev troops.
That they can barely field 900-1000 troops, (and a handful of aircraft), with most of those being the undisciplined, barely trained Right Sector National Guard, should say much about the current state of affairs in Ukraine.
Don’t forget, if Ukraine does fight, they will be called Nazi murderers. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Agreed, but the referendums are crap. Anyone who disagrees with the pro-Russians are accused of being Right Sector Provocateurs and beaten or killed. The fact this guy would say “freedom and rule of law” is a joke. Journalists (real journalists) are threatened with being shot. They use transparent ballot boxes. The new Ukraine government is a mess, but what Putin is doing in the East does not fit his “Defender of Christianity” Moniker.
You are right.
What Putin is doing in the East is not pretty, but it is what we would do if the shoe was on our foot instead of his. Russia must and will have its land bridge to Crimea and the Black Sea, and it must and will preserve its arms industries centered around Donetsk. Putin is playing this low key with a handful of fighters here and there, because he is a chess player and Ukraine is falling apart anyway; we would have just invaded outright. It is tough to be a pawn along the frontier, and has been throughout history.
Give it no more than 48 hours and the two new ‘republics’ will be annexed to Russia.
The ethnic make up of Lukanak Oblast is 58% Ukrainian and 39% Russian. When the Russians come in and take over does anyone think it will remain peaceful very long?
96% voted for autonomy, roger that. I guess the election next week will be 100% want to join Russia. These folks are being given no time.
What Russia wants is Ukraine to be a land locked country, they want Odessa, which is a better port than Sevastopol, too. And the morons will laugh and say Putin is saving it from the NAZIs in Kiev.
Odessa is a fine commercial port, but the Russian Navy facilities at Sevastopol are more important to Moscow, as are its major air bases in Crimea.
Putin will have a bit of trouble rigging an election in the Oblast that controls the land approaches to Crimea with only 14% Russian population.
The Chinese would be very happy to pay Putin for control of such a fine commercial port as Odessa. Odessa could also be used to supply North American LNG to Ukraine and Europe.
Ethnic separatists should be wiped out like cockroaches.
The oblasts along the Sea of Azov aren’t heavility Russian, but they’re no hotbeds for Ukrainian nationalism, either. I will be very surprised if Kiev retains anything east of the Dnieper River by the time this whole thing plays out. Putin will find a way to take what he wants, and it doesn’t look like Ukraine has the ability to stop it from happening.
It seems to me that the Ukrainian government should immediately commence the deportation of Russians living on its soil. And that they be joined in this by all other nations in the region with any substantial populations of Russians.
It is just too dangerous to allow Russians to live on their territory any more. Granted, they should not widely publicize it, and even deny it if asked. But it must be firm and methodical.
Lose your Russians or lose your territory.
There was supposedly a deal working to build a LNG regasification facility and it seems the deal was queered (probably by Russia) If they were to build it they would have ready buyers for every cubic meter. Could be a good project for Exxon or somebody.
We have chosen our path of independence from the path of freedom, the path of rule of law, Bolotov said.
There, fixed it.
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