Posted on 07/21/2015 11:48:20 AM PDT by McGruff
Hundreds of Ukrainian right-wingers were rallying in Kiev on Tuesday to protest against government policies in the wake of a deadly stand-off between radical nationalists and police in the country's west.
The radical Right Sector group was one of the most militant factions in the massive protests in Ukraine's capital that prompted pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych to flee the country in February 2014. Since the war broke out in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russia separatists several months later, the Right Sector has fought on the government side.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
These are not right wingers, but instead patriots getting ready to pitch another government.
Right Sector is not like Tea Party or patriots. More accurate description of them would be a Party of Soccer Hooligans. Good to have on your side in a fight, but people don’t want them in politics. This party got 1.8% of the votes in elections last year and that is less than support for Roseanne Barr for US president.
Unrelated clip from a great comedy movie “Eurotrip” showing comical soccer hooligans - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dV9jIZXcxGA
So what is to be done? Ukraine is a beautiful country with many fine people. They do not deserve this suffering
In my opinion in the longer term what is to be done is to listen to experts in the Atlantic Council, but it is clear now that the White House is not going to do it.
100 people marching in 40+ million Ukraine is not the most serious thing. They’re quite capable to handle it themselves and freedom of assembly is what Ukraine wants to hold dear now.
— quote from Atlantic Council recommendation starts —
The following recommendations, based on what we
heard in Brussels, Kyiv and Kramatorsk, constitute a
minimum immediate response. Washington should
urgently consult with Kyiv on provision of the following
types of military assistance, with a view to rapid
procurement—or provision from existing U.S. defense
stocks—and delivery:
• Counter-battery radars that can detect and locate
the origin of multiple launch rocket system (MLRS)
launches and artillery firings out to a range of 30-40
kilometers. These will enable the Ukrainian military to
identify ceasefire violations and potentially to target
the Russian/separatist weapons that have thus far
caused the greatest number of Ukrainian casualties.
(Approximately 70 percent of Ukrainian casualties are
from rocket and artillery fire.)
• Medium altitude/medium range UAVs. These will
assist the Ukrainian military to increase its tactical
situational awareness, identify opposing troop
deployments, and locate opposing MLRS and artillery.
• Electronic counter-measures for use against opposing
UAVs. This will give the Ukrainian military capabilities
to disrupt opposition UAVs conducting missions
against Ukrainian forces.
• Secure communications capabilities. Much Ukrainian
tactical communication currently is conducted over
non-secure radios or cell phones and thus is extremely
vulnerable to interception by Russian intelligencegathering
systems.
• Armored Humvees. With Russian UAVs patrolling the
skies and the persistent threat of Russian precision
rocket and artillery fire, Ukrainian forces require
all-weather mobility, speed, reliability and a measure
of protection as they move between positions on
the battlefield.
• Medical support equipment. Ukrainian casualties are
greater because of their relatively underdeveloped
and severely under resourced military medical system.
The provision of field hospitals would greatly improve
their soldiers’ survival rate.
• In addition to the above non-lethal items, the U.S.
government should immediately change its policy
from prohibiting lethal assistance to allowing
provision of defensive military assistance, which may
include lethal assistance, most importantly, light antiarmor
missiles. Ukrainian light anti-armor capabilities
are severely lacking at a time when the Russians have
moved large numbers of tanks and armored personnel
carriers into the Donbas (70 percent of their existing
stocks of light anti-armor weapons reportedly do not
work). Any major Russian/separatist advance beyond
the line of contact would presumably make heavy use
of tanks and armored personnel carriers. Anti-armor
missiles would give the Ukrainian army the capability
to impose heavier costs and support the disruption of
such attacks. Raising the risks and costs will help deter
further Russian offensive operations.
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