Russian presidential hopeful says Crimea belongs to Ukraine

Yahoo/AP ^ | 24-Oct-2017 | VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

[topher]

MOSCOW (AP) — A 35-year-old Russian celebrity TV host who aspires to run for president in next March's election said Tuesday that Crimea belongs to Ukraine despite its 2014 annexation by Moscow — a bold statement that has drawn angry responses from Russian officials and lawmakers.

Ksenia Sobchak also emphasized her critical stance by issuing a call for the release of the nation's political prisoners and denouncing official corruption at her first news conference since declaring her presidential ambitions.

[topher]

One reason I am posting is because I think Russia is making too many enemies.

I just hope that Russia does not allow North Korea to transport NUCLEAR WARHEADS, CHEMICAL WARHEADS, BIO WARHEADS, and MISSILE/MISSILE LAUNCHERS to go through Russian territory to Iran.

After all, Obama gave Iran $160 Billion and North Korea is CASH POOR these days.

[DesertRhino]

So now we know who the EU and globalist banking candidate will be.

[Trump20162020]

Define “presidential hopeful.” Is this a viable candidate, or a fringe candidate? You can find fringe candidates who’ll say anything, like Lincoln Chafee making a laughing stock of himself in 2016 with his “switch to the metric system” platform, or Gary “what is Aleppo?” Johnson.

[ETL]

He'd better watch his back but good. KGB/FSB Putin will stop at nothing to silence his foes and hold power.

Pro-Russia Viktor Yanukovych's opponent was pro-US Viktor Yushchenko.

From 2014

Yushchenko, hero of Ukraine's Orange Revolution warns Europe that Putin won't stop at Crimea

by Matthew Schofield - McClatchy Foreign Staff
March 27, 2014

Many Ukrainians believe you need look no further than the face of Viktor Yushchenko to understand Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Once smooth and ruggedly handsome, it still bears the scars from an assassination attempt when someone slipped dioxin into Yushchenko's food. ..."

Read more here:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article24765781.html#storylink=cpy
______________________________________________

[ETL]

Mike Pence on Putin and Russia:

(from the VP debate on Oct 5, 2016)

“When Donald Trump and I observe that, as I’ve said, in Syria, in Iran, in Ukraine, that the small and bullying leader of Russia has been stronger on the world stage than this administration, that’s stating painful facts. That’s not an endorsement of Vladimir Putin — that’s an indictment of the weak and feckless leadership of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.”

PENCE: We’ve just got to have American strength on the world stage. When Donald Trump becomes president of the United States, the Russians and other countries in the world will know they’re dealing with a strong American president.

PENCE: What we’re dealing with is the — you know, there’s an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates.

And the truth of the matter is, the weak and feckless foreign policy of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has awakened an aggression in Russia that first appeared a few years ago with their move in Georgia, now their move into Crimea, now their move into the wider Middle East.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/us/politics/vice-president-transcript.html

[ETL]

Trump’s U.N. Envoy, Nikki Haley, Condemns Russia’s ‘Aggressive Actions’ in Ukraine

By SOMINI SENGUPTA
Feb 2, 2017

UNITED NATIONS — Nikki R. Haley, the new American ambassador to the United Nations, condemned Russia on Thursday for its recent “aggressive actions” in eastern Ukraine.

“We do want to better our relations with Russia,” Ms. Haley said during her first remarks to an open briefing of the United Nations Security Council. “However, the dire situation in eastern Ukraine is one that demands clear and strong condemnation of Russian actions.”

She made it clear that American sanctions imposed after Russia’s annexation of Crimea would remain in place.

During her Senate confirmation hearing last month, Ms. Haley also expressed support for continuing the sanctions and accused Russia of committing war crimes in the Syrian conflict. But her strong criticism of the government of President Vladimir V. Putin put her at odds with President Trump, who has expressed a desire for warmer relations with the Kremlin. ...’

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/world/europe/nikki-haley-trump-ukraine-russia-putin.html?_r=0

[ETL]

Donald Trump: 'Putin has eaten Obama's lunch, therefore our lunch, for a long period of time'

Mar 13, 2014
Eun Kyung Kim: TODAY SHOW (NBC)

Donald Trump slammed President Obama Thursday on TODAY for failing to take a stronger line against President Vladimir Putin in dealing with Ukraine, saying he feared Obama would now make up for lost time with imprudent moves to "show his manhood."

The real estate mogul and reality-TV star, who has criticized Putin for sending military troops into Crimea, said Obama must now take fierce steps to prevent the situation from escalating further.

"We should definitely do sanctions and we have to show some strengths. I mean, Putin has eaten Obama's lunch, therefore our lunch, for a long period of time," Trump said. ..."

http://www.today.com/news/donald-trump-putin-has-eaten-obamas-lunch-ukraine-2D79372098
_______________________________________________

Here’s the interview w/ Matt Lauer on YouTube...

Donald Trump (2014): ‘Vladimir Putin Has Eaten Obama’s Lunch’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzURUENf1ns

[NorseViking]

The way I see it the more division within the Russian left the more chances for Putin to keep majority.

[Freelance Warrior]

She's a fringe candidate. The liberal club who could vote for her isn't happy with her possible spoiling to their established leaders. The general public knows her as a reality show host and a Marie Antoinette-esque socialite. She's much disliked because of this, and due to her appearance she's been nicknamed a 'mare'.

Though her father was the Vladimir Putin's patron in the nineties, and the latter has been quite respectful to that family so far. Her mother is a senator from the Putin's party, and Putin has said he didn't object against the daughter's running for presidency. I see parallels with the Roman emperor Caligula's horse situation.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks topher.

[BobL]

“Is this a viable candidate, or a fringe candidate?”

Anyone over there thinking that Crimea, which has always been 90% plus Russian, and has been part of Russia for over 90% of Russia’s existence, belongs to Ukraine is a fringe candidate. Even most Europeans understand that it’s a waste of time to fight this battle. Other than some people caught in some Cold War time warp, Crimea is a settled case.

[Krosan]

She is a fake candidate set up to lose and to fake the illusion of democracy. She is also Putin’s goddaughter.

[Paul R.]

Crucial info....?

[McGruff]

Ksenia Anatolyevna Sobchak is a Russian TV anchor, journalist, socialite, and actress. Sobchak became known to the wider public as a host of the reality show Dom-2 on the Russian channel TNT. She is sometimes described as “Russia’s Paris Hilton”

[McGruff]

She has a chance.

[Krosan]

... as I said - fake candidate (and Putin’s god-daughter to boot). The equivalent in the US would be Obama running again and allowing Roseanne Barr, Paris Hilton and the Rent is Too Damn High guy to be his opponents.

[GoldenState_Rose]

All eyes on Russia in 2018 as they have their elections plus host the World Cup.

Regarding Ksenia Sobchak - indeed the mainstream theory is that she is a ploy to split the opposition vote and lend pizazz to electoral process. (The main leader of the opposition, Alexei Navalny, is not allowed to run due to Kremlin claims of embezzlement.)

But some, quite seasoned and elderly historians and Russian observers I pay attention to believe Sobchak may herself be Putin’s successor. After all, it was her father, Anatoly who essentially gave Putin his political start.

Ksenia is getting away with saying some crazy things like “Crimea is Ukraine” (its illegal to and warrants arrest in Russia as it falls under extremism and some law about denial of Russian territory.)

...but it may be in the Kremlin’s long term interest to shift course on some of their policies anyway. (continuous hybrid war in Eastern Ukraine not exactly productive ) So she may be doing their bidding paving the way.