Posted on 02/26/2014 5:52:42 AM PST by kristinn
President Vladimir Putin put Russian combat troops on high alert for a drill on Wednesday, the Kremlin's most powerful gesture yet after days of sabre rattling since its ally Viktor Yanukovich was toppled as president of Ukraine.
Thousands of ethnic Russians, who form the majority in Ukraine's Crimea region, demonstrated for independence for the peninsula that hosts part of Moscow's Black Sea Fleet. They scuffled with rival demonstrators, mainly from the Tatar minority, who support the new authorities in Kiev.
With the political turmoil hammering Ukraine's economy, the hryvnia currency tumbled 4 percent on Wednesday, with ripples spreading to Russia where the rouble fell to five-year lows and bank shares took a hit.
Ukraine's central bank, which has been rapidly burning its hard currency reserves to protect the hryvnia, said it has abandoned a managed exchange rate policy in favor of a flexible currency, a senior official told CNBC TV
Moscow also denounced what it described as the rise of "nationalist and neo-fascist sentiment" in the country's mainly Ukrainian-speaking western areas, where it said Russian speakers were being deprived of rights. It has repeatedly expressed concern for the safety of Russian citizens in Ukraine.
"In accordance with an order from the president of the Russian Federation, forces of the Western Military District were put on alert at 1400 (0500 ET) today," Interfax news agency quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
ROTF! That is the greatest line of all time! I wish I’d thought of it!
possible ping for your list; related to your posting that the Chief Rabbi of the Ukraine has “strongly suggested” that Jews leave Kiev asap.
Somtimes, it appears he’s playing Sorry.
I might have to put that together tonight.
The guard in a sense says more than that by saying less. He said, “I don’t know.”
Plan as I sees it: Russian dominated area breaks away from Ukraine, declares independence, Russia recognized its independence, Ukraine tries to regain lost land, Russian troops move in to protect them, Area becomes part of Russia, Move and checkmate. Ukraine becomes smaller—Russia becomes larger.
Bump
“Putin orders test of Russian forces amid Ukraine crisis”
mark
We've got no alliance with the Ukraine. For Russia, 2014 might rhyme with 1979, when they invaded Afghanistan. If we feed a few billion a year to the Ukrainians, they'll give the Russians a run for their money, and maybe even push them back across the border. I bet our Stingers are much improved from the 1980's models. LAW's are kinda idiot-proof. There's also heaps of mothballed Soviet surplus weaponry and ammo we could buy on the cheap from ex-Warsaw Pact (now NATO) members and ship to Ukraine. Bottom line is that we get to do to the Russkies what they did to us in Korea and Vietnam all over again. We lost 100K dead in those two conflicts whereas they only lost 13K in Afghanistan. If they invade Ukraine, it's an opportunity to even up the score a little, while helping a future NATO ally out of a tight spot.
“...where it said Russian speakers were being deprived of rights. It has repeatedly expressed concern for the safety of Russian citizens in Ukraine....”
Damn... he’s taking a page right out of Hitler’s “Germans in the Czech Sudetenland” playbook...
It’s blatant as hell.
Ukrainians also speak Russian, so it's a combo of Munich and the Anschluss. Except Russia's population is only 3x the Ukrainian one, whereas Nazi Germany had 10x the population of Austria, and nobody in Austria particularly resisted, where the Holodomor is becoming a bigger and bigger issue with ethnic Ukrainians.
Candyland? Please.
That game at least has mostly forward movement. Barry is playing Chutes and Ladders.
A good number of the “protestors” are neo-Nazis, and use Nazi symbols, being descendants of Ukrainians who fought with the Nazis. It is not all made up.
Ah, the ol’ “We’ve got to protect the ethnic Russians” routine.
“A good number of the protestors are neo-Nazis, being descendants of Ukrainians who fought with the Nazis”
Only communist governments punish descendants of “criminals”.
Yeah, that’s a fine idea. Lets spend Billions we don’t have, to try to create a war right on Moscow’s very doorstep, to get revenge for something over 60 years ago.
That’s some strategy there.
Sounds like someone who hasn’t been in a war in a personal way.
Well, that answers that question.
Russia will not give up the Crimea, anymore than we would give up Hawaii.
Depends on who is pushing for the fight.
It isn’t the Ukraine, or whatever the new state will be called.
Russia wants to be Imperial Russia again. Do we want war with them to stop them?
“Its not worth fighting to keep people in the country who dont want to be in it.”
I wish that was the case in the current Communist USA. If it were, I would move to South Carolina the minute the South seceded - again.
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