Posted on 03/02/2014 5:26:16 PM PST by SkyPilot
The Obama administration on Sunday worked to isolate Russia on the world stage even as its president, Vladimir Putin, showed no signs of rolling back his military intervention in Ukraine.
President Obama spoke by phone with leaders from Great Britain, Germany and Poland, and he dispatched Secretary of State to Kiev on Tuesday for a show of solidarity with the new Ukrainian government.
After suspending preparations for an upcoming Group of 8 summit in Sochi, the administration began canceling lower-level diplomatic and economic meetings with Russian counterparts. And senior administration officials warned that Russia could be booted from the G8 altogether and that its economy would suffer because of Putin’s decision to occupy the Crimean peninsula following the ouster last week of Ukraine’s pro-Russia president, Viktor Yakunovych.
The strategy, described in a briefing senior administration officials on the condition of anonymity, was aimed at demonstrating to Putin that his intervention in Crimea would not go unpunished while also offering him “an offramp” if he chose to reverse course.
“It is Russia’s choice to behave in this manner,” one senior administration said, or whether it wants to return “to the community of civilized nations.”
Yet it was unclear Sunday if Putin cared or was even listening to the condemnation of Obama and U.S. allies. He sought and received authorization from the Russian parliament for military force just hours after Obama warned him to stay out of Ukraine, and administration officials acknowledged that Russia had reinforced its military position over the weekend.
The administration officials said more than 6,000 Russian troops in Ukraine and that its forces now had “completely operational control of Crimea.” The U.S. has seen evidence of unrest and “ethnic skirmishes” in eastern Ukraine, an official said...
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Not the comfy chair?!
“Right now we are focused on political and economic and diplomatic options,” a senior administration official said. “We are looking to de-escalate this.”
No kidding. TRANSLATION: we are peeing our pants over here.
Asked if the administration had any reason to believe Putin was responding to the pressure and the condemnation, a senior official replied with a implicit shot at former President George W. Bush: “We in this administration have made it a practice not to look into Vladimir Putin’s soul,” the official said.
Blame Bush?! And Kerry is saying that PUTIN is DESPERATE?
Besides Obammy and Kerry would prefer to work on supporting gay pride around the world.
Yes; that’s much more important than actually maintaining the peace against aggressors.
if looks could kill,,,,barry could simply email his photo....to all offensive parties
Well, it’s not as if they won’t have any buddies. There are more uncivilized nations every day.
PING!
Hey KC, remember me saying Fallout isn’t gonna be just a videogame? Between this idiot and the GOP pushing it, we are gonna feel the power of Atom and be divided real soon now.
These Obastard acolytes are pathetic...
they destroy everything they come in to contact with.
Who is going to isolate our out-of-control tyrant from the ‘community of civilized nations’?
Best outcome of this situation is that articles of impeachment are drawn up against the imposter for his blatant massive unprecedented incompetence as (hard to type it) commander in chief.
981 days until this fool is out of office
Can we say Wag the Dog???
No worries. This is all lesser evil. CuZ if it were seriez I’m sure the GOP would be reining him in...any day now...real soon....
They’ll hold his feet to the fire bu God! McCain and Lindsay will be right on it!
I’m thinking since that didn’t happen when they were slaughtering folks by the millions in the old USSR it’s probably not going to happen because they hurt Obama’s feelings.
Ahh yes, Poland, the country you refused to give those missile defense sites to.
- “I can be ‘more flexible’ after the election - tell Putin….” - Barack Hussein Obama Junior - early 2012
if looks could kill,,,,barry could simply email his photo....to all offensive parties
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Now Now....
He has practiced this ‘hard’ ‘do you know who you are messing with’ look for weeks.
Also doubles as his “Wutchu talkin’ bout Willis” look.
If this SOB wasn’t fixing to get us NUKED, big time, it would be quite hilarious.
RACIST!!! You hate Barry cuz hes a black people! You cant state facts in public!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.