Ukraine: Russia Delivers 'Assault Storm' Deadline

Sky News ^

[Sub-Driver]

Ukraine: Russia Delivers 'Assault Storm' Deadline

3:23pm UK, Monday 03 March 2014

Russia's fleet has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until 3am to surrender or face a military assault, according to Interfax.

The ultimatum, from the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet Alexander Vitko, has a base in Crimea where Russian forces are now in control.

According to the agency, it reads: "If they do not surrender before 5am (3am GMT) tomorrow, a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea."

It comes as Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev discussed the situation in Ukraine with US Vice President Joe Biden by telephone on Monday.

Mr Medvedev "declared that it is necessary to protect the interests of all Ukrainian citizens, including residents of Crimea, and citizens of Russia who are located in Ukraine......

[SevenofNine]

I just hear on KFI radio news thanks Maggie

[SevenofNine]

Yeah it big story even Al Jazeera America carry that story

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/03/russia-asks-ukrainian-navy-surrender-20143315502236327.html

[meadsjn]

Your maps look about the same to me. This time, I suspect the objectives will be more focused on control of oil pathways and natural resources, than on control of populations. Russia already has them all for NG customers; no need to assume paternity.

USA leadership is nonexistent.

[redgolum]

Russia is acting like Russia.

They WILL move against Poland eventually. Poland used to be Russian once upon a time.

Same with the North American west coast down to California at one time.

[goldstategop]

Every Russian schoolchild knows Russia lost because of outdated equipment, troops that were ill-trained and Western superiority in combined force of arms numbers.

Putin has absorbed this lesson and has rebuilt the Russian military. The Russian soldier is well trained and more than a match for an adversary.

In this conflict, Ukraine is in the same boat Russia was in on the eve of the Crimean War.

[Justa]

Iraq didn’t ‘occupy’ Kuwait, they invaded and annexed it declaring it the 19th province of Iraq.

And the ‘stealing oil’ claim is BS. Kuwait has no rigs near Iraq’s Rumaila oil field and I’ve seen no evidence to date to support Saddam Hussein’s claim. Why would the Kuwaitis employ slant drilling 10 miles to reach Iraqi oil when their own fields are easily in reach and very rich? More like Iraq invaded Kuwait due to its inability to make payments on its $80B debt to Kuwait from the Iran - Iraq war.

[cuban leaf]

Especially if they believe there will be no consequences. A paper tiger does not stop someone like Russia.

[Farmer Dean]

This was the perfect time for Putin to show Obama who’s boss.

[Dr. Thorne]

Obama diddles while Ukraine burns.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Both Black Sea fleets are in very poor shape. I took a harbor tour of Sevastopol several years ago Most of the auxiliaries seemed all right but the bigger stuff really looked poorly maintained to unseaworthy

[marron]

I would bet that half the Ukrainian military is Russian. That would put Ukraine at a disadvantage in that they don’t know which units are reliable, which officers are loyal to who.

For me, its up to Ukraine to show if they are prepared to shed blood in defense of their sovereignty. The West can supply the bullets, but the decision to actually fight and die for their independence is something they have to decide.

My bet is that Crimea is a lost cause, because of demographics, because of its importance to Moscow, and because Ukraine won’t have the ability or even the will to go to all out war in its defense. If they aren’t willing to go to all out war, and if they don’t have the citizenry in the Crimea to put into the streets for a street war, its over. We can huff and puff but we don’t have any cards to play here.

[Travis McGee]

The Crimea is Russia's REAL "red line." Note I said Crimea, not Ukraine.

Crimea was part of Russia for over 200 years, until Nikita Khrushchev literally gifted it to Ukraine in 1954 in order to purchase the support of their party bosses during his accession after the death of Stalin.

Before Russia, it belonged to the Ottoman Empire, now defunct. Before that, it belonged to the city-state of Venice, going back to before Columbus discovered America. But the Crimea was NEVER part of Ukraine, until Khrushchev’s unilateral “gift."

(Imagine if President Eisenhower, as a dictator on his own, gave Long Island and NYC to Connecticut as part of an internal United States political deal to secure CT’s critically needed support during a contested election or coup. That is how Crimea became part of the Ukraine.)

In 1954, the political gift of the Crimea was an internal USSR matter, not an international matter. Ukraine was then the Ukraine SSR, within the USSR. In 1991, the USSR broke apart, and Khrushchev’s personal gift suddenly mattered. But despite the gift and the fluke that led Crimea to become part of the modern sovereign nation of Ukraine, Crimea has always been 90%+ ethnic Russian, and as always, it contains Russia’s most critical naval bases, air force bases and sea ports.

In fact, Crimea is far more Russian than Hawaii is American. It’s foolish and naïve to believe that the Russians will risk losing the Crimea during a period of chaos in greater Ukraine.

If you want to see Russia's REAL "red line," threaten their control of the Crimea, and its naval bases and seaports. I'm not supporting Russia's position, I just want folks to know that this is a much more complicated picture than "Evil Russia invades poor innocent Ukraine," which is the kindergarten/MSM version of Crimean history.

[hockeyfan44]

No worries. John Kerry is on his way over there, and as we all know, he’s a highly-decorated military genius.

Why should Obama care? He has more important things to worry about like his NCAA Bracket and stabbing Israel in the back...

[BunnySlippers]

... and we sit. SHAMEFUL!

[SevenofNine]

I just saw this on UK Daily Mail one thing about Russian soldiers they are so polite LOL!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2571799/Shocking-pictures-people-Crimea-taking-SELFIES-Russian-masked-gunmen-Ukraine-teeters-brink-war.html

[cookcounty]

"It would be very foolish for the Russians to start shooting. The population of the Crimea supports them and time is on their side. The West is powerless to intervene

Yes, but Putin doesn't just want to get Crimea (or Ukraine). He also wants to demonstrate to the world (and especially the Middle East) that the United States is becoming a yapping irrelevancy and that the big dog, to whom they should now pay attention and look to for leadership, is Russia. Putin's Russia. A little "shoot-em up" actually advances Putin's strategy. He wants a war, or at least, a small one.

[Praxeologue]

Iraq didn’t ‘occupy’ Kuwait, they invaded and annexed it declaring it the 19th province of Iraq.

And the ‘stealing oil’ claim is BS. Kuwait has no rigs near Iraq’s Rumaila oil field and I’ve seen no evidence to date to support Saddam Hussein’s claim. Why would the Kuwaitis employ slant drilling 10 miles to reach Iraqi oil when their own fields are easily in reach and very rich? More like Iraq invaded Kuwait due to its inability to make payments on its $80B debt to Kuwait from the Iran - Iraq war.

Russia invaded Crimea and likely will annex it as a Russian province, or at least a satellite. The pretext is to protect ethnic Russians, many of whom at this point are not even Russian speakers. So their claim is based on gene mapping, I guess, about on a par with oil theft.

The reality is/was that Russia wants a better pipeline route, while Iraq wanted to cancel debt by annexing the lender.

The difference is that Russia has the Bomb and Iraq did not and Kuwait had some of the world's largest oil reserves, while the Ukraine is no economic prize.

Therefore, The U.S. and allies drove Iraq from Kuwait, but will do nothing about the Ukraine.

Let's not kid ourselves. These decisions are based on economic interest and balance of power, not on lofty philosophical principles such as human rights. Consider Ruwanda.

[353FMG]

A military assault on Ukrainian forces in Crimea would show the world (and particularly the US) that Russia is serious about the whole affair and is willing to shed their blood for it.

After that, there will be no going back to previous borders.

[RedMDer]

Less than $1k to go!!

[Red White and Blue patriot]

It is. Uncle Vlad wants to rebuild the Soviet Union.