Russia invades Crimea

[maryjane48]

Well i do remember Few posters on here saying how they loved russia for Jailing greenpeace protesters lol They sti so great ? Hope they feel Dumb for saying it

[steven lloyd]

As much as one event has little to nothing to do with the other (Greenpeace protests and Ukraine political situation), Russia’s involvement and potential involvement with recent events in the Ukraine makes for concerning news.

Ukraine asks UN to stop Russians
by The Canadian Press

Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations asked an emergency session of the Security Council on Saturday "to do everything possible now" to stop Russia's "aggression" as its troops took over the strategic Crimea region.

But action by the U.N.'s most powerful body appears unlikely. As a permanent member, Russia has veto power and can block the council from adopting any resolution criticizing or sanctioning Moscow.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call to "urgently engage in direct dialogue with the authorities" in Kyiv.

Calling the situation in Ukraine "as dangerous as it is destabilizing," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power told the council, "It is time for the Russian military intervention in Ukraine to end."

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said the new government in Kyiv needs to get away from "radicals" and warned that "such actions they're taking could lead to very difficult developments, which the Russian Federation is trying to avoid."

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, who called for Saturday's meeting, told reporters afterward that "there is no justification for Russia's military activities in the last 48 hours."

Ukraine's U.N. ambassador, Yuriy Sergeyev, asked the other four permanent Security Council members — the U.S., Britain, France and China — for help, adding that Russia had rejected Ukraine's proposal to hold immediate bilateral consultations.

When asked later whether Ukraine is at war with Russia, Sergeyev said, "No. We are not at war. We are trying to avoid any clashes. We are being provoked."

[Merry]

This is a very scary situation, but Russia isn't totally responsible for it.

The West knew they were playing with fire when they helped the protesters in that country, and now I'm really scared it's all going to blow up in all of our faces. I wish that, just once, all governments would quit meddling in the affairs of other countries, because it always turns out badly whenever they do.

That said, we all know that government "meddling" in the affairs of others will continue to happen, because history shows us it has always been that way. Regrettably it seems to be part of the Human Condition. So all we can do now is hope that this most recent situation doesn't lead to WW3.

[steven lloyd]

US, Ukraine urge Putin to pull back
by The Canadian Press

Igniting a tense standoff, Russian forces surrounded a Ukrainian army base Sunday just as the country began mobilizing its military in response to the surprise Russian takeover of the Crimean Peninsula. Outrage over Russia's tactics mounted in world capitals, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry calling on President Vladimir Putin to pull back from "an incredible act of aggression."

Fearing that Europe's borders were being rewritten by force, world leaders rushed to find a diplomatic solution to reverse what had already happened on the ground: Russia had captured the Black Sea peninsula on Saturday without firing a shot.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said there was no reason for Russia to invade Ukraine and warned that "we are on the brink of disaster."

"We believe that our western partners and the entire global community will support the territorial integrity and unity of Ukraine," he said Sunday in Kyiv.

NATO held an emergency meeting in Brussels, Britain's foreign minister flew to Kyiv to support its new government and the U.S., France and Britain debated the possibility of boycotting the next Group of Eight economic summit, being held in June at Sochi, the host of Russia's successful Winter Olympics.

In Kyiv, Moscow and other cities, thousands of protesters took to the streets to either decry the Russian occupation or celebrate Crimea's return to its former ruler.

"Support us, America!" a handful of protesters chanted outside the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. One young girl held up a placard reading: "No Russian aggression!"

"Russia! Russia!" the crowd chanted in Moscow.

Kerry, interviewed Sunday on U.S. television news shows, talked about boycotting the G-8 summit, as well as possible visa bans, asset freezes and trade and investment penalties against Russia. Kerry said all the foreign ministers he had talked to were prepared "to go to the hilt" to isolate Russia.

Still, politicians tread carefully, knowing it was a very delicate time for Europe.

"We are on a very dangerous track of increasing tensions," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. "(But) it is still possible to turn around. A new division of Europe can still be prevented."

But so far, Ukraine's new government and other countries have been powerless to counter Russian military tactics. Armed men in uniforms without insignia have moved freely about Crimea for days, occupying airports, smashing equipment at an air base and besieging a Ukrainian infantry base.

Putin has defied calls from the West to pull back his troops, insisting that Russia has a right to protect its interests and those of Russian-speakers in Crimea and elsewhere in Ukraine. His confidence is matched by the knowledge that Ukraine's 46 million people have divided loyalties between Russia and Europe. While much of western Ukraine wants closer ties with the EU, its eastern and southern regions like Crimea look to Russia for support.

Russia has long wanted to reclaim the lush Crimean Peninsula, which was part of its territory until 1954. Russia's Black Sea Fleet pays Ukraine millions every year to be stationed at the Crimean port of Sevastopol and nearly 60 per cent of Crimea's residents identify themselves as Russian.

[Captain Awesome]

It's certainly interesting to watch. Russia seems uber confident - and for good reasons. Ukraine is a mess. And it doesn't look like anybody wants to help them. Well, except for stephen harper's threats which sound a bit moronic given that Canadian NAVY consists of one ship and it's presently being towed by US NAVY.

[Atomoa]

If this were the 1980's we'd be stocking up on canned goods.

Watching intently. Glad to see military options were off the table this morning, because there is only one way to make the Russians move and Putin is always looking for a excuse to take his shirt off.

[Woodenhead]

Good reads I found elsewhere:

The crisis in Crimea could lead the world into a second cold war

Ukraine: The Price of Internal Division

The only thing I'll say is that the US warnings that Russia should stay out of this is laughably hypocritical. As usual.

[steven lloyd]

The only thing I'll say is that the US warnings that Russia should stay out of this is laughably hypocritical.

I was thinking about that while watching John Kerry on the news criticize Russia's "pretense" for invasion.

[steven lloyd]

I have an acquaintance/contact who is an ex-pat in Ecuador. To qualify the following perspective, he is American, as is his daughter, but she is also a former Peace Corp volunteer still in the Ukraine. Here is a post she forwarded to her father:

Morning Update: The well-organized and heavily armed "militias" that were taking over key strategic positions in the southern Ukrianian territory of Crimea yesterday were actually elite Russian military, who had covered any uniform markings that they were Russian military. Yesterday, two days after they started to appear throughout Crimea, Russia's president, Putin, asked his parliament to use military forces in Ukraine to restore Constitutional order (which is a theatrical act since he controls parliament). Today, more than 15,000 Russian troops are on Ukrainian territory in Crimea.

One of the disadvantages to living in and having the support of democratic nations is that they must find consensus before taking action. Ukrainains and their many allies of the West, instead of being able to mobilize and take quick decisve action, made statements that they "strongly condemn" the actions and then all ran into meetings, and once they emerged they threatened Putin with more meetings (yes, high profile meetings like NATO, UN Security Council, etc). Meanwhile, Russia is taking strategic locations in Crimea and trying to provoke Ukrainian military action in order to justify an all-out-war. So far, Ukraine has been restrained, although they have called to mobilize its forces and are likely taking a defensive position to stop any further incursions.

Putin says he is protecting ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians. They were under absolutely no threat at all, but this is his justification. Hypocritically, the Russian military have been marking houses of Crimean Tatars (ancient natives of the area who are Muslim and very pro-Ukrainian). The markings say "traitors".

Putin has said that he believes that the Euromaidan protests were orchestrated by fascists trained in EU countries. If you've ever been to the protests, you know this is blatently false. He is asking Ukraine to go back to the agreement made February 21st, the day before Yanukovich fled Kyiv. Many beleive his plan is to occupy all of Ukraine with Russian forces, put Yanukovich back in power, and continue with Ukraine's path towards dictatorship that was rudely interupted by protests. Putin wants a puppet, and if Yanukovich is installed back into power with Russian military action, then Yanukovich will be the most obedient puppet imaginable. Many Ukrainians shudder at the mere thought.

Everyone in Ukraine is scared. Many feel like Russia is a big brother. Most feel deeply betrayed, others have feared this for a long time, and some welcome this intrusion. Meanwhile, Russian media, which is completely controlled by Russian interests have begun an information war that is likening Ukranian protesters in Kyiv to the fascist nazi takeover of Germany. Russians are being fed propaganda that they are the heroes, freeing Ukraine froman evil tyrannical Nazi regime that will spark World War III. Time can only tell what Russia is really up to, but no scenerio bodes well for Ukraine. Please pass this on to as many people as possible. Somehow, someway, Russia needs to be stopped.

[Merry]

This story sounds eerily familiar. Prior to the Second World War, there were some of the German speaking people in Austria who believed Austria ought to be a part of Germany. And there were some Germans who felt the same way. The rest is history.

On March 12, 1938, German troops march into Austria to annex the German-speaking nation for the Third Reich.
In early 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired for the second time in four years to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg, learning of the conspiracy, met with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the hopes of reasserting his country's independence but was instead bullied into naming several top Austrian Nazis to his cabinet. On March 9, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss, or "annexation," once and for all. Before the plebiscite could take place, however, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, under coercion from the Nazis, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country.
The next day, March 12, Hitler accompanied German troops into Austria, where enthusiastic crowds met them. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government, and on March 13 the Anschluss was proclaimed. Austria existed as a federal state of Germany until the end of World War II, when the Allied powers declared the Anschluss void and re-established an independent Austria. Schuschnigg, who had been imprisoned soon after resigning, was released in 1945.

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-hist ... es-austria

I sure hope History doesn't repeat itself.

[Captain Awesome]

Somehow, someway, Russia needs to be stopped.

Argh. I rather dislike when people boil everything down in politics to single people. "- Putin decided and invaded Ukraine". It doesn't work like this in real world, Russia has very similar democratic structure with a senate and a parliament. Both of them had to approve the peacekeeping actions in lights of serious threats of violence in a country edging around a civil war. Putin doesn't decide anything by himself. Same with Ukraine - Ukraine isn't as united as people represent, especially currently. Some factions right now rebelling against current president, others are supporting him, then there are racial tensions that always been there for hundreds of years. So, some Ukrainians are asking UN/NATO to intervene and paint this as invasion of an independent country, others are celebrating arrival of Russian army trying to stop the violence.

[Woodenhead]

From what I've read & heard on the subject, Captain Obvious nailed it.

[Queen K]

Steven Cohen, an American Professor specializing in Russia and Russian politics has said exactly what the Capt. wrote on CNN today.

He was derided as having an "alternative historical viewpoint" of course, being CNN and all.

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2014/02/20/m ... age-russia

[steven lloyd]

Somehow, someway, Russia needs to be stopped.

Argh. I rather dislike when people boil everything down in politics to single people.

To be clear - that wouldn't be my quote as implied (I thought I had qualified the source).

[Merry]

Argh. I rather dislike when people boil everything down in politics to single people. "- Putin decided and invaded Ukraine". It doesn't work like this in real world, Russia has very similar democratic structure with a senate and a parliament. Both of them had to approve the peacekeeping actions in lights of serious threats of violence in a country edging around a civil war. Putin doesn't decide anything by himself. Same with Ukraine - Ukraine isn't as united as people represent, especially currently. Some factions right now rebelling against current president, others are supporting him, then there are racial tensions that always been there for hundreds of years. So, some Ukrainians are asking UN/NATO to intervene and paint this as invasion of an independent country, others are celebrating arrival of Russian army trying to stop the violence.

There were some who celebrated the arrival of the German Army too, back in the day, but that fact didn't prevent a war.