Aa
Something dirty going on?
Pro-Russian Crimeans toast future with Moscow after 95% approval vote...
FLASHBACK: February Poll Showed Just 41% support...
www.drudgereport.com
Is where the headlines
FLASHBACK: February Poll Showed Just 41% support...
www.drudgereport.com
Is where the headlines
Going to be interesting watching this further unfold.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20140317/DACJMFIO0.html
Mar 17, 5:23 PM (ET)
By JIM HEINTZ
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Ignoring the toughest sanctions against Moscow since the end of the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula as an "independent and sovereign country" on Monday, a bold challenge to Washington that escalates one of Europe's worst security crises in years.
The brief decree posted on the Kremlin's website came just hours after the United States and the European Union announced asset freezes and other sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in the Crimean crisis. President Barack Obama warned that more would come if Russia didn't stop interfering in Ukraine, and Putin's move clearly forces his hand.
The West has struggled to find leverage to force Moscow to back off in the Ukraine turmoil, of which Crimea is only a part, and analysts saw Monday's sanctions as mostly ineffectual.
Moscow showed no signs of flinching in the dispute that has roiled Ukraine since Russian troops took effective control of the strategic Black Sea peninsula last month and supported the Sunday referendum that overwhelmingly called for annexation by Russia. Recognizing Crimea as independent would be an interim step in absorbing the region.
Crimea had been part of Russia since the 18th century, until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1954 and both Russians and Crimea's majority ethnic Russian population see annexation as correcting a historic insult.
Ukraine's turmoil - which began in November with a wave of protests against President Viktor Yanukovych and accelerated after he fled to Russia in late February - has become Europe's most severe security crisis in years.
Russia, like Yanukovych himself, characterizes his ouster as a coup, and alleges the new authorities are fascist-minded and likely to crack down on Ukraine's ethnic Russian population. Pro-Russia demonstrations have broken out in several cities in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, where the Kremlin has been massing troops.
Fearing that Russia is prepared to risk violence to make a land-grab, the West has consistently spoken out against Russia's actions but has run into a wall of resistance from Moscow.
Reacting to Monday's sanctions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov declared that they were "a reflection of a pathological unwillingness to acknowledge reality and a desire to impose on everyone one-sided and unbalanced approaches that absolutely ignore reality."
"I think the decree of the president of the United States was written by some joker," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, one of the individuals hit by the sanctions, said on his Twitter account.
The White House imposed asset freezes on seven Russian officials, including Putin's close ally Valentina Matvienko, who is speaker of the upper house of parliament, and Vladislav Surkov, one of Putin's top ideological aides. The Treasury Department also targeted Yanukovych, Crimean leader Sergei Aksyonov and two other top figures.
The EU's foreign ministers slapped travel bans and asset freezes against 21 officials from Russia and Ukraine.
"We need to show solidarity with Ukraine, and therefore Russia leaves us no choice," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Brussels.
Despite Obama's vow of tougher measures, stock markets in Russia and Europe rose sharply, reflecting relief that trade and business ties were spared.
"I guess the market view is that Russia forced their case in Crimea, pushed through the referendum, and the Western reaction was muted, so that this opens the way for future Russian intervention in Ukraine," said Tim Ash, an analyst who follows Ukraine at Standard Bank PLC.
In the Crimean capital of Simferopol, ethnic Russians applauded Sunday's referendum that overwhelmingly called for secession and for joining Russia. Masked men in body armor blocked access for most journalists to the parliament session that declared independence, but the city otherwise appeared to go about its business normally.
"We came back home to Mother Russia. We came back home, Russia is our home," said Nikolay Drozdenko, a resident of Sevastopol, the key Crimean port where Russia leases a naval base from Ukraine.
A delegation of Crimean officials was to fly to Moscow on Monday and Putin was to address both houses of parliament Tuesday on the Crimean situation, both indications that Russia could move quickly to annex.
In Kiev, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov vowed that Ukraine will not give up Crimea.
"We are ready for negotiations, but we will never resign ourselves to the annexation of our land," a somber Turchynov said in a televised address to the nation. "We will do everything in order to avoid war and the loss of human lives. We will be doing everything to solve the conflict through diplomatic means. But the military threat to our state is real."
The Crimean parliament declared that all Ukrainian state property on the peninsula will be nationalized and become the property of the Crimean Republic. It gave no further details. Lawmakers also asked the United Nations and other nations to recognize it and began work on setting up a central bank with $30 million in support from Russia.
Moscow, meanwhile, called on Ukraine to become a federal state as a way of resolving the polarization between Ukraine's western regions - which favor closer ties with the 28-nation EU - and its eastern areas, which have long ties to Russia.
In a statement Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry urged Ukraine's parliament to call a constitutional assembly that could draft a new constitution to make the country federal, handing more power to its regions. It also said the country should adopt a "neutral political and military status," a demand reflecting Moscow's concern that Ukraine might join NATO and establish closer political and economic ties with the EU.
Russia is also pushing for Russian to become one of Ukraine's state languages, in addition to Ukrainian.
In Kiev, Ukraine's new government dismissed Russia's proposal as unacceptable, saying it "looks like an ultimatum."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya visited NATO headquarters in Brussels to request technical equipment to deal with the secession of Crimea and the Russian incursion there.
NATO said in a statement that the alliance was determined to boost its cooperation with Ukraine, including "increased ties with Ukraine's political and military leadership."
Mar 17, 5:23 PM (ET)
By JIM HEINTZ
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Ignoring the toughest sanctions against Moscow since the end of the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula as an "independent and sovereign country" on Monday, a bold challenge to Washington that escalates one of Europe's worst security crises in years.
The brief decree posted on the Kremlin's website came just hours after the United States and the European Union announced asset freezes and other sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in the Crimean crisis. President Barack Obama warned that more would come if Russia didn't stop interfering in Ukraine, and Putin's move clearly forces his hand.
The West has struggled to find leverage to force Moscow to back off in the Ukraine turmoil, of which Crimea is only a part, and analysts saw Monday's sanctions as mostly ineffectual.
Moscow showed no signs of flinching in the dispute that has roiled Ukraine since Russian troops took effective control of the strategic Black Sea peninsula last month and supported the Sunday referendum that overwhelmingly called for annexation by Russia. Recognizing Crimea as independent would be an interim step in absorbing the region.
Crimea had been part of Russia since the 18th century, until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1954 and both Russians and Crimea's majority ethnic Russian population see annexation as correcting a historic insult.
Ukraine's turmoil - which began in November with a wave of protests against President Viktor Yanukovych and accelerated after he fled to Russia in late February - has become Europe's most severe security crisis in years.
Russia, like Yanukovych himself, characterizes his ouster as a coup, and alleges the new authorities are fascist-minded and likely to crack down on Ukraine's ethnic Russian population. Pro-Russia demonstrations have broken out in several cities in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, where the Kremlin has been massing troops.
Fearing that Russia is prepared to risk violence to make a land-grab, the West has consistently spoken out against Russia's actions but has run into a wall of resistance from Moscow.
Reacting to Monday's sanctions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov declared that they were "a reflection of a pathological unwillingness to acknowledge reality and a desire to impose on everyone one-sided and unbalanced approaches that absolutely ignore reality."
"I think the decree of the president of the United States was written by some joker," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, one of the individuals hit by the sanctions, said on his Twitter account.
The White House imposed asset freezes on seven Russian officials, including Putin's close ally Valentina Matvienko, who is speaker of the upper house of parliament, and Vladislav Surkov, one of Putin's top ideological aides. The Treasury Department also targeted Yanukovych, Crimean leader Sergei Aksyonov and two other top figures.
The EU's foreign ministers slapped travel bans and asset freezes against 21 officials from Russia and Ukraine.
"We need to show solidarity with Ukraine, and therefore Russia leaves us no choice," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Brussels.
Despite Obama's vow of tougher measures, stock markets in Russia and Europe rose sharply, reflecting relief that trade and business ties were spared.
"I guess the market view is that Russia forced their case in Crimea, pushed through the referendum, and the Western reaction was muted, so that this opens the way for future Russian intervention in Ukraine," said Tim Ash, an analyst who follows Ukraine at Standard Bank PLC.
In the Crimean capital of Simferopol, ethnic Russians applauded Sunday's referendum that overwhelmingly called for secession and for joining Russia. Masked men in body armor blocked access for most journalists to the parliament session that declared independence, but the city otherwise appeared to go about its business normally.
"We came back home to Mother Russia. We came back home, Russia is our home," said Nikolay Drozdenko, a resident of Sevastopol, the key Crimean port where Russia leases a naval base from Ukraine.
A delegation of Crimean officials was to fly to Moscow on Monday and Putin was to address both houses of parliament Tuesday on the Crimean situation, both indications that Russia could move quickly to annex.
In Kiev, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov vowed that Ukraine will not give up Crimea.
"We are ready for negotiations, but we will never resign ourselves to the annexation of our land," a somber Turchynov said in a televised address to the nation. "We will do everything in order to avoid war and the loss of human lives. We will be doing everything to solve the conflict through diplomatic means. But the military threat to our state is real."
The Crimean parliament declared that all Ukrainian state property on the peninsula will be nationalized and become the property of the Crimean Republic. It gave no further details. Lawmakers also asked the United Nations and other nations to recognize it and began work on setting up a central bank with $30 million in support from Russia.
Moscow, meanwhile, called on Ukraine to become a federal state as a way of resolving the polarization between Ukraine's western regions - which favor closer ties with the 28-nation EU - and its eastern areas, which have long ties to Russia.
In a statement Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry urged Ukraine's parliament to call a constitutional assembly that could draft a new constitution to make the country federal, handing more power to its regions. It also said the country should adopt a "neutral political and military status," a demand reflecting Moscow's concern that Ukraine might join NATO and establish closer political and economic ties with the EU.
Russia is also pushing for Russian to become one of Ukraine's state languages, in addition to Ukrainian.
In Kiev, Ukraine's new government dismissed Russia's proposal as unacceptable, saying it "looks like an ultimatum."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya visited NATO headquarters in Brussels to request technical equipment to deal with the secession of Crimea and the Russian incursion there.
NATO said in a statement that the alliance was determined to boost its cooperation with Ukraine, including "increased ties with Ukraine's political and military leadership."
Funny how WE want to impose sanctions. Yet we invaded 2 countries.
I kind of like the fact that Putin is being defiant.
Why do you feel that way?
Why else because he is a racist. You know that everyone who disagrees with Obama or does not like him is a racist. So why even ask that question of him?
Or maybe he likes the fact that the smoke & mirrors of the campaign and administration is coming down? The idea that Obama would be the great unit'er is gone because he never was and this just another proof that he is not.
But hey I'm a racist too because i disagree with Obama so my words are useless.
But hey I'm a racist too because i disagree with Obama so my words are useless.
"I kind of like the fact that Putin is being defiant."
Perhaps that is a bad use of words. I appreciate the guy standing his ground. The reasoning behind that is, I think we often have our noses in places/cultures where it doesn't belong. As well, I am tired of this country being the worlds watch dog. We often inject ourselves into factions that have been warring for hundreds or thousands of years.
I think these folks are capable of working this out on their own and I am worn out on American posturing. I feel its a bad policy
We've got so many issues that should be tended too domestically. I am convinced that we should be taking care of domestic issues.
Perhaps that is a bad use of words. I appreciate the guy standing his ground. The reasoning behind that is, I think we often have our noses in places/cultures where it doesn't belong. As well, I am tired of this country being the worlds watch dog. We often inject ourselves into factions that have been warring for hundreds or thousands of years.
I think these folks are capable of working this out on their own and I am worn out on American posturing. I feel its a bad policy
We've got so many issues that should be tended too domestically. I am convinced that we should be taking care of domestic issues.
"I appreciate the guy standing his ground...."
I really don't get it.
I really don't get it.
I should elaborate a little.
I agree that we have domestic issues that need addressed. I also agree that we should be careful before getting involved in another country's affairs. I'm not sure this type of behavior by Putin should be ignored however and I definitely don't see any admirable qualities in the man. Her may be more than just defiantly standing his ground here and as far as that goes - you could say the same thing about every dictator who ever lived - they were being defiant. Look at Kim Jong-Un - now that is one defiant guy who really seems to be standing his ground.
I agree that we have domestic issues that need addressed. I also agree that we should be careful before getting involved in another country's affairs. I'm not sure this type of behavior by Putin should be ignored however and I definitely don't see any admirable qualities in the man. Her may be more than just defiantly standing his ground here and as far as that goes - you could say the same thing about every dictator who ever lived - they were being defiant. Look at Kim Jong-Un - now that is one defiant guy who really seems to be standing his ground.
That's fine.
The days of America showing up and scaring everyone into compliance are over. Putin is pointing that out. There is no calling anyones bluff anymore. We haven't the clout to just show up and regulate anymore. More of the world does not respect us.
Putin being defiant should be a wake up call for the folks in DC. We need to rethink everything we do. Were not the bully anymore.
Putin being defiant should be a wake up call for the folks in DC. We need to rethink everything we do. Were not the bully anymore.
I'm no military strategist but I can voice my opinion on this. I see this being something along the lines of Bosnia or Kosovo. We still have peace keeping troops there..... Why?
Mike's comment was directed to Brice, not you.
Please re-read Barbs thread:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Current-Events---/GROUP-BEHAVIOR/show/2118289
Please re-read Barbs thread:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Current-Events---/GROUP-BEHAVIOR/show/2118289
"...There is no calling anyones bluff anymore. We haven't the clout to just show up and regulate anymore. More of the world does not respect us...."
So I guess that we've been in that situation for a while - like when Putin went into Georgia with tanks and Bush did NOTHING.
Don't pretend this just happened - this weak impotent USA.
And really, we can annihilate Russia any time we choose.
Not hatin' just sayin'.
So I guess that we've been in that situation for a while - like when Putin went into Georgia with tanks and Bush did NOTHING.
Don't pretend this just happened - this weak impotent USA.
And really, we can annihilate Russia any time we choose.
Not hatin' just sayin'.
If anyone is telling you to 'admire' Putin, it's a safe bet they, or the financial backers of their media, have a vested interest in promoting a Cold War mentality.
[That reads: arms manufacturers, Halliburton/Brown/Root, Boeing, or anyone else ho thrives and prospers off your fear.]
[That reads: arms manufacturers, Halliburton/Brown/Root, Boeing, or anyone else ho thrives and prospers off your fear.]
"who thrives and prospers"
It's not admiring Putin. They're telling you to disrespect our President or anyone else who tries to keep the world stable and not slide back into an Arms Race.
It's not admiring Putin. They're telling you to disrespect our President or anyone else who tries to keep the world stable and not slide back into an Arms Race.
OH: So I don't have the right to make comments then?
Nothing I said was out of line, I just echoed what has been said here and in the media about disagreeing with Obama.
Nothing I said was out of line, I just echoed what has been said here and in the media about disagreeing with Obama.
I'm not saying this JUST happened. It's happened before as you mentioned and it is very likely to happen again. We aren't learning anything and I find that as problematic.
desrt.... nobody is beating the war drums here and nobody told me to feel the way I do. Its time for America to tend to American business.
desrt.... nobody is beating the war drums here and nobody told me to feel the way I do. Its time for America to tend to American business.
"... Its time for America to tend to American business...."
Isolationism has been promoted before now and it was significantly more viable a couple of decades earlier than it would be now. Our world is so interconnected that we can't simply detach. I don't know what we should do in this situation but I doubt that ignoring it is the answer.
Isolationism has been promoted before now and it was significantly more viable a couple of decades earlier than it would be now. Our world is so interconnected that we can't simply detach. I don't know what we should do in this situation but I doubt that ignoring it is the answer.
Will you stop with the childish defenses? You know exactly what you are doing.
mikesimon
To: brice1967
"Why do you feel that way?'
Vance2335
Mar 18, 2014
'Why else because he is a racist. You know that everyone who disagrees with Obama or does not like him is a racist. So why even ask that question of him?'
Vance~Grow up and stop acting like a troll or leave CE.
mikesimon
To: brice1967
"Why do you feel that way?'
Vance2335
Mar 18, 2014
'Why else because he is a racist. You know that everyone who disagrees with Obama or does not like him is a racist. So why even ask that question of him?'
Vance~Grow up and stop acting like a troll or leave CE.
I'm going to have to agree with Brice on this.
Russia standing their ground against the U.S. is a sign of the times. We've lost so much credibility recently, with the "Don't cross this red line!", and "Stop! Or we'll say stop again!!!" type of b/s.
Russia is proving a point to the rest of the globe, that you CAN say no to the U.S., and get away with it.
Do I personally admire Putin? No
Do I personally care what happens between the Ukraine, Crimea & Russia? No
Do I have respect for a nation that stands up for itself and doesn't back down from an ageing bully? Yes
Don't twist my words and say "You admire Putin? That's like admiring Hitler! You're a racist for disagreeing", because nothing could be further from the truth.
I'm a firm believer in people standing up for themselves, whatever the situation. And in this case, it just happens to be Putin/Russia vs. Obama/U.S.
Bush did it to, when Putin put tanks in Russia blah-blah-blah. Sure, but that was a LONG time ago, and probably posted in another thread. THIS thread is about Putin/Russia & Obama/USA, so the Bush comments don't apply.
Russia standing their ground against the U.S. is a sign of the times. We've lost so much credibility recently, with the "Don't cross this red line!", and "Stop! Or we'll say stop again!!!" type of b/s.
Russia is proving a point to the rest of the globe, that you CAN say no to the U.S., and get away with it.
Do I personally admire Putin? No
Do I personally care what happens between the Ukraine, Crimea & Russia? No
Do I have respect for a nation that stands up for itself and doesn't back down from an ageing bully? Yes
Don't twist my words and say "You admire Putin? That's like admiring Hitler! You're a racist for disagreeing", because nothing could be further from the truth.
I'm a firm believer in people standing up for themselves, whatever the situation. And in this case, it just happens to be Putin/Russia vs. Obama/U.S.
Bush did it to, when Putin put tanks in Russia blah-blah-blah. Sure, but that was a LONG time ago, and probably posted in another thread. THIS thread is about Putin/Russia & Obama/USA, so the Bush comments don't apply.
Republicans won't let it happen. Condi Rice is rallying the troops as I expected.
Nobody is beating the war drums, but the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction remains hugely profitable. Lockheed, Boeing, and their Russian counterparts would like nothing better than to bring the Cold War back up a couple notches to a simmer. Putin stands up to and stands for nothing. He is just as much in the pocket of his military/industrial complex as D ick Cheney was. In fact, they might as well be the same person and would switch sides in a heartbeat for a $ or a ruble.
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