Ukraine Heats Up

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

I don't care about Ukraine. Let the Russians have it....or not, whatever.....

I care about what's being done to the American people.

Dave

It might be more tolerable if we got kissed once in a while.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by merrylander

It might be more tolerable if we got kissed once in a while.

What? We get screwed? How does that work? What's our interest there?

John

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Boreas

What? We get screwed? How does that work? What's our interest there?

John

No John that was in reference to the American people getting screwed. I can't say that I get worked up over Putin.

[bhunter]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

Putin main objective in the East is regionalism...a constitution characterized
with autonomy as a salient feature. He has put forward this idea to the west but this was rejected on the grounds that any idea of constitution/government must come from Ukrainians.

So he is now applying pressure points to force acceptance of the autonomy
model.

Putin does not want Russia to be burdened with a basket case.
He took Crimea essentially because of its naval base.

Here's a take on Putin's motives:

Russians generally, and Putin in particular, could not abide having a truly independent Ukraine join with the EU, and potentially NATO.

Crimea was part of Russia (not Ukraine) until 1954 when Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine by order of the Supreme Soviet. Sort of like President Barack Obama issuing a Presidential Order to delay the effective dates of portions of Obamacare.

This year, Putin wanted Crimea back, and he took it.

Now the Russians have massed tens of thousands of troops along the border with Ukraine and, we believe, have paid agents to seize the government buildings in the provinces along the eastern border to force the same kind of referendum that the Russians staged in Crimea.

Now, look at that sliver of land, Transnistria, I pointed out in Moldova. The reason the Russians might have designs on that has nothing to do with Transnistria, it has everything to do with the fact that, if the Russians moved troops into that sliver of land they could move armored units into Odessa in about three hours.

Why does Odessa matter? Without Crimea, it is the last warm-water port available to Ukraine. Without Odessa, Ukraine is a land-locked nation.

http://www.mullings.com/04-10-14.htm

[Dondilion]

Putin would have been dumb to sit idly and watch Ukraine join Nato.
Anyhow I think he was dumb to get distracted with Sochi.

It was the west which destabilized Ukraine with this Nato business.

The "massing of troops" is on Russian soil.

Russians speakers in the East are following the Kiev template.

Russia wants no part of Transnistria. It is just not tenable.

The Transnistria argument is pure propaganda.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

Putin would have been dumb to sit idly and watch Ukraine join Nato.
Anyhow I think he was dumb to get distracted with Sochi.

It was the west which destabilized Ukraine with this Nato business.

The "massing of troops" is on Russian soil.

Russians speakers in the East are following the Kiev template.

Russia wants no part of Transnistria. It is just not tenable.

The Transnistria argument is pure propaganda.

You may be the only guy on the planet who knows Putin's full intentions.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by finnbow

You may be the only guy on the planet who knows Putin's full intentions.

Indeed!

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by bhunter

Here's a take on Putin's motives:

Yes, it is.................

John

[merrylander]

Putin sent in agitators to east Ukraine, that was qute obvious when the surrounded he Opera House in one of the towns thinking it was the government building.

The massiing of forces may be on Russian lamd but why? Are Ukraine's pitifully poorly armed forces a threat?

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Putin sent in agitators to east Ukraine, that was qute obvious when the surrounded he Opera House in one of the towns thinking it was the government building.

The massiing of forces may be on Russian lamd but why? Are Ukraine's pitifully poorly armed forces a threat?

Of course there are Russian agitators there. The west had a lot of agitators at Maidan; high level government functionaries and even a famous senator.

Massing troops: pressure points for regionalism