Russia Just Invaded Ukraine

[irfuji]

Actually there's an agreement in place that requires the US and pretty much all of Europe (including Russia) to help protect the Ukraine against foreign invasions on their territory. This was signed to convince Ukraine to give up their nuclear weapons and is exactly why Ukraine didn't want to give it up.

Now I'm certainly not saying there aren't natural resources we want but there is an agreement that actually requires us to take action that was in place well before any of this happened.

[waywardgs]

"Why is Obama phoning Putin all the time and talking to him for hours on end?" he asked.

Hot world leader-on-world leader phone sex action?

[Taernath]

Now I'm certainly not saying there aren't natural resources we want but there is an agreement that actually requires us to take action that was in place well before any of this happened.

Diplomatic action, at most. It was basically just a promise from Russia that they wouldn't re-annex their former territory if Ukraine gave up their weapons. Of course, all that changed when Russia claimed that the Ukrainian gov't is no longer legal.

[Jarvan]

Russia had it's finger's crossed when that all happened.

Now we have to basically resort to yelling "No take backsies!"

There really is ever only two options in regards to involvement... fuck em all, and don't do a damn thing. Or intercede. Honestly, they first is why WW II lasted as long as it did. The second is why most countries really don't like us.

Some people keep claiming we are living in different times, and we must think globally. Then these are the same people that say we shouldn't get involved in other people's affairs. (Syria and now Ukraine) Putin won't stop at Crimea. The fact that he has troops in Ukraine outside Crimea just shows that. Crimea can't support itself. It needs water and power at least. So what will Putin do? He will extend his reach within Ukraine citing his need to ensure that the people of Crimea have the resources they need to survive. Saying something along the lines of "Will you let these people starve? Will you let them live without power and water?"

He already knows he can do just about anything he wants, and EU and U.S. will not risk a conflict over it. So within 2 years, Ukraine will all be Russia. What is the EU going to do.. stop using Russia's Oil and Gas? Sanctions... they are working WONDERS in Iran. I mean, Iran stopped enriching Uranium as soon as we told them to or else.... oh wait. Frankly, the only thing we COULD do is honestly threaten real war if he continues. That certainly won't happen.

Our inaction with Georgia set the stage, and Syria drove home the point.

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday warned of pending sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine; he gave Putin an ultimatum to halt the aggression by Monday or “serious things will happen.”
Kerry then proceeded to strike additional fear into Putin’s heart by saying talk of sanctions was not “a threat,” nor anything “personal,” of course.
“We hope President Putin will recognize that none of what we’re saying is meant as a threat, it’s not meant in a personal way.
*
It is meant as a matter of respect for the international, multilateral structure that we have lived by since World War II, and for the standards of behavior about annexation, about succession, about independence, and how countries come about it.”
One can only wonder how well Vladimir Putin slept Friday night, having laughed himself to sleep.

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/121569-issa/

[Warriorbird]

Wallace: You've defended President Obama's handling of the situation this week. But in January you said you thought that President Obama made a big mistake when he set the red line for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Here's what you warned: "If you cock the pistol you've got to be willing to fire it." By "cocking the pistol”—whether it's on the red line in Syria or giving asylum to Edward Snowden—and then not firing it, you really don't think that President Obama has emboldened Putin at all? …
Gates: Putin invaded Georgia when George W. Bush was president. Nobody ever accused George W. Bush of being weak or unwilling to use military force. So I think Putin is very opportunistic in these arenas. I think that even if we had launched attacks in Syria, even if we weren't cutting our defense budget, I think Putin saw an opportunity here in Crimea, and he has seized it. …
Wallace: But just in terms of optics, do you think it's helpful for President Obama to take the weekend off in the middle of what you call a crisis to be playing golf in Florida?
Gates: Well, you know, I've seen this happen year after year, president after president. President takes a day or two off and plays golf. It doesn't matter whether it's President Obama, or the first President Bush going fishing. I think you've got to give these guys a little time off. You know, mostly they are working 20 hours a day.

Hmm.

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

140% of Crimeans Voted to Join Russia. Ha ha.

http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/03/crimea-vote-russia/

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

Hmm.

What about Chechnya? Even though I'm peronally okay with Russia handling that, did anyone bitch about the President anytime Russia has gone buckwild there? And I could've sworn we had some activity in Georgia when all that was going down. In this case, we've got unarmed SF guys wandering around the country with cameras and no guns. Just how much of this is our business?

[Warriorbird]

What about Chechnya? Even though I'm peronally okay with Russia handling that, did anyone bitch about the President anytime Russia has gone buckwild there? And I could've sworn we had some activity in Georgia when all that was going down. In this case, we've got unarmed SF guys wandering around the country with cameras and no guns. Just how much of this is our business?

You're a Republican and a soldier. Do you support assisting nutty Muslim terrorists against a repressive dictator or not? Personally, I'd like to see Russia not get a free pass to becoming Nazi Germany 2.0 but I don't see Obama's policies as any different at all from our most recent Republican's policies.

Personally, the best move would be tapping the Strategic Oil Reserve to lower prices but no President of either party would do it because we're scared of OPEC. If Obama was smart, he'd get OPEC on board because a number of them dislike Russia too and they could appreciate some strategic deals with a desperate Ukraine.

[NinjasLeadTheWay]

You're a Republican and a soldier. Do you support assisting nutty Muslim terrorists against a repressive dictator or not? Personally, I'd like to see Russia not get a free pass to becoming Nazi Germany 2.0 but I don't see Obama's policies as any different at all from our most recent Republican's policies.

Personally, the best move would be tapping the Strategic Oil Reserve to lower prices but no President of either party would do it because we're scared of OPEC. If Obama was smart, he'd get OPEC on board because a number of them dislike Russia too and they could appreciate some strategic deals with a desperate Ukraine.

I don't think I'm a republican. And after the whole Beslan thing, I don't blame Russia at all for any response. And I agree with the opec statement. "But we're exporting more now than we ever have."