Eastern Europe/Ukraine

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 23 Feb 2014 21:52

Putin has called the president. something must be on his mind. I wonder what?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Feb 2014 22:02

Germany President an hour back called Putin .........I guess they are all Discussing and Thanking Sochi Olympics. All three countries did well

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 23 Feb 2014 23:33

Watched the closing ceremony of Winter Olympics and Putin really looked like he had more important things to worry about. The ball is in his court and his is response will be the deciding factor as to what direction this crisis takes.

rajithn · Post by **rajithn** » 24 Feb 2014 00:15

Putin is supposed to like Tymoshenko. However, considering that this rebellion was instigated by the West, Putin isn't likely to sit on his hands and do nothing. I believe he is just waiting for the Sochi closing ceremony to conclude. He is not someone to be messed with and I am sure he is going to prove that soon enough - perhaps in Syria, Iran or KSA.

rajithn · Post by **rajithn** » 24 Feb 2014 00:25

CT: the western MIC needs a new threat so that the Governments can feed them the money they need. They are perhaps hoping to goad Putin into a Cold War mindset and commence an all new arms race.

Back to topic: I don't think Putin can let Ukraine go. The eastern parts of Ukraine where there is a significant Russian population and the fact that the Russian Black Sea fleet is based in the Crimean lands may make it necessary for Russia to either do something to bring back the status quo (with back room agreements with one of the new leaders) or partition Ukraine.

At the end of the day, the common citizen of Ukraine is going to get their arse handed to them if they go with the EU and the IMF packages that have been 'promised' to them.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Feb 2014 02:06

TSJones wrote:Putin has called the president. something must be on his mind. I wonder what?

A great and hallowed tradition. The Czar always calls and sends greetings before sending the 100,000 bottle of vodka by personal couriers.

Have Ukraine's nukes been secured yet? The airport must be full of Pakis rushing in to get in on the Clearance Sale for Red Mercury etc.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 24 Feb 2014 02:15

Somehow I don't think Putin called up the president to threaten him. The Ukrainian patriots appear to be a rowdy bunch and he is going to have to kill a whole lot of them in order to crush the resistance. Viva la resistance!

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 24 Feb 2014 02:50

History of Ukraine
Between Hitler and Stalin: Ukraine in World War II

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Feb 2014 05:18

Who is going to be the new leader,or leaders? Yulia isn't popular across the board,and the right wing mob who resorted to violence could be compared to our own AAP,the Ukranian version,(armed aadmi protesters)! One could even have Yelstin era oligarchs attemtping to seize power by default.Read the end of this report which alleges that it was the IMF (now supposedly putting together a eco rescue package),whose strict loan conditions triggered off the Nov. protests!

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/f ... -eu-russia
Western nations scramble to contain fallout of Ukraine crisis
EU leaders worry about country fracturing into pro and anti-Russian factions in aftermath of Viktor Yanukovych's ousting

Western governments are scrambling to contain the fallout from Ukraine's weekend revolution, pledging money, support and possible EU membership, while anxiously eyeing the response of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, whose protege has been ousted.

Seemingly the biggest loser in the three-month drama's denouement, the Kremlin has the potential to create the most mischief because of Ukraine's closeness, the country's pro-Russian affinities in the east and south, and its dependence on Russian energy supplies.

Last night Russia recalled its ambassador to Ukraine for "consultations", the foreign ministry said.

"Due to the escalation of the situation in Ukraine and the necessity of analysing the existing situation from all sides, a decision has been made to recall the Russian ambassador to Ukraine [Mikhail] Zurabov to Moscow for consultations," the foreign ministry said in a statement late Sunday.
A woman pays her respects at a memorial to anti-government protesters in Kiev, Ukraine A woman pays her respects at a memorial to killed anti-government protesters in Kiev. Photograph: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

With the whereabouts of the former president Viktor Yanukovych still uncertain, the Ukrainian parliament legitimised his downfall, giving interim presidential powers to an ally of Yulia Tymoshenko, the former PM who was released from jail on Saturday. Oleksandr Turchinov said the parliament should work to elect a government of national unity by Tuesday, before preparations begin for elections planned for 25 May.

Yanukovych appeared on television from an undisclosed location on Saturday night, claiming he was still president and comparing the protesters to Nazis, but he continued to haemorrhage support on Sunday; even the leader of his parliamentary faction said he had betrayed Ukraine, and given "criminal orders".

Western leaders, while welcoming the unexpected turn of events in Kiev, are worried about the country fracturing along pro-Russian and pro-western lines. They are certain to push for a new government that is as inclusive as possible to replace the collapsed and discredited administration of Yanukovych, who vanished within hours of signing an EU-mediated settlement with opposition leaders on Friday.

"France, together with its European partners, calls for the preservation of the country's unity and integrity and for people to refrain from violence," said Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister.

Putin, preoccupied with the closing ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, has not yet commented publicly on the violence of the past week and Yanukovych's flight from the capital. Angela Merkel phoned him on Sunday to press for assurances on Russia's reaction. Susan Rice, the national security adviser to Barack Obama, warned that Moscow would be making a "grave mistake" if it sent military aid to Ukraine.
People and protesters roam the garden in front of the mansion of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's residency in Mezhygirya, near Kiev. Protesters roam the garden in front of the mansion of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's home in Mezhygirya, near Kiev. Photograph: Etienne De Malglaive/Getty Images

"There are many dangers," said William Hague, the foreign secretary. "We don't know, of course, what Russia's next reaction will be. Any external duress on Ukraine, any more than we've seen in recent weeks … it really would not be in the interests of Russia to do any such thing."

Whether such nightmares are realised will hinge largely on the Kremlin's position and policies. Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, has called the protesters on Independence Square "pogromists", but it appears that Moscow is grudgingly coming to terms with the new reality. In a phone call with the US secretary of state, John Kerry, on Sunday, Lavrov accused the opposition of seizing power and failing to abide by the peace deal thrashed out on Friday.

Analysts say Yanukovych, disgraced as he is, no longer holds any use for the Kremlin, but how the Russians will react on the ground is still an open question. This also partly depends on the new Ukraine government. One of the first issues the parliament tackled this weekend was that of the language, annulling a bill that provided for Russian to be used as a second official language in regions with large Russian-speaking populations. If the new government also looks to end the lease of a Black Sea naval base by the Russian military, the response from Moscow could be more aggressive.

"It will definitely depend on how the new government behaves," said Vladimir Zharikin, a Moscow-based analyst. "If they continue with these revolutionary excesses then certainly, that could push other parts of the country towards separatist feelings. Let's hope that doesn't happen."

In Kiev, the barricades around Independence Square remained in place, though the lines of riot police have long dissipated. Thousands of people came to the barricades to pay respects to the 77 people who died last week in the bloody clashes that eventually led to Yanukovych fleeing.

As the third of three official days of mourning ended, priests continued to sing laments from the stage in the square. Between the soot-black pavements and the slate-grey sky, there were splashes of bright colour as thousands brought bunches of flowers to lay at makeshift memorials to the dead.

At Yanukovych's residence outside Kiev, a team of investigative journalists went to work on a trove of documents fished from the water; the president's minders had apparently tried to destroy them before fleeing. Thousands of people again came to see the vast, luxurious compound with their own eyes.

Tymoshenko, who has her eyes on the presidency, met the US and EU ambassadors in Kiev. She was released from prison on Saturday and went straight to Independence Square, where she promised to fight for a free Ukraine. There was ambivalence about the former PM among the protesters, with many feeling that she represents the divisive and corrupt politics of the past.

There was no clear central authority in Kiev on Sunday, with the city patrolled by a self-proclaimed "defence force", comprising groups of men wearing helmets and carrying baseball bats. Nevertheless, the mood was orderly and peaceful, and the protest representatives have been meeting with the police and security services in an attempt to restore a feeling of normality to the capital.

With the country about to turn a new page in its history, for the first time since the crisis erupted in November, senior EU officials spoke of the possibility of Ukraine joining the union which, if serious, would represent a major policy shift.

"We are at a historical juncture and Europe needs to live up to its historical moment and be able to provide Ukraine with an accession perspective in the medium to long term – if it can meet the conditions of accession," said the economics commissioner, Olli Rehn, at a G20 meeting in Australia.

Until now, Brussels's policy towards Ukraine and other post-Soviet states, known as the eastern partnership, has been expressly intended as a substitute for rather than a step towards EU membership. It was the EU deal –Yanukovych's rejection of political and trade pacts with the bloc in favour of cheap loans and energy from Russia – that sparked the conflict and crisis in November.

With the likelihood of Russia's $15bn (£9bn) lifeline dissolving, the EU is under pressure to come up with funding to shore up the country's economy, on the brink of bankruptcy. "We are ready to engage in substantial financial assistance for Ukraine once a political solution, based on democratic principles, is finalised and once there is a new government which is genuinely and seriously engaged in institutional and economic reforms," said Rehn.

The EU said its foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, would travel to Ukraine on Monday. "In Kiev she is expected to meet key stakeholders and discuss the support of the European Union for a lasting solution to the political crisis and measures to stabilise the economic situation," an EU statement said.

The upshot is expected to be an IMF programme, supported by the US and the EU, although EU officials partly blame the IMF for the November fiasco by attaching strict terms to loans and prodding Yanukovych towards Moscow.

"We will be ready to engage, ready to help," said Christine Lagarde, the IMF chief who is also being tipped as a contender for a top job at the EU this year. The fund is likely to insist on major reforms and steps in an attempt to prevent the plunder of the country by Ukraine's oligarchs.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 24 Feb 2014 05:21

Rahul M wrote:it's a farsi word that has crept into ukrainian usage, apparently via ottoman turks.

Maidan has its origins in Arabic. Arabic > Persian > Turk

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Feb 2014 05:41

The next Crimean War? History has an uncanny way of repeating itself.The Afghan Wars for example involving the British centuries earlier,even today.With Ukraine in a state of flux,the future of Russian naval bases at Sevastopol is again going to become an issue.Ukraine is heavily dependent upon Russian energy supplies and aid.The EU/IMF package that would've bankrupted the country was rejected by the govt. in favour of a Russian eco package,which led to the protests that have brought the country to the brink.These protests however have not been entirely spontaneous as this report shows,with a CIA agent captured in Kiev.

http://beforeitsnews.com/war-and-confli ... 50486.html
CIA Agent Captured In Ukraine Helping Ukranian Protesters – Video Here

A CIA agent has allegedly just been captured in the Ukraine as shown on the video below. This video was just emailed to Before It’s News at the request that we publish this information immediately. Is this MORE PROOF that the CIA and US government are fomenting revolution in the Ukraine or propaganda from ‘the other side’? More below video.

The Special Activities Division (SAD) is a division in the United States Central Intelligence Agency‘s (CIA) National Clandestine Service (NCS) responsible for covert operations known as “special activities”. Within SAD there are two separate groups, SAD/SOG for tactical paramilitary operations and SAD/PAG for covert political action.[1]
Special Operations Group (SOG) SOG is the department within SAD responsible for operations that include the collection of intelligence in hostile countries and regions, and all high threat military or intelligence operations with which the U.S. government does not wish to be overtly associated.[2] As such, members of the unit (called Paramilitary Operations Officers and Specialized Skills Officers) normally do not carry any objects or clothing (e.g., military uniforms) that would associate them with the United States government.[3] If they are compromised during a mission, the government of the United States may deny all knowledge.[4]
SOG is generally considered the most secretive special operations force in the United States. The group selects operatives from other tier one special mission units such as Delta Force, DEVGRU and ISA, as well as other United States special operations forces, such as USNSWC, MARSOC, USASF and 24th STS.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 24 Feb 2014 05:54

TSJones wrote:Somehow I don't think Putin called up the president to threaten him. The Ukrainian patriots appear to be a rowdy bunch and he is going to have to kill a whole lot of them in order to crush the resistance. Viva la resistance!

Let's just hope this does not become another Reagan forefathers thingie

http://inquirer.wordpress.com/2007/12/3 ... ujahideen/

The opposition leaders in Ukraine have already been dismissed by the street mob as sellouts. Next act in the revolution opera is the further fragmentation into linguistic/ethnic/geographic shards. The glue FWIW is gone and all sorts of racial/ethnic memories surface and when they realize that the EU did not really want them to 'come home', scheiss is going to hit the fan.

Five years hence, Ukraine has fragmented into umpteen duchys, principalities etc. there will be a call for Vlad the Impeller

to restore the order.

Old script new delusions.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 06:02

TSJones wrote:Somehow I don't think Putin called up the president to threaten him. The Ukrainian patriots appear to be a rowdy bunch and he is going to have to kill a whole lot of them in order to crush the resistance. Viva la resistance!

Threaten GOTUS ....Vlad is not crazy or naive to do that

BTW I tried searching the phone call Vlad made to Obama late evening couldnt find any , the last time they spoke was when the agreement with former president was reached 2 days back

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Feb 2014 06:49

TSJones wrote:Somehow I don't think Putin called up the president to threaten him. The Ukrainian patriots appear to be a rowdy bunch and he is going to have to kill a whole lot of them in order to crush the resistance. Viva la resistance!

Exactly what Voice Of America told the street protestors in Budapest, and in Prague. Until the 100,000 bottle of vodka came marching in

When Ivan comes marching in, hurrah hurrah!...

etc. I think they were the first to test out the scheme of setting tank cannon at max depression, turning them 90 degrees, and firing straight into the houses on both sides of the streets as they raced through. One way to respond to Molotov cocktails and other drinks that the locals wished to share with the vodka-bearers.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Feb 2014 07:44

The Russian "saints" may still go marchin' in! This is two+ weeks old,but gives the feeling amongst Russians.An interesting point.We've seen ad nauseum how anti-IMF G-8 protesters,etc., at western eco-summits have been treated by riot sqds using every means at their disposal.When other non-western/EU nations use the same tactics to disperse protesters,it becomes a human rights issue! Under the bogus garb of humna rights,the West/US in particular,has tried to subjugate and subvert rising democracies and developing nations ,to quote Nehru,whose souls are trying to find "utterance" on the planet.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/20 ... 04334.html
Russian General: ‘We Are At War’

In an interview published Feb. 5 by km.ru, Gen. Leonid Ivashov, the former foreign relations head of the Russian Ministry of Defense and current president of the Academy of Geopolitical Studies, issued a sharp warning about the nature of the strategic crisis unfolding in Ukraine:

“Apparently they [officials of the European Union and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry] have dedicated themselves, and continue to do so, to deeply and thoroughly studying the doctrine of Dr. Goebbels. . . They present everything backwards from reality. It is one of the formulas which Nazi propaganda employed most successfully: . . . They accuse the party that is defending itself, of aggression. What is happening in Ukraine and Syria is is a project of the West, a new type of war: in both places you see a clear anti-Russian approach, and as is well known, wars today begin with psychological and information warfare operations. . . Kerry and Obama are encouraging in Kiev what they harshly repress in their country. European leaders break up unauthorized demonstrations with hoses, throwing demonstrators in jail, while in the Ukrainian case they do the exact opposite, and on top of that they threaten Russia. Logically, this is part of information warfare.

“Keep in mind that, under the cover of information commotion, U.S. ships are entering the Black Sea, that is, near Ukraine. They are sending marines, and they have also begun to deploy more tanks in Europe. . . We see that on the heels of the disinformation operation a land-sea, and possibly air operation is being prepared.

“The scenario could be the following: drive Ukraine to the breaking point, blame Yanukovich and Russia for everything, to then say that NATO can’t simply sit by as a mere spectator, and then send its troops into to return order. Then a transitional government would be formed, as happened in Iraq and Kosovo, and NATO would take control of everything. Historical experience shows we have lived through similar situations. But before that they will need to justify the aggression with information warfare. . .

“They haven’t even taught [opposition leaders] Klitchko, Yatsenyuk and Tyahnybok to run a government efficiently. The main thing is for them to take power, and destroy the Ukrainian state.”

Currently in the Ukraine, there is a parliament in Kiev and a parliament in Kharkov. The parliament stripped Yanukovych of his powers and impeached him but he says they dont have the powers to do that and refuses to step down. The latest reports have the President in Donetsk. There is actually no single person in charge over there. It’s chaos. Everything about the ‘rebellion’ reeks of western puppetry and fascism. Everything about the Yanukovych supporters of course reeks of Russia. The Crimea is having massive protests right now in the streets because they want to join in union with Russia. And Russia has stated it is prepared tosend in troops to protect ethnic Russiansof which there is 7-8 million of in Ukraine.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 07:59

Lots of Hysteria up there by the General ...sounds like he is Russian equivalent of Western Media

Points to keep in Mind

When Orange Revolution which was very Pro Western in letter and spirit was in power they did not joined EU or NATO
When Georgia was at war with Russia ...neither NATO nor US Stepped in Militarily in-spite of rhetoric by US Politicians like We are All Georgians today.

Bottom Line is NATO/US choose to fight only with Weaker Enemy and when Success is Guranteed .....they wont fight a stronger one not certainly the Russians.

EU is not similar in its thinking and dealing with Russians , Inspite of US Pushing the Europeans they dont want to break their own relationship with Russia for their own Economic and Geopolitical reasons ..... you can very well Gauge the American Frustrations with this when U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland mentioned F*** the EU.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 24 Feb 2014 08:00

There may be all sorts of information warfare, but there is only one army that is likely to go marching into Ukraine. Not NATO, and I certainly hope, NOT US!

The Russians have a legitimate concern about Russians inside Ukraine: the hate level is pretty high, and with law and order collapsing, ethnic genocides are not at all unlikely or unprecedented (Babi Yar..) Even in WWII, I think the Ukrainians were ahead of the Germans in murdering Jews and others. Wasn't it Georgia that tested Russian resolve by murdering ethnic Russian people?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 08:16

Ukraine is a sovereign Nation and it is free to choose to join an Economic Union where it wishes to , Ukraine is not part of CSTO where it is mandatory for the CSTO nation to march in to Restore order .....Nor is Russia the former USSR where it can just go in and crush revolution.

Like i mentioned before joining EU is not a la la land where all thing will be Rosy ......they will experience the crushing of their own industry by cheap EU products and tarriff barrier from Custom Union State impacting half of their total exports.

What Russia wouldnt want to happen is Ukraine joining NATO and bring NATO to its borders so to speak .......that was clearly the Red Line and was told to NATO/US during Colour Revolution .....and even NATO understands that atleast the affected party the Europeans do ..... other than than Russia has it own support base in East , bank rolls their entire Aviation Industry Program and gives out cheap Gas at half the price that Europeans gets from Russia.

So indeed Russian have a significant Economic base and reason to support Ukraine and joining EU or Custom Union wont change that much.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 16:44

Russia's FM source: Susan Rice had better advise US, not Russia

Asked on NBC whether the US was concerned that Russia may bring its troops to Ukraine, Rice said it’s not in the interest of Ukraine or of Russia or of Europe or of the US to see a country split

“We have brought to notice Susan Rice’s expert estimates based on repeated introduction of US forces in different parts of the world, especially where, according to the US administration, values of Western democracy are endangered or where the incumbents get out of hand too obviously,” said the source.

“We hope it is such advice on the wrongs of using force that the current national security adviser will give the US authorities if they decide on another intervention.”

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 16:47

Ukraine is bankrupt, hopes for $35 bln financial aid from EU, US - minister

"During the last two days we have had consultations and meetings with ambassadors from the EU, USA, other countries, and financial organization over Ukraine getting urgent macro-financial aid," acting Finance Minister Yuriy Kolobov said in a statement issued on Monday.

Kiev is also proposing that there be a large international donors conference involving the European Union, the United States, Poland, the IMF, other countries, and international financial organizations on the extension of aid for modernization and reforms in Ukraine, as well as achieving an association agreement between the country and EU.

Ukraine goes bankrupt, its treasury is empty, head of Batkivshchina (Fatherland) faction Arseny Yatsenyuk told a meeting of parliamentary factions' leaders on Monday.

"Ukraine has never faced such a financial catastrophe for all years of its independence," he said, adding that Ukraine should immediately apply to the International Monetary Fund for financial assistance.

Yatsenyuk said he had met with the interim finance ministry. "I was given simply a frightful picture of the country’s financial situation," he said. "We have no time. We must urgently form the government."

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Feb 2014 17:43

In fact Russia has a much greater right to intervene in
Ukraine than even Georgia due to the large ethnic Russian population. NATO also know from the rout of Georgia what to expect in the Ukraine if hey interfere beyond the red line.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 21:01

It appears when the Agreement between ex-President , European Foreign Minister and Opposition was signed the election was suppose to happen before end of December , Now with the rebellion taking over the election has moved to May .....seems like a plan

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 21:05

Russia upping the ante for the first time

Medvedev Raises Doubts on Legitimacy of New Powers in Ukraine

Medvedev attacked the swift recognition of the new authorities in Kiev by a number of Western governments, describing the regime as the unconstitutional outcome of an armed uprising.

“Strictly speaking, there is nobody to speak with over there. The legitimacy of a whole range of organs of power working there raises substantial doubts,” Medvedev said.

“Some of our foreign partners think otherwise. I don’t know what constitution they have read, but it is something of an aberration of consciousness when you describe as legitimate something that is the result of an armed uprising.”

Moscow has scrambled to formulate a clear diplomatic position on the ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was notable for his pro-Russian positions, following days of deadly clashes between police and anti-government protestors in Kiev that left nearly 100 dead.

Medvedev said that Russia would adhere to all existing agreements with Ukraine, including those on energy.

“We do not co-operate with a specific set of people, or specific personalities, these are interstate relations. We are neighbors, we are nearby states and we cannot get away from one another,” he said.

Ukraine’s acting energy minister told Reuters news agency on Monday that he hoped the price it pays for Russian natural gas imports would remain unchanged despite the change of government.

Russian state gas giant Gazprom agreed with Ukraine’s Naftogaz in December to slash the price that Ukraine had paid since 2009 by about one-third, from about $400 per 1,000 cubic meters to $268.50.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 24 Feb 2014 21:23

What is this strange connection between Olympic games and western attempts to corner Russia?
Moscow / Afganistan
China / Georgia
Sochi/ Kiev
Seol / Nagornie Karabakh
Next what Brazil / Belorussia ???

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 24 Feb 2014 22:09

Austin wrote:Russia upping the ante for the first time

Medvedev Raises Doubts on Legitimacy of New Powers in Ukraine
Medvedev attacked the swift recognition of the new authorities in Kiev by a number of Western governments, describing the regime as the unconstitutional outcome of an armed uprising.

“Strictly speaking, there is nobody to speak with over there. The legitimacy of a whole range of organs of power working there raises substantial doubts,” Medvedev said.

“Some of our foreign partners think otherwise. I don’t know what constitution they have read, but it is something of an aberration of consciousness when you describe as legitimate something that is the result of an armed uprising.”

Moscow has scrambled to formulate a clear diplomatic position on the ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was notable for his pro-Russian positions, following days of deadly clashes between police and anti-government protestors in Kiev that left nearly 100 dead.

Medvedev said that Russia would adhere to all existing agreements with Ukraine, including those on energy.

“We do not co-operate with a specific set of people, or specific personalities, these are interstate relations. We are neighbors, we are nearby states and we cannot get away from one another,” he said.

Ukraine’s acting energy minister told Reuters news agency on Monday that he hoped the price it pays for Russian natural gas imports would remain unchanged despite the change of government.

Russian state gas giant Gazprom agreed with Ukraine’s Naftogaz in December to slash the price that Ukraine had paid since 2009 by about one-third, from about $400 per 1,000 cubic meters to $268.50.

russia could always reroute its pipelines to europe around ukraine, I suppose.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Feb 2014 23:29

^^ Thats what South Stream would do and something Ukraine bitterly opposes as it will loose monetary base from transit.

I am not sure if the Olympic Event is planned or unplanned at least Georgia war was but may be not the others but any event during that period gathers most media eye ball and shows the warring parties in bad light.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 25 Feb 2014 02:52

The timing of the Ukranian "putsch" was to coincide with the Sochi Winter games as i was thought that Putin's attention would be diverted,as well as diverting attention from the success of the Games.The Games have been an incredible success,with spectacular performances of the competing athletes and the opening and closing ceremonies.That Russia emerged as the top medal winner is hard to swallow for the US.The bitching is now on about how much the games cost-par for the course of any games,except if its London,LA,Atlanta,whatever!

Trying to grab perhaps the most strategic neighbour of Russia in Europe with all its connotations,will have drastic implications and a massive backlash from the pro-Russian part of Ukraine.In their current eco state,the EU will have to print $35B and eevalue their currency throwing the money into Ukraine's sinking bank.Perhaps Russia should let the new regime of pretenders ruin UK further and the EU beggared in the process.They pro_EU govt. was incapable of running the economy earlier,there is even less chance of it being able to do so.Klitschko only knows how to box,so the puppet regime can "box on" until they collapse!

Ukraine: Russia claims new government in Kiev is the result of an 'armed mutiny'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 48584.html

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said his country doubts the legitimacy of Ukraine's acting government, following President Viktor Yanukovich's ousting on Saturday.
On Monday, Mr Medvedev accused the country's interim authorities of rising to power in an "armed mutiny".

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/f ... -eu-russia

Western nations scramble to contain fallout from Ukraine crisis
Interim government signals that it will push for European integration as Russia recalls ambassador for 'consultation'

Ian Traynor in Brussels and Shaun Walker in Kiev
The Guardian, Monday 24 February 2014

Anti government protest in Ukraine
A portrait of Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is seen during a rally on Independence Square in Kiev on Sunday. Photograph: Maxim Shipenkov/EPA

Western governments are scrambling to contain the fallout from Ukraine's weekend revolution, pledging money, support and possible EU membership, while anxiously eyeing the response of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, whose protege has been ousted.

Seemingly the biggest loser in the three-month drama's denouement, the Kremlin has the potential to create the most mischief because of Ukraine's pro-Russian affinities in the east and south, and its dependence on Russian energy supplies.

Acting president Oleksander Turchinov said on Sunday night that Ukraine's new leaders wanted relations with Russia on a "new, equal and good-neighbourly footing that recognises and takes into account Ukraine's European choice".

But the tension between the Kremlin and the interim government was underlined when Russia recalled its ambassador to Ukraine on Sunday for "consultations" and to "analyse the situation from all sides", the foreign ministry said.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will travel to Ukraine on Monday, where she is expected to discuss measures to shore up the ailing economy.
A woman pays her respects at a memorial to anti-government protesters in Kiev, Ukraine A woman pays her respects at a memorial to killed anti-government protesters in Kiev. Photograph: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

With the whereabouts of the former president Viktor Yanukovych still uncertain, the Ukrainian parliament legitimised his downfall, giving interim presidential powers to an ally of Yulia Tymoshenko, the former PM who was released from jail on Saturday. Oleksandr Turchinov said the parliament should work to elect a government of national unity by Tuesday, before preparations begin for elections planned for 25 May.

Yanukovych appeared on television from an undisclosed location on Saturday night, claiming he was still president and comparing the protesters to Nazis, but he continued to haemorrhage support on Sunday; even the leader of his parliamentary faction said he had betrayed Ukraine, and given "criminal orders".

Western leaders, while welcoming the unexpected turn of events in Kiev, are worried about the country fracturing along pro-Russian and pro-western lines. They are certain to push for a new government that is as inclusive as possible to replace the collapsed and discredited administration of Yanukovych, who vanished within hours of signing an EU-mediated settlement with opposition leaders on Friday.

"France, together with its European partners, calls for the preservation of the country's unity and integrity and for people to refrain from violence," said Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister.

British chancellor George Osborne said early on Monday that the UK was standing ready to help the country through schemes set up by the IMF and European Union.

"It's very, very early days, early hours, but the people of Ukraine seem to have demonstrated their wish to take their country into the future, to have stronger links with Europe, and I don't think we should be repelling that, we should be embracing that," he said speaking to journalists in Singapore.

"We should be there ready to provide financial assistance through organisations like the IMF, and of course a lot of this will take the form of loans and the like, but there will be good investments in the economy of Ukraine".

Putin, preoccupied with the closing ceremony of the Sochi Olympics, has not yet commented publicly on the violence of the past week and Yanukovych's flight from the capital. Angela Merkel phoned him on Sunday to press for assurances on Russia's reaction. Susan Rice, the national security adviser to Barack Obama, warned that Moscow would be making a "grave mistake" if it sent military aid to Ukraine.
People and protesters roam the garden in front of the mansion of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's residency in Mezhygirya, near Kiev. Protesters roam the garden in front of the mansion of former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's home in Mezhygirya, near Kiev. Photograph: Etienne De Malglaive/Getty Images

"There are many dangers," said William Hague, the foreign secretary. "We don't know, of course, what Russia's next reaction will be. Any external duress on Ukraine, any more than we've seen in recent weeks … it really would not be in the interests of Russia to do any such thing."

Whether such nightmares are realised will hinge largely on the Kremlin's position and policies. Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, has called the protesters on Independence Square "pogromists", but it appears that Moscow is grudgingly coming to terms with the new reality. In a phone call with the US secretary of state, John Kerry, on Sunday, Lavrov accused the opposition of seizing power and failing to abide by the peace deal thrashed out on Friday.

Analysts say Yanukovych, disgraced as he is, no longer holds any use for the Kremlin, but how the Russians will react on the ground is still an open question. This also partly depends on the new Ukraine government. One of the first issues the parliament tackled this weekend was that of the language, annulling a bill that provided for Russian to be used as a second official language in regions with large Russian-speaking populations. If the new government also looks to end the lease of a Black Sea naval base by the Russian military, the response from Moscow could be more aggressive.

"It will definitely depend on how the new government behaves," said Vladimir Zharikin, a Moscow-based analyst. "If they continue with these revolutionary excesses then certainly, that could push other parts of the country towards separatist feelings. Let's hope that doesn't happen."

In Kiev, the barricades around Independence Square remained in place, though the lines of riot police have long dissipated. Thousands of people came to the barricades to pay respects to the 77 people who died last week in the bloody clashes that eventually led to Yanukovych fleeing.

As the third of three official days of mourning ended, priests continued to sing laments from the stage in the square. Between the soot-black pavements and the slate-grey sky, there were splashes of bright colour as thousands brought bunches of flowers to lay at makeshift memorials to the dead.

At Yanukovych's residence outside Kiev, a team of investigative journalists went to work on a trove of documents fished from the water; the president's minders had apparently tried to destroy them before fleeing. Thousands of people again came to see the vast, luxurious compound with their own eyes.

Tymoshenko, who has her eyes on the presidency, met the US and EU ambassadors in Kiev. She was released from prison on Saturday and went straight to Independence Square, where she promised to fight for a free Ukraine. There was ambivalence about the former PM among the protesters, with many feeling that she represents the divisive and corrupt politics of the past.

There was no clear central authority in Kiev on Sunday, with the city patrolled by a self-proclaimed "defence force", comprising groups of men wearing helmets and carrying baseball bats. Nevertheless, the mood was orderly and peaceful, and the protest representatives have been meeting with the police and security services in an attempt to restore a feeling of normality to the capital.

With the country about to turn a new page in its history, for the first time since the crisis erupted in November senior EU officials spoke of the possibility of Ukraine joining the union which, if serious, would represent a major policy shift.

"We are at a historical juncture and Europe needs to live up to its historical moment and be able to provide Ukraine with an accession perspective in the medium to long term – if it can meet the conditions of accession," said the economics commissioner, Olli Rehn, at a G20 meeting in Australia.

Until now, Brussels's policy towards Ukraine and other post-Soviet states, known as the eastern partnership, has been expressly intended as a substitute for rather than a step towards EU membership. It was the EU deal – Yanukovych's rejection of political and trade pacts with the bloc in favour of cheap loans and energy from Russia – that sparked the conflict and crisis in November.

With the likelihood of Russia's $15bn (£9bn) lifeline dissolving, the EU is under pressure to come up with funding to shore up the country's economy, on the brink of bankruptcy. "We are ready to engage in substantial financial assistance for Ukraine once a political solution, based on democratic principles, is finalised and once there is a new government which is genuinely and seriously engaged in institutional and economic reforms," said Rehn.

The EU said Baroness Ashton would travel to Ukraine on Monday. "In Kiev she is expected to meet key stakeholders and discuss the support of the European Union for a lasting solution to the political crisis and measures to stabilise the economic situation," an EU statement said.

The upshot is expected to be an IMF programme, supported by the US and the EU, although EU officials partly blame the IMF for the November fiasco by attaching strict terms to loans and prodding Yanukovych towards Moscow.

"We will be ready to engage, ready to help," said Christine Lagarde, the IMF chief who is also being tipped as a contender for a top job at the EU this year. The fund is likely to insist on major reforms and steps in an attempt to prevent the plunder of the country by Ukraine's oligarchs.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 25 Feb 2014 21:01

This is the break down of ethnic Ukrainian folks in the country.
It is hard to know what the Kremlin was thinking. Ethnic Russians are 15% of the population how could this be sustainable.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 25 Feb 2014 21:15

Russia: Ukraine's new rulers are ‘gun-toting' mutineers
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/

Russia criticised Ukraine’s new rulers on Monday, blaming Western meddlers for installing an interim government, which Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev dismissed as a group of “Kalashnikov-toting” mutineers, which the Kremlin would not work with.

The first reaction from Russia on the political transition in Kiev puts it at odds with the European Union, which considers recent events as a legitimate transfer of power to an acting government which is keen to rekindle ties with its neighbours to the west.

The EU’s top diplomat, Catherine Ashton, flew into Kiev on Monday to meet the parliamentary Speaker, Olexandr Turchynov, whom the bloc has recognised as Ukraine’s interim President.

Moscow, however, made clear it had a different view of the events of the past week, when the deaths of dozens of protesters led to an EU-brokered peace deal and President Viktor Yanukovych’s flight to his eastern strongholds.

“If you consider Kalashnikov-toting people in black masks who are roaming Kiev to be the government, then it will be hard for us to work with that government,” Mr Medvedev told the state-run RIA news agency. “Some of our foreign partners think differently.”

A Russian foreign ministry statement said the EU-backed peace deal negotiated on Friday was partly to blame because it was used as cover “for a forced change of power”.

The delicate situation is raising fears of a split between those in the western cities, who see their future as part of Europe, and swathes of the east, where a Russian-speaking population still backs Mr Yanukovych, who refuses to officially relinquish power. The crisis is also fuelling tensions between Europe and Russia, which both see Ukraine as a key strategic ally.

Most immediately pressing, however, is the economy, which Mr Turchynov said was “heading into the abyss” and needed €25bn (£21bn).

Russia offered a €15bn loan to Ukraine when it was wooing it away from the EU, but only €3bn has been delivered so far and the rest is on hold pending the Kremlin’s assessment of the May elections.

EU and US officials said they were willing to step in with financial help but Russia will continue to wield economic influence over Kiev because the former Soviet state owes huge debts to the state-owned gas company Gazprom.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton visits a memorial for victims of the clashes in Kiev EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton visits a memorial for victims of the clashes in Kiev (Reuters)
Foreign Secretary William Hague, who is travelling to Washington to discuss the situation with US Secretary of State John Kerry, warned that without urgent assistance Ukraine’s finances “ may not be sustainable” and would be a “grave threat to stability”.

The former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev warned that world powers should work together to try to prevent Ukraine tearing itself apart. “If the EU wants to have things its own way, the United States wants to have things their own way, and Russia wants to have things its own way, I think that would be wrong,” he said.

The deivide is widening rapidly by the day.Another classic case of the West's "divide and rule" neo-imperialist strategy.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/f ... sian-mayor
Ukraine: Sevastopol installs pro-Russian mayor as separatism fears grow
Moscow shows its influence in Crimean city amid fears the whole peninsula could seek deeper ties with Russia

Authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Sevastopol have installed a pro-Russian mayor as fears grow that the Kremlin may be stoking separatist sentiment in the region.

Sevastopol's city council handed power to Aleksei Chaliy, a Russian citizen, during an extraordinary session on Monday evening while more than a thousand protesters gathered around city hall chanting "Russia, Russia, Russia," and "A Russian mayor for a Russian city."

Fears are spreading that separatists in Sevastopol, and the Crimean region of which it is a part, could use the power vacuum in Ukraine to seize greater autonomy and deepen ties with Russia.

It was not immediately clear whether local security forces would back Chaliy, but earlier in the day Sevastopol police chief Alexander Goncharov said that his officers would refuse to carry out "criminal orders" issued by Kiev.

At least four checkpoints manned by armed police were in place on major roads into the city to stop the arrival of extremists, according to local media reports.

Ukraine's interim president, Olexander Turchynov, warned on Tuesday that the country faced a "serious threat" from separatism.

Viktor Neganov, a Sevastopol-based adviser to the interior minister, condemned the events in the city as a coup. "Chaliy represents the interests of the Kremlin which likely gave its tacit approval," he said.

The Crimean peninsula, which is the only region of Ukraine with a majority of ethnic Russians, was Russian territory until 1954. Moscow recently extended its lease on a large naval base in Sevastopol to 2042.

In recent years, Russia has faced accusations of fast-tracking the distribution of Russian passports in Crimea, as well as sponsoring pro-Russian groups.

Similar demonstrations to those in Sevastopol have taken place across Crimea in recent days, including the regional capital of Simferopol and the coastal town of Kerch. Self-defence militias are also being formed.

Russian state television channels have given the unrest large amounts of airtime.

The mayor of Sevastopol appointed from Kiev, Vladimir Yatsuba, was booed and whistled on Sunday when he told a pro-Russian rally that Crimea was a part of Ukraine.

Yatsuba was in tears when he announced his resignation to journalists on Monday, paving the way for his pro-Russian replacement.

Crowds gathered again outside Sevastopol's city hall again on Tuesday as rumours spread that security forces could arrest Chaliy.

"Putin and the Black Sea fleet should come," said one woman, who only gave her name as Alexandra, stood outside city hall on Monday evening as the city council voted inside. "We are not scared of bloodshed," she added.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 25 Feb 2014 21:44

Ukraine Conflict Heats Up: Russian Ships Carrying Soldiers Said To Be En Route To Sevastopol (Videos)
Tuesday, February 25, 2014 5:44

http://beforeitsnews.com/war-and-confli ... 50560.html

(Before It's News)
By Josey Wales

It has been reported by the Russian flot.com website, the large landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov, previously known for its participation in the Syrian naval arms build up, is expected to arrive in the Crimean port of Sevastopol carrying 200 armed soldiers, sent from the nearby Black Sea town of Temryuk.

It Appears this is not be an isolated move as the naval build up seems to be escalating. In a concurrent release, Izvestia Kiev reported that out of Kubinka, four ships carrying special forces, are being relocated to Anapa. From there, in four hours, they will depart fo Sevastopol at a speed of 10-15 knots, citing “Izvestia in Ukraine” as a source. According to the source, the redeployment is “qualitative, not quantitative” and that the Ukraine is following these developments.

From Flot.com
Today at 12:00 from the Russian port of Temryuk should arrive in Sevastopol, the large landing ship “Nikolai Fil’chenkov” with 200 soldiers on board. This was reported today by the chairman of the Ukraine “Freedom” faction Oleg Tyagnibok citing sources in the Crimean.

“I can show you the text message” – said Tyahnibok and read: “Today at 12:00 is expected the arrival from the port of Temryuk in the Russian Federation in the city of Sevastopol large landing ship Nikolai Fil’chenkov from the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. It will bring about 200 armed soldiers from the 328th Marine battalion, who are based in Temryuk and 10 BTR-80.”

He also noted that “on February 22-23, … IL-76 flights airlifted from Kubinka (Moscow region) to Anapa, personnel from the 45th Airborne Special Forces unit and additional divisions were relocated via four Il-76 flights from Pskov to Anapa. And from Sochi to Anapa were transported six Mi-8 helicopsters”- said Tyahnibok.

Here is another map of the Ukraine showing the linguistic pattern,where most of the east and south-east and entire Crimean peninsula are predominantly populated by Russian speakers.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/20 ... 05610.html

According to AGTI Intelligence, a private security firm, Russian troops are massing 25 miles from the Ukrainian border.

The Russians had begun massing troops at Belgorod, 25 miles north to the Ukrainian border. Rostov on-Don and Sevastopol also on high alert
— Global Alerts (@AGTIntelligence) February 24, 2014
According to their website:
AGT Intelligence (AGT) is a multinational leading defense and national security organization providing innovative, mission-critical solutions to government and private clients.

It is also thought that now outlaw President Yanukvych has taken refuge at the Russian naval base in Sevastopol which also happens to be where the Ukrainian fleet is. There are rumours that Russian marines have begun some sort of operation in the Crimea at Sevastopol but as of now it is unconfirmed. There are also rumours that Russia has airlifted personnel of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Division from Kubinka and Pskov to Anapa as well as six MI-8 aircraft. (east of Ukraine border).

UPDATE: This has been confirmed by the Russian Navy itself: (Translated)

Today at 12:00 of Temryuk port (Russia) should arrive in Sevastopol large landing ship “Nikolai Fil’chenkov” with 200 soldiers on board. In this Monday, Feb. 24, citing its sources from the Crimea, the chairman of the Ukrainian faction “Freedom” Oleg Tyagnibok correspondent MFN.

“I can show sms” – said Tyahnibok and read: “Today at 12:00 foreseen arrival of Temryuk port in the Russian Federation in the city of Sevastopol large landing ship” Nikolai Fil’chenkov “from the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. It takes about 200 armed soldiers 328 – separate battalion of Marines, who are based in Temryuk and 10 BTR-80. “

He also noted that “on February 22-23, … IL-76 flights airlifted from Kubinka (Moscow region) to Anapa personnel of the 45th Airborne Special Forces units and four Il-76 flights from Pskov to Anapa more division relocated. And from Sochi Anapa airlifted six Mi-8 aircraft (obviously, Mi-8 – MFN) “- said Tyahnibok.

What is known is that as Interfax Ukraine reported, “At the entrance to Sevastopol near restaurant “Puck” at the Yalta highway appeared antitank hedgehogs - crew patrol says it measure against frequent carjackings in Sebastopol, said “Sevastopol newspaper.”Source

810th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade — Kazachye Bukhta, Sevastopol (a Separate Naval Infantry Regiment until 1 December 2008)
880 Separate Naval Infantry Battalion
881 Separate Assault Battalion
888 Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
1613 Separate Artillery Battery
1619 Separate Air-Defense Artillery Battery
382 Separate Naval Infantry Battalion

A Naval Infantry Brigade, equipped with the PT-76 or T-80 and BRDM-2, consists of 2 Tank Battalions, and 4 to 5 Naval Infantry Battalions, one motorised with BTR-60-series amphibious vehicles. A tank battalion originally had 36 MBTs. At least one infantry battalion is airborne trained, while all of the remaining infantry battalions are trained to be able to carry out air assault missions. Source

Perhaps the most troubling thing about rumours of Russian military movement is the ‘proof’ provided below in the video. It is unconfirmed so take the video as is but the Olympics are over and Russia sees the government in Kiev as no more than mutinous criminals and completely illegitimate.

Ukrainian flags are being burned and Russian flags are being raised in the Crimea and East #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/wldkxsDSXu

— DJ Rubiconski (@Rubiconski) February 24, 2014

That picture says it all. I fully expect Russia to send in troops to, at the very the least, the Crimean Peninsula. But, if it is true and they are massing in Belgorod than I expect nothing less than an invasion of the Eastern Ukraine.

According to one source:

More grimly, this report continues, General Gerasimov was “advised” by President Putin to contact his NATO counterpart to inform the West of an “immediate order”given to Black Sea Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense forces in the Crimea oblast to protect the vital Isthmus of Perekop, which is the narrow 5-7 km wide strip of land that connects the peninsula of Crimea to the mainland of Ukraine.

Russian troops put onto “full war footing” to defend Crimea, this report says, include the nearly 1,200 soldier/marines of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade along with supporting forces belonging to the 880 Separate Naval Infantry Battalion, 881 Separate Assault Battalion, 888 Separate Reconnaissance Battalion, 1613 Separate Artillery Battery and the 1619 Separate Air-Defense Artillery Battery.

Again, if true, and there is no reason for it not to be, we are talking about the Ukraine here, than this could very well spell the beginning of a much bigger and disasterous war, World War 3 even.. Russia has every reason to fight this, politically and militarily.

rsingh · Post by **rsingh** » 25 Feb 2014 21:52

Been to all the places mentioned in news. Strange feeling. Used to be so peaceful and calm.

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 25 Feb 2014 21:57

What is Garry Kasparov's Next Move? - smithsonianmag.com

A great read, worth reading in full.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 25 Feb 2014 22:21

Russian citizenship being offered to Crimean residents.If true,then protecting "Russian citizens" will be justification for any Russian military intervention.It appears that the ground is being rapidly prepared by Russia for a worst-case scenario where it is forced to intervene.The number of incidents in the Ukraine where statues of Lenin are being vandalised (another Iraq War trick ,pulling down statues of Saddam,to make it appear as if the whole population are against Russia) and the safety of Russian speaking Ukrainians is in serious question after the "putsch".The tinderbox just needs a small spark to st off a major conflagration. Putin just needs to rein in his funding and aid,desperately required by a virtual bankrupt Ukraine,for the EU and Germany in particular to feel the strain.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 25 Feb 2014 23:12

So it comes down to the Crimea then. Kinda stupid to leave it in Ukraine if you ask me, considering Russia drew the borders at the USSR break up.
Should have quickly redrawn the line. No one would have noticed.

Vote map.

Hmm,
Obviously a lot of Ukrainians ethnics voted for Russia.

Population map

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 26 Feb 2014 02:49

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/l ... z2uNBYvIAN

Ukraine delays interim government; Russia vows not to interfere

MOSCOW -- Ukraine’s acting president said Tuesday that it would be at least two more days before an interim government is in place as further negotiations are needed to ensure that a genuine “coalition of national faith” agrees to see the divided country through to May 25 elections.Interim President Olexander Turchynov made the announcement to the parliament now dominated by opposition figures and defected members of fugitive ex-President Viktor Yanukovich’s Party of Regions. A provisional government, on which sympathetic Western countries are waiting to work out an urgent bailout for deeply indebted Ukraine, had been expected on Tuesday.Turchynov also warned of the dangers of separatism threatening Ukraine, which is torn between Russian-leaning eastern citizens and pro-European city dwellers in the western regions.Yanukovich is being sought for trial on charges of mass murder since a warrant went out for his arrest on Monday.On Tuesday, the ex-president's former chief of staff, Andriy Klyuyev, was reported to be hospitalized after being wounded by gunfire, the Associated Press quoted Klyuyev's spokesman as saying.No details were released as to the circumstances of his injury, his condition or where he was being treated.]In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin assembled his national security team for a Kremlin caucus on the turmoil in Ukraine, a former Soviet republic that Moscow has dominated for centuries. Rossiya-24 television showed top Cabinet ministers and Russian security advisors gathering in an ornate hall but gave no report on their discussions or decisions.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later told journalists at a Moscow news conference that Russia would refrain from interfering in Ukraine’s domestic crisis and expected other countries to do likewise.Ukraine’s industries and economy are dependent on components and trade with Russian companies, and Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet is based in the port of Sevastopol, which became a Ukrainian city after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Most of the eastern half of Ukraine had voted for Yanukovich and supported his decision late last year to continue strengthening economic and political ties with Russia rather than entering into an association agreement with the European Union.Though Russian officials have made disparaging remarks about the Yanukovich opponents now running Ukraine’s government following the president’s de facto ouster last week, Putin has said little about how he expects the power struggle and fight over Ukraine’s future to play out.
Lavrov seemed to be conveying a Kremlin message that it was taking a hands-off approach while watching to see what leadership emerges from talks underway in Kiev.
“We have confirmed our principled position to not interfere in Ukraine’s internal affairs and expect all [foreign powers] to follow a similar logic,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov added that Russian leaders consider it “dangerous and counterproductive” for outside political forces to be presenting Ukraine with any “you’re with us or you’re against us” ultimatums.Although Lavrov delivered his comments on Ukraine in a calm and businesslike manner, he also criticized the Ukrainian opposition’s decision to move up elections after previously agreeing on Friday to see legislative reforms enacted first and the vote held after September.The EU-brokered agreement that brought a tentative peace to chaotic Kiev “specifically underlined” that the presidential election was due only by the end of the year, Lavrov said, expressing the Kremlin’s frustration with the fast pace of political changes in Ukraine that have empowered a pro-European leadership.Both Russian and Western officials have complained that the other side has been trying to influence Ukraine’s future political and economic course over the last three months of unrest.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 26 Feb 2014 04:16

An interesting article by KP Nayar in Today's telegraph ...

THE EURASIAN TIGHTROPE - India must sit up to the tide of change in Ukraine

Flashback to Ukraine in 1995. The post-Soviet government in Kiev decided that year to sell arms to Pakistan — a heresy in New Delhi’s eyes because, for decades, those very armament factories that would now make killing machines for Rawalpindi’s Army General Headquarters had guaranteed the territorial integrity and security of India against its most troublesome adversary. Unlike today, the United States of America had been unwilling, then, to supply even the most basic defence items to India. In any case, the country had no foreign exchange for such purchases: with Moscow, such equipment — indeed, like everything else — had been traded through rupee payments. Besides, the ink had not fully dried on a comprehensive report on how New Delhi should cope with the break-up of the Soviet Union, which had a finger in every Indian national pie since the 1950s. The report had been painstakingly prepared after 12 secretaries to the government of India visited Moscow to map a future of picking up pieces from the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

A high-level emissary was sent to Moscow — mind you, not to Kiev — to deal with this Ukrainian problem. As a result of that emissary’s visit, which had the stamp of the government of India at its highest level, Yevgeny Primakov travelled to Kiev in secret. Primakov was then head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, better known by its Russian acronym of SVR, the successor organization to the First Directorate of the Soviet spy agency, almost universally known by its Russian acronym, KGB. Shortly thereafter, he became Russia’s prime minister.
...
...
The dramatic result of Primakov’s dash to Kiev at New Delhi’s behest was that Ukraine’s arms deal with Pakistan at that time fell through. This columnist recalls the Ukrainian ambassador in New Delhi bitterly complaining that India would not buy weapons from Ukraine and will not allow his country to sell arms to others either.
...
...
Events that followed were like a security wish-list for India and for the future course of Indo-Russian relations. The Russians simply took control of the Ukrainian plant in Kharkov, where critical parts for the T-80 main battle tanks for Pakistan were being manufactured. India modestly contributed to this take-over despite its difficult economic situation at that time.
...
...
America’s ambition to gain control of Ukraine is nothing new. In his seminal treatise on ensuring US dominance over Eurasia in the post-Cold-War era, The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor, wrote as far back as 1998 that “without Ukraine Russia ceases to be empire, while with Ukraine — bought off first and subdued afterwards, it automatically turns into empire.” Brzezinski argued forcefully in this book that Ukraine must be made the Western anchor to obstruct the recreation of the Soviet Union.

All the recent events in Ukraine have the hallmarks of the Brzezinski doctrine to slice Kiev away from Moscow. The Europeans are wary of the Brzezinski doctrine, yet US and EU interests overlap when it comes to regime change in Ukraine. Buffeted by an economic crisis, which is spilling over into a political crisis in ‘new’ Europe, the EU needs a lifeline to demonstrate not merely that it is still relevant, but it also needs to assert its waning power and influence. Expanding into Ukraine will do just that. Ukrainians will realize sooner than later — just as many former socialist states in central and eastern Europe with once-thriving industrial bases did — that greater cooperation with the EU will largely be a one-way road. It will open up Ukraine’s market for western Europe’s goods and services at the cost of their own.
...
...

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 26 Feb 2014 04:30

From The People Of Russia. To The People of Ukraine. By Personal Courier. 100,000 of them.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 26 Feb 2014 08:04

"Oh to be a Ukranian,
Now that Spring is here,
Oh to be a Ukranian,
Now that free Stolly's here!"

"Spasibo,President Putin,
For daring to put your foot in,
Oh to be a Ukranian,
Now that free Stolly's here!"

Bankrupt and deep in shit,
Some want an EU chit,
Oh to be a Ukranian,
Now that free Stolly's here!"

Mother Russia come and save us,
From the greedy IMF and EU bankers,
Oh to be a Ukranian,
Now that free Stollly's here!"

We of the Crimea,
Want to be with Russia,
Oh to be a Ukranian,
Now that free Stolly's here!"

The Stolly's almost over,
Send in the tanks and the soldier.
Oh to be a Ukranian,
Now that President Putin has promised us free Stolly year after year!"

Moral-Stolichnaya means freedom,break free!

Free Copyright-Philip.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/f ... naval-port

Ukraine leader warns of separatism threat amid fears over Crimea
Comments come after Russian official says Moscow will act in event of heightened tensions and military movements at port

Howard Amos in Sevastopol and Shaun Walker in Kiev
theguardian.com, Tuesday 25 February 2014

Russian armoured personnel carrier in Sevastopol
A Russian army officer waves on an armoured personnel carrier on Tuesday in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol. Photograph: Andrew Lubimov/AP

Ukraine's interim president warned on Tuesday that the country faced a serious threat from separatism amid fears that the Kremlin – deeply unhappy about the revolution in Kiev – may be stoking pro-Russian sentiment in the Crimean peninsula.

"We discussed the question of not allowing any signs of separatism and threats to Ukraine's territorial integrity and punishing people guilty of this," Olexander Turchynov said after meeting key officials.

A visiting Russian parliamentarian said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow would act in the event of heightened tension over the Crimean peninsula.

"If the life and health of our compatriots is under threat, we will not stand to one side," the parliamentarian, Leonid Slutsky, said after arriving in the regional capital of Simferopol for a one-day visit.

Slutsky, who leads the Russian Duma's committee for relations with former Soviet states, declined to say what sort of action Russia might take.

AFP reported that two armoured personnel carriers were deployed near Russian military installations in Ukraine's second port of Sevastopol on Tuesday. One of the vehicles was on a base belonging to Russia's Black Sea fleet while another was parked in the courtyard of a navy building in the city centre. A spokesman for the fleet in Sevastopol refused to comment on the deployment of the vehicles but local media reported that they had been sent out in case of "terrorist attacks".
Link to video: Ukrainian MPs vote to send Viktor Yanukovych to The Hague

In Kiev on Tuesday, the Ukrainian parliament voted to send former president Viktor Yanukovych to The Hague to be tried over the violence that led to at least 82 deaths in Kiev last week. He is on the run and believed to be in Crimea, but has not been seen in public since Sunday.

The parliament voted that Vitali Zakharchenko, the former interior minister, and Viktor Pshonka, the prosecutor general, should also be sent to the international criminal court. They have fled Kiev, along with other key Yanukovych aides. There were reports on Tuesday afternoon that Andriy Kluyev, Yanukovych's chief of staff, had been wounded during a gun battle. He was reported to have been shot in the leg after his car came under fire when he was travelling back to Kiev, allegedly after visiting Yanukovych in Crimea. None of the details could be confirmed.

Outside Kiev, Yanukovych's extravagant residence has been opened to the public, and Ukrainian investigative journalists have begun releasing to the web incriminating documents found at the mansion, in a project called "Yanukovych leaks". They say they have found evidence of corruption as well as plans to clear Independence Square of protesters using force.
Link to video: Inside ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's palace

Pictures from Pshonka's mansion were also posted online, including one shot of a portrait of the prosecutor general dressed as a Roman emperor and another of hundreds of lavish gold ornaments.

In The Hague, the international criminal court said it had not yet received a request from the new Ukrainian government to investigate events in Kiev.

Oleh Tiahnybok, leader of the nationalist Svoboda party, said: "It is very important that we had a positive vote today. Now we are inviting all the people of goodwill who have any materials including video, photos or papers that we may need to properly submit to the Hague tribunal the papers about crimes against people, crimes against Ukrainians, and violations of human rights that were committed by those criminals in Yanukovych's regime."

Senior figures in Washington have claimed that in the days before he fled the capital, Yanukovych spent at least an hour in consultation over the phone with Joe Biden, the US vice-president. According to the anonymous US officials, Biden found the beleaguered Ukrainian leader to be initially defiant, accusing protesters in control of the Kiev streets of terrorism.

Speaking through a translator from his office in the west wing of the White House, Biden reportedly warned Yanukovych that leaders in his position were often "a day late and a dollar short" in their attempts to appease political protesters.

The parliament will select a new prime minister on Thursday, and presidential elections are scheduled for 25 May. The retired heavyweight boxer Vitali Klitschko confirmed on Tuesday that he would run. Yulia Tymoshenko, the former prime minister who was released from jail on Saturday, has not indicated whether she will stand. She said she would travel to Germany in March for treatment for a back problem which has confined her to a wheelchair.

Most western countries have said they recognise the transition of power in Kiev and are working to ensure that inclusive politics can take hold.

Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, who was in Kiev on a two-day visit, said: "We want to support and help the country to stay strong and to go forward in the way it chooses to."

But Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, warned the EU and US not to try to shape Ukraine's future. "It is dangerous and counterproductive to try to force upon Ukraine a choice on the principle 'You are either with us or against us'," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow.

Russia and the west should use political contacts in Ukraine to calm the situation and not seek advantage when national dialogue was needed, Lavrov added.

Vladimir Putin has not yet commented on the situation, but the parliamentary visit to Crimea will further stoke tensions. Crowds in Simferopol and Sevastopol on Tuesday called on local authorities to reject Ukraine's new government. A crowd of about 100 people gathered outside the local administration in Sevastopol cheered when a Russian armoured personnel carrier rolled past – an apparently routine occurrence in the port city where Russia's Black Sea fleet is stationed.
Sevastopol Pro-Russian protesters wave Russia's flag in front of Sevastopol's city hall. Photograph: Darko Vojinovic/AP

The night before, the city council handed power to Aleksei Chaliy, a Russian citizen, while more than 1,000 people gathered around city hall chanting "Russia, Russia, Russia" and "a Russian mayor for a Russian city".

Viktor Neganov, a Sevastopol-based adviser to the interior minister, condemned the events in the city as a coup. "Chaliy represents the interests of the Kremlin, which probably gave its tacit approval," he said.

The Crimean peninsula, which is the only region of Ukraine with a majority of ethnic Russians, was Russian territory until 1954. Moscow recently extended its lease on a large naval base in Sevastopol to 2042.

Additional reporting by Oksana Grytsenko in Kiev

Paul · Post by **Paul** » 26 Feb 2014 11:31

Key Objective for Putin is to make sure western Ukraine does not border with Russia directly. Thus ensuring in worst case there is a buffer zone between Russia and NATO.

At the same time, with the loss of Sevastopol, Western Ukraine does not have a sea port and thus is scx&*wed economically or is at Poland's mercy.

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 26 Feb 2014 11:41

^^

Isn't Odessa a large seaport. I remember reading about in in Tom Clancy novels.