Eastern Europe/Ukraine

anjan · Post by **anjan** » 08 Mar 2014 05:57

Vice report on the base standoffs. Truly surreal to watch the "occupation". Slanted reporting as expected but interesting nonetheless.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 Mar 2014 07:10

British Dy.PM,Nick Clegg,in his recent statements about a deal with Russia,is showing the belated realisation of some Western leaders that Russia has legitimate interests in Ukraine and the Crimea.The hard truth of Europe's dependence upon cheap Russian gas is also another factor and coupled with the economic truth about Russian money ,billions,invested in the West and the West making huge profits from its own covert relationship with Russian oligarchs,is fast bringing down EU rhetoric,The US however are sailing along in their own leaky bum-boat ,and have sent in a juicy target into the Black Sea for Yakhont/BMos missiles ,a single DDG!

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -mentality
Nick Clegg hints at Crimea deal if Vladimir Putin 'drops KGB mentality'
Deputy prime minister says Crimea is in different category from rest of Ukraine, and Russia has 'pronounced imprint' there

Nicholas Watt, Patrick Wintour and Terry Macalister
The Guardian, Friday 7 March 2014 19.47 GMT

Nick Clegg has sent conciliatory signals to Moscow by acknowledging Russia's special links to Crimea. Photograph: Neil P Mockford/FilmMagic

Britain believes Crimea is in a different category to the rest of Ukraine and could be afforded special treatment if Vladimir Putin abandons his "KGB mentality", according to Nick Clegg.

In an interview with the Guardian, the deputy prime minister acknowledged that Russia had a "very pronounced imprint" on the peninsula, a sign of how Britain and the rest of the EU acknowledge that Moscow will play a central role in determining the constitutional future of Crimea.

The Liberal Democrat leader called on Putin to embark on a "civilised discussion" with Kiev as he threw his weight behind the interim Ukrainian prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who said on Friday that the civilised world would not recognise a referendum on 16 March that is designed to return Crimea to Russia. The Black Sea peninsula has been part of Ukraine since Nikita Khrushchev gave it to Kiev in 1954, then a simple transfer within the Soviet Union.

Clegg argued that pressing ahead with a referendum condemned by Kiev as unconstitutional would simply inflame tensions. This suggests that continuing Russian support for the referendum would trigger the first set of EU sanctions due to be introduced if Moscow declines to open a dialogue with Ukraine.

Clegg was highly critical of Putin's behaviour towards Ukraine, seen in Moscow as central to Russian interests. "I think Putin's reaction is very revealing. It's as if he's been in a sort of deep freeze since the cold war and hasn't moved with the times," Clegg said. "He gives every appearance of applying a KGB mentality rooted in the cold war to new realities in 21st-century Europe. To regard closer ties between Ukraine and a non-military organisation like the European Union as the equivalent to American tanks on your lawn at the height of the cold war suggests to me that we're dealing with a man who's applying yesterday's divisions and arguments to today's problems."

At the same time, Clegg sent conciliatory signals to Moscow when he acknowledged Russia's special links to Crimea, not least the fact that its Black Sea fleet is based in Crimea. He said: "Crimea already has a semi-autonomous status within Ukraine and clearly has a different history to other parts of Ukraine and has a very pronounced Russian imprint on it, not least because of the presence of the Russian Black Sea naval operation. So it is already in a different category and I don't think anyone wants to deny that.

"No one is somehow suggesting that Crimea should be treated exactly the same as other parts of Ukraine given that it hasn't been treated like that in the past by the Ukrainians themselves."

David Cameron is to hold talks with Angela Merkel about Ukraine over dinner in Hanover on Sunday night amid clear signs that Moscow is rebuffing the EU's attempts to encourage a dialogue with Kiev. The prime minister and German chancellor are expected to discuss the Russian attitude towards the planned Crimean referendum and Russia's decision on Friday once again to block observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe from entering Crimea.

Merkel and Cameron may indicate that the EU may embark on the second phase of punishment – travel bans and asset freezes – after the leaders of both houses of the Russian parliament said on Friday they would support a vote by Crimea to join the Russian Federation. Kiev tried to reassert its authority over Crimea, which has been under effective Russian control since the weekend, when the interim Ukrainian president, Oleksandr Turchynov, signed a decree cancelling the planned referendum.

Clegg called on Putin to agree to the EU proposal for a contact group to oversee a dialogue between Kiev and Moscow. "It is now really for Russia to respond. I very much hope they will respond by now agreeing to enter into that contact group and for a civilised discussion to take place between the Ukrainian and Russian governments."

Russia's state-owned energy giant, Gazprom, which claims to be owed $1.8bn by Ukraine, escalated on Friday night tension with an aggressive statement from its chairman about the country's latest missed payment. "We cannot supply gas for free. Either Ukraine clears the debt and pays for current deliveries, or there is a risk to return to the situation in early 2009," said Alexei Miller in Moscow.

The reference to the last time Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine was seen as highly significant and sources close to the company admitted the statement was meant to be a "shot across the bows".

Gazprom believes it has the legal right under its supply contract to terminate the deal. British gas suppliers are privately warning that any escalation of the standoff in Crimea that involved the Russians turning off the energy taps to Ukraine could hit UK householders.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 08 Mar 2014 08:47

PLA Official Mouthpiece

Commentary: The West's fiasco in Ukraine

BEIJING, March 7 -- For a brief moment, Western leaders might have stopped to congratulate themselves for their "accomplishments" in Ukraine.

With their backing, Ukrainian opposition protesters successfully toppled the pro-Russian government, forcing out the president they loathe and dealing a humiliating blow to the Kremlin.

The West might have scored a major victory in this latest round of goepolitical fight. But things turned out otherwise.

Shortly afterwards, Russia struck back. Now, with Russian military personnel deployed in eastern Ukraine to protect Russia's legitimate interests and pro-Russian regions clamoring for a secession from Kiev, Ukraine is teetering on the brink of total chaos and disintegration.

The West's strategy for installing a so-called democratic and pro-Western Ukrainian government did not get anywhere at all. On the contrary, they have created a mess they do not have the capacity or wisdom to clean.

Their ill-fated plan was fundamentally flawed from the very beginning. First of all, they were destined to shoot their own feet when they, under the cliche pretense of supporting democracy, interfered in Ukrainian domestic affairs by engaging in biased mediation.

Second, they underestimated Russia's will to protect its core interests in Ukraine. Russia may no longer be interested in competing for global preeminence with the West, but when it comes to cleaning a mess the West created in the country's backyard, Russian leaders once again proved their credibility and shrewdness in planning and executing effective counter moves.

Last but not least, Western leaders were delusional when they believed they, with dented moral authority and shrinking financial coffers, could still take up such a grand task of nation-building.

Unfortunately, Ukraine and its people have become a big victim in this grueling process.

The Ukrainian people do not get the democracy or prosperity the West promises. Instead, all they can see in their beloved country now is political confusion and economic depression.

The West itself also becomes a loser as the fiasco in Ukraine will surely erode its credibility.

For the rest of the world, once again, people see another great country torn apart because of a clumsy and selfish West that boasts too many lofty ideals but always comes up short of practical solutions.

But the world does not need to be too pessimistic. The game in Ukraine is far from over. The international community still has the opportunity to salvage the country by working together.

Major powers should set their animosity aside and start working for a compromise. The Ukrainians should abandon their political infighting and work to restore law and order in their country as soon as possible.

After all, an independent, complete and stable Ukraine best serves the interests of all, including China.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 08 Mar 2014 10:38

"We Are Speaking Very Loudly. We Are Carrying a Small Stick." Dmitri K. Simes on why Russia isn't taking the U.S. seriously

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 08 Mar 2014 10:56

There is more to it. The perceptual change is fundamental, and will be permanent if it is not addressed. And it can only be addressed by right action.

It is the "West" which is emerging in perceptions as wrong, and in some cases downright evil. Look at Syria, the problem of Assad was not an insurmountable one if carefully handled, but the solution that the West came up with is a catastrophe. It is a similar model in Ukraine, with the only difference being that a different faith is at the core of the solution, but potentially no less virulent, no less violent.

For some unclear reason, it seems America has blinded itself to reason, its British lapdog pants right behind relentlessly. Can the French perhaps, or the Germans, instill some clarity in them? I doubt it. Even if they do, it will be short term. Hubris rules in Washington today it seems. Incredible, how a political elite can be so self-indulgent as to totally lose track of enduring self-interest.

No skin off our noses. Yet.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Mar 2014 11:06

the punishment meted out by russia cannot stop at crimea because the west acknowleding the crimean breakoff is merely ack of the fact it was russian anyway.

claiming of the entire remaining coastline incl odessa and fracturing of eastern ukraine into breakway 'stans would be a good lesson to the west. the leftover basket case can be kept on life support with western funds if they want.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 08 Mar 2014 16:39

Russia has, as the American lawmaker says, been playing chess.
Move 1: Dozens, then hundreds of vodka bottles wearing Balaclava hoods (I used to have one as a kid) appear at airports, radio station etc in Crimea. Ordered not to talk to anyone. Speak not at all, but carry an obvious Kalashnikov.
Move 2: The vodka bottles now number thousands. Crimean Nationalists come out boldly and surround military bases of UkBapzi forces.

We are like animals in the zoo

Quote from uniformed Ukrainian Navy officer in uniform to CNN Liberators.
Move 3: Ukrainian Navy flagship and group, return from patrol; Admiral GOC-in-C defects. Ship now inside Sevastopol.
Move 4: UkBapzi Navy blockaded in Sevastopol by simply scuttling two old ships at the harbor mouth.
Move 5: Non-defecting UkBapzi Forces confined to their bases because there is a 400%-civilian mob surrounding each base with sticks and ropes, inviting UkBapzis to come out (or defect).
Move 6: Russian troops in uniform now out in force.
Move 7: "Cossacks" (civilians?) use old Russian Army truck to batter down the gates to military base. Russian troops are needed to rescue UkBapzis from base!
Move 8: Putin asks Russian Parliament for a vote on using military force in UKRAINE (not Crimea!). Parliament enthusiastically and most democratically, gives blanket authorization.
Move 9: Crimean Parliament, now with assurance of unlimited vodka supplies, votes to declare independence and join Russian Federation. Sets Referendum 12 days away. (Pakistan rushes Referendum Aid and Advice such as 135% of the voter's list voting for Musharraf)
Move 10: Russia welcomes Crimean Brothers and Sisters.
Move 11: OK, now that Crimea is assuredly in Russian camp, and the Navy is secured... Russia points to the need for prompt payments and clearing dues before gas supplies can be continued to UkBapzia.
Move 12: Ramps up the PR on the illegality of the UkBapZi putsch in Kiev. Images of Stolichnaya Vodka bottles being shoved up their musharrafs a la BudaPest 1956 (continuing in Siberia 1956-death), flash through the UkBabZi skulls, no doubt.

What comes next?
1. Gas pipeline turned gradually down.
2. No tanker supplies through Dnieper, or tanker-railroad link through Odessa or anywhere on Black Sea Coast.
3. UkBapZis need Crimean permission to bring or send ANYTHING past DnieperPetrovsk (c Boss Analogy earlier).
4. Balaclava-hooded Nationalists rise in East Ukaine, east of Dnieper.
5. Relief food supplies only into East Ukraine from Russia.
6. Dnieper slowly becomes the Line of Control: East Ukraine discovers deep affinity with Russia.

Time is short: the Spring is around the corner, need for heating fuel will go down then.
Note that all said and done, UkBapZis are maybe 2 to 5% of the population, hardly a dominant majority. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have not seen a paycheck in months. Where is EU going to find the Euros to fund the UkBapZis? Greek banks? Ireland? Iceland? Italy? Spain? I bet the Frogistanis will sit on their thumbs in this. Poodles face Russian exodus. So it's down to Bo, Canadian Poodles, and Nazistan. Is Frau Merkel going to send in the Panzers and the Luftwaffe? Or leave BO and Canadians all alone? A few Bridges Too Far up the Dnieper without a paddle? This is why I suggested that about the only thing that could be done would be send in the 101st Airborne, secure the airfield in Kiev and cities west, bring in the Apaches, cover the skies with F-22s, and set up an Air Bridge a la Berlin before it is too late, and bring the Panzers and M-1s through the west ASAP to link up with the "fledgeling" (Ooo! Such a cute description for Nazis and Islamic terrorists who behead people) UkBapzi regime in Kiev.

BUT... clearly the US SD has another PLAN: One US destroyer has been photographed passing through the Bosporus. Shiver in your undies, Russkies!!! This is like the Seventh Fleet steaming up the Bay of Bangladesh in 1971 to rescue Niazi's 90,000 rapist murderers. Do these poor guys have orders to steam up the Dnieper, I wonder?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 08 Mar 2014 17:27

Stephen Cohen: Western Recklessness Could Spark ‘a New Cold War Divide’ in Ukraine

MP3 Audio of Interview with Stephen Cohen

http://www.electricpolitics.com/media/m ... .02.24.mp3

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Mar 2014 20:34

the smoothness and well oiled looking bundobast of the russian moves means they saw this coming and made contingency plans, which were triggered at the right moment.

they probably have high level moles in the offices of whoever is directing this circus in the west, just as STAVKA had moles in the german high command whose id's were never revealed. they saw kursk coming, and planned for it.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 08 Mar 2014 21:00

Switching sides by the officers are only seen in WWII era
This must be deep underground money and mafia tactic to change the loyalty of the nation, lawmakers, military to side with EU

But it is failing due to lack of mass support

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 08 Mar 2014 21:06

This looks like a corporate style take over and not a social change

The western influence of the media to change the people perception about their own country and the loyalty has reduced.
This event makes it clear that the western image and the tools they use to change the perception of the local people to see 'differently' is reducing rapidly

These tools (media/ad/movies) built during the cold war is now waning.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 08 Mar 2014 21:30

Informative Video on Crimea Crisis from Russian prespective

Crimea: Unmasking Revolution

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 09 Mar 2014 02:15

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/03/ ... onomy-ctd/
No, We Can’t Wreck Russia’s Economy, Ctd

Walter Russell Mead rejects the premise that the US or even the EU can pressure Putin economically:
Putin does not worry nearly as much about the Russian stock market as western leaders worry about financial markets in their own countries. Putin broke the oligarchs as a political force years ago; in Russia, corporations exist to serve the state and not the other way round. He is not worried that business leaders will lose confidence in him; in Putin’s Russia, it is business leaders who worry about losing the trust of the country’s political master.As for banking crackdowns and visa limits, it will help Putin, not hurt him, if powerful Russians are unable to leave the country or move their money around in the West. One of his worries is that various oligarchs and power brokers can put enough money in the west to be able to get out from under his thumb. He would like all of his backers to be dependent on him for continued enjoyment of wealth and property. If the West wants to fence his backers in, so be it. (If the west goes after Putin’s own golden horde of ill-gotten simoleons, estimated by many to be north of $50 billion, the calculation might change.)

Daniel Berman notes that, for the governments of the UK and Germany, an economic war with Russia would be political suicide: Both the UK Conservative Party of David Cameron and the German Christian Democrats under Angela Merkel have staked their political legitimacy on a particular vision of austerity and the belief that this austerity can bring economic growth, the former to Britain, the latter to the Eurozone as a whole. In particular Merkel has enforced her vision of belt-tightening not just on Germany, but on much of the EU including Greece and Italy. In return the results achieved by both governments have been mixed. The UK is growing again, but only at a rate of about 2.4%, with Germany a bit lower.That number is critical. Sanctions would almost certainly hurt, likely to the tune of a. 8% haircut in GDP growth over the next year, especially without extensive stimulus spending. Critically however either option would destroy the legitimacy of the governments implementing them. A Keynesian approach would make a mockery of the policies followed hitherto and lead to resentment against Germany, while allowing that sort of haircut would eliminate the limited growth both economies have achieved. In the UK it would discredit Chancellor George Osborne, and almost certainly lead the Tories, already substantial underdogs for 2015, to their doom.

Jordan Weissmann investigates the idea of fighting Russia with natural gas exports:
“You hear these calls for us to ship gas to Europe,” [energy security expert Michael Levi] said. “We do not ship gas to anyone. Private companies ship gas. And Europe doesn’t buy gas. Private companies in Europe buy gas. The reality is that North American natural gas is not going to be attractively priced for most European companies. You can approve all the terminals you want. You still aren’t going to get any American companies to lose money pursuing geopolitical objectives.”
Danny Vinik calls out Republicans for blocking IMF reforms that would allow Ukraine to borrow the money it needs:The reforms would allow Ukraine to borrow approximately 60 percent more (from $1 billion to $1.6 billion) from the IMF’s emergency fund. That’s money that Ukraine can use to pay off its debts and avoid a default. In certain scenarios, the IMF makes exceptions and allows countries to access additional funds, as it did with Greece and Ireland after the financial crisis. But there’s no guarantee it would do so with Ukraine. By blocking the passage of the IMF reforms, Republicans are actively making it harder for Ukraine to pay back its loans.The U.S.’s refusal to pass the reforms—which 130 countries have already approved—only hurts our credibility. Given the broad constituency of nations that want to help Ukraine, this won’t stop the IMF from offering a loan. But it’s a bit rich for the U.S. to call for IMF help when it refuses to pass basic reforms that would have no material effect on the United States and that most of the world has already approved.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 09 Mar 2014 04:15

If the secession of Crimea from Ukraine is contested by West, then the legitimacy of all past secessions everywhere from all geographic entities can be contested.

That means Sudan, Somalia, Timor, Bangladesh and even Pakistan and so on and so forth.

disha · Post by **disha** » 09 Mar 2014 07:21

^^ That would be great! We should encourage *covertly* el-bakistanis to challenge secession of BD and let BD bring to fore the pictures of Niazi's atrocities and the love for Niazi (Yahya and the el-bakistanis) from Amerikhan.

I saw BO's interview., just before the stock market took off (after the big drop). He was all talk and no resolve (everybody knew it was a hot air balloon). Nobody has any appetite left to fight a war for the multi-nationals. Ukraine is seen within US as a problem for Euros to fix., and if the Euros had their act together, they would not have touched Ukraine with a barge pole - particularly after their spectacular "victory" in Syria.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 09 Mar 2014 07:34

Crimea and the Hysteria of History

disha · Post by **disha** » 09 Mar 2014 07:43

JE Menon wrote:...
For some unclear reason, it seems America has blinded itself to reason, its British lapdog pants right behind relentlessly. Can the French perhaps, or the Germans, instill some clarity in them? I doubt it. Even if they do, it will be short term. Hubris rules in Washington today it seems. Incredible, how a political elite can be so self-indulgent as to totally lose track of enduring self-interest....

People who forget their history tend to repeat it with disastrous consequences.

Take a look around yourself and ask an American teen (in high school) about Crimean war! 9/10 they would rather talk about Apple/iPhone. 1/10 they would rather talk about joining Apple/Google (or What'sApp).

Simply put, Britain+France+Ottoman Empire (aided by Austrians+Prussians) could contain Russia barely for some 15 years which led to the break up of Ottoman empire and Austro-Hungarian empire to WWI and thence to WWII.

No wonder Amerikhans with their "deep sense of world history, as deep as bakistan" are arrogant and blinded itself to reason. No sane person will touch that muck which is "Crimea" or rather the power politics in Europe with all the west-European #pappus on one side and the big bear on the other.

In fact the times have changed - West Europe does not have its colonies to draw on men, material and resources *freely* and the Russians have *gas* which the West Europeans are hooked into.

So what will BO do? Step into the morass called Crimea or come up with a face saving exit? Remember Amerikhan modus-operandi when faced with defeat? This will what Americans will do:

Declare victory and then surrender

[*Of course, I have shortened the "history" in few words - so apologies if I am killing history]

disha · Post by **disha** » 09 Mar 2014 07:54

abhishek_sharma wrote:Crimea and the Hysteria of History

Thanks for the above link., New Yorker is of course an American "mouthpiece"., but it does explain the following:

Russia, as ugly, provocative, and deserving of condemnation as its acts may be, seems to be behaving as Russia has always behaved, even long before the Bolsheviks arrived. Indeed, Russia is behaving as every regional power in the history of human regions has always behaved, maximizing its influence over its neighbors—in this case, a neighbor with a large chunk of its ethnic countrymen.

{Disha: How is US behaving?}

In response, we should be doing what sane states should always be doing: searching for the most plausible war-avoiding, nonviolent arrangement, even at the cost of looking wishy-washy. If we transfer the complexities of Ukraine to somewhere we know better—imagine French-speaking Quebec nationalists insisting on ousting a government with a large Anglophone-Canadian contingent—we may see that the simple view is likely to sink a ship with a lot of passengers. The parallel with the failure of appeasement in the thirties is false, because that circumstance was so particular to its moment. The underlying truth then was that there was no point in appeasing Hitler because there was no possibility of appeasing him. The German Army was the most powerful force in Europe, indeed, in the world, and Hitler had long before decided on a general European war. He wanted one, and for him it was only a question, at best, of delaying it until his odds were marginally better. If Putin wants a general European war, we will know it when he invades a NATO nation. There is no shortage of real trip wires in the region, and no need to discover new ones.

So for the bolded part., what BO must do

Declare victory and surrender

Crimea is not worth fighting for., Russia has very legitimate rights on it. And neither Russia is claiming Alaska as its own.

The west is truly isolated and intransigent in this case. Further push will actually bring down west and so be it.

disha · Post by **disha** » 09 Mar 2014 08:01

Good read, an Irish perspective :

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analy ... 75820.html

It's the fact that those who were opposed to the elected government were unwilling to wait for the next election to turf them out, even though the elected government – under duress – agreed to hold elections pretty quickly, in an accord "guaranteed" by three EU foreign affairs ministers.

The battle within the Ukraine is between those who want closer links with the EU and those who see their future as part of Vladimir Putin's planned EU clone – the Eurasian Union. (He has pledged to avoid the EU's mistakes, but is keen on a single currency!). That could have been dealt with in a general election, though it seems there was never much prospect of EU membership anytime soon. But that didn't stop some Eurocrats meddling in Ukraine.

{Disha: My take, is it protecting the Euro? If Euro falls will Dollar fall too?}

In the Russian "invasion" of Crimea, there hasn't been a single shot fired at anyone. Contrast this with the invasion of Iraq by the US, which was done to "protect its interests".

This takes the cake :

The issue is our lack of consistency, and our failure to strictly adhere to the rules of democracy, choosing instead to wave democratic principles like a banner only when it suits us. When Georgia was demanding its independence from the old USSR, we backed it to the hilt. The previous time a state called Georgia demanded the right to leave a political union, it led to four years of bloody civil war in America!

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 09 Mar 2014 08:16

Why Are Jews So Afraid of Stepan Bandera?

Victor · Post by **Victor** » 09 Mar 2014 08:24

There is a large piece of the pie in Ukraine that the Americans and West want to digest: The Orthodox churches account for 85% of the population that profess a religion but fully 2/3 of Ukrainians profess to have "no religion" (USSR effect) and could be considered prime meat for Western, mainly American Baptist EJs who account for 25% of the churches in Ukraine but only 3% of the population, almost all of whom are recently converted Eurowannabies. These new churches obviously have huge expectations and plans for the future.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 09:05

Sanctions against Russia will only hurt the West, ambassador says

Russia’s ambassador to Canada says he was surprised no one bothered to speak with him about the crisis in Ukraine before he received a diplomatic dressing-down last Saturday, and added his country can always turn to China if the West follows through on threats of tougher sanctions.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Globe and Mail, Georgiy Mamedov insisted Russia wants to see the crisis in Ukraine resolved peacefully. And he said Western countries would largely be hurting themselves if they impose tougher sanctions or make good on warnings that they could boot Russia out of the G8.

Mr. Mamedov also slammed recent comments by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who compared the Russian presence in Ukraine to the Nazi annexation of Sudetenland, in the former Czechoslovakia, before the Second World War. He called the remarks “deeply offensive,” noting that tens of millions of Russians were killed during the war.

The long-time diplomat, who has been posted in Ottawa for 11 years, said he has had little contact with Canadian officials regarding the protests in Ukraine. “I was a bit surprised that the first time they summoned me to discuss Ukraine was last Saturday,” he said, adding that conversation was “animated.”

A spokesman for Mr. Baird declined to comment on how often government officials have spoken with Mr. Mamedov. But Adam Hodge wrote in an e-mail that Canada would “continue to voice our extreme displeasure” with Russia on a variety of levels.

On Thursday, the European Union announced it would suspend talks with Russia on an economic pact and visa agreement and warned that further sanctions could be applied if Moscow continues to behave aggressively in Crimea. The U.S. separately ordered targeted travel bans and asset freezes for individuals believed to be responsible for the occupation of Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in Ukraine. The sanctions are aimed at convincing Russia to back down in what has become a major geopolitical crisis that some analysts fear could lead to armed conflict.

At the same time, Crimea’s parliament said it will hold a referendum to decide whether it would split from Ukraine and join Russia, a move Mr. Harper said Canada would not recognize under the current circumstances.

Asked on Thursday whether other members of the G7 were likely to agree to tougher economic sanctions against Russia, Mr. Baird would only say he is pleased with the unity the group has shown so far. Earlier this week, Canada suspended planned bilateral activities between the Canadian and Russian armed forces.

Mr. Mamedov called the idea of sanctions “disconcerting,” but warned they wouldn’t cause Russia to give up on issues of national interest. He also suggested Russia’s relationship with China could help it weather the consequences of further sanctions, adding, “Those who think they can isolate us should look at the map for a change. Half of us is in Europe, but the other half is in Asia. And we have the longest border in the world with China.”

Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that Mr. Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed their relationship and the crisis in Ukraine by phone, a sign that Russia is reaching out to a potential ally amid growing condemnation from global leaders.

China is Russia’s second-largest trading partner, but Russia does significantly more trade with the European Union. Some EU countries have been reticent to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, including several that are highly dependent on Russian energy exports.

Mr. Mamedov said China is a strategic partner and ally for Russia, and the two countries are close on many issues, including Ukraine and Syria. “So if some countries would prefer not to buy oil and gas from us, the Chinese will buy everything. They’re asking us.”

The diplomat added that he believes Russia is an important partner in efforts to rebuild the global economy, pointing to the country’s role as chair of last year’s G20 and its shared interest in economic recovery. He said removing Russia from the G8, as some countries have threatened, would also hurt Western countries’ national interests. “Trying to isolate us is like shooting [yourself], you know, in your own feet,” he said.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 09:07

Brahma Chellaney : China gains from U.S.-Russia face-off

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 09:08

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 09 Mar 2014 09:19

@Looks like the Ukraine gambit failed. The US tried to pull.a fast one during the Sochi Olympics to pull Ukraine out of Russian ambit. Putin seems to have been on the alert and pre-empted it. Now West is trying to retrieve the situation.
The tip off was BO being absent from the Olympics festivities.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 10:11

Hollande, Obama warn Russia of 'new measures' if Ukraine crisis not defused

Presidents Francois Hollande of France and Barack Obama of the United States on Saturday warned of "new measures" against Russia if it fails to make progress on defusing the crisis in Ukraine, the French presidency said.

In a phone call on Saturday, Hollande and Obama insisted on the "need for Russia to withdraw forces sent to Crimea since the end of February and to do everything to allow the deployment of international observers," it said.

"If there's a lack progress in this direction, new measures will be taken which would noticeably affect relations between the international community and Russia, which is in no-one's interest," it said.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 10:17

ramana wrote:@Looks like the Ukraine gambit failed. The US tried to pull.a fast one during the Sochi Olympics to pull Ukraine out of Russian ambit. Putin seems to have been on the alert and pre-empted it. Now West is trying to retrieve the situation.
The tip off was BO being absent from the Olympics festivities.

The offical reason for BO and absense of many Western Country has been the Gay Law enacted that prevented Gay Propoganda for minors though its not criminal to be Gay in Russia.

Thats phoney coz the entire Islamic World following Islamic law Gay is Criminal offense and is punishable and West does not cry over it.

The entire Sochi pre-Olymics Propoganda by West has been dominated by Gay law and an orchestrated attempt by West to give a bad name to Russia .......it was only salvaged by Russian Athlete performance and over all positive response by the participating athletes.

vic · Post by **vic** » 09 Mar 2014 10:33

It is War between USA + Saudi Oil lobby Vs Russia. USA is shamelessly supporting Neo Nazi Murderers who toppled a democratically elected legitimate Govt by using mass murder by their goons as a pretext. This should be lesson to India in Bangladesh, Nepal etc. West European politicians are bought and paid for and cannot even see their own National interest.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 09 Mar 2014 10:37

abhishek_sharma wrote:Why Are Jews So Afraid of Stepan Bandera?

Fascinating article. Particularly this comment:

So while Bandera and his men were responsible for killing Jews, their ideology wasn’t fundamentally anti-Semitic; rather, it was pro-Ukrainian, and anti- everyone who appeared to be in the way of that, which included the pro-Soviet Jews.

That's a remarkable statement on several levels. The western press is usually absolutely uncompromising on its stand on anti-semitism, and in several instances, even go to ridiculous extents to portray policy opposition against Israel, or even opposition to a Jewish individual, e.g. Wendy Doniger, as anti-semitism.

Yet, here we have an article attempting to whitewash the Ukrainians' past. This is clearly being done to pre-emptively whitewash the Ukrainians' past, as the west continues to side with them against Russia. Articles like this are written to deflect uncomfortable questions about what the Ukrainians did back then.

Another interesting aspect is the complete absence of any reference to Babi Yar, where these Ukrainians and the Nazis killed tens of thousands of Jews. It seems to be a deliberate omission to avoid linking that place with the current Ukrainians.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 09 Mar 2014 10:55

a good number of Ukrainians turned collaborators during the occupation and worked with the germans.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 11:01

Had it not been for these Neo Nazis who are well trained and armed ( putin mentioned in press conf they were given SF like training in Poland , Lithuania ) the so called Maidan Revolution would not have been successful.

That probably ticked the Russians most as their forefather has fought against these kind of people during WW2 ..and to see the West can entertain them and white wash their crimes .....shows how petty and morally bankrupt the West are to support them for geo-political gains.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 11:10

Looking the past few Weeks of events , The West won the day but applying pressure on Viktor Yanukovych to not use any force even though the Maidan were using Molotov cocktail on Berkut the riot police.

Supporting the Maidan Diplomatically by visiting them and giving pro-Maidan speeches.

Making sure Yanukovych does not apply Martial Law in the country

Finally Tricking Yanukovych into signing the agreement with Maidan and them giving the impression to him that thing were back to Normal ....this made Yanukovych naively remove the Berkut from Maidan and as a final act they entered into presidential palace.

As soon as that happened West quickly recognised the Maidan as the legal president of the nation.

It was well synchorised and welll organised by US and Europe.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 09 Mar 2014 14:12

ramana wrote:@Looks like the Ukraine gambit failed. The US tried to pull.a fast one during the Sochi Olympics to pull Ukraine out of Russian ambit. Putin seems to have been on the alert and pre-empted it. Now West is trying to retrieve the situation.
The tip off was BO being absent from the Olympics festivities.

When I pointed to some Euro acquaintances, that this is Georgia (Beijing) redux with Olympics as the distraction, they were stunned.

vic · Post by **vic** » 09 Mar 2014 14:27

Western Govts are slowly taking the world back to World War 2 type of colonial rule. This time again it is war for control of world resources with the involvement of oligarchs.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 15:19

Ukraine blocks accounts of Crimean section of state treasury - Crimean Deputy PM ( VOR )

Rustam Temirgaliyev, deputy prime minister of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, said the Kiev administration blocked the electronic systems of the Crimean section of the State Treasury and blocked Crimea's accounts.

"We have just received information that Ukraine has blocked the entire system of the Crimean section of the State Treasury, all accounts," Temirgaliyev said.

In the meantime, Temirgaliyev said the actions taken by the Kiev administration will not negatively impact the payment of pensions and wages in Crimea.

"We are now promptly opening accounts in Russian banks, including rubles accounts. People will not be left without pensions and wages in any case, the situation is under control," Temirgaliyev said, adding that the administration of Crimea "will not allow any catastrophe."

"Crimea can live autonomously in this situation, too," he said.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 09 Mar 2014 15:22

Russian diplomat warns the West against using 'language of sanctions'

Russia's Charge de Mission with the country's Foreign Ministry has cautioned the West against using the "language of sanctions" in his op-ed published by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper. "The fabric of the modern world is held together with the tissue of globalization, so the very idea of isolating a major state, let alone a world power, should appear nonsensical a priori to any sane man," Kirill Barsky wrote.

In his article, Barsky reminded of a similar failed attempt that the United States and its allies made on 3-4 January 1989 when they tried to impose a series of diplomatic and economic sanctions against China, following the death of protesters in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.

Barsky said Washington had initiated a global action to put pressure on China by first scrapping its bilateral cooperation with the People's Republic. It froze all manner of political and military contacts and imposed a moratorium on Chinese military exports. Next came a package of broad economic sanctions against Beijing that was endorsed by the US Congress in June and July 1989, while George Bush Sr. ordered US representatives in global financial institutions to postpone World Bank loans to China.

The Russian diplomat stressed that US-initiated sanctions against China meant that the rest of the world, including countries who would profit from stable economic relations with Beijing, found itself on the horns of a largely artificial dilemma. This man-made split was the source of more tension globally.

"Did the actions of the US and its allies make the world a more democratic, fairer, safer and calmer place? Did they help build trust between nations, which is essential to combating global modern challenges? What was the practical use of these actions? How did their initiators profit from them? These are all purely rhetoric questions," Kirill Barsky asked.

"The lessons that we should have learnt from the failed isolation of China after the tragedy in Tiananmen Square are self-evident. You cannot speak the language of sanctions in the modern world."

"As interdependency and unpredictability in international relations continue to grow, every ill-conceived step is prone to trigger a domino effect and hit its initiator like a boomerang," the Russian Foreign Office envoy concluded.

He called on world powers to give up their brute-force approach and choose the path of mutually respectful dialog that would be guided by international laws.

prahaar · Post by **prahaar** » 09 Mar 2014 17:56

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... netsk.html

US sending blackwater to Ukraine.

anupmisra · Post by **anupmisra** » 09 Mar 2014 18:34

Singha wrote:a good number of Ukrainians turned collaborators during the occupation and worked with the germans.

Many Ukrainian nationalists participated in the rounding up of Jews in Ukraine and collaborated initially in running the occupation administration. Many were willing concentration camp guards in camps that dotted the Ukrainian countryside. That's a fact. The Ukrainians thought that the Germans will liberate Ukraine from the Soviets (even welcomed the Nazis as liberators) and help declare Ukraine a free republic. But that never happened. Towards the end of the occupation, the same Ukrainians turned their allegiance and joined the Soviets as partisans and welcomed the Soviets as liberators (!!) in the hope that after liberation, they would get their freedom. Well, we know what happened after that.

vic · Post by **vic** » 09 Mar 2014 18:43

Notorious U.S. mercenaries 'seen on the streets of flashpoint city' as Russia claims 300 hired guns have arrived in country

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2vTOkJyXo

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 09 Mar 2014 18:44

Wow! Thanks, Prahaar, for posting that link. This is sheer tactical brilliance. What once took the 101st Airborne division, is now accomplished by Blackwater goons.

Unidentified armed men seen on the streets of Donetsk in east Ukraine
Russian diplomat claims 300 mercenaries had arrived in Kiev this week
Mercenaries in the region could give Putin pretext for military action

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2vTNsdpX1

These are the coujins of the folks who endeared the US of A to the (now dead) citjens in Fallujah, hey? What more justification does Putin need? Donetsk is indeed "A Bridge Too Far" across the Dnieper. Now if Putin can only hire New Jersey Governor Christ Christie to block traffic across that bridge...