Eastern Europe/Ukraine

[UlanBatori]

I think Lithuania just made a choice....

[Philip]

Excellent strat. Nij. Perhaps its on the cards. No matter what "back-to-the-Barracks O'Bomber" whinges about the referendum being illegal,such a massive show of support will be digested very seriously by the rest of the on-poodle/puppet Yanqui backside-licking world,which believes in a multi-polar global comity of nations.
With the US in full retreat and limping home back to the barracks to lick its wounds suffered in the defeats in Iraq and Afghanistan,few independent nations are going to sabre rattle against a resurgent Russia. It is Putin's stock which has gone up worldwide,as a decisive man who does not compromise whatsoever with his country's national interests.

The Euro-Peons,still suffering the after effects of the global economic crisis,the fault of the rapacious western bankers,are in no position to rattle anything more than their false teeth at Putin! In the Eurozone,poverty is galloping apace while the rich get infinitely richer. They were hoping to loot Ukraine's natural wealth through EU membership and run the country through specially chosen oligarchs.
One simple stat. today to show how wealth has been swindled by the rich in the west taken from the poor.
In Britain,according to OXFAM,just 5 people have wealth equivalent to ,20% ,yes,20% of the population!

[abhishek_sharma]

How much does credibility matter in foreign affairs?

That is another way of thinking about why the Ukraine crisis is scary for the Pacific. It is one reason why the Nikkei was down 2.5% shortly after market opening Monday morning (Asia time) and ended up 1.3% down for the day. The Chinese stock market did just fine.

[Paul]

Baltic states are part of NATO.

[svenkat]

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/why-russia-needs-crimea/article5792952.ece

or a vast majority of Crimea’s Russian-speaking population this is an act of redressing a monumental injustice that happened in 1991 when Crimea, which geographically, ethnically and historically is more Russian than many regions of Russia itself,

However, reuniting a divided people may not have been the prime motive that forced President Vladimir Putin’s hand in Crimea. The Ukraine crisis is viewed in Moscow as a continuation of the Western plan to encircle Russia militarily and torpedo its reintegration efforts in the former Soviet Union.

Ukraine’s induction into NATO would be a strategic catastrophe for Russia. NATO would come within 425 kilometres of Moscow, cut off Russia from the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and squeeze it out of the Caucasus.

Conservative Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, whose ideas of Russia’s Eurasianism as opposed to Western ultra-liberalism increasingly resonate in the Kremlin, views the current upheaval in Ukraine as “the battle of the unipolar world of U.S. hegemony against Russia.”

“Whereas in Libya we shunned the battle, because we had [President Dmitry] Medvedev at the helm, in Syria and Ukraine we have taken up the gauntlet,” Prof. Dugin wrote last month.

In Ukraine, Mr. Putin made the same point he has been driving home in Syria: regime change by force is illegal. When Western nations hailed the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Ukraine as “a democratic free choice of the Ukrainian people,” Mr. Putin’s reply was: Crimea also has the right to make its own free choice.

The West pushed Mr. Putin too far in Ukraine, which is more than just a former Soviet state. It is where the Russian nation was born — in medieval “Kievan Rus” — and it is still part of the “Russian world.” The West’s efforts to bring Ukraine into its orbit were viewed in Moscow as an encroachment on Russia itself.

“For Russia, it is not just a red line; it’s a solid double red line that no one is permitted to cross,” said Fyodor Lukyanov, Chairman of Russia’s authoritative Council on Foreign and Defence Policy.

Ukraine, the second most powerful economy in the former Soviet Union, is a linchpin to Mr. Putin’s plan to build the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Moscow-led version of the European Union. The U.S. denounced the plan as a disguised attempt to re-create the Soviet Union and vowed to disrupt it.

There is a move to re-Sovietize the region,” Hillary Clinton said in 2012, when she was still U.S. Secretary of State. “It’s not going to be called that. It’s going to be called a Customs Union, it will be called Eurasian Union and all of that.”

“But let’s make no mistake about it,” she added. “We know what the goal is and we are trying to figure out effective ways to slow down or prevent it.”

An “effective way” to wreck Mr. Putin’s project was found when the European Union offered Ukraine an “either-or” choice between closer ties with Europe or membership in Mr. Putin’s EEU. As former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski wrote years ago, “Without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be an empire in Eurasia.”

When Yanukovych scuttled the E.U. pact last November in favour of a multi-billion Russian aid package, Ukrainians felt robbed of their hopes for prosperous life in affluent Europe. It was an illusion assiduously nurtured by Western politicians and the media, but Mr. Yanukovych’s turnaround triggered mass protests that eventually brought down his kleptocratic and inept regime.

Apart from geopolitical compulsions, Moscow’s support for Crimea’s breakaway bid was driven by important domestic considerations. The protests in Ukraine, manipulated as they were by the West, reflected the rise of grass-root civic activity against corruption and authoritarianism — the same problems that bedevil Russia and that brought thousands of anti-government protesters onto the streets of Moscow two years ago. By intervening in Ukraine, Mr. Putin sought to stop the surging pro-democracy wave from spilling over to Russia.

Mr Putin is widely expected to seek a fourth presidential term in 2018. However, the protest rallies against his return to presidency in 2012 were a sign of growing wariness with his rule. A poll conducted by the respected Levada Centre last year found that half of Russians would like to see a new leader in 2018. A multi-thousand-strong rally in Moscow at the weekend showed that anti-Putin sentiments are still strong among West-oriented urbanites.

However, overall, Russians support Mr. Putin’s policy on Crimea’s reunification. A March survey showed that Mr. Putin’s approval ratings rose by 10 per cent in one month and were at the highest level in years.

Experts said Mr. Putin needs a new agenda to retain voter support — reassembly of lost Russian lands. “Putin has exhausted the limit of people’s gratitude for having saved the country from chaos and ruin,” said Prof. Dugin. “He needs a new future-oriented strategy to re-establish his legitimacy. Eurasian integration of the former Soviet space would give him such strategy.”

The rise of far right and neo-Nazi groups, who spearheaded deadly clashes in Kiev last month, widened the chasm between Ukraine’s pro-Russia southeast and nationalist west. If Ukraine breaks up along the east-west divide, its western part will join NATO. This would be a dubious victory for Russia.

Russia’s relations with the West are fast deteriorating, but how far they will slide back is an open question. “The West and Russia have sailed into uncharted waters,” said Dmitry Trenin, head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre.

The analyst predicted that U.S.-Russia geopolitical rivalry will intensify and affect their collaboration on Syria, Iran and Afghanistan. “Although the static military confrontation is unlikely to be resurrected, nuclear deterrence will be reaffirmed, and competition in the military sphere will spread to other areas, from cyberspace to conventional prompt global strike,” Mr. Trenin wrote in Foreign Policy.

Economic sanctions the U.S. and Europe threaten to impose against Russia will push it further towards China, experts said. India may also benefit from Russia’s pivot to the East, winning greater access to Russian energy resources and speeding up talks for a free trade agreement.

[Paul]

The most salient feature of this episode is not Crimea's integration into Russia but is it's secession from Ukraine. If Ukraine had nukes Russia would not have been able to waltz into Crimea and hold a referendum.

Ukraine unilaterally gave up nukes after the cold war on the basis of an assurance from all neighbours including Russia and NATO. Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine's PM in the early 90s had wanted Ukraine to keep some nukes as asafety net but later gave it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_we ... nd_Ukraine

Before voting on accession, Ukraine demanded from Russia, the USA, France and the United Kingdom a written statement that these powers undertook to extend the security guarantees to Ukraine. Instead security assurances to Ukraine (Ukraine published the documents as guarantees given to Ukraine),[6] given on 5 December 1994 at a formal ceremony in Budapest (known as the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances[7]), may be summarized as follows: Russia, the UK and the USA undertake to respect Ukraine's borders in accordance with the principles of the 1975 CSCE Final Act, to abstain from the use or threat of force against Ukraine, to support Ukraine where an attempt is made to place pressure on it by economic coercion, and to bring any incident of aggression by a nuclear power before the UN Security Council.

A V Imp lesson for India, 45KT nukes may be sufficient to hold off Pakistan but will not keep China and NATO away from violating India's sovereignity at a future date. It is time India start looking at options to retest 200KT nukes and mate them with future Agni variants capable of covering 13000 KM.

[Shreeman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_India_economic_crisis

Does anyone remember if any of the 67 ton was brought back? ( yes, i know about recent purchases as large as 200 tons).

ukraine had 33 tons, by comparison.

[kmkraoind]

Watch as 1000 years of European borders change

According to comments, the maps are pretty accurate. Enjoy this 3 minute animation. It really worth watching.

[Austin]

s
Throwing Stones From A Glass House Called Kosovo

On Sunday, March 16, two polls will be held in Eastern Europe. One will be a complete mockery of democracy, resulting in a government determined to trample a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The other will be a referendum on independence in the Crimea.

The same powers that launched the illegal, illegitimate war of aggression against Serbia in 1999, occupied and in 2008 illegally declared a portion of Serbia an independent state, now howl about “aggression” from Russia and “territorial integrity” of Ukraine. As Justin Raimondo puts it, “Western leaders only bloviate about moral and ‘international law’ when it suits their purposes. Otherwise, when that law is supposed to apply to them, they shrug it off and suddenly it’s might makes right.” The hypocrisy ought to be breathtaking, but it’s the normal state of affairs in the West. “All rights for me, and none for thee” is the sum of the New World (Dis)Order.

EUtopia

The official Western explanation for the “peaceful protesters” forcing out an elected government with firebombs and guns is that President Yanukovich was corrupt, and the “people of Ukraine” wanted a future in the EU, which is not corrupt at all. Ahem.

The new government just happens to be headed by the man U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland favored for the post in a conversation leaked in early February. He leads the party whose name translates as “Fatherland.” Key security and military positions in the self-proclaimed cabinet are held by brownshirts from the “Freedom” Party and “Right Sector.” The first thing the new regime did was abolish the law guaranteeing equal rights to Russian and other languages in the country. But Washington says they are democratic democrats, and all this is Russian propaganda. And Washington never lies, so.

No one has bothered to answer why any Ukrainians would aspire to become vassals of the EU and live like the Greeks. The EU is advertised as being one great Germany, but the stark truth is that only Germany is prospering inside the super-state, while the newer members are seeing their traditional industries smothered by the ever-rising mountain of impossible regulations.

Also going unmentioned is that becoming like Greece would actually be the end result of a long, costly and painful process of “reform.” In the meantime, Ukraine would be more like Serbia, the EU’s current model candidate.

And Serbia is a country that is independent and sovereign only in the very loosest sense of either word; where no matter who the people vote for, the government is put together by Brussels and Washington; and the country is run by what can only be described as a quisling cult of EU and Empire sympathizers, fanatically devoted to denying and suppressing all thought there might be an alternative to “Euro-Atlantic integrations.”

On Sunday, March 16, such a Serbia will go to the polls in a command performance designed to provide a new majority for the ruling Progressive Party, and bestow legitimacy on the governing coalition’s policies of looting, lawlessness and treason.

Coup to Con

How did Serbia get to be this way?

What it could not accomplish with bombs in 1999, the Empire did in October 2000 through the prototype “color revolution“: it toppled a “dictator” in Belgrade who refused to follow orders, and replaced him with a “democrat” who would. When he refused to be a puppet, he was politically sidelined in favor of a “pragmatist go-getter” PM – and when the PM began harboring delusions of independence and refused to be ordered around by the Imperial ambassador, he was shot. By early 2004, a suitable sycophant was installed as president, and in 2008 a coalition government under his leadership was tortured out of electoral results. Then, in 2012, a brazen con job switched out the spent former president and his Democrats for a replacement quisling and the Progressives. The regime’s policy, however, changed not a bit – and in fact became more fanatically servile.

Before they were re-branded as “Progressives” by US political consultants, the current President and “First Deputy Prime Minister” (looking to drop the “First Deputy” bit next week) of Serbia were the leading members of the Serbian Radical Party, long demonized as “hardline ultranationalists.” In the 2012 election, they campaigned on a platform of wanting to engage the EU and the Empire, but seeking to protect Serbian sovereignty and interests. Once installed in power, however, the Progs executed a U-turn: Serbian identity, history and interests were declared “baggage of the past,” and getting rid of them was necessary for the sake of the bright European future!

The key to this program of identity removal was declaring the NATO rape of Serbia consensual. Giving up Kosovo, you see, is the key condition for (maybe, some day, eventually) joining the EU. So a pact made in Brussels, in April 2013, de facto recognized the statehood of the occupied province (declared independent in 2008) and disavowed the four counties still standing for the Serbian constitutional order. This was treason, yet the West praised it as statesmanship of the highest order.

The much-ballyhooed “fight against corruption” amounted to overhyped drug busts and trumped-up charges against one tycoon who conveniently lacked political protection. The highest court in the country has all but admitted the April 2013 “Brussels Agreement” is neither legal nor constitutional, but gave the government “six months to make it work.”

Meanwhile, economic “development” consists of taking out ruinous loans from the IMF and Arab sheikhdoms, while selling off the country’s assets as collateral. What isn’t pawned off is looted outright: in just the first decade following the October 2000 coup, as much as $51 billion has been siphoned out of Serbia into various offshore accounts. There is yet no data as to how much the Progs have contributed to enlarging that sum.

The Actual Kosovo Precedent

Contrary to hysterical pronouncements in the Anglosphere, Russia’s reaction to the Empire openly meddling on its doorstep has been remarkably restrained. How would Washington react if a hostile government were installed in Ottawa by force and fraud? Yet Moscow did not stage a countercoup, or send the tanks into Kiev. Instead, it moved to secure the Crimean peninsula, which was assigned to Ukraine by Nikita Krushchev in 1954. Crimea is home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and an overwhelmingly ethnic Russian population.

Imperial propaganda insists that, unlike the case of Kosovo, the separation of Crimea is absolutely different and there can be no comparison. This is a red herring. The only context in which Russia has mentioned Kosovo is the 2010 decision of the International Court of Justice on the legality of independence declarations.

As predicted here at the time, the ICJ’s shameful decision is now coming home to roost. When Serbia challenged the “Kosovian” declaration of independence, the Empire strong-armed the ICJ into ruling that it wasn’t illegal per se. As the dissenting judges pointed out, this involved a “judicial sleight-of-hand” which redefined the ethnic Albanian provisional legislature – operating under specific UN rules – as something else. The Crimean legislature is legal, legitimate and has every right to do whatever it pleases come Monday. And the only “argument” the Empire can offer in dissent is, “because we say so.” Come to think of it, that’s precisely all the “argument” it offered in Kosovo.

Syndicated post originally posted at Antiwar.com here- Serbia and Ukraine, Crimea and Kosovo.

[vishvak]

Some gems of info from above article

..oly Germany is prospering inside the super-state, while the newer members are seeing their traditional industries smothered by the ever-rising mountain of impossible regulations.
..
What it could not accomplish with bombs in 1999, the Empire did in October 2000 through the prototype “color revolution“: it toppled a “dictator” in Belgrade who refused to follow orders, and replaced him with a “democrat” who would. When he refused to be a puppet, he was politically sidelined in favor of a “pragmatist go-getter” PM – and when the PM began harboring delusions of independence and refused to be ordered around by the Imperial ambassador, he was shot. By early 2004, a suitable sycophant was installed as president, and in 2008 a coalition government under his leadership was tortured out of electoral results. Then, in 2012, a brazen con job switched out the spent former president and his Democrats for a replacement quisling and the Progressives. The regime’s policy, however, changed not a bit – and in fact became more fanatically servile.

Before they were re-branded as “Progressives” by US political consultants, the current President and “First Deputy Prime Minister” (looking to drop the “First Deputy” bit next week) of Serbia were the leading members of the Serbian Radical Party, long demonized as “hardline ultranationalists.” In the 2012 election, they campaigned on a platform of wanting to engage the EU and the Empire, but seeking to protect Serbian sovereignty and interests. Once installed in power, however, the Progs executed a U-turn: Serbian identity, history and interests were declared “baggage of the past,” and getting rid of them was necessary for the sake of the bright European future!

The key to this program of identity removal was declaring the NATO rape of Serbia consensual. Giving up Kosovo, you see, is the key condition for (maybe, some day, eventually) joining the EU. So a pact made in Brussels, in April 2013, de facto recognized the statehood of the occupied province (declared independent in 2008) and disavowed the four counties still standing for the Serbian constitutional order. This was treason, yet the West praised it as statesmanship of the highest order.
..
When Serbia challenged the “Kosovian” declaration of independence, the Empire strong-armed the ICJ into ruling that it wasn’t illegal per se. As the dissenting judges pointed out, this involved a “judicial sleight-of-hand” which redefined the ethnic Albanian provisional legislature – operating under specific UN rules – as something else.

The puppet ukbapzis could become well meaning politicians quickly.

[johneeG]

Instead of the seemingly complicated game theory, a simpler theory is that the world goes through phases of conflict and peace. It can be explained in a simple way: when people have seen lot of conflict, they get tired of it and will sue for peace even if it requires some adjustments and accommodations on their side. On the other hand, when a period of peace makes people forget the troubles of conflict and makes them belligerent. If one side becomes belligerent, the other side will also have to respond similarly or lose the initiative. This jostling goes on until at some point the conflict erupts. If the conflict has waged for sometime without a clear winner, then all sides become tired of the conflict and try to arrive at some settlement.

The only thing that disturbs these phases are vested interests. Some sections have vested interest in continuing the peace and some sections have vested interests in continuing the conflict. And ideologies also play a crucial role. 'Peaceful' ideologies or violent ideologies also play a crucial role. Generally, vested interests take refuge under these ideologies to push for their preferred choice.

[UlanBatori]

The answer to "western Ukraine could join NATO, dubious victory for Russia", the calculation is a bit flawed. Any move to do that, and there will be pro-vodka demonstrations (demanding gifts of more, more, more vodka) in all areas east of Dnieper. Border with Russia will then be across river from Kiev, so that river access to Black Sea already needs Russian permission. Southern part of Dnieper already in Russia. Maybe border will be further west of Dnieper in areas south of Kiev.

Comrade Putin can well ask "So what? The Bapzis are already so NATO-infested that it makes no difference. "
Then NATO is faced with arming a new nation, where only 2% of the population is really BapZi, and trying to rule the other 98%. Now the question is, which side wins economically? BO is trying desperately to pull down Russian economy.

But 1 year, 5 years from now, is the Euro going to be doing much better than the Ruble? Depends on market for natural gas, I suppose. Remember that the Steppes in Siberia are outgassing methane faster than anyone can capture, as global warming proceeds, so supplies of natural gas for Russia are essentially infinite for the next 30 years at least. They may have to construct terra-forming type tents to capture enough methane, but that is still a heck of a lot easier than "fracking". Russia can control the natural gas market at will, and will probably proceed to do so by putting western sources out of bijnej.

Meanwhile, what hope does the Euro have in the face of Chinese competition?

If the Euro economies don't revive magically, are the established Oiropean deadbeats such as Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Iceland and ITALY(!!) going to sit around watching Oiropean euros bleed into Ukraine and Lithuania and Latvia and Estonia? Were 1000 years of Oiropean lootera greed in vain? They will raid Ukraine worse than the Nazis did. The Bapzis will try to enrich themselves, taking money out of Ukraine faster than (never mind) out of India.

Meanwhile, if Putinia manages to advance economically, with more jobs than they have people to fill them, guess who is going to be lining up at Roosskie Embassies in Baltic States? Pro-vodka demos are likely to overturn the Bapzis in Kiev, and then of course, the border will be somewhere else.

Everything hinges on economic events heading onwards, and that is clearly why the BO gang is rushing to impose Sanctions. I think after Eyerak, and 2008 tamasha, much of the populations in the Duniya is pretty disgusted with the New Whirled Odor of Dubya. A shift out of USD would have occurred if Oiro were stable, but clearly Oiro is not an option. Is Ruble trustworthy? Probably not. But a basket of Ruble, Chinese, Indian, Brazilian, Korean, Japanese, Oiro, USD, CanPoodle, German and AusPoodle dollars may well be acceptable, and may become the standard for energy trading that ppl insist on. Major consequences to USD (and Ulan Bator ) finances.

The BO SD eej aag se khelte hain

[member_28502]

On the economy one should not forget the power of printing press money
Because they can get away
TINA factor as of now

[Austin]

Opinion: Obama can't have it both ways on Crimea
Simon Tisdall, assistant editor of the Guardian, Special to CNN

Editor's note: Simon Tisdall is assistant editor and foreign affairs columnist at the Guardian. He was previously foreign editor of the Guardian and the Observer and served as White House correspondent and U.S. editor in Washington D.C. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely his.

London (CNN) -- Whatever U.S. and European leaders may say, it seems clear a majority of the residents of Crimea were only too happy to abandon Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. The referendum held there on Sunday was illegal according to Ukrainian constitutional law and took place under duress, following the large-scale incursion of "pro-Russian forces" -- and voters did not have the choice to say "no" to severing ties with Kiev.

But these failings aside, it appears plain that most of Crimea's population, with the exception of the Tatar minority and some ethnic Ukrainians, was content to return to what it regards as its ancestral home. The crucial turnout figures of up to 83% are suspect and may well be inflated. But independent reporting of enthusiastic celebrations suggested the overall outcome genuinely reflected popular wishes -- and was crudely democratic.

For this reason, it is unwise of U.S. President Barack Obama and his European counterparts to declare they will "never" recognize the Crimean result.

This crisis erupted when anti-Russian opposition forces in Kiev overthrew the country's democratically-elected president, Viktor Yanukovych. This action, too, was illegal under Ukraine's constitutional law and had little support in Crimea. But it was swiftly endorsed by Washington and in European capitals.

Now, faced by the pro-Russian opposition's rebound success in Crimea and a political result he does not like, Obama cries foul and refuses to accept the outcome. He cannot have it both ways.

In his telephone conversation with Obama on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin quoted the "Kosovo precedent," a reference to the recognition by the U.S. and several European states (but not Russia) of a 2008 declaration of independence by the provincial assembly in Pristina, even though Kosovo was then still a part of Serbia.

The unrepentant Russian president's slightly disingenuous question to Obama was: So what's the difference?

The right of self-determination of peoples is guaranteed under Chapter One of the U.N. Charter.

In South Sudan (which became independent in 2011), in East Timor, in Croatia and Montenegro and various other Balkan states, the U.S. and its allies have upheld and encouraged this principle. A similar process is currently underway in Scotland. If Catalonia enjoyed a similar freedom, it would quite possibly part company with Spain.

The answer given by Western governments when confronted with the "Kosovo precedent" is that each case is different and indeed, unique, and must therefore be treated on its separate merits. But this, too, is a slightly spurious argument, akin to the hypothesis which states that my invasion of a country (Iraq or Afghanistan, for example) is legally and morally justified, whereas your invasion is not.

In pragmatic as well as theoretical terms, it is a mistake to make of the assisted, hurried but essentially voluntary secession of Crimea a major issue of principle on which there can "never" be compromise. It will obscure the bigger picture. The key challenge for Obama and the EU is not the fate of Crimea per se, but what its destabilising departure implies for the future of Ukraine as a whole and for the wider region.

The sanctions and other punishments now being prepared for Russia in Washington and Brussels should pivot on what Moscow does or does not do next, most especially in the cities of eastern Ukraine where additional, large ethnic Russian populations live but so too do many non-Russian Ukrainians. This pre-emptive policy should also apply to Moldova (which has a breakaway, pro-Russian region known as Transnistria), to the Baltic states, and to Georgia, where Putin might be tempted to intrude again.

Putin was left in a minority of one at the U.N. Security Council at the weekend because Chapter One of the U.N. Charter also states the following: "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."

Whether Putin has absolutely contravened this principle in Crimea may be open to debate. But eastern Ukraine, with its mixed populations, heritage and loyalties, is a different matter altogether -- which even China, which did not support Moscow at the U.N., understands. If an emboldened Putin now makes the mistake of thinking he can extend his modern-day form of rolling Anschluss into these areas, he must be knocked back very hard indeed.

That means going much further, and acting much tougher, than the rather feeble travel and visa bans now being discussed will allow. An Iran-style sanctions regime blocking energy exports, investment, banking and other mainstream business and commercial activities such as arms sales would be more appropriate. So, too, would be direct U.S. and European military assistance to Kiev, as proposed by Senator John McCain.

Judging by his behaviour in Chechnya and elsewhere since he first became Russia's prime minister in 1999, Putin is a bully with a massive inferiority complex who responds to strength, not weakness. When Obama stresses that diplomatic solutions can still be found, as he did on Sunday, Putin reads that as fear. You can almost hear the snigger.

The only way to stop this strutting menace, if he continues to over-reach, is to frighten him right back -- and if necessary, help create the conditions inside Russia in which he and his ugly, reactionary regime are brought down.

[Austin]

^^ Most western press and politician are stating , Crimea is gone but it was to be but dont intrude into South of Ukraine

I am sure Putin wont do that it better keep pressure point on the Ukraine leadership by keeping North and South as part of Ukraine

[Austin]

Though Gorbachev is very anti-Putin but on Crimea he supports the cause

Crimean referendum corrects USSR mistake, sanctions are inappropriate – Gorbachev

The last Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev believes that possible western sanctions aimed at Russia after the Crimean referendum are inappropriate. "They must have very good reasons to declare such sanctions. Moreover, this decision must be supported by the UN," Mikhail Gorbachev said on Monday.

"This cannot be done on the grounds of free will of the people in the region, and the possible integration of the Crimea into the Russian Federation " he added. Gorbachev welcomed the referendum, which "ended so successfully, meeting the expectations of the Crimean people."

"Previously, the Crimea was annexed to Ukraine under Soviet law, meaning the Communist party did it without asking the people. Now the people themselves have decided to correct this mistake. We should welcome their decision, rather than impose sanctions for it," Gorbachev said.

http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_1 ... chev-3915/

[Austin]

EU, US impose sanctions against Russian officials after Crimea referendum

[UlanBatori]

The claim I heard on NPR was (laughing):

Kick all the Russians out of the fancy prep schools in England and France and see how quickly Russia comes to heel

We are now going to see if Russia is ruled by the grandchildren of the Tsarist leeches, or of the martyrs of Leningrad. I don't know, but grab the Rooh Afza and Mirch Masala and sit down to watch.

I hark back to Sen. (late unlamented) "Strom" Thurmod, circa May 12, 1998:

The Indian government has shot themselves in the foot and maybe in the head

About Printing Money: Sure you can, but if people outside are in a position to evaluate the worth of that against a basket of other currencies and commodities, then you also have to crank out wheelbarrows to take that printed money to the store to buy a loaf of bread. Hard to carry that much wealth several blocks when one has not eaten for a week or 2.

[kmkraoind]

It seems Western countries are using psy warfare (mob techniques) in meetings, hope Russians train their men against such tactics.

[ramana]

Philip and svinayak,

The Westphalian Nation-State will in the limit lead to micro-states in Europe. Back to that map of Europe over the centuries.
However those who ignite nation-state passions need to know it could blowback in their own backyards.

[Philip]

Ramana,already some are calling the Crimean "Exodus" as the start of the "butterfly" effect.

Russians are notoriously good chess players remember? Kt to KB3,to be followed by P to K4 and then P to Q4...Shall we call this Putin's "Crimean Gambit" what?

Phase 2:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ia-borders
Moscow's Crimea success could lead to it redrawing Ukraine's eastern border
Risk for west is Putin's ambition to reclaim Russian-speaking majority areas to create a rival counterbalance to the EU

Poster at a protest gathering in Kiev, Ukraine, with a photo of Hitler alongside defaced ones of Putin and Yanukovych. The words in red say: 'These fascists'. Photograph: Oleg Pereverzev/Demotix/Corbis

Vladimir Putin is a KGB professional who shows every sign of being a bad man, quite possibly a prodigious thief as well. Offensive though it is to the memory of millions of Russians murdered by Hitler (far more even than his hero Stalin killed), Putin's orchestration of Crimea's defection from Ukraine offers a disturbing comparison with the German annexation of the Czech Sudetenland with Neville Chamberlain's connivance in 1938.

But Putin and the joyful Russian-speaking citizens of Crimea do have a case to which outraged western denunciations make little concession despite their diplomatic impotence and military passivity. "We are not talking about military options … this is not a Crimean war," the foreign secretary, William Hague, said on Monday morning. He invoked economic sanctions which will hurt Russia (and us), but he spoke in the spirit of Chamberlain.

Well, that's good. Most wars are more easily started than ended as we should remember in this 1914 anniversary year. The Anglo-French Crimean war of 1853-56 was an ill-conceived shambles, not forgotten locally. So were some of our more recent interventions, notably Iraq and Afghanistan, which many players in the international game of selective moral indignation regard as being as illegal as this month's manoeuvres on the Crimean peninsula.

In a bad-tempered, despairing article in the Guardian last week, Marina Lewycka set out some of the historic context of this troubled region with its hard-to-defend borders, vast and fluid. As a Sheffield-based novelist and lecturer of Ukrainian origins – on both sides of the ethnic divide – Lewycka has earned her right to denounce our petulant ignorance as well as Putin's cynicism.

As she reminds us all, fearsome and traumatic things have happened in Ukraine well within living memory, which is why some western Ukrainians, Catholics who were once part of west-facing empires and many ethnic Russians in the eastern provinces so mistrust and abuse each other when a political crisis turns bad. Try the Yale history professor Timothy Snyder – or here on Cif for a different voice on the bloody past.

It helps to explain why Moscow's glib claims of a "fascist" takeover in Kiev resonate with so many Russians. It's a familiar theme, the Soviet equivalent of "reds under the beds" in the west, especially in the American heartlands far from oceans and the wider world beyond. Kiev has made enough mistakes and has enough grubby bedfellows – not many, but clearly enough – to make the charge credible. So what happened in the popular overthrow of Moscow hack and klepto-president (both sides agree on that detail) Viktor Yanukovych was a pro-western coup, right comrades?

It's all much more nuanced than that. A Crimean referendum staged under what amounts to Russian military occupation – navy and soldiers – and boycotted by the minority Ukrainians and (12%) Tatars (expelled and butchered by Stalin) is pretty bogus. But it doesn't change the fact that Crimea is an anomaly, Russian since 1783 and transferred to Ukraine by Nikita Krushchev in 1954 – possibly when the Soviet leader was drunk, says Marina Lewycka.

Steve McQueen, the Oscar winner, might note in passing that up to two million Russians and Ukrainians were sold into slavery in the nearby Ottoman Empire when Crimea was still under Mongul Tatar control. That's another local bit of folk memory which may help explain deep mutual fears.

Certainly Krushchev's quixotic gesture was an odd one, made in circumstances when the USSR still thought of itself as the wave of the future, when those ethnic divisions not dissolved in blood by Stalin would melt away in the brave new world. As nationalist leaders today – Nigel Farage and Alex Salmond among them – show, nationalism is as potent a brew as ever. Even mature democracies like ours find the issue tricky. Whose side would a Murodch-owned Sunski be on today if it was published in Crimea? Precisely.

Moscow's clumsier versions of the Sun have been in overdrive. No wonder that most ethnic Russians in Crimea have voted this weekend for Mother Russia over the relative freedoms they enjoyed in Ukraine. Germans living on the Saar coalfield between France and the Third Reich did exactly the same in their 1935 referendum: they voted for Hitler.

And that's the real risk the world faces now. President Putin is the sort of leader in the sort of regime which likes to get the advice it wants to hear. The Kremlin must be thrilled with its recent string of diplomatic successes, making the West look even more feeble and divided over Syria than it actually is, staging the Sochi Olympics without those widely predicted (by us) terrorist attacks – and now calling Nato's bluff in Crimea.

The risk is surely that this success will embolden Moscow to redraw Ukraine's eastern boundaries to reclaim Russian-speaking majority areas, Sudeten-style. Not too much we can do about that either. Then what? Putin has ambitions to create a rival counter-balance to the EU, recreating a form of the old Czarist/Soviet multinational empire that crashed after the Berlin Wall, the tragedy of his life.

When Nato and the EU rapidly expanded to fill the vacuum created by the collapse of the Warsaw Pact bloc in the 90s – into Hungary, Poland (etc) and the Baltics, later into Bulgaria and Romania too – I could see the short-term rationale, but feared the long-term consequences. Russia ( "always too weak and too strong" in the old saying) would feel encircled and strike back when it could.

In response, America would not honour its hastily-given pledges, even without a timid president, born in Hawaii, to whom Estonia must be "a far away country of which we know little", as Chamberlain said when selling out Czechoslovakia. The EU can no longer punch holes in a paper bag. Putin must sense opportunity. It is hardly surprising that the Poles (the most successful EU adopters) and the Baltic mini-states are jittery about Crimea. If the west does impose its threatened sanctions it may give Putin – who fears his internal democratic movement, as the Guardian's editorial points out – an excuse to squeeze vulnerable neighbours.

As in 1914, the risk of miscalculation is huge. US and EU electorates are fed up with costly foreign wars which do not deliver the peace and stability they were supposed to bring. But they will react with alarm if Russia turns off its gas taps without the kind of alternative sources of supply that Berlin is already talking about. Qatar, anyone?

Moving any pieces on our interconnected global chess board has consequences. Leaders who are seen to be weak (Barack Obama) and those who rejoice in being seen as strong (Vlad the bare-chested) while actually vulnerable economically, are both capable of compensatory error.

Global markets, which dislike uncertainty, are already punishing Russia via falling share prices, suspended investment and a declining rouble. Oligarchs are nervously shifting ill-gotten billions out of banks where their assets may be frozen. It will all unsettle even further a world order that is fragile. Should we stage a referendum to return Kensington to Mother Britain while the locals still retain a non-Russian majority there and before un-badged soldiers with snow on their boots start coming off EasyJet flights from Moscow?

Don't laugh. That's what Krushchev probably did when a far-sighted adviser warned him not to give away Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 and found himself locked up for his pains. And that's another thing. Has anyone checked the small print of Washington's bargain of the 19th century – it paid two cents an acre for the Alaska Purchase from Russia in 1867?

At the time the Czar was strapped for cash (his Crimean war with Britain had been expensive) and sold it. In a fluid, opportunist world, some sharp-suited Kremlin lawyer may be about to suggest oily/icy Alaska is Russia's equivalent of the Parthenon Marbles and ask for it back. Nothing is for ever. Ask them in Crimea.

http://rt.com/news/veneto-referendum-unnoticed-eu-318/

Crimea? No, Venice! Independence referendum in EU goes almost unnoticed
Published time: March 17, 2014

While the Crimean referendum tops world media headlines, an attempt at secession is going on in Veneto, Italy, with its major city Venice. But as it is being virtually ignored by media, people in Europe are hardly aware of what’s happening next door.

“Do you mean the independence of Crimea?” says a Berlin resident when RT’s Irina Galushko asks him of what he thinks of the current referendum in Veneto, Italy, where people are voting on whether to break away from Rome.

“No, I haven’t heard of it” was the most common answer Galushko received.

The online referendum in the northern Italian province was launched on Sunday, the same day the majority of people in Crimea voted yes to seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia. But unlike the Crimean referendum, the Veneto one has not quite found itself in the media spotlight.

Nevertheless, about 3.8 million eligible Veneto resident voters will now be able, until Friday, to say if they would like to see the region an independent, sovereign and federative Republic of Veneto.

Veneto is one of the biggest and wealthiest provinces in Italy with a population of more than 5 million people. One of the main reasons for the vote is that the region is tired of the backbreaking burden of taxes imposed by Rome.

“We would like to continue the economic ties with Italy,” Lodovico Pizzati, the spokesman for the independence movement, told RT. “But from a fiscal standpoint there’s a huge gap between what we pay in taxes and what we receive as public service. We are talking about a difference of 20 billion euro.”

The latest polls, suggesting that about 65 percent of the population is in favor of becoming independent, have encouraged the independence movement leaders finally to have the region’s fate decided.

“We have to fight for it [independence],” Giovanni Dalla Valle, head of the Veneto independence movement, told RT. “We will do it in a peaceful, diplomatic way. We do strongly believe that when the majority wants to be independent there is nothing they [the Italian government] can do.”

Veneto independence activists say they have been inspired by secession movements in Scotland and Catalonia.

[Austin]

Former U.S. Intelligence Officer Says U.S. Orchestrated Coup In Ukraine

[vishvak]

It seems Western countries are using psy warfare (mob techniques) in meetings, hope Russians train their men against such tactics.

There seem to be no increase in oil prices. link
However for some reasons, there is pressure on gold.

[UlanBatori]

For a good laugh

Before Obama calls another world leader, an aide brings him a specially prepared National Security Council dossier. The package includes a closely held American intelligence portrait of the person he’s going to call — including highly personal information about their personality, their health and their loved ones. “Are they cool-headed? Or the opposite? Do they like to joke?” said one source familiar with the contents of the dossier.

“The world leader profiles include basic intel, idiosyncrasies, personal political pressures, whether any close relatives are seriously ill, girl- or boyfriend problems, personal health issues,” said another official.

The marathon Putin call went badly. The former KGB spy spent much of the hour and a half insisting, without evidence, that ethnic Russians were enduring horrible things at the hands of Ukraine’s new pro-Western government, according to senior U.S. officials. Obama spent much of the call insisting, without success, that the charges were groundless and offering what the Obama administration officials characterized as a “diplomatic offramp” from the accelerating crisis. The two sides released dueling accounts of the call — summaries known as “readouts” — that nevertheless generally back up the U.S. description.

Reminds me of the time when a University of Ulan Bator graduate walked into a bar in San Francisco. Spotted this attratice woman sitting alone and sipping a rooh Afza. "hey dude, who IS that gorgeous chick?"

Barkeeper: "I wouldn't mess with her if I were you. She's Lesbian".
UBGrad: "NOOOO Problem: I know all about them, I've read the Dossiers".
Sidles up to her and breaks the ice:

How are things in Beiroot?

So when BO calls VP, BO is thinking of the cleavage of VP's girlfriend, wherease VP is thinking of how to damage BO's credibility. An even contest, sure!

[chaanakya]

US, EU impose sanctions on Russians as Crimea votes to split from Ukraine

The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on seven Russians — including close aides of President Vladimir Putin — and four Ukrainians blamed for Russia's military incursion into Crimea.

The Europe Union also targeted Putin's aides, slapping sanctions on senior officials to pressure the Kremlin to abandon moves to annex Crimea. The EU list has 21 individuals who remained unidentified.

A senior US official described the measures, announced after the breakaway Ukrainian region of Crimea voted to join Russia in a referendum, as the "first comprehensive sanctions (against Russia) since the end of the Cold War". The referendum has been deemed unlawful by Kiev and the West.


US President Barack Obama said the sanctions made it clear "that there are consequences for their actions" in Crimea and that the US was ready to impose further sanctions if necessary.

Obama had earlier warned Russia of "costs" of military intervention in Crimea and Ukraine. The US President "broadly repeated" his threat in a phone conversation with Putin on Sunday.

The sanctions will freeze assets held by designated individuals in the US and prohibit American citizens from doing business with them. Officials said such sanctions are known to make it difficult for designated individuals to conduct business not only in the United States but also in Europe and Asia.

The seven Russians named in the sanctions were Vladislav Surkov, Sergey Glazyev, Leonid Slustky, Andreai Klishas, Valentina Matviyenko, Dmitri Rogozin and Yelena Mizulina.

Each of them "played a leading role as an ideologist, as a strategist and as an architect of the referendum strategy and is a leading proponent of formal annexation of Crimea by Russia", a senior US official said.

Surkov and Glaznyev are close aides of Putin and Rogozin is the deputy prime minister. The others include officials of the Russian parliament Duma.

Apart from deposed president Yanukovych, the Ukrainians named by the US are Crimea's prime minister Sergey Aksyonov and speaker of parliament Vladimir Konstantinov. Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Russia activist, is also named.
- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-new ... VOWTQ.dpuf

[UlanBatori]

So it is now standard part of US Foreign Affairs doctrine to go after individuals in foreign governments, personally. Like Cavity Search. Somehow I think Russians are not as meek as UPA GOI and its Mantris. Unless all the Russian leaders have put all their black money hoardings in western havens, I think US investments and assets in Russia >> Russian investment and assets in US (maybe not all West). So one wonders about Putin's next move...

[member_28502]

The so called Khan lands Euro lands also called western democracies, international communities are nothing but oligarchies of West which often dont see I to I with other Oligarchies that prop up else where.

so this UK the poodle of Khan sponsored Ukraine revolutions is in reality a war of Oligarchy.

http://www.oligarchyusa.com/


http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... -expansion


http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11851

[Philip]

http://rt.com/news/russia-recognize-cri ... dence-410/

Putin signs order to recognize Crimea as a sovereign independent state
Published time: March 17, 2014

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (Reuters / Michael Klimentyev)
President Vladimir Putin has signed an order that Russia recognizes Crimea as a sovereign and independent state. The Autonomous Republic of Crimea held a referendum on Sunday with over 96% voting for integration into Russia.

“According to the will of the peoples of the Crimea on the all-Crimean referendum held on March 16, 2014, to recognize the Republic of Crimea, in which the city of Sevastopol has a special status, as a sovereign and independent state,” the document reads.

The order comes into force immediately.

Crimea was declared an independent sovereign state, the Republic of Crimea, on Monday, the autonomous Ukrainian regional parliament's website stated.

Crimea also addressed the UN seeking recognition as a sovereign state.

"The Republic of Crimea intends to build its relations with other states on the basis of equality, peace, mutual neighborly cooperation, and other generally agreed principles of political, economic and cultural cooperation between states," the parliament said.

The Crimean parliament also unanimously voted to integrate the region into Russia.

The parliament's resolution comes after Sunday's referendum which resulted in over 96 percent of voters answering ‘yes’ to the autonomous republic joining Russia. The overall voter turnout in the referendum was 81.37%, according to the head of the Crimean parliament’s commission on the referendum, Mikhail Malyshev.

He also stressed that there were no complaints concerning the voting process. Those international observers who came to Crimea made an official statement on Monday that the vote was free and conformed to international standards.

"The documents on the referendum fully reflect international standards, including the secret ballot, open and transparent nature of the referendum, public and international observation. These acts have no discriminatory restrictions" said Mateusz Piskorski, former Polish MP who participated in the observation of the referendum. "There was freedom of speech and expression," he added.

Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Serbia Nenad Popovic stressed that during the plebiscite, equality of rights of referendum participants was consistently provided.

"The participants of the referendum were provided the opportunity to review the wording of questions in the languages of the main ethnic communities of the Republic of Crimea", he said.

The international reaction to the Crimea’s referendum and its resolution was the implementation of sanctions. On Monday the EU and US slapped visa bans and financial restrictions against Russian and Ukrainian officials.

The White House stated that "the actions and policies" of the Russian government with respect to Ukraine "undermine democratic processes” and “threaten its peace,” sanctioning 11 officials. While the EU late on Monday introduced a list of 21 Russian and Crimean political figures that will be sanctioned for 6 months.

The decision to hold a referendum was sparked by the bloody Maidan protests that resulted in the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovich. Crimea refused to recognize the coup-imposed government. The people in the region also feared that the far-right Kiev authorities would not represent their interests. The Crimeans, the majority of which are ethnic Russians were particularly unhappy over parliament's decision to revoke the law allowing using minority languages, including Russian.
Comments (659)

Putin is probably trembling in his boots (with laughter!) at the mighty sanctions imposed by "Back-to-the-Barracks" O'Bomber! In full retreat from Iraq and Afghanistan O'Bomber after weeks of dire threats to Russia has unveiled his stupendous sanctions....against 32 officials.Indian diplomutts in the MEA I am sure will take cheer at this as they enter the second phase of the DK battle in the Yanqui courts.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/m ... referendum

US rejects criticism of 'toothless' sanctions following Crimea referendum
Russia issues decree recognising Crimea as sovereign state as US and EU enact measures against 32 Russians and Ukrainians

The US and the European Union retaliated over the Crimea referendum by targeting sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials on Monday, a move widely greeted with scepticism as "toothless".

The White House imposed sanctions against 11 named individuals: seven senior Russian politicians and officials and four Crimea-based separatist leaders accused of undermining the "democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine".

But the US pointedly avoided targeting the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, or key figures in his inner circle.

The EU imposed sanctions on 21 individuals, including three senior Russian commanders, the prime minister of Crimea, a deputy speaker of the Duma and other senior officials.

There are divisions within Europe over how to respond to Russia, and this is reflected in the fact that action is being taken against less than two dozen from an original proposed list of 120.

The sanctions came on the eve of an address to the Russian parliament by President Vladimir Putin on the next moves for Crimea.On Monday night, Putin posted a decree on the Kremlin website, recognising Crimea as a sovereign state – in what appeared to be a first step toward integrating Crimea as a part of the Russian Federation.

The decree, which took effect immediately, says Moscow's recognition of Crimea as independent is based on "the will of the people of Crimea".

Barack Obama, who is set to visit Europe next week to discuss the crisis with European allies, warned of further action. "If Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions," he said. Russian troops have also massed near the border with Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine where there have been fatalities during clashes between pro- and anti-Moscow demonstrators in recent days.

Obama added: "We will continue to make clear to Russia that further provocations will achieve nothing except to further isolate Russia and diminish its place in the world."

The White House insisted the sanctions were "by far and away the most comprehensive sanctions since the end of the cold war" and rejected criticism that they were too limited in scope or would be easily circumvented by asset transfers.

"We think they will be effective," one senior administration official told reporters in Washington. But the kind of sanctions that might bite, such as hitting Russian oligarchs or even their companies, particularly energy firms, were pointedly absent.

Officials in Washington suggested results showing 96.8% of those voting in favour of joining Russia and a 83.1% turnout were implausibly high, especially when an estimated 99% of Crimean Tatars refused to take part.

White House sources also claimed it was suspicious that there was not a single complaint to election authorities, and have promised extra funding to help make sure there is a record number of international observers present when Ukraine holds its national elections in May.

The EU condemned the referendum as illegal and said it would not recognise the outcome.

The Crimean parliament, in the aftermath of the referendum, declared independence from Ukraine on Monday and confiscated Ukrainian state property. Crimea also sent a delegation to Moscow to discuss what will happen next.

Moscow treated the sanctions with derision. The Russian deputy prime minister, Dmitry Rogozin, who faces sanctions on the US list, was dismissive, tweeting that the move drawn up by Obama must have been the work of a "prankster".

The Russian market was equally dismissive, with the rouble doing well on the day. Markets elsewhere in Europe rose, judging that the prospect of trade battles was receding.

Kathleen Brooks, research director at Forex.com, told AP: "So far the sanctions seem fairly toothless and much less severe than had been expected last week. From the market's perspective, the biggest risk was that the referendum would trigger tough sanctions against Russia that could lead to another cold war."

David Cameron's spokesman, asked whether the sanctions were feeble, said they should be seen in the context of others already announced and that the EU was prepared to add to them if necessary. Asked about Rogozin's response, the spokesman insisted the sanctions were "important measures".

Asked what would happen if Russia goes into eastern Ukraine, the spokesman said: "What we are saying very clearly is that they should not escalate."

The relative weakness of the sanctions may reflect a sense in the US and European governments that Crimea is already lost and the focus should be on preventing a Russian takeover of major population centres in eastern Ukraine.

Increasing the numbers on the sanctions list is almost certain to be discussed at the EU summit on Thursday and Friday. Some EU states are torn about taking punitive measures against Russia for fear of undoing years of patient attempts to establish closer ties with Moscow and increase trade. The EU has already suspended talks with Russia on an economic pact and a visa agreement.

A meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels decided on the reprisals following non-stop talks over the weekend until late on Sunday.

Senior EU officials expect the Kremlin to retaliate in a tit-for-tat sanctions war that is likely to spiral.

A senior EU official warned on Monday that the EU's 28 member states and Ukraine could run out of gas by the end of October if Russia plays "energy politics" and cuts off supplies in the diplomatic war over the future of Crimea.

A survey of gas supplies in the EU, conducted in the wake of the Russian occupation, found that the EU has 40bn cubic metres in its energy supplies – enough to last until the onset of winter.

The EU official said of a cut in Russian energy supplies: "We are under no illusions: come next winter, yes, we would have a significant problem.

But, the official added, "the silver lining is if you were going to go [into] Crimea from a gas politics point of view – doing it in March, February wasn't perhaps the cleverest move.

EU leaders are to meet in Brussels on Thursday for a summit dominated by Ukraine and could agree to lengthen the blacklist.

European ministers and EU officials said the 21 people – mainly political rather than business figures – would face a freeze on assets as well as a travel ban. That number could be expanded later in the week, they added.

Sanctions legislation published on Monday on the website of the Official Journal of the European Union named 8 Ukrainian officials and 13 Russian officials. Like the US list, the EU list included the Crimean prime minister, Sergei Aksyonov, parliament speaker Vladimir Konstantinov; and Russian state Duma deputies Andrei Klishas and Leonid Slutsky. In addition, however, it targeted more prominent Russian politicians than the US sanctions, including Duma deputy speaker Sergei Zheleznyak, who has made numerous public appearances to comment on the Kremlin line in support of Crimea, and Sergei Mironov, leader of the party A Just Russia who has also called for Russian intervention in Ukraine and initiated legislation to speed up the process of obtaining Russian citizenship for Ukrainians. Most of the Russian politicians were sanctioned for supporting the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine on 1 March, the list said.

The EU sanctions also targeted Deniz Berezovsky, the Ukrainian naval commander who joined Crimean forces, and Russian military commanders Alexander Vitko, Anatoly Sidorov and Alexander Galkin, who the legislation claimed led the Crimea deployment.

It is notoriously difficult to secure EU agreement on sanctions because they require unanimity from the 28 member states. There were wide differences over the numbers of Russians and Crimeans to be punished, with countries such as Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Spain reluctant to penalise Moscow for fear of closing down channels of dialogue.

The Dutch foreign minister, Frans Timmermans, described sanctions as inevitable, saying: "I hope the Russians will realise that sanctions will hurt everyone, but no one more than the Russians themselves."

The aim of some members is to gradually increase sanctions, just as the EU did with Iran, to put pressure on Putin rather than apply all the pressure now.

The German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said any measure must leave "ways and possibilities open to prevent a further escalation that could lead to the division of Europe".

EU member states are threatening to move to broader economic and trade blocks on the Russians, leading to fears of a full-blown trade war that could be ruinous to both sides.

The Hungarian government warned of a "long economic war" between Russia and the EU, while the Polish foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, described the Kremlin's effective land grab in Ukraine as an 'anschluss' or annexation, using the term coined to describe Hitler's takeover of Austria in 1938.

"The EU does not recognise the illegal 'referendum' and its outcome," a statement said following the Brussels meeting. "It was held in the visible presence of armed soldiers under conditions of intimidation of civic activists and journalists, blacking out of Ukrainian television channels and obstruction of civilian traffic in and out of Crimea."

The Lithuanian foreign minister, Linas Linkevicius, predicted that Thursday's European summit, which will be dominated by the Ukraine crisis, would expand the sanctions against Russia.

"The targeted sanctions against Russia are just the beginning as long as Russia does not change its strategy of gradual escalation," said the leading German christian democratic MEP, Elmar Brok. "These measures include an embargo on munitions and dual-use technologies, as well as measures against Russian companies and their subsidiaries."

The EU and Ukraine are scheduled to sign the political part of their association pact at the summit on Friday.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsya, visited Nato headquarters on Monday and was promised "increased ties with Ukraine's political and military leadership."

Nato, in a statement, described the referendum as "illegal and illegitimate".

The US alleged a series of specific irregularities in the conduct of the referendum, but there is no suggestion they would have been enough to change the outcome of a vote given the wider political and military circumstances.

"There has been broad speculation and some concrete evidence that ballots have arrived in Crimea for the referendum and had been pre-marked in many cities," said a senior US administration official.

"There are massive anomalies in the vote, even as it is recorded, including the fact that, based on the census in Sevastopol city, 123% of the Sevastopol population would have had to have voted yes for the referendum."

Additional reporting by Ian Traynor in Vienna, Rowena Mason and Nicholas Watt

[Austin]

Saw Putin's speech to the Parliament , Very Long and Detailed one.

He thanked India and China for understanding Russia's position and supporting it .... just the two country he mentioned in his speech

Perhaps tacitly we supported Russia on this ?

[Austin]

Key Points of Putins Speech

In understands why people wanted change - "the authorities were milking them" - but new powers brought coup not elections

You can't fight the free will of people, it is impossible. And I would like to thank Crimenians for not having blood on their hands - Putin

Armed forced never entered Crimea, just strengthened them in numbers allowed by law - Putin

The US says that Kosovo is a unique case, so why do they think that Crimea's situation is not unique? - Putin

Better late than never for them to remember that international law exists, said Putin on Western countries not recognising Crimea's independence

When Ukraine decided to become independent - they did the same thing. They had a referendum in 1990 - now they deny Crimea one - Putin

There is no legitimate political leadership in Ukraine, there is no one to deal with - Putin

Crimea, setting the date for the referendum, cited the UN charter - Putin
15:23
3 mln Ukrainians worked in Russia earning $20bln a year, 12% of Ukraine's GDP - Putin

The Western countries keep saying that Russia has violated the international law, thanks that they know that such laws exist - jokes Putin

I understand those who came to the Maidan with peaceful slogans, protesting corruption and poverty - Putin

Power in Ukraine was seized by radicals, we have no one to negotiate there with - Putin

Putin says relations with "brotherly" Ukrainian people will always be of crucial importance to Russia

Millions of Russians want Crimea to be part of Russia - Putin

Many Ukrainians had to flee from Ukraine due to different political reasons - Putin

Russian speaking minority suffered with constant humiliation - Putin

We believe that Ukraine would serve as a good neighbor, but the situation developed in another way - Putin

It is necessary to make all political and legislative decisions to complete rehabilitation of Crimean Tatar people -

Talking about the Crimean Tatars, Putin says that the referendum result shows that they also want to join Russia. He says the Tatars were unjustly persecuted in the past as were Russians. Ethnic groups will be protected under Russia, says Putin.

Sevastopol is a Russian fortress and a host for the Russian naval fleet in the Black sea - Putin

Putin stresses that Russia has vital interests in Crimea These vital Russian interests are important factors in Russian Foreign Policy.

We will respect all languages of the region - Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar - Putin

We will respect all ethnicities of the region - Putin

Many citizens of Crimea suffered from repressions, that is why we need to take action to liberate - Putin

Standing ovation for Putin during his address to citzens of Russia and residents of Crimea

Vladimir Putin is explaining history of Crimean region and its importance to Russia.

These are very telling figures - Putin

More than 82 percent took part in Crimea's referendum - Putin

It was Ukraine, and they are to blame for splitting Ukraine, they are responsible for these events - Putin

I hope you understand Russia's aspiration to restore unity – Putin

Putin accuses the West of using double standards because the West intervened in Kosovo in 1999 but condemns people's will in Crimea to join Russia.

These are not double standards, this is outright cynicism, Putin says.

The Arab spring became the Arab nightmare - Putin
15:32
Just have a look at NATO's intervention into the East - Putin

US has no right to decide the fate of Crimea - Putin


As many of the government positions in Ukraine are occupied by usurpers, radicals, it would be a “betrayal” to leave Crimea in trouble, Putin says.

http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_03_18/Put ... ATES-7527/

[TSJones]

...yeah, Putin laughing about the sanctions alright.....

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... gn_id=yhoo

Keep laughing, it hurts less.

[Philip]

CONGRATULATIONS!
Pres. Putin is the man who brought back the Crimea to Mother Russia after Nikita Kruschev gave it away-(in a drunken mood behind closed doors say some)!

It was an historic occasion in the Kremlin,a truly memorable ceremony in the splendid glittering chandiliered hall,filled with the members of the Russian parliament and the media. Pres.Putin's hard hitting and emotional speech,that panned an historic picture of the history of the region,fall of the USSR and NATO's relentless expansion eastwards to Russia's very own borders,plus western hypocrisy of its military adventurism around the globe, was contrasted with Russia's historical right to the Crimea and the unanimous wishes of the Crimean people to rejoin Russia after a clique of fascist neo-Nazis ,supported by the West had created chaos in the country deeply worrying ethnic Russians in Ukraine as to their safety and future.He specified that the Crimeans had taken their own destiny in their hands without firing a shot and that the Russian people too unanimously respected the decision of the Crimeans to rejoin Russia and wished the same too.Pres. Putin specifically mentioned that "Russia had been driven into a corner and that if you applied pressure to a spring more and more,it would snap back".

His stirring speech was received by repeated applause and standing ovations from the members of the Russian parliament and the smiles and excitement shown on the faces of all the MPs showed the unanimous support that Putin has across the nation. There was a massive standing ovation and long applause ,before a solemn signing ceremony where he and the representatives of the Crimea signed the historic agreement bringing Crimea home to Mother Russia. The Russian national anthem was then sung with great fervour by those present and the culmination is supposed to be a grand rally in Red Square this evening.

Most importantly,Pres. Putin thanked China (for its support at the UN).Here is where long time friend India could've been more forthcoming,but with a servile US "Marionette Mohan Singh",bowing ,scraping,prostrating and and a*se-licking the occupants of the White House,and his team of Yanqui lackeys led by "Rs. 26/day enough for Indians", Money-take Singh,India behaved like a deaf and dumb mute.

As for the US.Retreating back to Barack';s barracks,licking its wounds,the US and the West are now licking their diplomatic wounds having repeatedly poked and poked sadistically at the Russian "bear".Well,as Putin said,there was just that amount of insult that the Russian bear could take,and with one swift swipe in the Crimea,it has drawn blood across the cheeks of the Yanquis and the Euro-Peons.To show how asinine and impotent the US is,Joe Biden,the "Veep",has rushed not to Kiev to comfort the Kiev clique,but to Poland which is nowhere under threat.The "Veep",is rushing to the Baltic states,promising more aircraft to beef up their defences and military modernisation,stoking the Neo-Cold War fires even higher.sadly, the Yanqui cretins have learnt nothing and are bound to repeat their mistakes ad infinitum.

[member_20292]

^^ Mr. Jones, the US was "scared"/"concerned" about the Russians for a loong time through the 20th century through the Cold War. That was justified. The Russians have a national will that many softer states don't.
The sanctions will undoubtedly hurt both Western and Russian interests. I also expect them to be fruitless in changing the course of the Russians. "Sanctions" also "hurt" the Indian economy from after the 1998 nuclear tests - but by and large, they do not seem to be effective enough in changing countries minds.
Dialogue, and understanding different interests and trying to accommodate them works better. This method might be lost on the Americans, who might favour a more robust manner.

The Russians are not to be sneezed at - they have very legitimate interests in Ukraine and they will not be denied as it seems.

Does the US know how to co-opt a former enemy? Possibly, they coopted Germany. Now, how will they change the general attitude of the Russians ?

[Neela]

...yeah, Putin laughing about the sanctions alright.....
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/20 ... gn_id=yhoo
Keep laughing, it hurts less.

Let go TSJ. This laugh is very different to the one Amreeki soldiers had in Abu Ghraib.

[vishvak]

What happened to demonstrators in Bahrain?? Where have been champions of human rights or democracy. May be out of notice because of sunni partners.

Meaning suppression of opinion on religious basis as per outsider Sunni partners of champions of human rights and democracy?

For Bahrain, might is right. Because Sunni puredom of Saudis said so.

So when are elections next in Ukraine now that ukbapzis overran the elected government and are now running wild. Or investigations about snipers-on-hire by ukbapzis to kill civilians and police?

Can't do Bengal 71 genocide of Hindus this time by ukbapzi puppets.

One more tidbit, a terror org in Indian state of Tripura called NLFT was set up allegedly with help of baptists but no one in Baptists top seem to be arrested or made to face courts. Till 1989 a few thousands were converted. NLFT has terrorized people with brutalities like murders, rapes, forced conversions of thousands, massacres in refuge camps, killing leaders; not to mention 'lesser' crimes like kidnappings, ***** industry and selling videos of kidnapped women being raped, and so on.

[Austin]

TSJ , Sanctions might hurt Russian Economy in short run but in medium and long run it wont have any impact.

Russia is a natural resource rich country and Europe is heavily dependent on Russian resources so sanctions hurt will be mutual.

IF West decides to go away from Russia ( appears unlikely as Exon Mobil of US is heavily invested in Russia ) then China and Indian and other countries will fill in.

In the end when Ukraine enters EU AA and the West has to carry the baggage of what is an economy in ICU then reality will strike in and they will realise the futility of EU AA and IMF conditions.

The real consquences of Ukraine entering EU AA has yet to start and the movie has yet to begin.

[Austin]

Russia action in Crimea has something for our politican to learn on how to deal with POK , The artificial divide was created by West to keep India in check , time for us to get our historical and culturally tied land back ...hopefully Namo can do that for us.

[Austin]

Ron Paul on Crimea: None of America’s business

In an op-ed published by USA Today on Monday, Paul asked: “What’s the big deal?”

“Opponents of the Crimea vote like to point to the illegality of the referendum,” Paul wrote. “But self-determination is a centerpiece of international law.”

"Article I of the United Nations Charter points out clearly that the purpose of the UN is to ‘develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples,’” he said. “Why does the US care which flag will be hoisted on a small piece of land thousands of miles away?”

“Where were these people when an election held in an Iraq occupied by US troops was called a ‘triumph of democracy’?” he asked.

The former congressman’s remarks were published just hours after the White House authorized a new wave of sanctions against Russia and released a statement from US President Barack Obama in which he warned that more could be ordered “if Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine.”

But according to Paul, the US government has more or less ignored recent efforts waged by the people of Scotland, Catalonia and Venice to secede, and instead had opted only to focus on the Crimean conflict which, as a result, he says, “has led NATO closer to conflict with Russia than since the height of the Cold War."

“Perhaps the US officials who supported the unconstitutional overthrow of Ukraine's government should refocus their energies on learning our own Constitution, which does not allow the US government to overthrow governments overseas or send a billion dollars to bail out Ukraine and its international creditors,” the former congressman wrote.

[Austin]

Ron Paul Oped

Ron Paul: Crimea secedes. So what?

[rsingh]

Some of very knowledgeable friends of mine invested very heavily in Russian Oil stocks( Lukoil) and Ruble. They tell me that everything is going very well........as planned.