Things are getting tense folks...

Seven World Powers Suspend Preparations for G-8 Summit in Russia
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/seven-world-powers-suspend-preparations-g-8-summit-russia-n42701

Ahead of a planned summit of industrialized nations — scheduled to take place in Russia — seven world powers Sunday denounced Russia's hostile takeover of Crimea and said they are suspending preparations for the Sochi talks.

In a joint statement, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — the members of the "G-8" summit, sans Russia — condemned "the Russian Federation's clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."

"We have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G-8 Summit in Sochi in June, until the environment comes back where the G-8 is able to have meaningful discussion," the statement said.

The world powers called on Russia to "address any ongoing security or human rights concerns" that it has with Ukraine and pressed "all parties concerned to behave with the greatest extent of self-restraint and responsibility, and to decrease the tensions."

European leaders on Sunday called for calm in the midst of international outrage over Russia’s incursion into Crimea as Secretary of State John Kerry announced he will travel to Ukraine on Tuesday to meet with both legislators and civilians.

Kerry on Sunday called Russia's takeover of Crimea — which is shaping into the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War — an “incredible act of aggression."

—Daniel Arkin

"John Kerry announced he will travel to Ukraine "

bust a cap in his sorry ass, or at least keep him?

Dunno, but with the Feds closed tomorrow, it'd be a great day to invade Ukraine!

Greybeard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dunno, but with the Feds closed tomorrow, it'd be
> a great day to invade Ukraine!

They just want Crimea. And they already have it.

XpkL9 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Greybeard Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Dunno, but with the Feds closed tomorrow, it'd
> be
> > a great day to invade Ukraine!
>
> They just want Crimea. And they already have it.


Didn't Russia pull the same shit just a couple of years back with Abkhazia and South Ossetia?

I don't think they're stopping with Crimea; the rest of the Ukraine will follow, probably over the next few months. Then the Baltics.

Same formula: Putin will send in thugs to cause trouble and then send in his army to quell the disturbances.

Keep in mind that 30% of Latvians are ethnic Russians and 25% of Estonians are ethnic Russians. I'm sure, if it hasn't happened already, Putin is thinking about printing passports for these people that will be mailed to them, thereby extending Russian citizenry to them. He'll then send in a few thugs to start trouble and the cycle will repeat itself and the Russian empire will continue to expand.

No worries, we have plenty to be proud of right here in the good old USA; after all under the leadership of Obozo the number of people receiving food stamps has increased by 70%.

That's something to be brag about.

Answer is no.

OhNoTheyWantMore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> XpkL9 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Greybeard Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Dunno, but with the Feds closed tomorrow,
> it'd
> > be
> > > a great day to invade Ukraine!
> >
> > They just want Crimea. And they already have
> it.
>
>
> Didn't Russia pull the same shit just a couple of
> years back with Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
>
> I don't think they're stopping with Crimea; the
> rest of the Ukraine will follow, probably over the
> next few months. Then the Baltics.
>
> Same formula: Putin will send in thugs to cause
> trouble and then send in his army to quell the
> disturbances.
>
> Keep in mind that 30% of Latvians are ethnic
> Russians and 25% of Estonians are ethnic Russians.
> I'm sure, if it hasn't happened already, Putin is
> thinking about printing passports for these people
> that will be mailed to them, thereby extending
> Russian citizenry to them. He'll then send in a
> few thugs to start trouble and the cycle will
> repeat itself and the Russian empire will continue
> to expand.
>
> No worries, we have plenty to be proud of right
> here in the good old USA; after all under the
> leadership of Obozo the number of people receiving
> food stamps has increased by 70%.
>
> That's something to be brag about.

Lituania will go to war before letting the Russians in.

The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances states that we are obliged to...

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Many Ukrainians Want Russia to Invade
Pro-Russian citizens genuinely fear the new Ukrainian government is fascistic and will persecute them
http://world.time.com/2014/03/01/many-ukrainians-want-russia-to-invade/

To many in Ukraine, a full-scale Russian military invasion would feel like a liberation. On Saturday, across the country’s eastern and southern provinces, hundreds of thousands of people gathered to welcome the Kremlin’s talk of protecting pro-Russian Ukrainians against the revolution that brought a new government to power last week. So far, that protection has come in the form of Russian military control of the southern region of Crimea, but on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin got parliamentary approval for a broad military intervention in Ukraine. As that news spread, locals in at least four major cities in the east of Ukraine climbed onto the roofs of government buildings and replaced the Ukrainian flag with the Russian tricolor.

For the most part, what drove so many people to renounce their allegiance to Ukraine was a mix of pride and fear, the latter fueled in part by misinformation from Moscow. The most apparent deception came on Saturday morning, when the Russian Foreign Ministry put out a statement accusing the new government in Kiev of staging a “treacherous provocation” on the Crimean Peninsula. It claimed that “unidentified armed men” had been sent from Kiev to seize the headquarters of the Interior Ministry police in Crimea. But thanks to the “decisive actions of self-defense battalions,” the statement said, the attack had been averted with just a few casualties. This statement turned out to be without any basis in fact.

Igor Avrutsky, who was the acting Interior Minister of Crimea during the alleged assault, told TIME the following afternoon that it never happened. “Everything was calm,” he says. Throughout the night, pro-Russian militiamen armed with sticks and shields had been defending the Crimean Interior Ministry against the revolutionaries, and one of the militia leaders, Oleg Krivoruchenko, also says there was no assault on the building. “People were coming and going as normal,” he says.

But the claims coming from Moscow were still enough to spread panic in eastern and southern Ukraine. On Saturday, pro-Russian activists in the Crimean capital of Simferopol staged a massive demonstration in the city, calling on residents to rally against the “Nazi authorities” who had come to power in Kiev. “What’s happening in Ukraine is terrifying,” says one of the organizers of the march, Evgenia Dobrynya. “We’re in a situation now where the country is ruled by terrorists and radicals.”

That is the picture of Ukraine’s new government propagated in the Russian media, the main source of information for millions of people in eastern and southern Ukraine. For months, Russian officials and television networks have painted the revolutionaries as a fascist cabal intent on stripping ethnic Russians of their rights. Much of the coverage has amounted to blatant scaremongering. The key posts in the new government, including the interim President and Prime Minister, have gone to pro-Western liberals and moderates, and they have pledged to guarantee the rights of all ethnic minorities. But some of their actions have given Russia plenty of excuses to accuse them of doing the opposite.

Within two days of taking power, the revolutionary leaders passed a bill revoking the rights of Ukraine’s regions to make Russian an official language alongside Ukrainian. That outraged the Russian-speaking half of the country, and the ban was quickly lifted. But the damage was done. With that one ill-considered piece of legislation, the new leaders had convinced millions of ethnic Russians that a wave of repression awaited them. So it was no surprise on Friday when a livid mob in Crimea attacked a liberal lawmaker who came to reason with them. Struggling to make his case over the screaming throng, Petro Poroshenko was chased back to his car amid cries of “Fascist!”

Making matters worse has been the role of nationalist parties in the new government, including a small but influential group of right-wing radicals known as Pravy Sektor (Right Sector), which embodies some of the greatest fears of Ukraine’s ethnic Russian minority. Its leader, Dmitro Yarosh, has openly referred to Russia as the “centuries-old enemy of Ukraine” and has spent years training a small paramilitary force to fight what he calls “Russian imperialist ambitions.”

In the past week, Ukraine’s new leaders have been scrambling to figure out what to do with Yarosh. His role in the revolution was too significant for them to write him off. Having suffered dozens of casualties in fighting off police during deadly clashes in Kiev last month, his militia members are idolized as heroes by many supporters of the revolution across the country. “It’s a real problem,” says the pro-Western lawmaker Hrihory Nemiriya, whose fellow members of the Fatherland party now hold the interim presidency and premiership. “Right Sector people are very popular, but they are not in the government.”

Yarosh has, however, been offered top positions in Ukraine’s security structures. Zoryan Shkiryak, a revolutionary lawmaker involved in the negotiations over Yarosh’s role in the government, says the right-wing militant was in the running to become Deputy Prime Minister overseeing the security services. “That was on the table,” Shkiryak tells TIME. After much debate, Yarosh was offered the role of deputy head of the National Security Council, but rejected it as beneath him. In his only interview with the Western press, Yarosh told TIME last month that he planned to turn Right Sector into a political party and run for office. “He could run for President,” adds Nemiriya.

Even that possibility has been enough to horrify the Russians in the east and the south, and Moscow has played on those fears to claim that Nazis are coming to power. On Saturday, when Putin asked his upper house of parliament to allow an invasion of Ukraine, the lawmakers had no trouble coming up with a justification. “What’s happening in Ukraine is a true mutiny, a plague of brownshirts,” said one of the Senators, Nikolai Ryzhkov.

In the Crimean capital of Simferopol, that logic took hold. Thousands of people marched through the streets of the city on Saturday carrying enormous Russian flags and chanting “Fascism will not pass!” Dobrynya, the organizer, said her greatest concern was the role of Right Sector in the new government. “We’re supposed to accept these radicals deciding who is going to rule Ukraine? That can’t happen. So thank God we have these wonderful guardians now,” she said, gesturing toward the battalion of Russian marines who were guarding the Crimean parliament building. In four other cities of eastern Ukraine, major demonstrations called for Russia to send similar contingents to protect them from the “fascists.” Now, with the approval of his obedient legislature, Putin seems ready to oblige, surely comforted by the fact that cheering crowds would come out to greet the Russian tanks if they do roll over the border into eastern Ukraine.

We only go to war when a Bush is president.

Ukraine Border Guards Report Russian Armor Build-Up Near Crimea
http://www.nbcnews.com/#/storyline/ukraine-crisis/ukraine-border-guards-report-russian-armor-build-near-crimea-n42831

Ukraine said Russia was building up armored vehicles on its side of a narrow stretch of water near the Ukrainian region of Crimea after President Vladimir Putin said he had the right to invade his neighbor.

Russian ships had been moving in and around the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Sea fleet has a base, and Russian forces had blocked cellphone services in some parts of Crimea, a Ukrainian border guard spokesman said on Monday.

He said the build-up of Russian armor was near a ferry port on the Russian side of what is known as the Kerch Strait, which separates the eastern edge of the Crimea peninsula and the western edge of the Taman Peninsula.

The strait is 2.8 miles wide at its narrowest point and up to 59 feet deep.

"There are armored vehicles on the other side of the strait. We can't predict whether or not they will put any vehicles on the ferry," the spokesman said by telephone.

Russian President Vladimir Putin seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula over the weekend, which has created the greatest confrontation between Russia and the West since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

- Reuters
Attachments:

Russian navy tells Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender – reports
http://www.euronews.com/2014/03/03/russian-navy-tells-ukrainian-forces-in-crimea-to-surrender---reports/

Russia’s navy has reportedly ordered Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender amid a major escalating of the crisis gripping the region.

The ultimatum told Ukraine’s military to surrender by 4am CET or face assault, according to the Interfax news agency.

The agency quoted a source at the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, who said the order was made by fleet commander Alexander Vitko.

The ministry did not immediately confirm the report and there was no immediate comment by the Black Sea Fleet, which has a base in Crimea, where Russian forces are in control.

“If they do not surrender before 5am (local time) tomorrow, a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea,” the agency quoted the ministry source as saying.
Attachments:

We can all sleep tonight. John Kerry is on his way to Ukraine. He'll set them all straight a chase them Ruskies all the way to Siberia.

VVAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We can all sleep tonight. John Kerry is on his way
> to Ukraine. He'll set them all straight a chase
> them Ruskies all the way to Siberia.
Attachments:

Thanks Barack. You stirred up the shit pot and now here's where we are: looking even more helpless than ever.

Ukraine mobilizes troops after Russia's 'declaration of war'
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/02/world/europe/ukraine-politics/

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- As Ukraine's new leaders accused Russia of declaring war, Russia's Prime Minister warned Sunday that blood could be spilled amid growing instability in the neighboring nation.

Kiev mobilized troops and called up military reservists in a rapidly escalating crisis that has raised fears of a conflict. And world leaders pushed for a diplomatic solution.

In a post on his official Facebook page, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called the recent ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych a "seizure of power."

"Such a state of order will be extremely unstable," Medvedev said. "It will end with the new revolution. With new blood."

Officials said signs of Russian military intervention in Ukraine's Crimean peninsula were clear.

Russian generals led their troops to three bases in the region Sunday, demanding Ukrainian forces surrender and hand over their weapons, Vladislav Seleznyov, spokesman for the Crimean Media Center of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, told CNN.

By late Sunday, Russian forces had "complete operational control of the Crimean Peninsula," a senior U.S. administration official said. The United States estimates there are 6,000 Russian ground and naval forces in the region, the official said.

"There is no question that they are in an occupation position -- flying in reinforcements and settling in," another senior administration official said.

Speaking by phone, Seleznyov said Russian troops had blocked access to bases but added, "There is no open confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian military forces in Crimea" and said Ukrainian troops continue to protect and serve Ukraine.

"This is a red alert. This is not a threat. This is actually a declaration of war to my country," Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said.

Speaking in a televised address from the parliament building in the capital, Kiev, he called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "pull back his military and stick to the international obligations."

"We are on the brink of the disaster."

A strange scene, somewhat polite standoff in Crimea

Kerry heading to Kiev

A sense of escalating crisis in Crimea -- an autonomous region of eastern Ukraine with strong loyalty to neighboring Russia -- swirled, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry condemning what he called Russia's "incredible act of aggression."

Speaking on the CBS program "Face The Nation," Kerry -- who is set to arrive in Kiev on Tuesday -- said several foreign powers are looking at economic consequences if Russia does not withdraw its forces.

"All of them, every single one of them are prepared to go to the hilt in order to isolate Russia with respect to this invasion," he said. "They're prepared to put sanctions in place, they're prepared to isolate Russia economically."

Kerry rebukes Russia's 'incredible act of aggression'

But Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations said his country needs more than diplomatic assistance.

"We are to demonstrate that we have our own capacity to protect ourselves ... and we are preparing to defend ourselves," Yuriy Sergeyev said on CNN's "State of the Union." "And nationally, if aggravation is going in that way, when the Russian troops ... are enlarging their quantity with every coming hour ... we will ask for military support and other kinds of support."

Pushing diplomatic possibilities

In Brussels, Belgium, NATO ambassadors held an emergency meeting on Ukraine.

"What Russia is doing now in Ukraine violates the principles of the U.N. charter," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters. He later added that Russia's actions constituted a violation of international law.

He called upon Russia to honor its international commitments, to send it military forces back to Russian bases, and to refrain from any further interference in Ukraine.

Rasmussen also urged both sides to reach a peaceful resolution through diplomatic talks and suggested that international observers from the United Nations should be sent to Ukraine.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office said Putin had accepted a proposal to establish a "fact-finding mission" to Ukraine, possibly under the leadership of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and to start a political dialogue.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon dispatched a special envoy to Ukraine Sunday evening, a spokesman for his office said.

Lean to the West, or to Russia?

Ukraine, a nation of 45 million people sandwiched between Europe and Russia's southwestern border, has been plunged into chaos since the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22 following bloody street protests that left dozens dead and hundreds wounded.
Anti-government protests started in late November when Yanukovych spurned a deal with the EU, favoring closer ties with Moscow instead.

Ukraine has faced a deepening split, with those in the west generally supporting the interim government and its European Union tilt, while many in the east prefer a Ukraine where Russia casts a long shadow.

Nowhere is that feeling more intense than in Crimea, the last big bastion of opposition to the new political leadership. Ukraine suspects Russia of fomenting tension in the autonomous region that might escalate into a bid for separation by its Russian majority.

Ukrainian leaders and commentators have compared events in Crimea to what happened in Georgia in 2008. Then, cross-border tensions with Russia exploded into a five-day conflict that saw Russian tanks and troops pour into the breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as Georgian cities. Russia and Georgia each blamed the other for starting the conflict.

By Sunday night, electricity had been cut off at the headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy in Crimea, and officials feared there could soon be an attack, Seleznyov said.

CNN has not independently verified that claim, and Russian officials could not be immediately reached to respond.

Military maneuvering

Word of the power outage came hours after the newly named head of Ukraine's navy disavowed Ukraine's new leaders and declared his loyalty to the pro-Russian, autonomous Crimea government.

Rear Adm. Denis Berezovsky, who was appointed Saturday by interim Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov, said from Sevastopol on the Black Sea that he will not submit to any orders from Kiev.

He was quickly suspended and replaced by another rear admiral, the Defense Ministry in Kiev said in a written statement.

These scenes come one day after Putin obtained permission from his parliament to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine, spurning Western pleas not to intervene.

Putin cited in his request a threat posed to Russian citizens and military personnel based in southern Crimea.

Ukrainian officials have vehemently denied Putin's claim.

Western governments worried

The crisis set off alarm bells in the West and fueled a stern rebuke from the leaders of the G7 nations of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In a statement Sunday, they condemned Russia's "clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," saying they were temporarily suspending activities related to preparation for June's G8 Summit in Sochi, Russia.

Canada recalled its ambassador to Moscow.

Senior Obama administration officials Sunday portrayed Russia's intervention in Ukraine as weak, describing it in a conference call with reporters as a kind of desperate measure from a man who realizes he has lost support of the international community.

When asked what concrete measures the administration has taken to signal its strong opposition to Russian involvement in Ukraine, the officials noted that planning meetings about the upcoming G8 summit in Sochi had been canceled. In the long term, economic sanctions could be employed, they said. The officials declined to be more specific about what those sanctions might involve.

In discussions over the weekend with Putin, Obama "made clear that Russia's continued violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would negatively impact Russia's standing in the international community," according to a statement released by the White House.

During that call, one administration official said, Putin did not "slam the door" to the idea that international monitors could travel to Ukraine to make sure violence doesn't flare up, one official said.

According to the Kremlin, Putin told Obama that Russia reserves the right to defend its interests in the Crimea region and the Russian-speaking people who live there.

Obama met Sunday with his national security team and called U.S. allies afterward, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said he and Obama were of the same mind when they spoke on Sunday.

"We agreed Russia's actions are unacceptable and there must be significant costs if they don't change course," Cameron posted on his verified Twitter account.

Cameron also planned to talk with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Britain's Foreign Minister William Hague arrived Sunday in Kiev, where he will meet with Ukraine leaders.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Russian forces have "complete operational control" of Crimea, a U.S. official says
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Kiev Tuesday
Ukrainian PM says Russian actions are "a declaration of war"
G7 leaders condemn Russia's "clear violation" of Ukraine's sovereignty

U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Oval Office of the White House, talks on the phone March 1 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Attachments:

20 questions: What is Russia's interest in Ukraine?
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/01/world/europe/ukraine-protests-explainer/index.html?hpt=bosread

(CNN) -- Russia approved the use of military force in Ukraine on Saturday, despite warnings of consequences from the West, and Ukraine responded by saying any invasion into its territory would be illegitimate.

The acting prime minister has gone so far as to say that a Russian invasion would mean war and an end to his country's relationship with Russia.

But there are so many questions as to how Ukraine arrived at this point: Why is Russia so interested in happenings there? Why does the West want to prevent Russian intervention? How did we get here? Why have thousands of protesters staked their lives, seemingly, on their desire for political change? And why has the government resisted their calls so vehemently?

Let's take a look:

1. Why has Russia gotten so involved?

Eastern Ukraine and the Crimea have closer ties to Russia, while Western Ukraine is more friendly with Europe. Many Eastern Ukrainians still speak Russian, and the 2010 presidential elections divided the country with Eastern Ukraine voting heavily in favor of pro-Russia Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. On Saturday, the Kremlin issued a statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President Barack Obama that Russia approved military action in Ukraine because it "reserves the right to defend its interests and the Russian-speaking people who live there."

2. Hasn't Yanukovych stepped down?

The Ukraine Parliament voted him out of power and he has fled to Russia. However, in a press conference Friday, the former President said -- in Russian rather than Ukrainian -- that he was not overthrown. He insisted he was still the boss and that he wants nothing more than to lead his country to peace, harmony and prosperity. While it's unclear if he could return to power, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations blamed members of the European Union for the bloody demonstrations that led to Yanukovych's ouster.

3. What will happen in Ukraine if Russia sends troops there?

Top Ukrainian officials, including the acting President and prime minister, have said they are prepared to defend the country. They've also said that any invasion would be illegitimate, a response echoed by the United States, which has told Russia to respect Ukraine's sovereignty.

4. Would there be international backlash to a Russian incursion?

The United Nations has warned Russia against military action, while Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Putin "dialogue must be the only tool in ending the crisis." International leaders have also denounced the prospect of Russian involvement, while Obama has warned there would be consequences if Russia acted militarily.

5. What sort of consequences?

Obama hasn't been specific other than to say Russia could face "greater political and economic isolation" and that the United States "will suspend upcoming participation in preparatory meetings for the G-8" in Sochi. Several Republican leaders in Congress have called on the President to take a tougher stand.

6. What are Obama's options?

Sanctions, of course, top the list of options, but the United States will need to prepare for the backlash. Former presidential adviser David Gergen says Putin would consider any sanctions "small potatoes" compared to keeping control of Crimea, while Putin could pull his support for Obama's initiative to reduce nuclear threats in the world, including in Iran. Christopher Hill, former U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Macedonia, Iraq and Poland, says imposing sanctions also raises the risk of alienating a superpower. "That means 20 years of trying to work with Russia down the drain," he said.

7. What started the turmoil in Ukraine?

Protests initially erupted over a trade pact. For a year, Yanukovych insisted he was intent on signing a historical political and trade agreement with the European Union. But on November 21, he decided to suspend talks with the EU.

8. What would the pact have done?

The deal, the EU's "Eastern Partnership," would have created closer political ties and generated economic growth. It would have opened borders to trade and set the stage for modernization and inclusion, supporters of the pact said.

9. Why did Yanukovych backpedal?

He had his reasons. Chief among them was Russia's opposition to it. Russia threatened its much smaller neighbor with trade sanctions and steep gas bills if Ukraine forged ahead. If Ukraine didn't, and instead joined a Moscow-led Customs Union, it would get deep discounts on natural gas, Russia said.

10. Were there any other reasons?

Yes, a more personal one. Yanukovych also was facing a key EU demand that he was unwilling to meet: Free former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, his bitter political opponent. Two years ago, she was found guilty of abuse of office in a Russian gas deal and sentenced to seven years in prison, in a case widely seen as politically motivated. Her supporters say she needs to travel abroad for medical treatment.

11. What happened next?

Many Ukrainians were outraged. They took to the streets, demanding that Yanukovych sign the EU deal. Their numbers swelled. The demonstrations drew parallels to Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution, which booted Yanukovych, then a prime minister, from office.

12. Who's heading the opposition?

It's not just one figure, but a coalition. The best known figure is Vitali Klitschko. He's a former world champion boxer (just like his brother Wladimir). Klitschko heads the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms party. But the opposition bloc goes well beyond Klitschko and the UDAR. There's also Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

13. How did Yanukovych react?

In a way that inflamed passions further. He flew to Moscow, where he and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia would buy $15 billion in Ukrainian debt and slash the price Kiev pays for its gas. And then, when the demonstrations showed no signs of dying down, he adopted a sweepting anti-protest law.

14. What did the anti-protest law say?

The law barred people from wearing helmets and masks to rallies and from setting up tents or sound equipment without prior police permission. This sparked concerns it could be used to put down demonstrations and deny people the right to free speech -- and clashes soon escalated. The demonstrators took over City Hall for the better part of three months.

15. But wasn't the law repealed?

Yes, ultimately it was. Amid intense pressure, deputies loyal to Yanukovych backtracked and overturned it. But by then, the protests had become about something much bigger: constitutional reform.

16. What change in the constitution did they want to see?

The protesters want to see a change in the government's overall power structure. They feel that too much power rests with Yanukovych and not enough with parliament.

17. What did the government do?

In late January, the President offered a package of concessions under which Yatsenyuk, the opposition leader, would have become the prime minister and, under the President's offer, been able to dismiss the government. He also offered Klitschko the post of deputy prime minister on humanitarian issues. He also agreed to a working group looking at changes to the constitution. But the opposition refused.

18. Why did the opposition pass on the offer?

The concessions weren't enough to satisfy them. They said Yanukovych had hardly loosened his grip on the government, nor had he seemingly reined in authorities' approach to protesters. "We're finishing what we started," Yatsenyuk said.

19. Who was to blame for the clashes?

Depends on whom you ask. The government pointed the finger at protesters. The opposition, in turn, blamed the government.

20. What's the takeaway here?

Street protests that started in November over a trade pact swelled into something much bigger -- resulting in the former President fleeing to Russia for safety while still claiming to be the official leader of the country. With Russian troops rumored to be preparing for hostilities in the Crimea, the future of the region and the resulting effect on U.S.-Russian relations appears shaky.

Thank you - that was quite informative. Honest question - what is the US's interest in the Ukraine (i.e., why do we care)?

Interesting link to a Keiv newspaper.

http://www.kyivpost.com/

IvanTheTerrible Wrote:
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> Interesting link to a Keiv newspaper.
>
> http://www.kyivpost.com/


Thanks for posting the link and not the entire fucking article like the pinheads that preceded you.

gt3 Wrote:
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> We only go to war when a Bush is president.


and then only with tiny, primitive countries that can't inflict many US casualties.

Russia would hit us back, and HARD. So, the answer is a resounding NO.

U NIGUR

Yes.

They gonna have a darft of 19,000 peoples

Yes, so you little FCPS shits better quit wishing for snow days or before you know it you will be lugging a pack and a rifle in the frozen wasteland of Crimea.

Stabitha Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, so you little FCPS shits better quit wishing
> for snow days or before you know it you will be
> lugging a pack and a rifle in the frozen wasteland
> of Crimea.

Did you lug a pack and a rifle,Mr.Stabitha? Would you please tell us about your war experiences. Which war or conflict were you in? Did you receive any medals? I have all night to here your stories since there isn't school today.

Dont accept any private messages from him kid. He's not a normal adult.

Putin: Russia has no plans to annex Ukraine's Crimea region
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-tensions/

Simferopol, Ukraine (CNN) -- Russia is not considering trying to make Crimea a part of Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday. Only people who live in Crimea can determine their future, he said.

However, Putin, speaking to a handful of reporters Tuesday in Moscow, was harshly critical of Kiev's new leaders.

He said ousted Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych is the legitimate leader of the nation, and the country's interim government is the result of a coup.

He called the parliament in Ukraine "partly legitimate" but said the country's acting president is not.

Putin also said the shaky new government has destabilized the southern and eastern parts of the country since taking power, and that Yanukovych, who is wanted in Ukraine, did not give orders to shoot demonstrators during the protests that eventually led to his ouster.

Then, turning to the troop buildup in the Russian-dominated autonomous region of Crimea, Putin said Ukraine is a brotherly neighbor of Russia -- and that the troops there have much in common. He also said Russian forces have not fired a shot since they crossed into Crimea.

Putin said any use of military force in Ukraine would be the last resort.

But, he said, it would be "completely legitimate" because it was at the request of Yanukovych and in line with Russia's duty to protect people with historic ties to Russia, both cultural and economic.

He said any damage from sanctions imposed by the West against Russia would be multilateral.

Putin also pointed out what he sees as a double standard by leaders in the United States and other Western countries.

He said the United States acted in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya without a U.N. resolution authorizing that action or by "twisting" U.N. resolutions.

Ordered back

Earlier Tuesday, Russian troops taking part in military exercises near the Ukrainian border were ordered back to their bases Tuesday -- but thousands of others remain in control of much of Crimea.

Russian state media said Putin ordered the troops' return after six days of snap exercises at Ukraine's doorstep. The move came the same day that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, to discuss aid to the financially-strapped country.

Putin's reported order was hardly a move to deescalate tension in the autonomous region in southeastern Ukraine. Russia had said the exercises, which began Wednesday, were always meant to end March 3.

Sergey Astahov, assistant to the head of the Ukraine Security Border Service told CNN that Russian troops and vehicles still remain near Ukraine's eastern border with Russia.

On Tuesday, a team from the International Monetary Fund is also expected in Kiev to begin a fact-finding mission that will look at possible financial help and necessary reforms.

The Ukrainian Parliament ratified an agreement Tuesday to receive loans from the European Union worth 610 million euros, the equivalent of nearly $839 million. The parliament is based in Kiev, where many emphasize ties to the West, as opposed to people in eastern Ukraine, where loyalty to Russia runs deep.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday that the United States is examining a series of economic and diplomatic steps to "isolate Russia," and he called on Congress to work with his administration on an economic assistance package for Ukraine.

Report: Ukrainian forces defect

An eerie standoff continued in Crimea Tuesday, with no shot fired in anger on either side but tensions high.

The crisis has divided many in the majority ethnic Russian region, which hosts a major Russian naval base in the port of Sevastopol.

At least 700 Ukrainian soldiers and officers defected Tuesday, announcing their readiness to defend the population of Crimea, RIA Novosti said, citing a spokesman for the newly installed Crimean authority.

A reported ultimatum for Ukrainian forces to surrender to the Russian forces early Tuesday passed without incident, however.

Vladislav Seleznyov, head of the Ukranian Defense Ministry press office in Crimea, told CNN it had been largely quiet in Crimea overnight.

A group of pro-Russian Cossacks in civilian dress attempted to attack the Ukrainian naval headquarters in Sevastopol, Seleznyov said, but Ukrainian forces repelled the attack and no shots were fired.

Crimean Tatar TV also aired footage of a confrontation that took place Tuesday between Ukrainian soldiers and Russian forces at Belbek Air Base, near Sevastopol.

Russian forces are seen firing warning shots into the air, warning unarmed Ukrainian soldiers from approaching them. The Ukrainians are seen walking towards the Russians carrying a Soviet-era military banner and Ukrainian flag. At one point, a Ukrainian leading the troops refers to the two sides as "brother nations" and calls for negotiations.

The commander of the Belbek base, Yuli Mamchun, told CNN his forces had received a demand to put down their weapons by noon local time. They have refused to comply, he said, adding that it was the latest in long line of demands.

Mamchun said a number of men dressed as Ukraine's notorious Berkut riot police were at the entrance to the base. The country's interim authorities disbanded the elite police unit soon after taking office.

On Monday evening, Russian troops also moved into the Russian side of a narrow sea channel dividing Russia and Crimea, opposite the Ukrainian city of Kerch.

Russia ordered the surprise military exercises on Ukraine's doorstep Wednesday, saying they were intended to check its troops' combat readiness.

On Tuesday, Peskov said that Putin had ordered the troops' return after he was briefed on the success of the exercises. Russia insisted that the exercises, which involved more than 150,000 troops, were always meant to end on March 3.

The military maneuvers are not just on land.

The flagship of the Ukrainian Navy's Black Sea fleet, the frigate Hetman Saraidachny, is headed back to the Black Sea, the Ukrainian consulate in Istanbul said. Ukrainian nationals in Istanbul are expected to gather on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait later Tuesday to cheer the ship as it passes.

Earlier Tuesday, two Russian warships steamed up the Bosphorus toward the Black Sea.

'Chaos and anarchy'

At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Monday to discuss the unfolding crisis, Ukraine's envoy asked for help, saying that Russia had used planes, boats and helicopters to flood the Crimean Peninsula with 16,000 troops in the past week.

"So far, Ukrainian armed forces have exercised restraint and refrained from active resistance to the aggression, but they are in full operational readiness," Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev said.

As diplomats at the meeting asked Russia to withdraw its troops and called for mediation to end the crisis, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted his country's aims were preserving democracy, protecting millions of Russians in Ukraine and stopping radical extremists.

He said ousted President Viktor Yanukovych remains Ukraine's elected leader and has asked Russia to send troops.

The Russian envoy read a letter from Yanukovych at the U.N. meeting, describing Ukraine as a country "on the brink of civil war," plagued by "chaos and anarchy."

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said Russia's claims about the situation in Ukraine are untrue and warned that sending military forces "could be devastating."

Yanukovych, she said, abandoned his post last month and was then voted out of office by Ukraine's democratically elected parliament.

"Russian military action is not a human rights protection mission," Power said. "It is a violation of international law."

In weekend media interviews, Kerry similarly accused Russia of invading Ukraine on a "completely trumped-up pretext"and described Moscow's actions as "a brazen act of aggression."

Russia's Foreign Ministry condemned his remarks late Monday, saying the Secretary of State had made "unacceptable threats against Russia."

what a waste of time

no

putin knows how hard american politicians will work against their own citizens to maintain a high hog lifestyle within their pyramid and keep a militia to assault citizens who are abused

-----------------------
putin has business there. it's not a game the polititians ran the ukraine bankrupt and the military there wants to keep doing it

blood will run either way. putin has no choice.

I'm reading that China is siding with Russia on this. This is BAD news. We can not afford to piss off China! If we do, how the hell are we going to watch TV?


I better not risk it, I'm going to WalMart right now and maxing out my credit cards on new TVs. Be prepared, I always say.

Political, military standoff escalates in Ukraine's Crimea region
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/07/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/

Sevastopol, Ukraine (CNN) -- Pro-Russian troops reportedly smash open the gates of a Ukrainian base. Russia's navy traps Ukrainian ships. Armed men refuse to allow military observers to enter Ukraine's Crimea region.

The crisis in Ukraine took on a decidedly military flavor Friday as tensions flared between Moscow and Kiev over control of Crimea, even as the world's diplomats said conflict could be avoided.

Crimea, a self-governing peninsula in southern Ukraine with an ethnic Russian majority and strong cultural ties to Russia, has become the epicenter of a battle for influence between Moscow, Kiev and the West since Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was pushed out of office by protesters who were angered over his rebuff of a trade deal with the European Union in favor of one with Russia.

In the days since Yanukovych was ousted, thousands of Russian troops have surrounded military bases and key infrastructure sites, and they have taken control of border crossings.

At the same time, a political battle has been playing out between the two countries, with Russia's Parliament on Friday giving its defiant support to Crimean lawmakers who want to see their region split from Ukraine and join Russia.

Complete coverage on the Ukraine crisis

Political moves

The lawmakers' unanimous call for a vote on separation prompted howls of outrage Thursday in the United States and Europe and the threat of sanctions, including asset freezes, visa bans and travel bans.

The delegation from the Crimean Parliament, which said it would put the decision to a public vote on March 16, headed to Moscow on Friday and got a very different reaction.

Valentina Matvienko, speaker of Russia's upper house of Parliament, told the Crimean delegation it would "support and welcome" any decision made by the Crimean people to become a part of Russia.

Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk condemned talk of a split.

"I want to warn separatists and other traitors of the Ukrainian state who are trying to work against Ukraine, any of your decisions taken is unlawful, unconstitutional, and nobody in the civilized world is going to recognize the results of the so-called referendum of the so-called Crimean authorities," he said Friday.

Russia has denounced Yanukovych's ouster as an illegitimate coup, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to recognize the new Ukrainian authorities.

Putin has insisted he has the right to use military force in Ukraine if necessary to protect ethnic Russians in Crimea.

But Ukrainian officials say no threat exists, and Putin is using it as a pretext to control the region.

Map: How Ukraine is divided

U.S. President Barack Obama set out a potential solution to the crisis when he spoke to Putin on Thursday, the White House said.

The proposal includes direct talks between Kiev and Moscow, the withdrawal of Russian forces, international support for elections on May 25, and the presence of international monitors to "ensure that the rights of all Ukrainians are protected, including ethnic Russians," Obama said.

Crimean threat?

What has mostly been a peaceful standoff in Crimea, with virtually no sign of Ukrainian military movement, appeared to take a turn on Friday when pro-Russian forces smashed open the gates of a Ukrainian base near Sevastopol that controls airspace in southern Ukraine, Vitaly Onishenko, a deputy commander at the base, told CNN.

Ukraine's military spokesman initially said the forces were Cossacks, akin to Russian paramilitary troops, but Onishenko later dismissed that claim and said the forces were Russian and wore military uniforms with no insignia.

Ukrainian troops refused to surrender and barricaded themselves inside a control room, Onishenko said.

Outside the base, self-styled Crimean defense forces, similar to local militias, attacked journalists, he said. At least one person, believed to be a journalist, was injured and taken to a hospital, he said.

The standoff at the base eventually ended with the Russian-speaking forces pulling back to the outside of the base, Onishenko said.

Ukrainian authorities also reported that the Russian Black Sea Fleet sank a second of its own, old ships at the entrance to Lake Donuzlav, an inlet on the western coast of Crimea that is home to a Ukrainian naval base. Viktor Shmihanovsky, vice commander of the base, told CNN that several Ukrainian naval ships are now trapped inside.

Unidentified armed troops also have blocked unarmed European military observers from entering the country for the second straight day.

Masked men carrying rifles and wearing camouflage uniforms stopped the 43 observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, a regional security organization, at a checkpoint separating the mainland from the Crimean peninsula, CNN's Matthew Chance said.

One man, speaking in Russian, said: "I've been ordered by the government of Crimea not to let anyone in."

Live: Ukraine crisis updates

And in signs that the pro-Russian Crimean authorities are clamping down on dissent within the peninsula, at least two Ukrainian channels, 1+1 and Channel 5, have been blocked from broadcasting. The head of 1+1 told CNN that Russian state TV outlet Channel One is now broadcasting on its frequency.

A Bulgarian freelance journalist and his colleague also were assaulted while filming in Simferopol, the regional capital. The journalist told CNN he was wrestled to the ground, and a gun was put to his head.

The incident was captured on surveillance footage and aired on a Ukrainian TV channel, Hromadske TV.

The standoff has also prompted neighboring countries and their allies to boost military defenses, with the United States beefing up its number of fighter jets in Lithuania and Poland.

The USS Truxton, a guided-missile destroyer, was also heading to the Black Sea to join in pre-planned military exercises with Romanian and Bulgarian forces.

Asset freezes, visa bans

Meanwhile, as the West seeks to put the diplomatic squeeze on Russia, European Union nations said they'll suspend some talks with Russia and have threatened travel bans, asset freezes and the cancellation of a planned EU-Russia summit.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told French public radio Friday that tougher measures are planned if Moscow doesn't act to de-escalate the situation.

"And if another attempt is made, then we would enter into something completely different -- that is to say serious consequences for the relations between Europe and Russia," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned against sanctions, saying in a statement that they would "inevitably boomerang" on the United States.

But there's help on hand for the fledgling government in Kiev.

Ukraine's new government and the EU have agreed to revive a trade deal and an aid package that could bring $15 million to Ukraine.



CNN reporter told to stop broadcasting

Stopping Crimea from rejoining Russia

Ukrainians react to Crimea referendum The International Monetary Fund is also ready to help, the head of the agency's European section said. NATO is willing to help Ukraine's military "modernize and strengthen," Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told CNN's Becky Anderson on Friday.

Such aid is desperately needed.

The Russian gas company, Gazprom, has not received any payment from Ukraine in February, according to the company's CEO, the Russian state news agency Itar-Tass, reported Friday.

CEO Alexey Miller said Gazprom cannot give Ukraine gas for free, Itar-Tass reported.

In Crimea: 'We will protect our land from Western extremists'

Paralympic protest

Ukraine's Paralympic team sent just one member to participate in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in the Russian city of Sochi, said Dmitry Bulatov, Ukrainian minister of sports and youth.

The decision to boycott the ceremonies, with the exception of a single flag bearer, was made unanimously by the team, he said.

"This is how our team expresses protest against aggressors and occupants entering our land," Bulatov said.

Official delegations from the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, Canada and Poland earlier announced plans not to attend the Games. Athletes from those countries will still compete.

Map of Crimea

Map of CrimeaMuslim minority fears for safety

Russian speakers make up about 60% of Crimea's population of more than 2 million, but around a quarter are Ukrainian and 12% are Crimean Tatar, a predominately Muslim minority. Neither of the latter two groups would welcome a switch to Russian control.

A CNN crew met with Crimean Tatars in the town of Bakhchisaray amid fears for their safety that have reminded some of past oppression under the Soviet Union.

Many spent years in exile -- in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or other Soviet republics -- after the Soviet Union deported them for supposedly collaborating with Adolf Hitler.

"It is not legal," one elderly man said. "We are the original nation of Crimea. Our Khan state was here. Russia left us with no rights.

"We don't want to be with Russia, we want to be with Ukraine," he said.

Ukraine PM: Crimea 'was, is and will be an integral part of Ukraine'

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Pro-Russian forces face off with Ukrainian troops at Crimea base

NEW: Journalists are attacked by self-styled pro-Russian defense forces

European observers turned back from entering Crimea by armed men for a second day

Russian Parliament says it'll back Crimea separation vote despite sanctions threat

Because Kiev is chicken

Too longings, so read I did not. Yippy kiayings fuck mother now please.

Not any time soon. 0bama and Biden are on spring break.....

If they do be interesting to see what happens when a KGB Agent meets an Acorn community organizer!

My wife is Russian. We've been arguing a lot lately. Is this all somehow related?

Not A Mail Order Husband Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My wife is Russian. We've been arguing a lot
> lately. Is this all somehow related?

Probably.

no George Bush is no longer president so no-go on this one...

So let's say sometime in the future so many Mexicans move into Texas that the southern half is basically Mexico with better plumbing. The fine citizens vote to return that part of Texas to Mexico. Does the Mexican army (this is the FUTURE remember) move over the border to secure the new part of Mexico? Does the US send in the troops to secure this land area? Or do we say good riddance and thanks for all the burritos?

Kardiac17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So let's say sometime in the future so many
> Mexicans move into Texas that the southern half is
> basically Mexico with better plumbing. The fine
> citizens vote to return that part of Texas to
> Mexico. Does the Mexican army (this is the FUTURE
> remember) move over the border to secure the new
> part of Mexico? Does the US send in the troops to
> secure this land area? Or do we say good riddance
> and thanks for all the burritos?


I say, as long as they take all the Texans with them, GO FOR IT!

Win-win situation.

West Is Ruled 'By The Gun,' Putin Says As He Annexes Crimea
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/18/291032917/putin-moves-to-annex-crimea

The Russian leader has approved legislation to draw that part of Ukraine into the Russian Federation — over the objections of new leaders in Kiev and despite Western sanctions.

Wasting no time and showing no sign that he's concerned about Western objections or economic sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday annexed Crimea.

Putin "notified Russia's parliament of his intention to make Crimea a part of the Russian Federation, defying the United States and Europe just hours after they imposed their first financial sanctions against Moscow since the crisis in Ukraine began," The New York Times writes.

The Russian leader is due to address his parliament at 7 a.m. ET. According to the BBC, "Russian news website Gazeta.ru, quoting sources, says that after the speech, President Putin and the speaker of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, are expected to sign an agreement on Crimea's 'entry into the Russian Federation.' "

We'll monitor the news from Putin's speech and update with highlights. RT.com is webcasting the address here.



Update at 7:50 a.m. ET. Crimea Brought Into Russian Federation:

Saying that he is responding to the "will of the Crimean people" and the referendum approved by citizens of that region on Sunday, Putin just confirmed that Russia is absorbing "the republic of Crimea" and the city of Sevastopol into its federation. He and a group of Crimea's new leaders are about to sign treaties to make that happen.

Update at 7:45 a.m. ET. West Is Guided By "Rule Of The Gun":

Reuters offers this translation of another part of Putin's critique of the U.S. and European Union:



"Our Western partners headed by the United States prefer not to be guided by international law in their practical policies, but by the rule of the gun," he said. "They have come to believe in their exceptionalism and their sense of being the chosen ones. That they can decide the destinies of the world, that it is only them who can be right."

Update at 7:40 a.m. ET. Ukraine Shouldn't Fear Russia, Putin Says:

"To the people of Ukraine," Putin says, "don't trust those who frighten you with Russia. ... We do not want to split Ukraine."

Crimea, he says, "was and will remain both Russian and Ukrainian and Tatarian."

Update at 7:30 a.m. ET. Echoes Of His New York Times Op-Ed:

Throughout his address so far, the Russian leader has spoken critically of the objections to Russia's actions that have been raised by the U.S. and European Union nations. He's making the case that Russia is helping Crimeans determine their own fate, much as the West helped people in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s. His critique calls to mind a New York Times op-ed he wrote last September when the Obama administration was considering the use of force against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Update at 7:25 a.m. ET. Creating "Peaceful Conditions":

Putin says Russia has moved to create "peaceful conditions" in Crimea that give the people there a chance to determine their own fate. He also says Russia only "strengthened" its military presence there and that the size of its forces do not exceed earlier agreements with Ukraine — a claim that Ukrainian leaders dispute, saying Russia has effectively invaded the region.

Update at 7:18 a.m. ET. History, According To Putin:

The Russian leader has used the first 15 minutes or so of his speech to lay out his view of recent Russian-Ukrainian history. He says includes the 1954 handover of Crimea to Ukraine went against international "norms" and lays the blame at the feet of then-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

Update at 7:10 a.m. ET. Standing Ovation:

As he begins his address, Putin asks for a "round of applause" for Crimea, which leads to a standing ovation from the Russian lawmakers.

Our original post picks up the story and adds background:











On 'Morning Edition': Ellen Barry, Moscow correspondent for 'The New York Times,' talks with NPR's Renee Montagne

Sunday, as we reported, an overwhelming majority of those Crimeans who voted said they want their semi-autonomous region, which has been part of Ukraine since 1954, to join the Russian Federation.

On Monday, the U.S. and European Union announced sanctions on some Russians close to Putin who are accused of interfering in Ukrainian affairs. President Obama, European leaders and the new interim government in Ukraine say the vote in Crimea violated both Ukraine's constitution and international law. Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius added that Russia has also been suspended from the "Group of Eight" — the club of leading industrialized nations. The other members had already suspended planning for a G-8 summit in Sochi, Russia, that had been scheduled for June. (Those seven other nations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.S. and the U.K.)

The U.S. and its allies have also condemned the presence of Russian troops and pro-Russian "self-defense forces" in Crimea. Russian forces have effectively been in control on the Crimean Peninsula for most of the past two weeks. They have surrounded or taken control of Ukrainian military bases and other strategic locations. So far, there have been no serious confrontations between the two militaries — Ukrainian forces have stayed in their posts.

Putin says Russia is looking to protect the majority ethnic-Russian population in Crimea from "nationalists" in Ukraine. He also says Russia supports what he calls Crimea's right to "self-determination."

On Tuesday, Putin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the Western sanctions have provoked only "irony and sarcasm" in Russia, Reuters reports.

Here's a quick recap of the crisis in Ukraine and some additional background:



As we've previously said, Crimea has been the focus of attention as the ripple effects of the protests that led to last month's ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych have spread.

Summing up the history and importance of Crimea to Russia and Ukraine isn't possible in just a few sentences, of course. The Parallels blog, though, has published several posts that contain considerable context:

— Crimea: 3 Things To Know About Ukraine's Latest Hot Spot

— Crimea: A Gift To Ukraine Becomes A Political Flash Point

— Why Ukraine Is Such A Big Deal For Russia

We've recapped what set off months of protest in Kiev and ultimately led to Yanukovych's dismissal by his nation's parliament last month this way:

"The protests were sparked in part by the president's rejection of a pending trade treaty with the European Union and his embrace of more aid from Russia. Protesters were also drawn into the streets to demonstrate against government corruption."

It was after Yanukovych left Kiev and headed for the Russian border that troops moved to take control of strategic locations in Crimea.
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Quite the dilema. It looks like Putin is starting to creep into the eastern part of Ukrain. What's next? Try to divide the Ukrain so he gets the east?

How do we know where he'll stop?
Is Crimea enough?

The notion of war with russia is unthinkable. But to what degree are we going to let him "take what he wants"? BTW, anything we do should be the european collective, not just the US.

Conflict can exist on many levels, as it did during the Cold War. Russia has used the subterfuge of "requests for help" to take territory from both Georgia (in 2008) and Ukraine (in 2014), as the Soviet Union did in the Baltics and elsewhere so long ago. It is Russia, not just Putin, that has done this and its actions have earned it pariah status. Europe conducts a lot of trade with Russia and depends on Russia for energy resources. The U.S. held back out of concern for Europe's interests. But I think that even Europe has to admit that its inaction has led Russia to do this.

The U.S. and Europe (i.e., NATO members) should now apply harsh sanctions against Russia's leaders, including Putin; and against Russia itself. NATO should accept Ukraine as a member and immediately move NATO troops into Ukraine and Georgia. Russia will respond by fomenting unrest in Eastern Ukraine and in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which NATO should prepare to quell without mistreating ethnic Russians there. The U.S. should now position those missile defense batteries in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia has chosen to shove its hand in the face of NATO and the world community. That kind of behavior demands a response.

yes we are and i'm selling bomb shelters and strategic planning kits

there is no more destructive power in the world than wee

any war they can scrape together will pale in comparison
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The US' hands aren't exactly clean. Viet Nam. Iraq. Afghanistan. Libya. Somalia. Syria, almost. Iran, maybe still. Guantanamo. Waterboarding. Don't forget the Monroe Doctrine. There are US Marines in Australia now.

revise history much? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The US' hands aren't exactly clean. Viet Nam.
> Iraq. Afghanistan. Libya. Somalia. Syria, almost.
> Iran, maybe still. Guantanamo. Waterboarding.
> Don't forget the Monroe Doctrine. There are US
> Marines in Australia now.


Western Europe basically enslaved and colonized Africa yet fought against Hitler. Are you suggesting nobody do anything because of the past? I'm currently witnessing the logic of the people who wanted to ignore what Hitler and Imperial Japan did in the 1930s.

Your point? Are you in favor of US actions in those conflicts? No? Then are you in favor of Russia's actions in Crimea? Do you think Australia should not have the right to allow US Marines to be based there?

revise history much? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The US' hands aren't exactly clean. Viet Nam.
> Iraq. Afghanistan. Libya. Somalia. Syria, almost.
> Iran, maybe still. Guantanamo. Waterboarding.
> Don't forget the Monroe Doctrine. There are US
> Marines in Australia now.

It's getting worse too, the fighting has started and people are starting to die...


Ukrainian Navy HQ stormed, flags replaced
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Simferopol, Crimea (CNN) -- A day after Russia claimed Crimea as its own, there are signs the uneasy standoff between pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces could ignite into bloody conflict.

Almost 300 armed pro-Russian supporters took over the Ukrainian navy's headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, said Marina Kanalyuk, assistant to the commander of Ukraine's navy fleet.

"They are everywhere here. They surround us. They threaten us," she said, adding that she was sure that Russian security forces were involved.

Kanalyuk said the 70 or so Ukrainian naval officers at the headquarters had tried to stop the armed men from entering and were now negotiating with them. So far, no shots have been fired, she said.

The men replaced flags on the masts with the Russian and St. Andrew's flag, the naval flag of the Russian Federation, Russia's official Itar-Tass news agency reported. The news agency denied any involvement of Russian military.

The incident comes a day after one member of the Ukrainian military was killed, another wounded and more captured when masked gunmen seized their base near the Crimean regional capital, Simferopol.

In the wake of that fatality -- the first Ukrainian military death since the Crimea crisis erupted about two weeks ago -- Ukraine's defense ministry authorized its forces to open fire.

And Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk warned that the crisis was shifting "from political to the military form, and the blame is on the Russian military."

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema and acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh are traveling from Kiev to Crimea on Wednesday "to prevent the escalation of conflict," said Sergiy Nahoryanski, head of the Ukrainian government's press center.

It's not clear whether they will be able to gain access to the region. International observers have been turned away from Crimea in recent days and flights have also been limited.

Tuesday saw Russian President Vladimir Putin announce the annexation of Crimea, after voters in that semiautonomous territory approved a hastily called weekend referendum on separating from Ukraine.

The contested referendum has been condemned by the interim Ukrainian government in Kiev, the United States and the European Union.

But Russia remains steadfastly defiant.

Putin: Crimea has always been Russian

Putin, in a speech greeted by enthusiastic applause by Russian lawmakers, made it clear Tuesday that Moscow has no intention of relinquishing its grip on Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula with historical ties to Russia.

"In our hearts, we know Crimea has always been an inalienable part of Russia," he said.

Of those who cast a ballot, 96.7% voted in favor of Crimea leaving Ukraine and joining Russia. But the ballot questions offered no real option for any residents who wanted to remain part of Ukraine.

Putin said that Russia had to act as Ukraine's new government, backed by the United States and European powers, prepared "to seize the state through terror and murders."

But Yatsenyuk called it "a robbery on an international scale," one that Kiev will never accept.

Russia's Constitutional Court is now considering the constitutionality of the agreement between the Russian Federation and Crimea on its accession to Russia.

The country's lawmakers are expected to vote on ratifying the accession agreement by the end of the week, the speaker of the upper house has said.

Members of the Russian parliament and the new Crimean legislature met Wednesday morning in Moscow to discuss the details of how the region will join Russia.

Rising tensions

Crimean lawmakers have said they now see Ukrainian soldiers as an occupying force and have given them a certain amount of time to leave the peninsula.

The Ukrainian troops have been encircled by pro-Russian forces in their bases for days.

They have also come under pressure from pro-Russian crowds who gather outside and call on those still loyal to Kiev to surrender or defect to Russia's military. CNN teams on the ground have seen Russian forces also show up to reinforce that message.

Putin has denied that Russia's armed forces have been used in Crimea, despite what has been stated by international observers and the government of Kiev. The pro-Russian forces seen in Crimea are Crimean "self-defense" forces, he said.

Putin said the 22,000 Russian troops in Crimea did not enter during the current crisis, but "were already there," in accordance with previous international negotiations.

Russian forces were allowed in Crimea under a treaty that allowed the Black Sea fleet to be based in the port of Sevastopol, but their movements within Crimea are supposed to be agreed upon with Kiev.

Admonitions, sanctions

U.S. and EU officials imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian and Crimean officials Monday and urged Russia to avoid escalating the crisis, but Moscow has ignored those calls.

Tuesday's annexation brought a new round of condemnation from the West, with British Prime Minister David Cameron saying it sends "a chilling message across the continent of Europe."

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
~NEW: Two Ukrainian ministers are heading to Crimea to try to halt "escalation of conflict"
~About 300 armed pro-Russians have stormed the Ukrainian navy HQ, navy staffer says
~It comes a day after a Ukrainian soldier was killed in an attack on a base near Simferopol
~Russia announced the annexation of Crimea Tuesday, after a contested weekend referendum

Go here to watch the news video:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_c2
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Short of an incursion into the US, it isn't worth a fight with the Russians. They are no where near the level of the goat and boy buggerers we have gotten used to "fighting". It would be for real and our over-educated officers couldn't handle leading something like that.

Pick your battles Wrote:
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> Short of an incursion into the US, it isn't worth
> a fight with the Russians. They are no where near
> the level of the goat and boy buggerers we have
> gotten used to "fighting". It would be for real
> and our over-educated officers couldn't handle
> leading something like that.

I agree. Sanctions will be the order of the day and some in-fighting between Uktraine and Crimean soldiers.

In describing the officer corps, I left out "diverse and politically correct" in addition to being over-educated. Not all of them, of course, but more than enough that you could accurately say our military leadership just can't handle Russians.

Pick your battles Wrote:
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> In describing the officer corps, I left out
> "diverse and politically correct" in addition to
> being over-educated. Not all of them, of course,
> but more than enough that you could accurately say
> our military leadership just can't handle
> Russians.


Sadly true. The current US military is like a 4 year old with a Walther P99 (considered the finest handgun made). Best gear by a country mile and the top or near the top in everything else but absolutely no idea who to use it correctly.

Anyone who is familiar with the history of Europe knows that Putin and Hitler have in fact got a lot in common. Hitler annexed Austria and invaded neighboring countries to restore the historical imperial lands of the Holy Roman Empire, Putin has invaded Ukraine and is trying to annex Crimea based on the historical claim that Crimea was a part of the Russian Empire. Hitler was a dictator with vast popularity in Germany, just like Putin in Russia. Hitler used fascist propaganda against his opponents, just like Putin does against the Ukrainians and the West. In fact they have so much in common that Putin has been given a new name - Putler.

I think one of the analysts on the Diane Rheahm show said it best..."Putin is a carnivore. The problem is, he's a carnivore in a world occupied by vegetarians"

Far too many ignorant Americans are falling for Putin's BS claims about Ukrainians thanks to their gullibility and pure hatred for any position their President takes.

Shame on you fools.

Tea Party nut jobs are in my opinion one step removed from insane and being classified as traitors. Why don't FOX News and its followers join Putin behind his Iron Curtain skirt?

Artificial countries have very short half lives. A country not founded on basis of ethnic nationality cannot last long.

It stands to reason, then, the US shouldn't have lasted as long as we have - after all, our "ethnic nationality" is what, exactly? This is a country and society built by the misfit children of ages past, and somehow we pulled it all together (yea, plenty of rocky roads to get here, and plenty more still ahead), but we make it work. I don't understand your statement. Obviously when the Ukraine was formed, there was some sort of national cohesion which kept the country from being torn apart by various entities and divided up amongst them, so what has changed?

The people of Ukraine got sick of dealing with the type of dictator that too often rises to power in that region - a person who uses their office and the resources of their country to amass personal wealth and stuff, while the country sees no real reward for their toil. It becomes utterly disheartening, and eventually, it leads to violence. This is the essence of the Ukrainian coup, and now, while they are trying to establish a government which will actually work for them (whatever form that will take), Russia and Crimea decide to act in a manner which is against the concept of a state claiming it's independence. There is nothing wrong with a group of people in a common geographical area from deciding they want to do things their own way; however, the problem is when those actions are not done in accordance with the international standard. You may argue they have been done, but if so, why would Russia feel the need to move it's military down there to begin with. This whole process surely has a peaceful means of coming to an end, if followed properly. It may not be a "gun-point referendum", but there is certainly some untold story as to why this is happening now, and what is actually going on. Bottom line: if Crimea wants to be a part of Russia, they should have petitioned the UN and Kiev to allow them to hold the vote, and in the event of one of those bodies saying no, THEN you have a cause for this type of purposefully ignited conflict.

CyFFx Wrote:
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> I think one of the analysts on the Diane Rheahm
> show said it best..."Putin is a carnivore man. The
> problem is, he's a carnivore man in a world occupied
> by vegetarians pussies"

Fixed it for you. And Diane Rehm is a shriveled up zombie. She died years ago.

SEE ABOVE ^^^^

there is no more destructive power in the world than selling game addiction to minors using sex

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a few scary soldiers yes but what is the death count they muster?

nothing compared to the life in-preparedness gaming the system is causing

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they are tough and ugly: but not as touch as time

Uh oh, more bad news...

Are the Russians returning to Cuba?
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2014/03/20/pkg-oppmann-cuba-the-russians-are-coming.cnn&hpt=hp_t3&from_homepage=yes&video_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F%3Fhpt%3Dsitenav#/video/bestoftv/2014/03/20/pkg-oppmann-cuba-the-russians-are-coming.cnn

Hostage-release deadline passes at Ukrainian base stormed by pro-Russians
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/

Simferopol, Crimea (CNN) -- A deadline Ukraine's acting President gave Crimea's separatist leaders to release hostages came and went without apparent incident Wednesday, after pro-Russian activists stormed the former Soviet state's navy headquarters in the region.

Amid signs the uneasy standoff between pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces could ignite into bloody conflict -- a day after Moscow claimed Crimea as its own -- almost 300 armed pro-Russian supporters took over the naval base in Sevastopol, said Marina Kanalyuk, assistant to the commander of Ukraine's navy fleet.

"They are everywhere here, they surround us, they threaten us," she said, adding that she was sure that Russian security forces were involved.

Kanalyuk said the 70 or so Ukrainian naval officers at the headquarters had tried to stop the armed men from entering and were negotiating with them. She said that the armed men had replaced Ukrainian flags with Russian standards but that no shots had been fired.

Ukrainian navy chief Sergey Gaiduk was taken away. Russia's official ITAR-Tass news agency, citing the local Kryminform news agency, reported Gaiduk had been passed to the Sevastopol prosecutor's office to be questioned about whether he'd passed on orders from Kiev for Ukrainian soldiers to use their weapons.
Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov issued a 9 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) deadline for Crimea to release all hostages and stop all provocations, a statement on the presidential website said. That deadline passed with no apparent consequences.

It had warned that if all hostages, including Gaiduk, were not released by then, authorities would take action of "technical and technological character," likely meaning turning off utilities.

Meanwhile in Kiev, officials unveiled a series of new measures against Russia and the "self-proclaimed" authorities in Crimea.

In a televised briefing, Andriy Porubiy, secretary of the national defense and security council, said the measures included a full-scale visa system for Russians and that if the United Nations designates Crimea a "demilitarized zone," Ukraine was prepared to evacuate its military personnel and family members. Ukraine has facilities ready to accommodate 25,000 evacuees.

The country has decided to leave the Commonwealth of Independent States, an organization made up of republics of the former Soviet Union, Porubiy said. Kiev also will estimate the damages caused by the annexation.

NATO: 'Business as usual is not an option'

The incident at the navy headquarters comes a day after one member of the Ukrainian military was killed, another wounded and more captured when masked gunmen seized their base near the Crimean regional capital, Simferopol.

After that fatality -- the first Ukrainian military death since the Crimean crisis erupted about two weeks ago -- Ukraine's Defense Ministry authorized its forces to open fire in self-defense. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Crimea, after voters in the semi-autonomous territory approved a hastily called weekend referendum on separating from Ukraine.

Speaking in Washington, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned of the organization's fear that Russia may move into eastern Ukraine.

"I see Crimea as an element in, in a greater pattern, in a more long-term Russian, or at least Putin, strategy. So, of course, our major concern now is whether he will go beyond Crimea, whether Russia will intervene in the eastern parts (of Ukraine)," he said.

"No one wants to turn away from our cooperation with Russia, but no one can ignore that Russia has violated the very principles upon which that cooperation is built. So business as usual is not an option," Rasmussen said.

Elsewhere, the head of Ukraine's state TV reportedly was assaulted by at least three lawmakers from Ukraine's far-right Svoboda party and forced to resign. In a video posted online, the MPs could be seen arguing with to Oleksandr Panteleymonov, asking him why the station aired a concert from Moscow live. He was then roughed up.

Speaking to CNN by phone from hospital where he said he was being checked for injuries, Panteleymonov called the incident a "quarrel" and confirmed he had to sign a paper.

The U.S. embassy in Kiev condemned the incident.

U.N. chief to visit Russia, Ukraine

As diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continue, the United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon would visit Russia and Ukraine this week "as part of his diplomatic efforts to encourage all parties to resolve the current crisis peacefully."

He will meet Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday and Turchynov and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Friday in Kiev.

Speaking at the United Nations on Wednesday, Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev called upon "the entire civilized world not to recognize the illegitimately declared independence of Crimea and its violent dismembering from the territory of our country."

He expressed reservations about the referendum, saying that Russian citizens were able to vote and journalists were banned.

"The declaration of independence by the Crimean Republic is a direct consequence of the application of the use of force and threats against Ukraine by the Russian Federation," Sergeyev said.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power echoed his comments, stressing that what happened in Crimea cannot be recognized as valid, nor can it be repeated in other parts of Ukraine.

"A thief can steal property, but that does not confer the right of ownership on the thief," she said.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, dispatched to reassure NATO allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, met Wednesday with the presidents of Lithuania and Latvia in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius.
He stressed the United States was committed to the defense of its NATO allies and had stern words for Moscow's response to the political upheaval in Ukraine.

"Russia has chosen to respond with military aggression, a referendum rejected by virtually the entire world, illegal efforts to annex Crimea and now reports of armed attacks against Ukrainian military personnel and installations in Crimea," he said.

"I want to make it clear: We stand resolutely with our Baltic allies in support of the Ukrainian people and against Russian aggression."

U.S. officials are keeping a close eye on the growing number of heavily equipped Russian forces near the Ukraine border because of concern the troops could move into Ukraine with little or no warning.

One U.S. official with access to the latest intelligence said the estimate is that in recent days, Russia has assembled up to 20,000 forces in "motorized" units. They are so close to the border that the United States would not have enough time to predict what they might do, but would only see it as it was happening, the official said. One theory the U.S. is considering is that the Russians may plan to establish a "land bridge" into Crimea, the official said. He described it as moving forces to an area they can control, so they have assured access in the future.

Also Wednesday, Ukraine's deputy premier, Vitaly Yarema, and acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenuyh took off from Kiev, planning to fly to Crimea to "resolve all problematic issues," but Crimean authorities would not allow them to land, the statement on the Ukrainian presidential website said.

Escalation fear

Yatsenyuk warned Tuesday the crisis was shifting "from political to the military form, and the blame is on the Russian military."

The weekend's contested referendum has been condemned by the interim Kiev government, the United States and the European Union. But Russia remains steadfastly defiant.

For Ukrainians, 'it's hard to not be concerned'

Russia's Constitutional Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that the agreement between the Russian Federation and Crimea on its accession to Russia was lawful, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

The step clears the way for the country's lawmakers to vote on ratifying the accession agreement, as well as draft amendments to the Russian Constitution, it said.

The State Duma, or lower house, will hold a special session Thursday to ratify the treaty, ITAR-Tass reported.

Putin made it clear Tuesday, in a speech greeted by enthusiastic applause by Russian lawmakers, that Moscow has no intention of relinquishing its grip on Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula with historical ties to Russia.

"In our hearts, we know Crimea has always been an inalienable part of Russia," he said.

Of those who cast a ballot, 96.7% voted in favor of Crimea leaving Ukraine and joining Russia, according to the Crimean Electoral Commission. But the ballot questions offered no real option for any residents who wanted to remain part of Ukraine.

Putin said Russia had to act because Ukraine's new government, backed by Washington and European powers, was prepared "to seize the state through terror and murders."

But Yatsenyuk called it "a robbery on an international scale," one that Kiev will never accept.

Members of the Russian parliament and the new Crimean legislature met Wednesday morning in Moscow to discuss the details of how the region will join Russia.

Russia's annexation of Crimea opportune or opportunistic?

Rising tensions

Crimean lawmakers have said they now see Ukrainian soldiers as an occupying force and have given them a certain amount of time to leave the peninsula.

The Ukrainian troops have been encircled by pro-Russian forces in their bases for days.

They have also come under pressure from pro-Russian crowds who gather outside and call on those still loyal to Kiev to surrender or defect to Russia's military. CNN teams on the ground have seen Russian forces also show up to reinforce that message.

Putin has denied Russia's military has been used in Crimea, despite what has been stated by international observers and the government of Kiev. The pro-Russian forces seen in Crimea are Crimean "self-defense" forces, he said.

Putin said the 22,000 Russian troops in Crimea did not enter during the current crisis, but "were already there," in accordance with previous international negotiations.

Russian forces were allowed in Crimea under a treaty that allowed the Black Sea fleet to be based in the port of Sevastopol, but their movements within Crimea are supposed to be agreed upon with Kiev.

U.S. and EU officials have imposed sanctions on more than two dozen Russian and Crimean officials and urged Russia to avoid escalating the crisis, but Moscow has ignored those calls.

Putin may be under international pressure over Russia's actions in Crimea, but public opinion is firmly behind him at home.

Cheering crowds celebrated the announcement that Crimea was now part of Russia at some 80 rallies across the country, from Vladivostok to Moscow's Red Square.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: "Business as usual is not an option," says NATO secretary general
NEW: He warns of the organization's fear that Russia may move into eastern Ukraine
Ukraine says prepared to evacuate military personnel and family members from Crimea
On visit to Baltic states, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden slams Russian "aggression"
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Ukraine's East Border on Alert After Crimea Annexation
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/ukraines-east-border-alert-after-crimea-annexation-n59206?ocid=msnhp&pos=1

DONETSK, Ukraine -- One month after protesters toppled Ukraine’s pro-Moscow government, this country’s rural eastern border is the site of a Cold War-style standoff.

Ukrainians have dug a trench along their side of the border with Russia that's supposed to stop Russian troops and tanks from advancing into Eastern Ukraine. A local official, worried the border was unprotected, paid for the trench with his own money.

But the trench, which is just a few feet wide and has several sizable gaps, is unlikely to stop, or even slow, a Russian advance.

U.S. military officials told NBC's Jim Miklaszewski that as many as 20,000 Russian troops have amassed along the Ukrainian border. Officials say many of them come from elite units, backed by heavy armor and attack helicopters.

"I denounce the aggression against my country."

On the Ukrainian side of the border, near the the village of Andriivka, around 200 Ukrainian paratroopers dug foxholes using shovels in a muddy field and put up a handful of canvas tents. Their families brought them food in plastic bags.

The soldiers aren’t universally welcomed. On a cold afternoon this week, a handful of burly men shouted at the soldiers, saying the border region should be absorbed into Russia, like Crimea.

They stood nose-to-nose with members of a pro-Ukraine volunteer group, who’d also come to the base to bring food and sleeping bags to the paratroopers. The troops watched as the groups argued noisily, but did not intervene.

One pro-Ukraine volunteer told NBC News he wanted to ensure that military vehicles were able to move freely, without being blocked by pro-Russian militias who now regularly harass Ukrainian troops in the east.

"I denounce the aggression against my country," the volunteer, Aleksander Romanyuk, a local city lawmaker, said.

North of the city of Donetsk, a pro-Russian militia recently surrounded the gates of a Ukrainian military storage facility, blocking trucks from delivering ammunition to Kiev.

Fireworks in Moscow
The standoff on the border is part of a broader tug-of-war for Ukraine.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin formalized Russia’s annexation of Crimea. It marked the first time Moscow has expanded its borders since World War II. Moscow's sky erupted in fireworks.

The move triggered another round of stark warnings and financial sanctions. The European Union joined Washington in freezing the assets of several of Putin’s closest advisers.

Kiev is strongly behind the sanctions and is hoping that the leadership -- and not the trench –- can prevent any Russian tanks from streaming across the border.

In Brussels on Friday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk signed an association agreement with the EU.

Four months earlier, Ukraine’s then President Viktor Yanukovich rejected the deal, preferring to maintain close ties to Moscow. The rejection triggered protests that ultimately led to Yanukovich’s downfall.

People celebrate as they wave Russian national flags while watching fireworks next to the monument of Russian naval admiral Pavel Nakhimov, in downtown of Sevastopol, Ukraine, on March 21.
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I say fuck them, if they want to be part of Russia, let 'em!

it's a goot thing that guy in the statue wore a long warm dress

the photographers keep trying to get a shot up his kilt like he's Marilyn Monroe statue in chicago or something

hey is that zsa zsa gabor's neice in the photo ?

Russians Want to Take All of Ukraine: Klitschko
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/russians-want-to-take-all-of-ukraine-klitschko-JL3cQ6XUSi~CRINj9QWJPA.html?cmpid=taboola.video

March 21 (Bloomberg) -- Vitali Klitschko, a former boxing champion and one of the pro-Western political leaders in Ukraine, discusses the Ukraine crisis with Ryan Chilcote on Bloomberg Television's "Bottom Line." (Source: Bloomberg)

Go here to watch the news video:
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/russians-want-to-take-all-of-ukraine-klitschko-JL3cQ6XUSi~CRINj9QWJPA.html?cmpid=taboola.video

NATO concerned over Russian army buildup on Ukraine border
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

(CNN) -- NATO's top military commander expressed concern Sunday about the buildup of Russian forces on Ukraine's border, as Moscow's forces consolidated their control of Crimea over the weekend.

Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove said Russia had a large force on Ukraine's eastern border and that he was worried it could pose a threat to Moldova's separatist Trans-Dniester region.

"The (Russian) force that is at the Ukrainian border now to the east is very, very sizable and very, very ready," Breedlove, a U.S. Air Force general, said.

"There is absolutely sufficient force postured on the eastern border of Ukraine to run to Trans-Dniester if the decision was made to do that, and that is very worrisome."

Russia said its forces complied with international agreements. Moscow annexed Crimea following a controversial snap referendum in the autonomous region last week that produced an overwhelming majority of votes in favor of leaving Ukraine to join Russia.

"Russia is acting much more like an adversary than a partner," Breedlove said, speaking at an event held in Brussels, Belgium, by the German Marshall Fund think tank.

Other officials expressed concern too.

"It's deeply concerning to see the Russian troop buildup along the border. It creates the potential for incidents, for instability," Tony Blinken, White House deputy national security adviser, told CNN's "State of the Union."

"It's likely that what they are trying to do is intimidate the Ukrainians. It's possible that they are preparing to move in."

Pro-Russia demonstrations planned

Pro-Russia demonstrations were planned for Sunday in Ukrainian cities outside Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula. The shows of favor for Moscow were scheduled for cities in Ukraine's south and east, where there are many ethnic Russians.

On Saturday, six Russian special forces armored personnel carriers broke through the gates of Belbek air base, firing warning shots into the air, a spokesman for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense in Crimea told CNN. One journalist was injured in the attack, said Vladislav Seleznev.

In a separate incident, pro-Russian self-defense forces stormed the Novofederoskoe military base, also in Crimea, taking control of it, a Ukraine Defense Ministry spokesman said.

Seleznev also said that Crimean self-defense forces and Russian special forces took a Ukrainian ship, the Slavutych.

The ship was captured "after a two-hour assault," he said, though the Ukrainian ship's crew members came ashore and didn't suffer any injuries.

Ukrainian forces on the Novofederoskoe base threw smoke bombs during the incident and retreated to the base's headquarters, Seleznev said in a Facebook posting.

The base's aviation brigade then sang the Ukrainian national anthem, lowered the Ukrainian flag and left the base, he said.

The White House urged Russia to open talks with the Ukrainian government. But in a statement, it also held the Russian military directly responsible for any casualties inflicted on Ukrainian military members -- whether from regular Russian troops or militias not wearing insignias.

Crimea remarries -- but that divorce will be messy

International monitors

The incidents occurred as international observers were set to arrive in Ukraine to monitor the security and human rights situation, in a posting expected to last at least six months.

But they will not enter the contested region of Crimea, a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said, because this "became part of Russia."

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will eventually deploy a total of 100 observers throughout Ukraine in hopes of "reducing tensions and fostering peace, stability and security." They will also check that the rights of ethnic minorities are being protected.

The OSCE may widen the mission to include 400 more monitors, and extend it for a second six-month period if requested by the Kiev government.

Russia, which is one of the OSCE's 57 member states, approved the mission, according to state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said it hoped the observers' work would stop nationalist extremists, who Moscow says have a strong influence on Kiev's government, and protect linguistic rights. Many Ukrainians speak Russian as their native language.

Russia has previously said it reserves the right to enter Ukrainian territory to protect ethnic Russians from what it says is a threat from ultranationalists and fascists.

Meanwhile, European leaders have demanded that independent monitors be granted access to the Crimean Peninsula.

OSCE monitors made multiple attempts to enter Crimea during the height of the crisis, when pro-Russian militias took control of the region. But armed men at the borders turned them back.

Russia sanctions: EU should leave trade alone

Claims on Crimea

Ukraine, the United States and other Western powers maintain Crimea is still a part of Ukraine.

"We must not allow a new division of Europe," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Saturday in Kiev, where he met with with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and acting President Oleksandr Turchynov.

Russia insists its actions are legitimate. Crimea had belonged to Russia until 1954, when it was given to Ukraine.

The region also has a majority ethnic Russian population and other long historic ties to Russia.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, making it strategically important to Moscow.

Moscow has doggedly pursued its own course, even as Western leaders have denounced its actions as violations of Ukraine's sovereignty and a breach of international law.

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to meet with leaders of the G7 group of industrialized nations this week to discuss Ukraine.

Russia has been excluded from the talks on the sidelines of a nuclear summit in the Netherlands.

A planned EU-Russia summit has also been canceled, as the West seeks to increase Moscow's isolation over its actions in Ukraine.

EU leaders imposed a new round of sanctions against 12 individuals last week, bringing the total number of people facing EU asset freezes and travel bans to 33.

The United States announced its own new round of sanctions against 20 individuals and a bank which U.S. officials say is linked to Putin and senior Russian officials. Washington had already announced sanctions on 11 individuals.

"What we've seen the President do in recent weeks, and what we'll see him do this week, is bring the world together in support of Ukraine, to isolate Russia for its actions ... and reassure our partners and allies in NATO and Europe," Blinken said.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
~NEW: NATO commander says Russia has a large force on Ukraine's eastern border
~NEW: "Russia is acting much more like an adversary than a partner," NATO commander says
~"We must not allow a new division of Europe," says German foreign minister
~Pro-Russia rallies planned in southern, eastern Ukraine

Watch the news story here:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
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This is the news story that really should have gotten everyone's attention over the past few weeks. Let's see what we do if the Russians try to annex the rest of the Ukraine.

No neither Bush, Romeny or Palin is President (thank God)