A new day in Ukraine: Political uncertainty sweeps divided nation

[Asiantravel]

What an absolute gem……………………!!!.

these people shouldn't be movie stars, that's for sure because when they get to the final act they would have clean forgot what was said in act 1 scene 4

Today

Kerry tells Russia 'you don't invade a country on completely phony pretexts'

That's confusing Kerry with Bush and also trying to change the focus of this topic. There is also the real concern that Russia is staging a major land grab of at least the Crimea region of Ukraine ... to bring them and perhaps other areas or the entire country into Russia.

Oh come on, just smell the hypocrisy

it doesn't matter who on earth, the politician or diplomat is that says such words.

It perfectly illustrates the sheer duplicity of the US and its leaders

How can any US leader even say this with a straight face?

[Jingthing]

A U.S, leader like JOHN KERRY can say that very well if you actually knew anything about his personal history.

[folium]

And is Crimea an independent country?

As of few days ago it is an independent territory which cut most ties from Kiev

Did the population of Crimea decide to cut itself from the rest of Ukraine?

Why were Russian troops required to invade another sovereign country?

Who invited in the Russian troops?

Is Russia now in breach of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum?

What legal basis is their for a Russian invasion of Ukraine?

Is Putin solely concerned about self-determination, minority rights and democracy, features he seems to be somewhat less keen to tolerate within Russia itself?

Having seized the Crimea what will Putin now do with it?

Will Putin now go on to intervene in eastern Ukraine? How about moving into Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Kazakhstan etc given their sizeable Russian minorities?

[folium]

Here is the thing

For starters US should definitely keep its nose right out of it for a number of reasons, which include Iran and Syria as Russia can make things very very difficult for US without even having to lift a finger.

The EU, should be the only ones dealing with it but as usual EU is only talk and run straight to US for help

Ukraine does not stand a chance and should take that into consideration which they clearly are not doing.

A large number of Ukrainian army are Russians, so not exactly your most loyal soldiers.

That part of Ukraine is Russian speaking, again not exactly your loyal crowds.

Russian can and will turn off all oil and gas supplies, Ukraine will freeze to death and rest assured EU will not be paying or supplying as EU heavily relies on Russian oil and gas.

Russia is better equipped, stable and arrogant. Ukraine is a total state of chaos.

But do you believe that what Russia has done is the best way to resolve a conflict?

May not be the best way , but may well be the only way.

Only time will show and tell

As we have seen in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transdniester and within Russia Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, the Russian/Putin response is quite simple. Ruthless military intervention and military occupation, with attempted conflict "resolution" at the point of a gun a barrel.

[folium]

Western media is much more free and objective than blatant Russian propaganda government organs. Cheers.

According to whom? you?

How exactly do you make such statements when you do not speak other languages and do not watch anything else but Western Media

How exactly did you arrive at conclusion Western Media is more objective? is it because Western Media said so? or Western Based agency determined so?

Russian propaganda is broadcast in English as well, mate.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

There are free countries with free press and then there are those that are not free.

Russia is NOT free.

Please post links to Russian Media from Russia in English?

Free press like US? where phones are tabbed or like UK may be?

Perhaps you have heard of Itar-TASS or RT?

en.itar-tass.com/

rt.com/

Sadly Russia performs a little disappointingly in the medals table in relation to freedom of the press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

[folium]

the ruskies had a deal with the Ukraine to base troops there till 2042 so whats the deal ?Brits Had army bases in Germany after WW2 until closing them down recently and still a few to go .Yanks are in Cuba and elsewhere ,load of hypocrites eh

Ukrainians in the east Love Russian ,those in the west want to get on the EU gravy train

Bases are one thing, but it does not mean that armed invasion of another country is legal or acceptable.

Referendums are a great way of gauging public opinion. Let all Ukrainians decide where their future best lies. Perhaps Putin knows better....

[Publicus]

The hard right nationalist Svoboda party, aka the Right Sector, which has its roots as the indigenous partner of the Nazi German occupation of Ukraine during WW 2, are a gang of fascists from the get-go who oppose both Russian or Western influence in the Ukraine. The highly organized and well armed Svoboda Right Sector has created huge headaches to the mass of the honest citizens of Ukraine who are trying to align with the European Union and the West in general.

The presence (and the historical existence) of the Right Sector is being used by Putin and his decrepit Soviet true believers in the eastern Ukraine to try to scare away Western and domestic Ukrainian support of the moderate masses of Ukrainians who want to align Ukraine with the European Union, liberal democracy, open markets, free press and membership of the EU.

The moderate masses of the Ukraine now in control of the government want to establish the rule of law so the Ukraine can free itself of the Russian style of kleptocracy imposed on Ukraine by the ousted president Yanukovich, who is an ally of Putin and the Russian-Ukrainian robber baron oligarchs who are the law unto themselves in each country.

The Ukraine mess began Nov 30th when the now ousted president Yanukovych announced his decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union - Yanukovych's refusal came after years of promising to do so and after having been elected president in 2010 on the promise to sign the association agreement. By rejecting the association agreement, Yanukovych rejected the will of the mass of Ukrainians for the rule of law and democracy itself.

The mass protest movement has accepted some presence of the Svoboda party in the new government because Svoboda is fiercely anti-Russian so therefore presents Putin with a strong highly organized paramilitary against the far superior Russian military force poised at its borders and which already has annexed the Crimea. Yesterday the head of the Ukraine Navy defected to Russia to join Yanukovych and other Ukrainian defectors in Moscow.

Most of the people who rail against the Right Sector conveniently fail to mention that the Svoboda party Right Sector is but a small component of the new pro-European government and are expressing a line of argument propagated by Putin. Neither are the United States nor the European Union comfortable about the Svoboda.

Anyone who wants to read a non-Western media link that in excellent English harshly and severely criticizes the United States' and the European Union's position in respect of the Ukraine and Russia can read this from the Press TV which is owned and operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Corporation in Tehran.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/26022014-ukraine-crisis-portends-apocalypse-oped/

[whoisyourdaddy]

And is Crimea an independent country?

As of few days ago it is an independent territory which cut most ties from Kiev

Did the population of Crimea decide to cut itself from the rest of Ukraine?

Why were Russian troops required to invade another sovereign country?

Who invited in the Russian troops?

Is Russia now in breach of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum?

What legal basis is their for a Russian invasion of Ukraine?

Is Putin solely concerned about self-determination, minority rights and democracy, features he seems to be somewhat less keen to tolerate within Russia itself?

Having seized the Crimea what will Putin now do with it?

Will Putin now go on to intervene in eastern Ukraine? How about moving into Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Kazakhstan etc given their sizeable Russian minorities?

Authority's decided just as many army personnel

Did the population decide? Well that depends who is looking at the situation. Considering there were no protests against the move to cut ties, and people walking around waiving Russian flags, i would guess population was happy with the decision, considering that a vast majority of the population are actually Russian

Why? because they can, because there are too many Russians there because there are too many military interests of Russia based there.

What legal basis? You would have to be joking, what legal bases did USA have to invade Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan?

None, but self interests. Nothing new or different with Russia doing it.

The only difference is, nobody is fighting Russians and Russians are not dropping bombs or sending drones

[whoisyourdaddy]

Perhaps you have heard of Itar-TASS or RT?

en.itar-tass.com/

rt.com/

Sadly Russia performs a little disappointingly in the medals table in relation to freedom of the press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

Perhaps i speak fluent Russian and can watch and read Russian news as oppose to your good self

[StasD]

Denis Berezovsky was appointed as fleet admiral of Ukaine on 1 May 2014, next day he became fleet admiral of Crimea and took oath of enlistment .there is a joke now that Ukraine has other 13 admirals and it enough till middle of Feb. That is reality of situation

[folium]

And is Crimea an independent country?

As of few days ago it is an independent territory which cut most ties from Kiev

Did the population of Crimea decide to cut itself from the rest of Ukraine?

Why were Russian troops required to invade another sovereign country?

Who invited in the Russian troops?

Is Russia now in breach of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum?

What legal basis is their for a Russian invasion of Ukraine?

Is Putin solely concerned about self-determination, minority rights and democracy, features he seems to be somewhat less keen to tolerate within Russia itself?

Having seized the Crimea what will Putin now do with it?

Will Putin now go on to intervene in eastern Ukraine? How about moving into Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Kazakhstan etc given their sizeable Russian minorities?

Authority's decided just as many army personnel

Did the population decide? Well that depends who is looking at the situation. Considering there were no protests against the move to cut ties, and people walking around waiving Russian flags, i would guess population was happy with the decision, considering that a vast majority of the population are actually Russian

Why? because they can, because there are too many Russians there because there are too many military interests of Russia based there.

What legal basis? You would have to be joking, what legal bases did USA have to invade Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan?

None, but self interests. Nothing new or different with Russia doing it.

The only difference is, nobody is fighting Russians and Russians are not dropping bombs or sending drones

"Authority's decided just as many army personnel".....huh? Any chance of some subtitles?

"Considering there were no protests against the move to cut ties, and people walking around waiving Russian flags, i would guess population was happy with the decision, considering that a vast majority of the population are actually Russian"

So an impressive parade in Pyongyang with plenty of folk waving NK flags and not a counter-protest in sight means that the NK population is happy with the Fat One's rule? There's a funny old thing called democracy actually practised in some countries where all adults get a chance to express their opinion. I tend to go with such statements of opinion rather than one presumed by a foreign autocrat such as Putin.

Also the assumption that Crimea has been forever Russian is in complete contradiction of history and has largely been achieved by systematic ethnic cleansing by Russians/Soviets, rather like the area around Sochi. can't have the natives spoiling our holiday areas...

In the Independence Referendum of 1991 concerning Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union/Russia 54% of voters in the Crimea supported independence (including 57% in the supposed Russian stronghold of Sevastopol).

What % of Crimea is ethnically Russian? How many Russian passports have been handed out since 1991 to gerrymander a majority?

"Why? because they can, because there are too many Russians there because there are too many military interests of Russia based there". Well there's a sound legal basis for undertaking an invasion of a neighbouring state. Perhaps the UK should invade southern Spain given the number of British expats living there and to take the pressure off the (once-) stategically vital outpost of Gibraltar. Or if Scotland goes independent the UK invades and occupies southern Scotland due to the large number of English residents and to protect the truly important nuclear/warhead bases at Faslane and Culdrose.

"What legal basis? You would have to be joking, what legal bases did USA have to invade Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan?" So you acknowledge that there is no legal basis for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is counter to international law and the 1994 Budapest Memorandu. Thank you for clearing that up.

"None, but self interests. Nothing new or different with Russia doing it." So you acknowledge that Russia has invaded Ukraine illegally and purely to satisfy its/Putin's self-interests and desire to recreate the Imperial Russia.

"The only difference is, nobody is fighting Russians and Russians are not dropping bombs or sending drones". So the restraint and logistical inability of the Kiev government to respond makes it ok then? Hasty, half-cocked military response by Kiev would just give Putin an excuse to annex liberate from fascists more of Ukraine.

[F430murci]

We can talk about the Iraq war on a thread about the Iraq war.

Yes, we know Russians are being pumped with distorted and exaggerated propaganda about Nazi Ukraine, but again, the world isn't buying it.

There is no propaganda, it is a historical fact.

Western Ukraine were one of the first ones to round up jews, one of the first ones to join Nazi's and the origin of pogroms

Western Ukraine, happily provided guards for camps

Problem is Jing, you are watching WESTERN PROPAGANDA and only know what they feeding you, if you spoke Russian you would be able to have a more balanced view of what is actually happening who is doing all the propaganda.

Actually, Russian propaganda is more biased and suspect to inaccuracies than Western reporting on this subject matter. All of our Russian and Ukranian friends and family, both here and in Eastern Europe, says there is no way to know what is really going on because everything coming out of the region is heavily censored and propaganda. Listening to and believing the version in Russian or coming out of the region is perhaps more inaccurate and less balanced than any version.

My wife's closest friend, a cute and naive 25 year old Ukranian girl that just returned from visiting her parents in Ukraine two weeks ago, summed it up best when she heard Russians invaded Ukraine . . . "We're foocked,"

and everything coming of Western Media is not? Western Media knows more or better?

It is about the balance of information and even in your case, what your wife says is not what you heard yourself, but what she understood and then relayed on to you.

I understand enough Russian without wife and our friends from region and in region generally speak English. Western media is trying to make sense of something that may not be completely rationale. Very difficult for Westerners to understand the level of pride and fear possessed by people of this region and how that pride and fear can lead to desperate situations that may not seem logical to the outside.

I mean come on, our friends and family in Russia were not aware of and later not even completely convinced that one of the Olypmic rings did not open because: (1) They saw it open on their feed; and (2) Their pride in mother Russia and wanting everything to go smoothly. Very endearing qualities resulting from living in incredibly difficult circumstances. Americans would have laughed and cared less about such an issue which illustrates the differences in thinking, pride and value system.

RE: Propoganda

Russians tend to believe what they are told to believe and what their pride dictates they should believe. Americans question everything and are more than happy to speak out against their government.

[folium]

Perhaps you have heard of Itar-TASS or RT?

en.itar-tass.com/

rt.com/

Sadly Russia performs a little disappointingly in the medals table in relation to freedom of the press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

Perhaps i speak fluent Russian and can watch and read Russian news as oppose to your good self

"Please post links to Russian Media from Russia in English?"

Your post quoted above asked for some Russian-based English language media outlets that peddle the Kremlin's propaganda. It is thus available in English, Russian and a host of other languages. Thus even for those not blessed with the joy of speaking Russian we can be suitably informed from a variety of sources.

Any chance of highlighting some examples of press freedom within Russia? Care to discuss the level of state ownership/acquisition of media outlets?

[F430murci]

Perhaps you have heard of Itar-TASS or RT?

en.itar-tass.com/

rt.com/

Sadly Russia performs a little disappointingly in the medals table in relation to freedom of the press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

Perhaps i speak fluent Russian and can watch and read Russian news as oppose to your good self

"Please post links to Russian Media from Russia in English?"

Your post quoted above asked for some Russian-based English language media outlets that peddle the Kremlin's propaganda. It is thus available in English, Russian and a host of other languages. Thus even for those not blessed with the joy of speaking Russian we can be suitably informed from a variety of sources.

Any chance of highlighting some examples of press freedom within Russia? Care to discuss the level of state ownership/acquisition of media outlets?

Very difficult to convert to English accurately and without inserting own meaning for certain words and phrases that may have no real English counter part. That guy was speaking non sense jabber. "Foock it" may have been the most logical thing he could have jabbered.

[whoisyourdaddy]

"Authority's decided just as many army personnel".....huh? Any chance of some subtitles?

"Considering there were no protests against the move to cut ties, and people walking around waiving Russian flags, i would guess population was happy with the decision, considering that a vast majority of the population are actually Russian"

So an impressive parade in Pyongyang with plenty of folk waving NK flags and not a counter-protest in sight means that the NK population is happy with the Fat One's rule? There's a funny old thing called democracy actually practised in some countries where all adults get a chance to express their opinion. I tend to go with such statements of opinion rather than one presumed by a foreign autocrat such as Putin.

Also the assumption that Crimea has been forever Russian is in complete contradiction of history and has largely been achieved by systematic ethnic cleansing by Russians/Soviets, rather like the area around Sochi. can't have the natives spoiling our holiday areas...

In the Independence Referendum of 1991 concerning Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union/Russia 54% of voters in the Crimea supported independence (including 57% in the supposed Russian stronghold of Sevastopol).

What % of Crimea is ethnically Russian? How many Russian passports have been handed out since 1991 to gerrymander a majority?

"Why? because they can, because there are too many Russians there because there are too many military interests of Russia based there". Well there's a sound legal basis for undertaking an invasion of a neighbouring state. Perhaps the UK should invade southern Spain given the number of British expats living there and to take the pressure off the (once-) stategically vital outpost of Gibraltar. Or if Scotland goes independent the UK invades and occupies southern Scotland due to the large number of English residents and to protect the truly important nuclear/warhead bases at Faslane and Culdrose.

"What legal basis? You would have to be joking, what legal bases did USA have to invade Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan?" So you acknowledge that there is no legal basis for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is counter to international law and the 1994 Budapest Memorandu. Thank you for clearing that up.

"None, but self interests. Nothing new or different with Russia doing it." So you acknowledge that Russia has invaded Ukraine illegally and purely to satisfy its/Putin's self-interests and desire to recreate the Imperial Russia.

"The only difference is, nobody is fighting Russians and Russians are not dropping bombs or sending drones". So the restraint and logistical inability of the Kiev government to respond makes it ok then? Hasty, half-cocked military response by Kiev would just give Putin an excuse to annex liberate from fascists more of Ukraine.

Sorry can not be bothered to read through all of it.

Go back a page, i have posted a link that will explain many things for you

[folium]

Perhaps you have heard of Itar-TASS or RT?

en.itar-tass.com/

rt.com/

Sadly Russia performs a little disappointingly in the medals table in relation to freedom of the press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index

Perhaps i speak fluent Russian and can watch and read Russian news as oppose to your good self

"Please post links to Russian Media from Russia in English?"

Your post quoted above asked for some Russian-based English language media outlets that peddle the Kremlin's propaganda. It is thus available in English, Russian and a host of other languages. Thus even for those not blessed with the joy of speaking Russian we can be suitably informed from a variety of sources.

Any chance of highlighting some examples of press freedom within Russia? Care to discuss the level of state ownership/acquisition of media outlets?

Very difficult to convert to English accurately and without inserting own meaning for certain words and phrases that may have no real English counter part. That guy was speaking non sense jabber. "Foock it" may have been the most logical thing he could have jabbered.

So to get back to the point...there are media outlets based in/owned by the Russian state that put across their "message" in English and other languages, thus enabling non-Russian speakers to access Moscow's line...correct?

Freedom of the press and non-state/siloviki owned media outlets in Russia are about as common as a dodo in Mauritius....correct?

[folium]

"Authority's decided just as many army personnel".....huh? Any chance of some subtitles?

"Considering there were no protests against the move to cut ties, and people walking around waiving Russian flags, i would guess population was happy with the decision, considering that a vast majority of the population are actually Russian"

So an impressive parade in Pyongyang with plenty of folk waving NK flags and not a counter-protest in sight means that the NK population is happy with the Fat One's rule? There's a funny old thing called democracy actually practised in some countries where all adults get a chance to express their opinion. I tend to go with such statements of opinion rather than one presumed by a foreign autocrat such as Putin.

Also the assumption that Crimea has been forever Russian is in complete contradiction of history and has largely been achieved by systematic ethnic cleansing by Russians/Soviets, rather like the area around Sochi. can't have the natives spoiling our holiday areas...

In the Independence Referendum of 1991 concerning Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union/Russia 54% of voters in the Crimea supported independence (including 57% in the supposed Russian stronghold of Sevastopol).

What % of Crimea is ethnically Russian? How many Russian passports have been handed out since 1991 to gerrymander a majority?

"Why? because they can, because there are too many Russians there because there are too many military interests of Russia based there". Well there's a sound legal basis for undertaking an invasion of a neighbouring state. Perhaps the UK should invade southern Spain given the number of British expats living there and to take the pressure off the (once-) stategically vital outpost of Gibraltar. Or if Scotland goes independent the UK invades and occupies southern Scotland due to the large number of English residents and to protect the truly important nuclear/warhead bases at Faslane and Culdrose.

"What legal basis? You would have to be joking, what legal bases did USA have to invade Iraq or Afghanistan or Pakistan?" So you acknowledge that there is no legal basis for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is counter to international law and the 1994 Budapest Memorandu. Thank you for clearing that up.

"None, but self interests. Nothing new or different with Russia doing it." So you acknowledge that Russia has invaded Ukraine illegally and purely to satisfy its/Putin's self-interests and desire to recreate the Imperial Russia.

"The only difference is, nobody is fighting Russians and Russians are not dropping bombs or sending drones". So the restraint and logistical inability of the Kiev government to respond makes it ok then? Hasty, half-cocked military response by Kiev would just give Putin an excuse to annex liberate from fascists more of Ukraine.

Sorry can not be bothered to read through all of it.

Go back a page, i have posted a link that will explain many things for you

Sorry that you cannot be bothered to read through points that demolish your arguments...that's the pesky problem with a forum where the other people are allowed to present arguments that go counter to the party line. Probably not something some Russians would be used to....

Hopefully for others on this forum they will be able to see that your point of view is completely unfounded in fact or reason.

[F430murci]

Perhaps i speak fluent Russian and can watch and read Russian news as oppose to your good self

"Please post links to Russian Media from Russia in English?"

Your post quoted above asked for some Russian-based English language media outlets that peddle the Kremlin's propaganda. It is thus available in English, Russian and a host of other languages. Thus even for those not blessed with the joy of speaking Russian we can be suitably informed from a variety of sources.

Any chance of highlighting some examples of press freedom within Russia? Care to discuss the level of state ownership/acquisition of media outlets?

Very difficult to convert to English accurately and without inserting own meaning for certain words and phrases that may have no real English counter part. That guy was speaking non sense jabber. "Foock it" may have been the most logical thing he could have jabbered.

So to get back to the point...there are media outlets based in/owned by the Russian state that put across their "message" in English and other languages, thus enabling non-Russian speakers to access Moscow's line...correct?

Freedom of the press and non-state/siloviki owned media outlets in Russia are about as common as a dodo in Mauritius....correct?

Brother, I have no idea what exactly you are getting it . . . I am late to this party, but trying to enjoy the readings since stranded at home in midst of an ice storm.

I just found it interesting how what I hear from good, level headed people from or currently in the regions differs so drastically than what you read on the Net. I swear the Net is dropping the world's IQ by the month.

Those if us not living in such difficult situations should be extremely grateful. I cannot imagine how difficult this is for people in the middle of the chaos. So much uncertainty and hardship. Very sad.

[F430murci]

??? That was directed toward someone else and your interpretation may be a bit suspect for reasons stated.

Sorry i do not follow you

If it was for someone else, why did you quote me?

So my interpretation is bit suspect, but yours, 3rd hand is spot on?

I quoted and responded to Follium. You were just in the string quote . . ., but you deleted that. Shady dude you are.

Russia media is now saying they are going to close Russian consulate in US. Wife's mom just called freaking out and freaking my wife out.

[zydeco]

I wonder on whose side Thailand will be? With the EU or Russia? Whose tourists generate the most money for Thailand? While I simply want the US to leave this fight to the Euros and Russians, anything that leads to a Russian exodus from certain areas under their organized crime gangs would be a good thing. Get 'em out of here. But something tells me the Thais are more likely to side with organized crime than honest tourism.

[Asiantravel]

Putin Hints That He May Not Stop at Crimea

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/putin-hints-he-may-not-stop-crimea

[F430murci]

Russia market and currency tanking so this may result in pressure being put in Putin to chill out. A lot of powerful Russian businessmen being impacted.

[whoisyourdaddy]

Russia market and currency tanking so this may result in pressure being put in Putin to chill out. A lot of powerful Russian businessmen being impacted.

With a lot of new markets opening up, now that Russia is most likely not going obey any US or UN sanctions imposed on other countries.

[F430murci]

Russia market and currency tanking so this may result in pressure being put in Putin to chill out. A lot of powerful Russian businessmen being impacted.

With a lot of new markets opening up, now that Russia is most likely not going obey any US or UN sanctions imposed on other countries.

Obey, <deleted> are you talking about? Obey has nothing to do with anything. That is a pride comment that ignores suffering and hardship of those in the cross hairs.

Putin is heading down a dangerous path perhaps that may only be averted by those with monetary clout and power inside Russia. Putin is saber rattling a bit like fat boy in NK likes to do and it seems as if no one in that region is very happy about this course of events. Wife's phone is blowing up with family and friends calling from region . . . Wife never out of bed this early. Does not sound as if anyone in region is happy with the current direction of events.

[F430murci]

Okay, in typical Russian fashion . . . News channels in Russia now saying US withdrawing their consulates in Russia. Wife said everyone over there is in a panic attack.

[whoisyourdaddy]

Russia market and currency tanking so this may result in pressure being put in Putin to chill out. A lot of powerful Russian businessmen being impacted.

With a lot of new markets opening up, now that Russia is most likely not going obey any US or UN sanctions imposed on other countries.

Obey, <deleted> are you talking about? Obey has nothing to do with anything. That is a pride comment that ignores suffering and hardship of those in the cross hairs.

Putin is heading down a dangerous path perhaps that may only be averted by those with monetary clout and power inside Russia. Putin is saber rattling a bit like fat boy in NK likes to do and it seems as if no one in that region is very happy about this course of events. Wife's phone is blowing up with family and friends calling from region . . . Wife never out of bed this early. Does not sound as if anyone in region is happy with the current direction of events.

You can drum up as much noise as you like, you can beat yourself in the chest also as much as you like.

Russia was isolated from the West for decades, so the fear mongering of being isolated again is simply useless.

Iran, Syria, North Korea all have itchy fingers

China has very high ambitions,

The rest of Middle East is very Russian inclined.

Russia will not NOT be isolated and rest assured US will suffer the most in the current situation.

Something so many seem to fail to understand

Just because your wife is going mad, it does not automatically translate into "everyone" being unhappy or concerned.

[whoisyourdaddy]

Okay, in typical Russian fashion . . . News channels in Russia now saying US withdrawing their consulates in Russia. Wife said everyone over there is in a panic attack.

love the "wife says"

Does she know EVERYONE over there?

For the record, my father is there, so is my half brother, his wife and her family and none of them seem worried or concerned even a little bit.

[whoisyourdaddy]

Call me crazy, but this video would appear to show that "population" seem to be very pro Russian in Ukraine

[StasD]

"about 150 000 Ukranians citizens came to Russia during last 2 weeks " - Russian immigration

[canuckoverseas]

You can drum up as much noise as you like, you can beat yourself in the chest also as much as you like.

Russia was isolated from the West for decades, so the fear mongering of being isolated again is simply useless.

Iran, Syria, North Korea all have itchy fingers

China has very high ambitions,

The rest of Middle East is very Russian inclined.

Russia will not NOT be isolated and rest assured US will suffer the most in the current situation.

Something so many seem to fail to understand

Just because your wife is going mad, it does not automatically translate into "everyone" being unhappy or concerned.

Aside from Syria, the Mid East is very much tilted toward the US. What can Russia offer the Mid East that they cannot get from the US? Pretty much nothing.

The fact is, the US is on its way to energy independence, doubly so considering the keystone pipeline. Meanwhile, the Russian economy is imploding.

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