'I can take Kiev in two weeks', Vladimir Putin warns NATO leaders

[webfact]

'I can take Kiev in two weeks', Vladimir Putin warns NATO leaders
Ben Farmer

BRUSSELS: -- Vladimir Putin has boasted to European leaders that his forces could sweep into Kiev in two weeks if he wanted. The Russian President reportedly made the threat to the outgoing European Commission president during talks on the Ukraine crisis.

Mr Putin told Jose Manuel Barroso, "If I want to, I can take Kiev in two weeks," Italy's La Repubblica newspaper reported. It implied this could be the result of the EU stepping up sanctions against Russia.

The comments, relayed by Mr Barroso to colleagues at last weekend's EU summit, emerged as NATO announced it would build a new "spearhead" rapid reaction force of up to 4000 troops that can be flown into eastern Europe in 48 hours to respond to possible Russian aggression.

Ukraine forces, meanwhile, were forced to retreat from a strategically vital airport in the east of the country after coming under a ferocious assault from separatists fighters, reportedly backed by a Russian army tank column.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/i-can-take-kiev-in-two-weeks-vladimir-putin-warns-nato-leaders-20140902-10bcg2.html


-- The Age 2014-09-02

[BATHIK]

'I can take Kiev in two weeks', Vladimir Putin warns NATO leaders

How about Brussels?

Their plan for Brussels is to redecorate it by planting poplars (Topol in Russian, the name of their ICBMs).

[BATHIK]

BTW, the title is wrong - Putin was having a private conversation with European Commission president, there's still difference between that person and NATO leaders.

Or is there?

[siampolee]

Where is the worlds self appointed policeman at this moment in time one must ask?

To afraid to come out to face an equally strong imperialist inspiring nation?

[lust]

Take Kiev? Of course they can. But hold Kiev? Not a chance.

It's funny watching the news. "Is Libya threatened to be a failed state?" "Is Ukraine close to war?"

Fighter jets shot down everyday, commercial jet shot down (with no consequences), fighting in the streets, people executed, ambushes, soldiers captured, countries invaded. That's just in Ukraine/Russia.

ISIS destroying everything in it's path. America funding Israel to fight Hamas and Egypt. Ethnic cleansing across Africa.

All these years after world war 2, what do we have to show for? Fancy iPhones to update our statuses about how shit the world is.

World wide recessions, riots, kidnappings, beheadings and uprisings.

At what point can we say that we are living WW3?

[Ulysses G.]

Where is the worlds self appointed policeman at this moment in time one must ask?

Don't expect any white knight to save Ukraine with Obama in charge.

[smedly]

Putin is turning out to be a dangerous crackpot and could easily provoke a serious world conflict that may also involve China jumping on the bandwagon with the Russians

IMO very dangerous indeed

I predicted a couple of years ago during the so called western financial crisis that a large scale war is a reset button - I would not be ruling it out - these things can escalate very quickly to a point of no return

[bkkjames]

He could take Kiev but when Moscow is vaporised, he can say "I told you". Sounds more like Kim Jung Ill (aka short fat guy) is writing his speeches.

[siampolee]

Smedly post # 9

Putin is turning out to be a dangerous crackpot and could easily provoke a serious world conflict that may also involve China jumping on the bandwagon with the Russians

Ex K.G.B. indeed a very unpleasant character and the China angle, well the Russians and Chinese friendship is but cosmetic the history of conflict twixt both nations goes back a long way.

[BATHIK]

I predicted a couple of years ago during the so called western financial crisis that a large scale war is a reset button - I would not be ruling it out - these things can escalate very quickly to a point of no return

I agree, the US will not allow BRICs model to succeed and break away from IMF/World Bank/US influence. They don't need a war, though, they just need Russia to toe the line and be a good boy.

[Asiantravel]

I predicted a couple of years ago during the so called western financial crisis that a large scale war is a reset button - I would not be ruling it out - these things can escalate very quickly to a point of no return

I agree, the US will not allow BRICs model to succeed and break away from IMF/World Bank/US influence. They don't need a war, though, they just need Russia to toe the line and be a good boy.

and this....................

The 3,968 km pipeline linking gas fields in eastern Siberia to China will be the largest fuel network in the world.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29011092

[NeverSure]

and this....................

The 3,968 km pipeline linking gas fields in eastern Siberia to China will be the largest fuel network in the world.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29011092

Nice. Easy to break into sections with a few smart bombs. How vulnerable can you get?

The way to shut down Russia is economically. Just bust up their oil and gas pipelines and they'll be broke before the echos die down.

Russia ain't shit and I don't know how Putin thinks he's a big shot.

Please don't look just at dollars. Consider technology which neither Russia or China have.

[konying]

The point so many of you are missing is that with all the accusations and threats the reality is IF Russia was involved as US claims, Russia would have taken Kiev in 2 weeks, not months and months of battling as it is now.

[konying]

and this....................

The 3,968 km pipeline linking gas fields in eastern Siberia to China will be the largest fuel network in the world.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29011092

Nice. Easy to break into sections with a few smart bombs. How vulnerable can you get?

The way to shut down Russia is economically. Just bust up their oil and gas pipelines and they'll be broke before the echos die down.

Russia ain't shit and I don't know how Putin thinks he's a big shot.

Please don't look just at dollars. Consider technology which neither Russia or China have.

1 flaw with this chart.

An assumption Russia declares the true number, which they never have and never will

[h90]

He could take Kiev but when Moscow is vaporised, he can say "I told you". Sounds more like Kim Jung Ill (aka short fat guy) is writing his speeches.

From my interpretation it sounds more like that this is the answer on the accusation that Russia has troops in Ukraine....Like: If I would really send troops I would take Kiev in 2 weeks.

So in my understanding he didn't threaten to take Kiev.

[BATHIK]

The world can't afford to cut off Russian oil and gas. Even if it was possibly militarily, politically it would be a suicide.

Besides, Russians must be prepared to defend their pipelines and consider any such attack an aggression.

Someone did the calculations, btw, no sanctions can possibly inflict 40% living standards drop Russians [easily] survived in the 90s. They are not going to change their nationally important policies under economic pressure, it's the wrong tool, and when this is all over the payback will be a bitch. They are not going to forget what West has tried to do to them. Just today Cameroon promised to completely destroy Russian economy. He probably won't succeed in that but he already made himself a mortal enemy.

[h90]

Take Kiev? Of course they can. But hold Kiev? Not a chance.

It's funny watching the news. "Is Libya threatened to be a failed state?" "Is Ukraine close to war?"

Fighter jets shot down everyday, commercial jet shot down (with no consequences), fighting in the streets, people executed, ambushes, soldiers captured, countries invaded. That's just in Ukraine/Russia.

ISIS destroying everything in it's path. America funding Israel to fight Hamas and Egypt. Ethnic cleansing across Africa.

All these years after world war 2, what do we have to show for? Fancy iPhones to update our statuses about how shit the world is.

World wide recessions, riots, kidnappings, beheadings and uprisings.

At what point can we say that we are living WW3?

I think most Ukrainians would like to live in Russia. Because the salaries are way higher and there is a lot social security.

Just Ukraine is economical complete rotten and it is complete corrupt. Putin don't want to finance it, or he would have to take so much money out of Russia that the Russians would be upset.

Adding the Eastern/Russian ethnic parts of Ukraine and leave the west with the debts is a lot smarter.

[zig]

The point so many of you are missing is that with all the accusations and threats the reality is IF Russia was involved as US claims, Russia would have taken Kiev in 2 weeks, not months and months of battling as it is now.

Well, the separatist leaders themselves have confirmed on multiple occasions that Russia is supplying them with arms and soldiers. And few of these leaders themselves are 'former' military/intelligence officers of Russia who previously have been involved also in conflicts in Moldova, Chechnya and Georgia.

I think Russia is just increasing their presence and pressure notch by notch, all the time looking at and measuring the reaction from the West, to see how far they can go.

[losworld]

The world can't afford to cut off Russian oil and gas. Even if it was possibly militarily, politically it would be a suicide.

Besides, Russians must be prepared to defend their pipelines and consider any such attack an aggression.

Someone did the calculations, btw, no sanctions can possibly inflict 40% living standards drop Russians [easily] survived in the 90s. They are not going to change their nationally important policies under economic pressure, it's the wrong tool, and when this is all over the payback will be a bitch. They are not going to forget what West has tried to do to them. Just today Cameroon promised to completely destroy Russian economy. He probably won't succeed in that but he already made himself a mortal enemy.

Cameron is under the heel of the banksters. He is naive and dangerous. It isn't too hard to figure out as London is really a finance town paying high salaries and then there is the rest of England. In fact a recent study indicated if England were an American state it would be on par with Alabama based on per capita income.

This could easily escalate. The bankers are so worried about Brics they are giving marching orders to Nato to go to war. Sorry state of affairs.

[ABCer]

and this....................

The 3,968 km pipeline linking gas fields in eastern Siberia to China will be the largest fuel network in the world.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29011092

Nice. Easy to break into sections with a few smart bombs. How vulnerable can you get?

The way to shut down Russia is economically. Just bust up their oil and gas pipelines and they'll be broke before the echos die down.

Russia ain't shit and I don't know how Putin thinks he's a big shot.

Please don't look just at dollars. Consider technology which neither Russia or China have.

1 flaw with this chart.

An assumption Russia declares the true number, which they never have and never will

Demonisation of Russia is a very silly position taken by many.

Angelic looks fits Russia even less.

Pity that you saw only one flaw with this chart.

I would be wondering who is USA arming itself so heavily against?

China? Russia? Iran? I hope not the first two.

Nothing can be more dangerous than miscalculation in these matters.

And believe me I am not on any one side. And I am not talking about nukes.

Just being cautious. The problem with USA is they still believe they are living in a single polar World.

As to the OP - maybe, just maybe Putin tried to emphasize the fact that taking over Kiev is not an agenda?

And BTW the overrunning Kiev in two weeks is not such an impossibility. Could be done in a week, if one didn't care about casualties.

Once again, I'm not on Russian side.

Russians have a very funny way of talking. Their way of thinking is even more strange to the West.

[Publicus]

'I can take Kiev in two weeks', Vladimir Putin warns NATO leaders

How about Brussels?

One week.

The Europeans are used to clearing the roads when attacked.

Then to line the boulevards, the shady side for weepers the sunny side for the many who cheer and hope they're waving the correct country's flag.

The Champs-Elysses was after all lined with leafy trees so the Germans could march in the shade.

Now at long last come the Russians.

Today Kiev, tomorrow Paris!

Brussels is irrelevant.

[Publicus]

The world can't afford to cut off Russian oil and gas. Even if it was possibly militarily, politically it would be a suicide.

Besides, Russians must be prepared to defend their pipelines and consider any such attack an aggression.

Someone did the calculations, btw, no sanctions can possibly inflict 40% living standards drop Russians [easily] survived in the 90s. They are not going to change their nationally important policies under economic pressure, it's the wrong tool, and when this is all over the payback will be a bitch. They are not going to forget what West has tried to do to them. Just today Cameroon promised to completely destroy Russian economy. He probably won't succeed in that but he already made himself a mortal enemy.

Cameron is under the heel of the banksters. He is naive and dangerous. It isn't too hard to figure out as London is really a finance town paying high salaries and then there is the rest of England. In fact a recent study indicated if England were an American state it would be on par with Alabama based on per capita income.

This could easily escalate. The bankers are so worried about Brics they are giving marching orders to Nato to go to war. Sorry state of affairs.

Fiction.

Pure Putin pulp.

A brick outhouse for sure.

There is something to be said however about Britain going head to head in spitfire against fascists and fascism.

[Kerryd]

Russia's military hasn't proven itself to be too effective in it's last few campaigns (Afghanistan, Georgia, Chechnya). Much of their equipment is antiquated, mothballed, poorly maintained and poorly manned (i.e. low paid, poorly trained, poorly motivated conscripts). This isn't Stalin's Russia and Putin wouldn't be able to march battalions of KGB behind the military units to make sure they keep going in the right direction.

That it would take him 2 weeks to "take Kiev" is a major telling point. Back in the 80's, we were told that if the "balloon" went up, the Soviets expected to reach the French border within 2 weeks (assuming no one pushed the button) and that was when NATO/SHAFE had a whole lot more troops and toys in theatre specifically to counter that threat.

Considering he wouldn't have to face NATO, and already has a substantial military presence "on the border" (or inside the country already depending who is talking to who), for them to take 2 weeks to capture Kiev tells me Russia's capabilities are no where near what they used to be.

But one has to rattle one's sabre from time to time or risk being shunted to the sidelines of world affairs. Test the resolve of your opponents. Are they weak and willing to compromise ? If so, stick it to them and demand more. Are they playing hardball and pushing back ? Offer a compromise that costs you nothing (really) but perhaps gains you concessions in other areas in exchange for you not pushing further ahead.

It's rather obvious that the West is weak and ripe for "concession plucking". Most are quivering in their boots over the problems in the Middle East and more worried about their own populations than what is happening in the Ukraine. There is also the precedence that "the West" has already set when it comes to countries being split up (Timor, Sudan, Serbia) and we've even bombed the snot out of some in order to force those changes.

How can the West say it's OK for the people in (East) Timor, (South) Sudan or Kosovo to form their own nation and determine their own future, and then deny that same right to the people in the Ukraine ? One can debate whether or not the "rebels" in the Ukraine are actually Ukrainian or not (or if they are Russian agents claiming to be Ukrainian).

In fact, if the Ukraine was located in the Middle East (and was an oil exporting country), certain Western countries would have long ago declared the rebels as the "legitimate" government and probably would have been arming and supporting them themselves. Russia could argue that what they are doing is no different than what the West has been doing for decades now.

I would suspect that soon the Kurds, now armed with the weapons and support from the West, will make their move and declare sovereignty over the area they control. When the Kurds decide that their new country will include parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, do we start bombing those countries into submission until they agree ? Kind of hard when Turkey is also a NATO member (and not very fond of the Kurds to begin with).

The Yazidis refuse to become "Kurdish" and are thought of as devil worshipping heretics by everyone around them. How long until someone decides to "cleanse" them, and we have to send in the troops ? What about the other minorities like the Christians and Alawites ?

What if the Scottish Independence vote fails and the (large) percentage of the population that want independence decide to take up arms using the precedence that has already been set in other countries ?

Mmmmmm, North Sea oil. France would probably declare the Scottish rebels as the "legitimate" government of Scotland and then try to pressure the UN into declaring a "no fly" zone over the area (while signing backroom oil deals with the unelected, self-appointed rebel leaders).

Can you imagine ?

[bartender100]

The one Western leader that I admire at the moment, and as much as I hate to say it, is Frenchman François Hollande, he was the first to step in and arm the Kurds, and been very outspoken about Putin

You have to feel a bit for the Russian public, they have Putin for life, no democracy there.

I am guessing all the Russians want is a western life style, take nice holidays in Thailand,and avoid war

[DerkMR]

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I would be wondering who is USA arming itself so heavily against?

Against the rest of the world...;b++){var>

The game is called "world domination"

The Ukraine coup to ensure that Ukraine gets tighter wo Europe was sponsored by the US, if someone does this "in front of your garden", it's only natural that you try to hold against it...

Bye,

Derk

[shirtless]

I thinks its time to take the power away from governments and banks as they really abuse their positions , never have so many been governed by so few, and the few hold most of the wealth,

[zig]

Well, the separatist leaders themselves have confirmed on multiple occasions that Russia is supplying them with arms and soldiers. And few of these leaders themselves are 'former' military/intelligence officers of Russia who previously have been involved also in conflicts in Moldova, Chechnya and Georgia.

I think Russia is just increasing their presence and pressure notch by notch, all the time looking at and measuring the reaction from the West, to see how far they can go.

No they have not, Why bother to make up stories?

Leaders have stated some off duty Russian soldiers have come to join and help.

Just like US and UK and AU citizens are fighting for ISIS, it does not mean US or UK or AU military is helping ISIS, does it?

As i have said before, US and few puppets have been accusing Russia for too many things and eventually sleeping bear is bound to wake up and retaliate.

Russia has been very level headed about the whole thing, but since US did not seem to get the message, things are now starting to heat up

Now you want to bring Chechnya and Georgia into it? Do tell what you know about conflict in Chechnya or Georgia?

PS. With all that support for Georgia, have you heard anything ever since? US was so supportive, what happened?

It was only the last case of such a statement that mentioned that few thousand of soldiers 'on leave' are there. There have been few such flopped statements before which have mentioned that hundreds of troops 'trained in Russia' have joined separatist forces, or that it is difficult to control the fighters from Chechnya supplied by Russia, or expressed disappointment that the money from Russia is not coming in time. If Russia really wanted to, they could stop all this at any time, so one has to assume that this is happening with the blessing from Putin and the events are directed by Russia.

I am not bringing Chechnya or Georgia into this, I am just stating the fact that a few of the purported 'separatist leaders' in Ukraine were involved also in the events in these countries. What kind of 'local' separatist movement do they represent then?

[Baerboxer]

The world can't afford to cut off Russian oil and gas. Even if it was possibly militarily, politically it would be a suicide.

Besides, Russians must be prepared to defend their pipelines and consider any such attack an aggression.

Someone did the calculations, btw, no sanctions can possibly inflict 40% living standards drop Russians [easily] survived in the 90s. They are not going to change their nationally important policies under economic pressure, it's the wrong tool, and when this is all over the payback will be a bitch. They are not going to forget what West has tried to do to them. Just today Cameroon promised to completely destroy Russian economy. He probably won't succeed in that but he already made himself a mortal enemy.

Whatever Putin is he is no fool.

Obama - weak president in trouble at home.

Cameron - complete clown, more likely to destroy the UK and its economy

Merkel - needs the Russian gas.

Hollande - a socialist and not the most popular at home

rest of Nato - likely rely on US and UK to do the fighting if push comes to shove, although Turkey could be a surprise package with its very large army and the Poles with their "love" of the Russians.

Putin must figure no ones standing up to his bullying so carry on see how far he can get. Same with all bullies.

[crazykopite]

Hitler thought he could take Europe in the same timescale look what happened to him and his henchmen !!!

[umbanda]

Perhaps, the reality is, that the US is really looking in getting into a WW3..starting with Russia...Why?

Simple.....Now the US Army still more powerful than any other country, specially China and Russia..and now...the US can win and regain "control"...

In just 5 years China and Russia can match USA military power....and also.....Iran and Pakistan may be in enemies hands and with nuclear weapons....

Unfortunately...and probably...the US and Israel Military are lobbing in getting into war NOW...even a nuclear war with "collateral damages"...Just few millions....

May be the right time to be in Thailand, and not in the US or Europe now....and I hope that the new Thai Government keeps neutral in this mess...