World Ukraine mobilizes after Putin's 'declaration of war'

[FireCat]

Ukraine mobilized for war on Sunday and Washington threatened to isolate Russia economically, after President Vladimir Putin declared he had the right to invade his neighbor in Moscow's biggest confrontation with the West since the Cold War.

"This is not a threat: this is actually the declaration of war to my country," Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, head of a pro-Western government that took power when Russian ally Viktor Yanukovich fled last week, said in English.

Putin secured permission from his parliament on Saturday to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine and told U.S. President Barack Obama he had the right to defend Russian interests and nationals, spurning Western pleas not to intervene.

Russian forces have already bloodlessly seized Crimea - an isolated Black Sea peninsula where Moscow has a naval base.

On Sunday they surrounded several small Ukrainian military outposts there and demanded the Ukrainian troops disarm. Some refused, leading to standoffs, although no shots were fired.

Ukraine mobilizes after Putin's 'declaration of war'

Ukraine mobilized for war on Sunday and Washington threatened to isolate Russia economically after President Vladimir Putin declared he had the right to invade his neighbor in Moscow's biggest confrontation with the West since the Cold War.

www.reuters.com

 

[Solu9]

Russian forces have already bloodlessly seized Crimea - an isolated Black Sea peninsula where Moscow has a naval base.

Actually it is not "a" naval base. It is the base of the whole of Russia's Black Sea fleet.

 

[KMilz]

So is this about to escalate real quick, or is it just a bunch of drama and hype?

 

[Accname]

I dont know.
*grabs popcorn*

 

[Solu9]

The tension is really high right now. Accusations are of course flying back and forth.
Most of Crimea seems to embrace the Russian army, and the rest of Ukraine seem to lean towards the west and ask for some kind of help.
But it is a really complicated situation because it cannot be seen so black and white. There are so many small groups of everything in Ukraine.

Our media (Denmark), are talking about Russia, and thereby Putin, having the upper hand, because he was ready to actually do something.
The west talks about diplomacy, condemnations and perhaps economically cut offs towards Russia. But Russia is in the "lead".
It is also speculated that Putin is in the best spot because right now he can just sit and wait what the west concludes, and/or if the Ukrainian temporally government accepts that Crimea is now occupied by Russia.

 

[Solu9]

This shows how dependent EU is on Russian gas and why severe sanctions and/or military actions against Russia is going to hurt EU badly as well.
http://www.businessinsider.com/here...ias-invasion-of-crimea-pulls-in-europe-2014-3

 

[The Helper]

Thank god for the Internet to hear real stuff on this. The Major US News sources are wildly propogandized.

 

[D.V.D]

The statements that Crimea is heavily supporting Russia is also not completely true. Although most of Crimea is Russian speaking, for the past number of years, there haven't been much separatism or conflicts between different minorities. And to add to that, not all Russian speaking citizens are in on having Crimea a part of Russia. The problem is that there are Russian soldiers and unidentified soldiers who are heavily armed and are supporting pro Russian protestors. If people protest otherwise, it results in clashes and the other groups have no chance of holding their ground against this unnamed army, the Russian army if they decide to intervene, the riot police from Kyiv who fled to Crimea (a large portion did as well as to eastern Ukraine), tityshky which were a band of thugs used by Yanakovich (previous Ukrainian president) to fight off protestors, other gangs/groups such as the Night Wolves who are in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, and the pro Russian protestors.

So as of now, its not so much that support for the new Ukrainian government isn't in Crimea, its just that the supporters can't really express their opinion safely because of so many third parties. So although a large portion does support Russia, its definitely not 75 or 90 percent of the population but almost for sure closer to the 50s or maybe even 40s.

 

[The Helper]

Like I said, the Real on the Internet.

 

[FireCat]

Well, more or less, every "News sources" are somewhat propagandized.
But things are getting serious over there.

Putin: Troops to Bases; Warning Shots in Crimea

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands of Russian troops participating in military exercises near Ukraine's border to return to their bases as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was on his way to Kiev. Tensions remained high in the strategic Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea with troops loyal to Moscow firing warning shots to ward off protesting Ukrainian soldiers.

The massive military exercise in western Russia involving 150,000 troops, hundreds of tanks and dozens of aircraft was supposed to wrap up anyway, so it was not clear if Putin's move was an attempt to heed the West's call to de-escalate the crisis that has put Ukraine's future on the line.

It came as Kerry was on his way to Kiev to meet with the new Ukrainian leadership that deposed a pro-Russian president, and has accused Moscow of a military invasion in Crimea. The Kremlin, which does not recognize the new Ukrainian leadership, insists it made the move in order to protect Russian installations and its citizens living there.

On Tuesday, Russian troops who had taken control of the Belbek air base in the Crimea region fired warning shots into the air as around 300 Ukrainian soldiers, who previously manned the airfield, demanded their jobs back.

Read More Here.

 

[KMilz]

And now the US is offering Ukraine a $1,000,000,000.00 care package to help them. Man.

 

[Hatebreeder]

And now the US is offering Ukraine a $1,000,000,000.00 care package to help them. Man.

You're worried about money? Us arms corporations and share holders will make a fortune, if war should really break out. Also, I'm very sure, that treaties have already been made/are being made about who gets the sole right to rebuild the country. Think about it. You outsource US companies without them having competition and bring back $$$ home.

I just hope there won't be a chain of treaties, that causes half of Europe and half of Asia to fight against each other. Improper foreign policy could lead to World War 3 or something of that sort. Which would suck real bad.

 

[Varine]

WWIII would be balla as fuck yo.

 

[FireCat]

I would say no Varineeee ! ^

 

[Varine]

Not for you, you god damn causality waiting to happen.

 

[FireCat]

Oh really? Why do you say so?

 

[FireCat]

A new stupid cold war a head? What do you think?

Russia risks new Cold War, West warns as Putin prepares to swallow Crimea
As Russia's president Vladimir Putin prepares to address both houses of his parliament over the Crimea crisis, Western leaders hope sanctions will deter de facto annexation

Vladimir Putin has delivered a swift and uncompromising blow to the imposition of US and EU sanctions by signing a decree recognising Crimea as an independent state, paving the way for him to acknowledge a request from the breakaway region to join the Russian Federation.

Ignoring Western threats of a new Cold War and a “far-reaching” economic blockade, the Russian president will on Tuesday address both houses of the Russian parliament on the crisis, and is expected to welcome Crimea into the fold. The formal process of absorbing the peninsula could be completed within weeks.

Read Moar Here.

 

[Accname]

I cant see what putin thinks he is gaining with that. I mean, it is pretty obvious that this will be a blow to the russian economy if the west is really going to follow through with their plans. That isle is hardly worth the trouble it creates for the russians.

 

[D.V.D]

I cant see what putin thinks he is gaining with that. I mean, it is pretty obvious that this will be a blow to the russian economy if the west is really going to follow through with their plans. That isle is hardly worth the trouble it creates for the russians.

Isn't it so far not really affecting their economy? I know their economy dropped but it went back up once investors realized the sanctions did barely anything.

Whats sad is that Ukraine was the third largest nuclear country and they gave it away during the Budapest Momrandum on Security Assurances which was supposed to keep them guarded by US, Russia and UK.

 

[Accname]

The sanctions did not even really start if I remember correctly. I think they are still talking about what they are going to do.
But this can never be good for russia. Its a rather poor country, the economy is hurting lately and now they are alienating the west which could have been a very useful trading partner.