Ukraine Thread

[Gilrandir]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...om-support-act
I wonder what implications it may have.

[Gilrandir]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...-group-1-.html

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Yes - Ukraine is now officially no longer "non-aligned."

This is a direct result of Russian-sponsored terrorism. Russia will blame the West and ramp things up but, really, what else can the Ukrainians do?

Assuming Russia bites off another chunk of the country (possible given Crimea) it's going to be increasingly difficult to safeguard the remainder without NATO.

[a completely inoffensive name]

I can't wait for Putin's regime to experience December 1991 all over again.

[Gilrandir]

Some update on the issue:
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com...-official.html
http://telegraf.com.ua/ukraina/mestn...-boevikov.html
The second features an intercepted conversation of Dryomov, one of the heads of LNR cossacks who claims to have personally talked to Medvedev. The latter promised all kinds of help, primarily the military one. Dryomov is boasting that Medvedev has given him his personal telephone number and is still astonished that such an insignificant man as he deems himself to be got direct access to the Russian prime minister.
The general trend of the last two weeks is replacement or annihilation of unruly separatists and gathering the occupied area under one hand.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/v...the-carpenter/
https://news.pn/en/RussiaInvadedUkraine/122614

[GenosseGeneral]

I can't wait for Putin's regime to experience December 1991 all over again.

Well, it would likely bring those into power whom we as the West do not want there, hawkish members of the vast Russian security apparatus for instance. Do not expect the economic-liberal faction inside the Russian political elite to succeed in a violent struggle for power. I think the world is better of with Putin than with a 'silovik' (term for members of the security apparatus) ruling Russia.

The worst outcome would be what was narrowly avoided in 1991 and 1993: anarchy in a country with a stockpile of several thousand nuclear warheads. Even the most hawkish hardliner in D.C. and Brussels should see that it cannot be the West's interest to 'put Russia on its knees'.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Well, it would likely bring those into power whom we as the West do not want there, hawkish members of the vast Russian security apparatus for instance. Do not expect the economic-liberal faction inside the Russian political elite to succeed in a violent struggle for power. I think the world is better of with Putin than with a 'silovik' (term for members of the security apparatus) ruling Russia.

The worst outcome would be what was narrowly avoided in 1991 and 1993: anarchy in a country with a stockpile of several thousand nuclear warheads. Even the most hawkish hardliner in D.C. and Brussels should see that it cannot be the West's interest to 'put Russia on its knees'.

Putin is a hawkish member of the vast Russian security apparatus.

Also, nobody wants Russia on it's knees - they just want Russia out of Ukraine, and Georgia, and Moldova.

Furthermore, Putin's stategy has done nothing but alienate the countries Russia meddles in. It's a case of griping sand so tightly it slips through your fingers.

[Gilrandir]

I think the world is better of with Putin than with a 'silovik' (term for members of the security apparatus) ruling Russia.

Putin with his KGB background is a silovik himself.
On last hours of Yanukovych as a president:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/wo...sted.html?_r=0