Ukraine Thread

[CrossLOPER]

I don't know if we should have a new thread on this or are such things just symptomatic for Putin and can be posted here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...an-rebels.html

Will we hear of paratroopers who got lost during the exercises in Rostov region and found themselves in Syria? Or has Putin abandoned the idea of Novorossia for the sake of Novosyria?

What is wrong with defending strategic assets abroad?

[wooly_mammoth]

What's wrong with shooting terrorists?

[Montmorency]

What's wrong with imposing the will of God upon non-believers?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

What's wrong with imposing the will of God upon non-believers?

That depends on whether it's the right God or not.

Speaking of which - anyone got a lead on the True Cross?

[Gilrandir]

What is wrong with defending strategic assets abroad?

There is everything wrong with defending strategic assests abroad and denying it. And that is the way Russia has adopted of late.

And the second wrong with it is defining what is "abroad". The current government of Russia seems to be at a loss when defining the boundaries of their own realm often including into it lands and peoples others (including those very lands and peoples) consider to be outside of it.

[Gilrandir]

http://joinfo.com/world/1008671_russ...he-donbas.html
Well, I liked that.
- Will you go to Donbas to kill your Ukrainian brethren?
- Alrighty.
- Sorry guys, there has been a change to the initial plan - you are going to Syria to kill those dirty (in the direct meaning - "nonhygienic") Arabs.
- Oh no. The deal is off.

[Strike For The South]

It's September 19th and Putin is still a fascist.

[Husar]

http://joinfo.com/world/1008671_russ...he-donbas.html
Well, I liked that.
- Will you go to Donbas to kill your Ukrainian brethren?
- Alrighty.
- Sorry guys, there has been a change to the initial plan - you are going to Syria to kill those dirty (in the direct meaning - "nonhygienic") Arabs.
- Oh no. The deal is off.

Syria seems super funny (if we ignore the actual human tragedies for a moment).
Lots of refugees noone wants,, lots of parties noone supports and now the only big power in the world that wants to get boots on the grounds to stop the islamists by supporting the similarly disliked dictator is so unorganized that it cannot even get its own soldiers to go.

[Gilrandir]

Syria seems super funny (if we ignore the actual human tragedies for a moment).
Lots of refugees noone wants,, lots of parties noone supports and now the only big power in the world that wants to get boots on the grounds to stop the islamists by supporting the similarly disliked dictator is so unorganized that it cannot even get its own soldiers to go.

After his "Russian spring" debacle, for Putin Syria seems to be the last chance to get his boots on the ground at least somewhere, to prove (to himself and to his supporters) that he is still a world player with a long reach and perhaps to exchange something in Donbas and Crimea for his Syrian (non)involvement.


Don't know if you heard this one:
http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine.../27233898.html

According to Russian sources, the nickname Yatsenyuk used participating in Chechen war was ... ready? ... "Viking".

[Hooahguy]

Ok so slightly off topic to the immediate discussion, does anyone know what the official Greek position on the Ukraine crisis? I know that they voted for more sanctions on Russia after the annexation and they officially condemned Russian intervention, but then Alexis Tsipras said that the EU shouldnt be supporting the far-right Ukrainian government. Cant really find anything else on the topic though and I have to represent the Greek position on Ukraine tomorrow.

[Crandar]

Ok so slightly off topic to the immediate discussion, does anyone know what the official Greek position on the Ukraine crisis? I know that they voted for more sanctions on Russia after the annexation and they officially condemned Russian intervention, but then Alexis Tsipras said that the EU shouldnt be supporting the far-right Ukrainian government. Cant really find anything else on the topic though and I have to represent the Greek position on Ukraine tomorrow.

Initially,SYRIZA commented positively on Russia, but they quickly changed their position and supported the EU's sanctions. It was more of a PR movement to please their leftist audience, not a conscious change of policy.
The only sympathetic towards Russia members of SYRIZA left the party and formed a new one, called Popular Unity, which failed to get in the Parliament in today's elections. So, SYRIZA Greece is not anything special, in fact, they are sometimes rather pro-NATO, with a very friendly stance towards Kosovo and a request to NATO to augment its military presence in the Aegean Sea.