This to me is ridiculous. Yet, Putin repeated again what I have been hearing throughout the Russian community. They say that the US backed the ouster of Yanukovych. There, it ignited the chain of events. Then, the US was about to take Crimea, but Russia got there first. I believe the US role in the ouster of Yanukovych is minimal at best. Sure, McCain addressed the protesters, but he is no commander in chief. The US taking Crimea is ridiculous. I think this merits some discussion to understand the Russian perspective or lies.
Tom: There is a credible argument to America having responsibility for the instability in Ukraine and Iraq. It is because of being spineless and lack of leadership. I am so disgusted over the events, especially the last several month , that I really think that the President would do nothing if Russia invaded Alaska except to blame the former Governor. He is so incompetent that right now he is golfing in Palm Springs. While people were dying in Ukraine and Crimea being invaded, Russian diplomats were caught on camera in the halls of the United Nations as to Russia taking Alaska and California with the same reasoning. Ukraine is now left with a military in shambles and one nuke, Poreshenko should just wait for strong eastward wind and blow the sarcophagus of Chernobyl. Seeing as no one will abide by what is agreed to. That is a "measured response" to allude to the sound bite of today.
When peace can be obtained through communication and dialog,,,, great!!! For all other situations,,,,, use that big honking stick!!! And I know just where to Putin it!
RT,,, I’m disgusted too. Weakness has caused so much trouble around the world,,,, but I believe this is Obama’s goal.
I’m hearing this “One World Order” BS again! Yesterday,,, I almost threw a Jehovah’s Witness through the windshield of their car! They were handing out flyers about the OWO and wanted us to attend some seminar. I guess I assumed they were for it,,,, when I barked; What???? OWO??? GTF off this property and don’t you ever come back!!!! I never saw a woman in a dress run so fast before!!
Back when Viktor Yanukovych was still in power, someone from the West, EU, or maybe NATO gave him an ultimatum, that he needed to choose between the West and Russia,, he could not have both! He chose Russia a few days later, and that’s when Maiden exploded.
I only heard the last half of the new story,,, so I’m missing the details, I had hoped someone else here knew more?
Since the President is unwilling to take a stand or even be in charge I do not expect any real meaningful assistance for Ukraine. Our president seems to just pretend to be angry when he finds out about any issue going on in our government, it seems to me he is a bit to busy to actually do his job. I submit that the only reason he is still in charge is because the vice president would be even worse. It is obvious there is no leadership in Washington and the only chance Ukraine has is to hold off till elections or win the hearts and minds of the American people. I know that Russian mig fighter jets test our airspace and are met with F16's when they do. It seems in recent months the Russian air force has stepped up its game to test the response of our leaders, you can see for yourself what is the result. I worry that if Russia did decide to take American territory would or government even respond or would they call an emergency meeting to do sanctions.
Put in has gotten so far into the head of regimes in Washington and London with their political correctness it is a amazing. He knows that western policies and response are made in how the media will present it as opposed to tactical decision. Today the headlines are Ukraine's foreign minister should be "sacked" because he said Putin was a dickhead and it is presented in that way. A year ago a commander of a U.S. navel vessel was relieved of command because he had drinks in a Vladivostok bar while in port and with Russian counterparts. It is my understanding that he returned to the ship and played "Born in the U.S.A." on the address system in the hours before dawn. It seems he had a better grasp on how to deal with a physiological war.
"the US backed the ouster of Yanukovych ... I believe the US role in the ouster of Yanukovych is minimal at best"
rb, the facts as I know them support your position. Whether there was an official US policy, I don't know. In general, when a head of state is extremely corrupt, and blocking the most important aspirations of the majority of his/her people, most Americans would want to see that person replaced with someone who serves the people ... the sooner, the better.
In fact, nobody "ousted" Yanukovich. He ran away. If he were a legitimate leader, he would have stayed.
Russians are full of science-fiction conspiracy theories. According to them, the 80+ who were murdered near the Maidan in the space of a few minutes were shot by NATO soldiers.
What's ironic is that the West rarely destroys its friends and allies to create a pretext -- in democracies, such hideous crimes are likely to be discovered and to cause the downfall of the regime. But in Russia, slaughtering innocents for propaganda purposes (under the pretense that somebody else did it) has a long history. So this Russian conspiracy theory imagines the West doing what Russia might do if the roles were reversed. Psychologists call this "projection."
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"the US was about to take Crimea, but Russia got there first ... The US taking Crimea is ridiculous."
It is BEYOND ridiculous. The USA had its land-grab phase, but (by my reading of history) this ended by 1900. Since that time, US invasions and occupations have led to those territories being restored to the control of their own peoples, by popularly elected governments. The US has maintained many bases in such territories, but only by consent of their elected governments.
As I've argued before (to deaf ears, apparently) although Crimea is militarily important to UKRAINE, it is of nearly ZERO military value to any other country, including Russia. As for the US, its aircraft carriers can dominate much of the Black Sea from the Mediterranean. A carrier group IN the Black Sea would own it, with no base needed thank you very much.
The US needs the Crimean peninsula like a fish needs a bicycle.
Further, anybody who understands military operations will tell you that for the US to actually TAKE Crimea against opposition would be a huge combat operation requiring hundreds of ships, tens of thousands of personnel, and many months of preparation.
Again, Russia is projecting. Crimea was under threat from exactly one hostile foreign power: Russia.
Looking through vk, it is amazing how the US is portrayed as if it is playing a major role in this. The US flag with a swastika, making fun of the US military, Obama in with horns and Putin with a halo...