The US-Russia sanctions war is picking up pace today, with the Obama Administration announcing its “second round” of sanctions against Russia, targeting “wealthy Russians” and their assets in the US. Russia responded just minutes later with sanctions of their own, including a travel ban on several Obama aides and hawkish Senators.
The US officials hit with sanctions today responded with mocking comments echoing similar statements from Russian MPs hit by the US Monday, insisting the travel bans and asset seizures wouldn’t effect them at all to begin with.
President Obama suggested the third round of sanctions would target Russia’s primary exports of oil and gas and “could disrupt the global economy.” He added that he believes it is necessary because of his objections to the annexation of Crimea.
Ukraine, for its part, insists it is going to avoid any trade or sanctions war with Russia if at all possible, and said it is going to rely on the WTO to resolve any disputes that may arise.
In the BOOK "On The Beach " did not the Author write
"And this is the way the world ends – not with a BANG but a WIMPER"
Obama is acting like a thug and at one stage or another the Russians will have to retailiate.
Palestine, Diego Garcia, Guantanamo Bay.
The annexation of Crimea came by way of a vote, not by violence, but freedom of choice by the people. And Obama think that its necessary to punished these people by way of sanctions, so much for 'Liberty.'
Oh no! The elites of the US/EU and Russia are going to start sanctioning each other?
Won't someone PLEASE think of the children!?!?
Exactly. All Kabuki all the time.
The West has no options.
Because of location, the Russians are militarily ***OVERWHELMINGLY*** dominant. They hold all the cards. In one hour they can own Kiev, and by extension, all of Ukraine. In six hours they can seal the Ukrainian border with Poland and seal the country from NATO interference. The West then, so as not to appear weak (not allowing oneself to appear weak is something of a political "law") makes a great show of "sanctions" so inconsequential that they can't escape mockery and can't conceal the spanking that Putin is administering.
I have read that Lavrov and Kerry have already agreed on how to settle this diplomatically, which, setting aside the diplomatic obfuscation, boils down to: elections in May which will allow all Ukrainian provinces to vote on what country they want to be a part of. Which means the East will rejoin Russia, just like the Crimea. And Putin wins again, without firing a shot, again. Now the West will certainly seek to subvert the process, and thus prevent a Russian victory, but those Russian troops — up to 80,000 — now conducting "exercises" on the Ukr/Russian border are Putin's way of saying, "Give it up. One way or the other, your little adventure is over. Ukraine is Russian, now."
Strategic reality: what a concept!
Politics as usual. All talk, no action. The peacemongers seem to be getting the upper hand! Good news, if the neocons don't try to sabotage it.