Media hysteria, fueled by US hawks and Ukrainian ultranationalists, had forwarded the narrative that the Russian invasion was imminent, with claims of a military buildup of historic proportions, and Ukrainian officials claiming at times as many as 100,000 Russian troops waiting to roll into Donetsk.
The portrait of the Russian military as a Lord of the Rings-style army of evil, bloodthirsty troops just waiting for marching orders, took a major blow when NBC took the unusual step of actually going to the border and looking around.
What they saw was a calm border, with no signs of a serious military build-up, and by contrast exactly what Russia had said, evidence of a training exercise going on on the Russian side. Some troops, some heavy trucks, but no tanks or artillery.
It wasn’t lost on the Russian troops there, who expressed concern that Ukraine has all their (mostly obsolete) tanks deployed right at the border, and were worried that Ukraine’s Right Sector could commandeer a few tanks and take out a lot of Russian troops, since the trucks aren’t exactly up to fighting tanks, even the T-64s that make up the bulk of Ukraine’s force.
Russian President Putin, apparently sick of hearing about an invasion that’s not going to happen, also announced redeployment today of a lot of the troops involved in the training exercises.
The conditions for an armed takeover of Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions do not yet exist.
The Crimean situation was unique.
Crimea was an isolated region heavily populated by the descendents of Russian settlers who, to a large extent, welcomed the invading Russian army.
There are no other such regions in Ukraine.
Putin would therefore like to create regions in Ukraine to which Russians could migrate and potentially form a majority.
In such circumstances, Russia could, as it did in Crimea, mount an armed takeover of those regions and incorporate them into Russia.
Putin’s aim is both transparent and utterly odious.
Andrew Havryliv
Sydney, Australia
I figured out this much as a kid: 'Evil' is highly marketable; So much so, that if I were evil, I'd pretty much sell 'evil' enemies to trash all damn day. That way, tween aged, ring-bearing hobbits (and slightly taller pimple faced do-gooders) will trek hundreds of leagues just to stick a knife in their evil a$$es. Not mine.
Two birds with one stone, you see.
Nice to see NBC affirming no Sauren's Horde at the Gate … Elizabeth Gould & Paul Fitzgerald made a similar sojourn to Soviet occupied Afghanistan. They're was very little fighting after 16 months. Perhaps Charlie Wilson needed a billion dollar fight just for PR: ~no ambiguity, black-hats white-hats, cia's finest hour.
I s'pect it also still isn't proven that Saddam Hussein's Iraq ever massed troops/equipment near Saudi Arabia in ~1990. …and now I hear the Prez lied about a 'referendum' in Kosovo.
And don't forget James & JoAnne Moriarty, experienced International observers and business people on the ground in Libya who noticed that Ghaddafi should not have been such an easy sell.
Is evil taking over the world? If so, I strongly suspect it's doing so by selling 'evil.'
The conditions for an armed takeover of Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions do not yet exist.
The Crimean situation was unique.
Crimea was an isolated region heavily populated by the descendents of Russian settlers who, to a large extent, welcomed the invading Russian army.
There are no other such regions in Ukraine.
Putin would therefore like to create regions in Ukraine to which Russians could migrate and potentially form a majority.
In such circumstances, Russia could, as it did in Crimea, mount an armed takeover of those regions and incorporate them into Russia.
Putin’s aim is both transparent and utterly odious.
I love it when Americans prove they all failed geography.
CNNs straight face liar Wolf Blitzer says Russia is on the verge of invading Ukraine but agrees with America`s benelovent invasion of Iraq.
Once upon a time there was another well-armed nation which claimed that it had to attack the Soviet Union to prevent an attack of the SU on it because it averred that the SU had amassed armed forces on the borders of the partitioned Poland and Rumania for an attack. This is old wine into new bottles.
Putin would probably give everything he possesses (and that's anything from $10 to $24 million, depending on who you ask!) for even a handful of bloodthirsty troops! He had to resort to ultra-expensive private contractors in Crimea! It's clear, though, that Putin is cornered, and both European and US leaders know it. Either he backs off from Ukraine and is discredited at home or invades, which will make a war he cannot win more or less ineveitable and is then discredited at home. And since, for geographical reasons, he cannot govern Crimea without Ukrainian co-operation or subjugation, even his "consolation prize" will sooner or later blow up in his face.
Russia's been governing Crimea since before George Washington was President, so I've got an idea that they'll manage ok.
This of course is all total nonsense.
Uh, in case you haven't noticed, its the US military that's stretched thin and which seems to have a massive reliance on private contractors.
Putin has no need to make either of the false choices you describe to him. BTW, that of course is a favorite propaganda rhetorical technique … to give to fake chances and hope the reader doesn't think and realize there are other outcomes possible.
Putin knows he's going to get the whole Ukraine back in about three years, and that leaving the Russian cities of the eastern Ukraine still in the Ukraine (over the objections of their residents) makes this outcome more favorable.
The neo-nazis in Kiev couldn't win an election before. Now they are about to become the point men for the German bankers wave of 'austerity measures'. I'm guessing after about two years of the Greece treatment from the German bankers, and everyone in the Ukraine who isn't to the right of Bandera is going to be begging Russia to take them back. Especially when they see the standards of living rising in the Crimea as their economy is wrecked by the German bankers.
Putin makes $187,000 a year. He's is probably worth substantially less than my brother-in-law who is worth about $10M. All this nonsense in the US media of him being worth '$70B' is absurd.
He is not 'cornered'. Crimea is a done deal. It's over. Get over it. It was actual real DEMOCRACY in action! You know? That thing which the US has not experienced in about 250 years?
East and south Ukraine will soon take Crimea's path to freedom…and you know what? There is not a goddamn thing the US or the EU or NATO can do about it.
Democracy, dude: it's catching on!
Crimea is separated from Russia proper by only three miles.
Interesting how time changes things over generations.
From the 1950's-1980's, the Soviet Union was the evil, hegenomanic empire and the US was a benevolent force for good in the world…the only ones who could stop the evil monsters. However bad or good was the US president at home, he was an angel abroad. (USA! USA!)
Now the roles have reversed. The Russian leader is now the true statesman, and it's the US that is the hegenomanic power bullying its way around the world.
We said it and we saying it again, the world facing the biggest threat to humanity the way that EU governing body, NATO and USG playing their idiotic games, the third world war is on the corner where the US corporation or for that matter EU corporations give a damn about.
NATO has announced that it is suspending all military and civilian cooperation with Russia over the Ukrainian crisis, the bloc said in a joint statement.
“We have decided to suspend all practical civilian and military cooperation between NATO and Russia. Our political dialogue in the NATO-Russia Council can continue, as necessary, at the Ambassadorial level and above, to allow us to exchange views, first and foremost on this crisis,” the statement reads. The alliance plans to review its relations with Russia at a meeting in June”
USG and NATO are in cooperation from 1990s to establish their militarism regimes at the door step to Russia, the idea later carried out by Bill Clinton and Madeline Albright when they decided to bomb-divide Yugoslavia, then Tony Blair and rest of European from Swedish government, social democrats, aristocrats, Neo, old and ok’d fascism joined in in occupation of Afghanistan, the plan is a on going social political process and it will not stop there. Hitler sow Russia as the greatest obstacle for the German fascism march toward rest of the world, especially Central Asia where the natural resources are, the Neo liberalism are on the same path in cooperation. Russia is against the Syrian war and were against Libya regime change, Russia is against USG and NATO countries wanting to destroy the Iranian nation, Russia is for a united nation not a bought, bribed united nation, the growth of Russian economy is also a obsticke for unfair and unjust western economic-bankers and other form of corruptions taking place in US and in EU from Sweden to Turkey.
Syrian war they have lost, the Afghanistan war they have lost, the Libyan war they have lost, the only thing they can do and have left is to use the social garbagfes figurines as Neo, old and ok’d fascism in Ukraine and left over terrorists, the Islamic fascists from all over Europe, Saudi Arabia and UAE to Chechnya creating the scenario in more wars, in the process however, they intimate Russia and others, meanwhile they are finalizing their plan for a bigger war, if is with Russia so be it, if is with Iran so be it, if is with rest of the wired so be it. This plan is nothing new, it’s been on the desk of every president since Bill Clinton and all of them have created a new path achieving their dreams circling Russia with their militarism, the only thing, is different is that European governing body in the past, to some point they were against it, now all kind of falsified social or otherwise democracy are for such plan and oppenly supporting Saudis barbarians inhuman actions in Syria or elsewhere.
After the Russian military occupation and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, who would ever suspect that Putin would move on other Russian-speaking areas of Ukraine?
Only a fool would take “innocent” military exercises along an independent country’s border as a threat or intimidation!
r u high?
No, I haven’t taken a pill making me immune to Putin’s murderous Russian ultranationalism, fascism and expansionism.
Russia did literally NOTHING about Ukraine's plunge into fascism and nazism. Crimea, on their OWN decided to become part of the Russian Federation. Can you possibly get that through your thick numb skull?
If you want to find fascism and Nazism, look at Putin’s murderous actions against his own people, particularly in Chechnya.
Ukraine has been an independent country since 1991. It hasn't persecuted, occupied or annexed anyone.
"Can you possibly get that through your thick numb skull?"
Chechnya? The Saudi/CIA funded Wahhabi terrorist campaign? Are you serious? Putin showed EXTREME calm and reserve in his response. If it was me I would have dropped a tactical nuke on Umarov and his NED gang.
You do know that Kiev was once the capital of Russia, right??? That Crimea has been a part of Russia for 250 years? That Crimeans VOTED 97% to rejoin the Russian Federation of their OWN ACCORD?
That's called "self determination", dickhead. Supposedly that is what the UN and the US preaches about isn't it?
Can you possibly get that through your thick numb skull?
Your boorish ignorance of history is surpassed only by your vulgarity.
So, where exactly am I wrong, genius?
Are you immune to his 'communism,' yet?
Where's that airplane? What are tthe Rooshins doin? The grist for the mill of fantasy. If this wasn't serious it would be a comedy.
It seems the lunatics running the West are just itching for a war. If it starts maybe Russia will nuke Washington DC and the CAR.