The Obama Administration insists that neither the United States nor European Union will ever recognize the results of this weekend’s referendum in Crimea, which is widely expected to call for its accession into the Russian Federation.
Crimea’s parliament seceded from the Ukraine earlier this week, and the referendum provides options to either return to Ukraine or to join Russia. It does not give an option to remain independent.
The US and NATO argue that Crimea’s secession contravenes “international law,” though officials have long taken an opportunistic position on secession, backing those liable to put pro-US governments in power and spurning those that will not.
US officials have said that the referendum cannot be allowed because Ukraine’s pro-US interim government, installed in violent protests weeks ago, has opposed it. They have demanded Russia force the Crimeans to stop the vote from occurring, and have vowed sanctions Monday if the referendum is held.
Russian President Vladimir Putin insists that the referendum is entirely in keeping with international norms, and the UN Charter. Though Putin has expressed reservations about Crimean accession, the Russian parliament has strongly supported the idea. Crimea has a majority Russian population, and was legally part of Russia until 1954, when the Soviet Union transferred it internally to Ukraine’s republic.
How about Scotland, Catalonia in Spain and other nationals that are sick and tired for being oppressed by the puppets of oligarch of Europe and IMF stealing people's wealth sending it Washington and Brussels. Look at Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and rest of European people in poverty. People of Ukraine sooner or later will not recognize the handpicked fascist by EU and USG, is just a matter of time for the Ukrainian people to act upon that promise. For now 1/3 of Ukraine conntrolled by these hooligans, the working man and women of Ukraine defending rest of Ukraine against these Neo, old and ok'd fascism by the west.
> Look at Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and rest of European people in poverty
You are off-base. You may have noticed that EU's northern parts subsidized these basket cases for more than a decade with cheap loans. Greece in particular is now fully of hardly working people who think they are entitled to low-work high-welfare lifestyles with guaranteed pensions. Yes, they also have a kleptocracy in charge but that has nothing to do with Brussels, the IMF or banks. There is a reason with Greece and Italy went through serial devaluation of their currency before the EUR.
Well, the Ketchup Princess and Hopey McChange can refuse to "recognize" that the earth orbits the sun, but that hardly matters, does it?
And what will the dumbfu*K Kerry do along with the German lizard? Zilch, absolutely nothing.
Kerry says the US won't recognize the Crimea referendum but the numbnuts forget the 65Y support of Israel illegal occupation where the Palestinian weren't even offered the luxury of a referendum before their land was chopped off beneath their feet.
Kosovo's referendum despite Russia's objection and the UK support for Falkland's referendum despite Argentina's objection and the ink wasn't even dry on the newly mandated South Sudan before US set up shop in Juba.
maybe the Chinese could helpfully point out how Taiwan is intergral part of China.
I don't think Putin or the people of Crimea give a crap about Kerry or the EU.
The Crimean Russians have the same right of self-determination as, for example, the Kosovo Albanians and they don't even need a referendum to assert that right. In fact, the holding of a manifestly fraudulent referendum discredits a perfectly respectable cause! Since the Russians constitute only 58% of the population, any very large majority will lead to suspicions of fraud and/or intimidation. A referendum under proper international supervision would be an unanswerable argument. A rigged referendum suggests that the pro-Russian side beleives that it would lose in a free and fair vote. That discredits them.
It's very amusing to watch the banana republic of the USA, and their lapdog, the EU, paint themselves into a corner in which they cannot extricate themselves.
It really is very interesting to see how far the west's so-called political intelligentsia has fallen. Could they be consuming too much lead in their collective diet, to cause such mentally deficient decision making?
“Your comment must be approved by the site admins before it will appear publicly.”
“Site admins are away for the weak end”
Damn.
[site admin’s note — Nope. Site admins are more likely to pop out and run errands on the weekend, instead of hanging on your every word with instant concierge service, though – TLK]
This is the EU that redid the referendum on the EU constitution until it managed to got a majority in favor. Very legit.
DEMOCRACY?
Will someone explain it to me. Please.