The Obama Administration and the European Union both followed through on threatened sanctions against Russia today, nominally over the Ukraine war, but brought into effect in spite of a Russia-brokered ceasefire continuing to hold there.
Russian officials accused the US of threatening the ceasefire with its rhetoric, and also threatened to launch retaliatory sanctions against US and European countries in a growing trade war.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had not wanted to launch the new sanctions, but that the “confrontational” attitude of the US had forced its hand, and that “retaliatory measures will not keep you waiting.”
The Obama Administration is demanding that Russia forcibly disarm the ethnic Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, unilaterally withdraw from the Crimean Peninsula, and also create a “buffer zone” out of its own territory along the border with Ukraine.
US demands that Russia create a "buffer zone" out of its own territory! What could be more obvious than the US is doing everything it can to provoke Russia into some kind of irrational act so that it can start hostilities. What absolute trash runs our government! I hope Russia cuts off the supply of gas to the West and keeps it off as soon as it gets cold. If you want to see the European sanctions lifted in a hurry, watch what happens when the pipes freeze.
The US is making impossible demands and knows it. Goading Russia is not a good idea and I hope it all backfires. America is an "exceptionally" evil country.
even Satan fears USRAEL
Putin should just TURN OFF THE GAS! Turn off the oil! Winter just around the corner!
Watch the panic from the EU!
Watch those sanctions bite the US economy as the Oil and Gas prices spike!
Economic sanctions are a two way street!
Ukraine is Russia's buffer zone! (conversely, also Europe's in the 1920s).
Yo, antiwar, your polar map still shows Crimea in the wrong taxation area.
Good point. A very loose translation of 'Ukraine' ~means~ buffer zone!
Humanity has lost the plot.
This is complete idiocy. If the Chinese demanded that the USG disarm the Syrian rebels whom they are blatantly supporting, and create a buffer zone along the Mexican border (on the US side), and give up the lease of GITMO, the USG would laugh themelves into convulsions – and then send the messenger packing.
This is more of the same stupidity, such as the USG demanding Iran (or Iraq under Saddam) prove a negative or suffer the consequences. Surely they don't think Putin (or the Iranians) are stupid enough to fall for the provocation…surely.
It's like some nefarious villain spiked the DC water supply with stupid-juice and everybody is drinking the stuff. If this is the official US foreign policy, then it is time to replace the policy-makers with some that are sane – and, obtw, that eliminates Shillary from contention.
The grand prize being all the natural resources most grand in the grand kingdom of Russia, Empire USA is now serving notice, “Submit to slavery be economics, suffer invasion or suffer nukes — the choice is yours.”
The stock in trade of populists is strutting and thumbing their noses. The EU's sanctions are mere pinpricks but they have successfully goaded Putin into taking counter-sanctions which really damage Russia. As long as he keeps falling into the trap, the EU and the US will keep upping the ante. Nobody really expects Russia to create a buffer zone, but it humiliates Putin and thus provokes him to further mistakes. No Soviet leader was ever that stupid!
"No Soviet leader was ever that stupid!"
The oddly repetitive language of your posts has me beginning to agree with some other posters that you may be a bot of some kind. If you're not, so advise ASAP so that I don't ban you.
Now I'm wishing that Loring Air Force Base was never closed. The former closest SAC base to Evil Russia is only 50 miles from here. When the nukes start flying, I want to be the first to die.
The survivors will surely envy the dead.
Off Topic, but Your mention of Loring AFB ME…Ah memories!!! As a 19 year old airman-was TDY Sep/Oct/Nov 1962 with the 4137th Strat Wg while our runways at Robins AFB GA re-laid. Loring…the tunnels to messhall fm barracks, potatoes every meal, and the snow & Cold-as COLD!! as a witch's kiss.
Still, enjoyed it. Thanks for memories. BED+ NJ Ex-Pat Down Under now!
The European politic advisers are completly unsane.When I was younger I was in charge of chjldren during vacation.Everyone knows that in those cases you do not punish kids when they started to obey.Here Europ says first we will not put new sanctions if a cease fire is reached and then when the cease fire was reached they put new sanctions.This method is totally contreproductive and probably made to make Russia react.I have now big doubts about the democratic control of our institutions.
Can it get anymore evident that Western demands impede over targeted nations sovereignty. Of all things unknown, it must be made clear about the reasons the U.N. is silent or explain the logic of these demands that violates its existence. The world polity has gone rogue.