According to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, President Trump “expects” Russia to both make the level of violence in Eastern Ukraine go down, and to unconditionally “return” the Crimean Peninsula to the Ukrainian government, adding that he “also expects to get along with Russia.”
After protests in Kiev ousted the pro-Russian government in Ukraine, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea held a referendum on secession from the Ukraine in March 2014. A region dominated by ethnic Russians and host to a major Russian military base, that referendum easily passed, and Crimea sought and received accession into the Russian Federation days later.
The post-revolution Ukraine government was pro-West, and naturally Western nations rejected the Crimean secession as unlawful, accusing Russia of “annexing Crimea” militarily. Despite this claim, no real military action ever took place, and the only movement of forces came after the referendum, when Ukraine managed to borrow enough gasoline and car batteries to get their military vehicles off the peninsula.
The US has vowed never to accept Crimea as part of Russia, however, and has repeatedly demanded Russia unconditionally “return” Crimea. Clearly Russia has no intention of doing so, and threats aside Ukraine has no practical way to expel Russia from the peninsula.
Perhaps Putin should demand that the United States returns Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California to the Mexicans before he’ll meet with Trump
Texas rebeled from Mexico, became a Republic, then asked to join the USA. California rebeled from Mexico, declared the Bear Flag Republic and then joined the USA. Also, at some of that time Mexico was run by the French and Neopoleon. Finally, if you are going to give things back, maybe Russia should return to Sweden, which provided the governing Viking autority in the 850’s AD.
Since Napoleon died in 1821 that was some achievement.
The Frenchman involved with Mexico was called Napoleon (III) too. He was the grandson of ‘the original’ – who did die in 1821.
At none of thse times (1830-1850) was Mexico being ‘run by France’. French troops were sent to back up a European-appointed Ausrtrain ‘Emperor’ of the Mexicans. After three years fighting the Mexicans removed the French troops and then shot their ’emperor’. A much-to-be desired scenario in Kyiv?
Don’t forget that in 1847 Mexico was invaded by the USA, defeated and forced to cede what was called ‘the Gadsden Purchase’. The population weren’t required to vote on that separation – or on ‘joining’ America.
What’s the difference? Crimea rebelled against Ukraine and asked to join Russia. So there is no difference.
As for Russia, the Vikings just made a few expeditions through Russia and some settled there but they never fully occupied Russia.
I beg to differ on that comment, Ghost Ship. You don’t know Russian history very well, and it shows. Crimea – except for the 60-year period from 1954 to 2014 – was an integral part of Russia, and Russians make up 97% of its population.
We know one thing for sure Eileen and that is that the Crimea is indispensible to Russia.
That then explains why the US fomented revolution in the Ukraine that primarily was aimed at taking the Crimea away from Russia.
Russia can’t allow it to happen and it won’t under Putin’s leadership.
And Nantucket to the Wapanogs… Why not …
Goddammit! That’s what I was gonna say.
How about we give back Guantanamo?
It will never happen. The people of Cremia, same as in Donesk, would respond to Kiev’s armed intrusions with armed resistance and rightly so.
The “people” that are Russian citizens, Russian troops and Russian provocatures should not be considered “the people Crimea”.
The insigator of this was Russian GRU / FSB Colonel Igor Girgin. Check his magazine articles and Wekipedia.
Hahahahha..wikipedia..what a joker
They could hve had Elmer Fudd in charge. If a large mumber of the locals hadn’t agreed with him, nothing would have happened. They’re still agreeing with Girgin but he has long ago left the scene.
If Ukraine had had anybody with common horse sense on the scene things might have been different too. Sending the Maidan drunks with their dicvks in one hand and a gun in the otrher to claim their new eastern ‘daschas’ was a stupid idea. Those fools still think they’re going to get one.
Still there are about 2mln of people in Crimea. Almost all of them are now Russian citizens. The instigator of the vote for the independence was Aksenov. Crimean parliament which voted first for the independence and then for the referendum to join Russia, was elected before the “Revolution of Dignity”, so it was perfectly legal. There were no legal authority above them at the moment. The President escaped to Russia saving his life. Girkin (Strelkov) was not so very much important in Crimea. He became a celebrity while he was chief of the military resistance in Donetsk.
Crimea’s been an internal part of Russia since the 18th Century, World Commander, except for the period of 1954-2014 when it was a part of Soviet Ukraine, then Ukraine.
Fortunately, after 60 years of struggling to return to Russia, the people of Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and rejoin Russia via a referendum. The referendum was won by a 97% landslide, btw.
And, don’t forget, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is stationed in Sebastopol, Crimea’s southern-most port.
With the Flynn resignation the Trump admin has ‘Jumped the Shark’ and is now forced into the Cold War Rev 1 that the powers that be want. Better dust off those old bomb shelters and teach the kids to duck under their desks.
I don’t like that this has been said, but I seriously doubt he “expects” this. Much like I don’t expect any of the NPT signatories to actual give up their nuclear weapons…
One can understand the disappointment of Pentagon. It would be so convenient to have a military base in Sebastopol. Unfortunately there is only one way to get it – to start and win the war against Russia. Trump is risking to make a fool of himself the same as Obama did with his “Assad must go”.
The Deep State has made it clear to Trump who is in charge by using the intelligence agencies to force Flynn’s resignation. Trump has been neutered and expect more obedience from him for the neocon neoliberal and globalist agenda. He may continue to spout his narcissistic rhetoric but he will follow the Deep State/MIC (much like Obama) policies. Return Crimea? It will never happen but Trump had to say it to show his that he understands what the Deep State requires, obeisance.
Unfortunately your analysis is most like accurate
Check out the interview with Dennis Kucinich:
Poor naive little guy, he still has faith in Trump. And it’s likely that he also doesn’t understand that his country’s future depends on complete control of the ME and other resource rich countries throughout the world. In any case, he wouldn’t be able to say that.
That, is what Trump understands and Trump also understands that the way to make America great again all hinges on US control of the world’s resources and especially not the BRICS controlling it.
“…Trump has been neutered …”
Hahahahahahaha! In your dreams, Snowflake. The IC community thinks they’re tough. But they have never had to deal with someone who actually had a set. Trump is tougher. Trump is their worst nightmare. They will push him too far, and then he will do to them what Sherman did to the Confederacy. He will tear the IC and the State Dept a new a-hole. They will be bleeding from every orifice.
Four years of magnificent spectacle. Can’t top this. I’m in heaven.
Hahahaha. Trump is already falling in line. He told Russia to return Crimea (as he was probably ordered to). The IC ousted Flynn and weak kneed Trump just accepted this attack on his appointee. Trump is too self absorbed to fight the Deep State.
The Intel & Defense departments are layered with 3 decades worth of legacy of previous administrations. The bosses have all been appointed by establishment politicians who subscribe to more or less the same philosophies. They have lots of pieces in place for a revolt and many loyalists in Congress from both parties. To fire & replace them all at once is not only impractical but would would be cited as evidence of madness by coup-minded Congressmen.
Trump should open the JFK files.
Yes. And have a real investigation of 9/11. It won’t happen but I’d like for him to release ALL the classified documents relating to the attack on the USS Liberty. Sadly, it’s a wish list that will not come true.
Trump is a deal maker who starts off with a big demand and negotiates to the middle ground. In the end, Russia will ‘buy’ Crimea from Ukraine, paying about the same as it would have paid to rent it for 50 years or so.
When will the sale take place? Probably not until the last year of Trump’s first term. By then, he should have consolidated his control over the government – but it will a long battle.
Fake news??
Ummm obviously not gonna happen.
The problem is Crimea has never wanted to be part of the Ukraine. They really do deserve independence.
Who cares what they think? It’s all about their freedom.
There IS no total freedom until DEATH. Then you are free, but still constrained
not if you get cremated.
Not unless you’ve been very, very good – or luckily contrite. Otherwise you are consigned to eternal hellfire – which is supposedly worse than being unfree.
Unless of course there is a ‘null set’ fate for everybody – in which case freedom, along with any other human ‘value’, no longer matters.
Sweet!
Either you believe in the right of a people to pick their government and political leaders or you do not. Sad day that Russia is the one who supports that principle and the US does not.
That is not what ambassador Haley said about the Crimea at the UN. This administration needs to get its signals straight.
Putin will counter with an offer to reinstate Yanukovich, EU money and a transitional (Russian-American) UN peacekeeping force. And ‘the deal’ will get done.
NO! US foreign policy will not be challenged at any cost. The economic future of the US depends on it.
Trump has never been a challenge to that but he was actually stupid enough during his campaign to allow it to appear that he was.
Trump desperately needs out of his suggestion of improved relations with Russia. He will get out or he will be eliminated one way or another. The Dems’ priority right now is eliminating him and they will do it if Trump can’t find a way out of his bluffing on improving Russia relations soon!
That’s totally unrealistic in the space of 4 or even 8 years, it’s far too much of an about-face even allowing for the American public’s short attention span. I think even Moscow understands this.
The absolute most which could have been achieved is the grudging acceptance of the current situation,gradually dropping of Ukraine from the agenda over a couple of years then easing sanctions against the backdrop of a couple of “success stories” (real or staged) in US-Russia co-operation.
If the cabal in Kyiv were forced to hold an open election tomorrow – with no political parties ‘outlawed’ and everyone eligible, in Ukraine, allowed to vote, they’d lose.
Of course they would lose, hence the coup in the first place with elections just one year away. But now that it’s done, I can’t see how they’re going to walk it all the way back. Furthermore they may not be able to – even if Kyiv had the stomach to repress the right wing private armies they’ve been in bed with , they may not have the power. The balance is totally different form, say Israel evacuating the Sinai.
These difficulties don’t even take into account how much opposition this would get from the Globalist information machine who would be presenting this as a prelude to a sort of reverse Molotov-Ribbentrop.
MIsleading headline, President Trump did not say this. The position of the American establishment at this juncture is one thing, it is simply not the true position of President Trump unless he says it is, and he has not said this.
Why don’t we start with Guantanamo back to Cuba. The Russians have a leasing agreement with Ukraine regarding their naval base that goes well into the future
…..and Okinawa back to the people who live there who don’t want us there.
I suppose the Democratic Party rabble are still claiming Russia cheated Hillary out of her turn and helped Trump to win because of the deep friendship between Donald an Vladimir.
Undoubtedly they will as long as they can. But the game is much bigger than that. Trump’s detractors, not just the Dem party, need to destroy Trump and the Russia issue is the way they can do it.
Trump wants out of his foolish promise to improve relations with Russia but they won’t let him out in a graceful manner. Trump needs a way out that won’t make him a liar because he can’t afford that label on this issue.
Currently there doesn’t appear to be a way for him to do it, even though it’s patently obvious that he must do it soon.
Your “Trump desperately needs out of his foolish promise” thing is sort of like your “get ready for president Clinton” thing. That is, you keep repeating it over and over and over, but there doesn’t seem to be any reason to believe it’s true.
It has to be true if one understands that Trump was never serious on improving US relations with Russia. You understand that don’t you.
Or do you now? Are you going with Raimondo now?
Do you now believe that Trump desires to do what he said on Russia?
You’re at the crossroads now Thomas and you set yourself up for the question.
I’m predicting that Trump will find a way out of the silly bluff he made on Russia relations. He has to because it’s destroying him. The only way I could be wrong is if it actually does destroy him.
That calls for the R’s in congress to turn against him. The situation needs to be resolved soon because Trump’s detractors have huge momentum.
Your thoughts Thomas? But first, answer the question about how you feel on Trump’s promise. Is he for real as Raimondo keeps suggesting or is he a phony?
You seem to be obsessed with the idea that my choices are “don’t think, just go with what Raimondo thinks,” or “don’t think, just go with what Don thinks.”
What is Trump? Exactly what he’s always been, and what I’ve continually pointed him out as: Business as usual, a whiny rich northeastern establishment progressive welfare queen.
I understand Thomas and I have for a while. But I fall back sometimes and this time I did just that. When I’m cautious I make sure that the ideas I promote are promoted in a way in which you can claim them as your own. Otherwise, as you demonstrate with so many others, you have to reject the idea.
I’m fine with that Thomas. I’ll just have to introduce the idea again in a different way so it will work for you.
You know that Trump’s a phony and you say so in your libertarian language. (whiny-rich-welfare)
You know Raimondo is wrong on Trump doing something worthwhile with Russia.
And you know that Trump has himself in a position on Russia that is destroying him.
And I think it’s a pretty sure bet that you know Trump needs to get out from under that campaign promise.
I think 90% of the US agenda on Syria and Crimea is simply that we don’t want Russia, as a non-ally, possessing military bases in the Middle East and thus able to project power there. All potential rivals must be stopped from dominating anywhere, that’s the new definition of “defense” for the US.
nhmakingwaves above pretty well has it, although said in an awkward way. Let’s clean it up a bit:
US economic power can’t be challenged if it is in control of the ME and it’s oil rich resources.
The BRICS are going to challenge soon on the economics scene.
US foreign policy is not going to change. It’s much bigger than Trump, even if Trump did want to change it. He obviously doesn’t.
Trump is trapped in a foolish election promise that he used to capture the small antiwar vote. His detractors aren’t allowing him to get out of it and it’s destroying him.
And finally, Russia/China have drawn a line over which the US dare not step. Syria and Iran are not for US taking and neither is the Crimea or the entire Ukraine.
US economic sanctions on Russia are useless now. All the power the US/Nato can muster is being brought against Russia’s borders in an attempt to demonize and deligimise Putin. The US sees Putin’s strong leadership as the biggest obstactle standing in the way of Russia’s capitulation.
Raimondo would be wise to come to terms with these simple truths, and especially on Trump being false hope. Everything Trump has done in 3 weeks is consistent with that. Trump is in so much trouble now that he will need to set things straight. But now there is a looming possibility that he may not get the chance. The R’s in congress will be very close to their breaking point which is widely predicted. Trump needs to make it clear that he isn’t intending to do anything constructive with Russia soon!
The anti-war vote is not small at all. It is only hidden because in most elections there is no real anti-war or anti-empire candidate.
blah blah blah blah blah
Russia has only TWO bases in the Middle east, and they’re both in Syria, btw. One is in the port of Tartus; the other is an airfield located just outside the town of Latakia.
It’s the US who has 900+ bases located all over the world, none of which were established with the host countries’ consent, either.
deleted
The confused and ending bloodthirsty neoliberal order in the US is ending. Trump is ending up like Obama, sucking on a string.
Crimea was the center of the Slavic slavery until Catherine the Great subjugated it. It was until that time a nest of human misery.
It is now ethnically Russian and the people there voted to join Russia.
Is it in our vital interest to undo what the people their have chosen?
Oh dear dear.
Ignorance in extreme.
Russia returne back Cremia uncoditionally and he expected to have good relationship with Russia.
I am sure Putin smiling and he knows that he is dealing with semi retarted Man in Washington and he would start diplomacy accordingly.
Perhaps even he can train monkey how to play cricket!
One advice to people all around ; start demonstration otherwise only hope we have to see how the monkey play cricket and we are hoping that this is possible.
But Donald has realized the epiphany that, after almost 40 years, and a bumper crop of UN resolutions, Israel can keep the West Bank? That IS an accomplishment – but it, like Crimea, will take more than a US Presidential finding to bring it to fruition.