Ukraine's European Revolution?

[Jacob]

NYT reports that pro-Russian demonstrations in East Ukraine are partially fueled by Russian citizens crossing the border for "protest tourism". Allegedly they arrive by the busload.

Yeah, I've seen a bunch of those allegations on social media for the last few days.

[OttoVonBismarck]

*sigh* Man, my service in Europe would have been 1500% more interesting if something like this had been going on during. Instead I just got to sit around while the Soviet Empire decided to collapse.

[DGuller]

Man, that is one serious traitor. No matter what happens, asking an neighboring aggressive power to invade your homeland is about as douchebag a move as can be imagined.

I would take it all with a grain of salt.  As bad as Yanukovich is, the odds that he did this uncoerced (or did it at all) are negligible.

[DGuller]

My FB is nuts. 

I've been hearing a rumor on Twitter from both American reporters and Russian dissidents that Yanukovich has died of a "heart attack."  It's been getting louder rather than softer.  What the fuck is going on?  It's like some kind of nightmare.

Well, that would make sense, though I'm skeptical.  He fulfilled the one use he had left, so dying before he could either recant or actually be reinstalled would be very convenient.

[Syt]

User comment on krone.at (a tabloid):

"Everyone who speaks at least a bit of English should watch RT!!! They're not lying and cheating, and their videos show the real truth!!! The comments from EU and USA are a SHAME!!! And it's even more horrible when OUR unknowing politicians comment on this!!!!"
113 thumbs up, 11 thumbs down


User comment on derstandard.at (leftish/hipster paper):

"Everyone who's whining that people don't criticize the Russian intervention as much as American interventions:

1. Russia's intervention in Ukraine is in no way comparable with American interventions where 1000s of people died and are dying, mostly innocents. The comparison doesn't work, even if both are incursions on sovereignty.

2. Maybe some of you missed it, but most posters never said they cheer for Putin's actions, but that they can understand Moscow's reasoning and that this was predictable.

3. Why does Russia always have to exert military pressure to get the West to sit down for negotiations. All of this could have been prevented if Russia had been involved in creating future plans, but this was not desired."
21 user recommendations


User comments of Die Presse (conservative):

"Russia
is a great, proud country. A flawless democracy with a strong military, ready to fight for peace and human rights, and blessed with a wise leader. I'm sure people from around the world and especially the posters here would love to live in Russia (or rather not, because it would quickly shatter the world view of Putin's fans here)."
12 plus votes, 46 negative votes

"Sanctions
in 2000 the EU enacted sanctions against Austria because the FPÖ (Haider's party) joined the government.

In Ukraine ultra-right-wingers are now in government. And what is the EU doing? A strange world this is."
58 plus votes, 12 negative votes

"Only Putin is economically strong enough to build up the Ukraine, the EU would shatter if it were to try.
Plundered by communism for decades, and not by countless Timoshenkos small and large a rebuilding isn't economically feasible for any Western coalition.

The jabbering fortress of bureaucracy, the EU, can't even manage to create humanly bearable standards of living at home (Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, etc.) - how would they want to achive that in the country with the largest land area in 'Europe'?"
53 plus votes, 10 negative


Zeit Online (centrist, left leaning):

"[quoted from article] 'From a Russian perspective ... the West is acting cynically and and guided by self interest; democracy and human rights are only fig leaves in order to reach geopolitical and economic goals. Cited examples are the wars in Iraq and Kosovo.'

Right, that's how it is."
90 user recommendations (very high for the site)

[Queequeg]

 

I'm just going to go ahead and pretend that the entire German race died in 1931.

It looks like there are rumors of UN peace keepers. 

[Queequeg]

NITED NATIONS, March 04, /ITAR-TASS/. Russia admits the possibility of sending observers of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to Ukraine, but is afraid that this process might take a long time, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said at the UN Security Council on Monday.
"We do not deny that these institutions may be involved," the diplomat stressed, speaking about the possibility of sending an international mission to Ukraine. However, he warned that "months will pass as they observe or prepare to observe." "God knows what may happen there during this time," said the RF official.
The sending to Ukraine of OSCE observers, as well as a mediation mission for the crisis resolution, has been supported, in particular, by the United States.

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/721883

I'm just latching on to any piece of good news at this point. 

[derspiess]

NYT reports that pro-Russian demonstrations in East Ukraine are partially fueled by Russian citizens crossing the border for "protest tourism". Allegedly they arrive by the busload.

Yeah, I've seen a bunch of those allegations on social media for the last few days.

Why wouldn't Ukraine seal the border?

[Syt]

I'm sort of hoping that Putin's plan at this point is to hold on to Crimea, hold the referendum at the end of the month and then return for talks of how to make this whole thing official.

[Queequeg]

http://tvrain.ru/articles/na_navalnogo_nadeli_elektronnyj_braslet-364326/

Alexei Navalny, besides being under house arrest, now has an electronic bracelet that Russian authorities put on him last night.  1) Why'd they do this last night of all times? 2) This is not the move of a regime at peace with it's domestic prospects. 

[Syt]

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/721887

According to the RF Foreign Ministry, "about 300 thousand Russian tourists visited Tunisia in 2013, which is 20 percent more than in 2012." "At the same time, our undisputable priority is the security of Russian citizens. We hope that the Tunisian authorities will continue to take all the necessary measures to this end," the ministry said.

Considering the events in Ukraine, this could almost pass for a thinly veiled threat.

[Queequeg]

BBC Tweet.  First heard somewhere else.  "Russian troops on military exercises on Ukraine's borders ordered to return to their bases by President Putin, spokesman says"

[Queequeg]

What time are tank-assaults usually launched?  Dawn?  It's already 10 AM there, I assumed I could go to sleep.

[Berkut]

My proposed solution:

Ukraine agrees to give the Crimea, all of it to Russia.

Ukraine joins NATO.

[Admiral Yi]

Why wouldn't Ukraine seal the border?

I doubt very much they control the border between Crimea and Russia.