Ukraine's European Revolution?

[jimmy olsen]

From the BBC Ukraine feed:

The US military is sending 12 F-16 fighter jets to Poland for a training exercise, according to Polish media reports. The Polish defence ministry has not confirmed the reports, says Reuters.
Earlier, the US Air Force announced it was sending six additional F-15 jets to Lithuania to bolster the existing "Baltic Air Police" mission there.

Absolutely untrue! Those planes belong to local pilots who have formed  aerial self-defense units!

[Razgovory]

It's my favorite hymn.

It's a wonderful hymn.

As a poem, though, it just shows how genuinely mad Blake was

Having been at Twickenham hearing it with 80 thousand people singing, it stirs some emotions in me. But, politics wise, I put them in the category with RATM and Manic Street Preachers, great music, useless politics/philosophy.

I pity you, I really do.

[Jacob]

Absolutely untrue! Those planes belong to local pilots who have formed  aerial self-defense units!

[Viking]

Absolutely untrue! Those planes belong to local pilots who have formed  aerial self-defense units!

Anybody can buy F-16s at their local hardware store. 

[Grinning_Colossus]

If Medvedev grew a well-manicured beard he'd look just like Nicolas II. Same eyes, same hairline.

[derspiess]

If Medvedev grew a well-manicured beard he'd look just like Nicolas II. Same eyes, same hairline.

Speaking of which, I had never realized the bald-hairy pattern until yesterday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald%E2%80%93hairy

[Jacob]

If Medvedev grew a well-manicured beard he'd look just like Nicolas II. Same eyes, same hairline.

Speaking of which, I had never realized the bald-hairy pattern until yesterday: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bald%E2%80%93hairy

Me neither, thanks for sharing this piece of important information

[derspiess]

I can't make any sense out of Crimean Parliament and I'm sure I'm not alone.  Not only did they move up the referendum, but they went ahead and declared themselves part of Russia ahead of time?  What's the point of the referendum, then?  Crimean authorities are declaring Ukrainian troops to be occupiers now, and are graciously offering them the option to become Russian citizens/soldiers or to peacefully evacuate to their "Ukrainian homeland" (per NPR).

And it sounds like the only choices in the referendum are increased autonomy or independence from Ukraine-- no status quo.  Unless it's a yes/no vote on both (in which case, what if someone votes yes for both?).

They'd probably get a majority voting for independence even without coercion, but it will be interesting to see what absurd % the official tally will be in favor of independence/joining Russia.

[11B4V]

I can't make any sense out of Crimean Parliament and I'm sure I'm not alone.  Not only did they move up the referendum, but they went ahead and declared themselves part of Russia ahead of time?  What's the point of the referendum, then?  Crimean authorities are declaring Ukrainian troops to be occupiers now, and are graciously offering them the option to become Russian citizens/soldiers or to peacefully evacuate to their "Ukrainian homeland" (per NPR).

And it sounds like the only choices in the referendum are increased autonomy or independence from Ukraine-- no status quo.  Unless it's a yes/no vote on both (in which case, what if someone votes yes for both?).

They'd probably get a majority voting for independence even without coercion, but it will be interesting to see what absurd % the official tally will be in favor of independence/joining Russia.

Ole Bait n' Switch


WELL PLAYED PUTIN, WELL PLAYED.

[Syt]

http://en.itar-tass.com/world/722560

Crimean speaker pledges to do best for Ukraine to reunite with Russia

MOSCOW, March 07. /ITAR-TASS/. Speaker of Crimea's parliament Vladimir Konstantinov said he pledged to do everything possible for Ukraine to reunite with Russia.

"I hope that you'll be able to bring up a new leader in Ukraine. We talked about it several times. We said a new Bohdan Khmelnytsky (organized a rebellion against Polish rule in Ukraine that ultimately led to the transfer of the Ukrainian lands east of the Dnieper River from Polish to Russian control) would emerge and unite the two greatest states, which could not exist separately," Konstantinov said at a meeting with State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin and leaders of the lower house's factions.

"Yesterday I received many calls from the eastern regions of Ukraine and from Odessa. People congratulated me. They said all was great," the Crimean parliament speaker said.

"Unfortunately, we have big problems," he said, adding that Ukraine "is part of the united Russian world. After we solve Crimea's problem (I'm sure we'll solve it) we must exert maximum effort to protect not only ethnic Russians."

"In general, all citizens of Ukraine - Russians and Ukrainians should be protected from Nazism and from the West's pressure that imposes its ideology," Konstantinov said.

"I believe that Ukraine's present power will collapse. The power will have serious contradictions within the year. Today instead of making Ukraine a united state it does not hear the interests of Ukraine's south-east," the Crimean speaker said.

[Tamas]

You know, it does probably mean that in the Putinist circles this is a common discussion topic. I mean, the topic of reforming the Russian empire. Otherwise he wouldn't philosophize about it.

The West must stand firm here, or they will have to deal with the same shit when Russia starts destabilizing the Baltic States, Romania, and Hungary.

So I say, it is time to freeze the assets of 3 more people! Let's show them who is boss around here!

[Tamas]

I did not know the states in the Russian Federation are called "subjects". At least they are honest about it. 

[Josquius]

What is annoying me here is that there seems to be nobody supporting a fair referendum in the Crimea about independence/joining Russia/whatever.
If such a referendum were to take place under international supervision (rather than under Russian guns) then I'd be all for it.

[Viking]

What is annoying me here is that there seems to be nobody supporting a fair referendum in the Crimea about independence/joining Russia/whatever.
If such a referendum were to take place under international supervision (rather than under Russian guns) then I'd be all for it.

The reason I oppose such a referendum is that it was only considered as a result of an armed invasion by a foreign power. Using force to resolve conflicts and the changing of borders by armed force are pretty fundamental no-nos in the UN charter. Had the Crimean Russians peacefully called for a referendum to decide the issue then I wouldn't be against it too. But in this case the referendum would have been provoked by an invasion. Hence it needs to NOT happen just to be sure that the precedent that invasion can be used to force a referendum.

Plebiscites should only happen when the armed force in possession of the territory would have to hand it over if secession is voted for. Alternately the armed for could be the UN itself.

[Syt]

France will not send a minister to the Sochi Paralympics...but will deliver two state-of-the-art warships to Russia, despite the Ukraine crisis, French president François Hollande has confirmed.

The controversial deal – and it was controversial even before the Crimea crisis – involves France handing over two Mistral vessels. These are 22,000-tonne warships capable of carrying 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 13 battle tanks and up to 450 soldiers, and giving the ageing Russian naval fleet the capacity for a quick sea response.

The deal was criticised by several of Paris's NATO allies back in 2011 after Russia invaded Georgia in the Caucasus in 2008, leading to what became known as the Five-Day War.

This week the first of the two ships, nicknamed the Vladivostok, left the French Atlantic port of Saint Nazaire for sea trials. "We respect our signed contracts," Hollande said.

France's reluctance to use the ships as a bargaining chip against Moscow, has cast doubt on Paris's determination to back tough sanctions to force Russia to respect Ukrainian territorial integrity.