Ukraine's European Revolution?

[Admiral Yi]

this week he has switched from his traditional Georgian fandom to Russian fandom. It will pass.

Squeelus has consistently been a psycho about modern Georgia.

Maybe a Armenian/Georgian competition thing? 

[alfred russel]

I am a bit worried about this. I understand the EU and the USA cannot let Putin just vassalise Ukraine without at least giving something in return, but I do no think that yielding and letting Ukraine come under more direct EU influence is a viable option for Putin. The potential point of maximum escalation is like way up there.

I think you may be amazed by the US lack of interest in the Ukraine. All we are going to do is talk, and we haven't even talked about a red line yet.

[jimmy olsen]

If Russia manages to gain control of the Ukraine, it once again becomes a real threat to US interests on par with China, rather than the nuisance it is today. I'm sure that Washington is very interested in what's going down, regardless of the average American citizen's apathy.

[Tamas]

Yeah that's my worry. The Ukraine is huge, rich, especially in arable land, and is very strategically placed. Where it belongs is a major issue.

[derspiess]

Ukraine needs more green jobs.

[alfred russel]

The Ukraine is poor as shit. I guess any country that size counts as strategically placed from some perspective, but a country bordering Romania and Russia doesn't strike me as super vital to US interests.

I'm not sure Ukraine + Russia would be more powerful than Russia alone anyway.

[DGuller]

I agree that US has little interest in Ukraine, despite what Putin's propaganda is trumpeting non-stop, but I hope they have some interest in containing an aggressive and expansionist power.  Of course, US is limited not only in the power it can project there, but also in regard to the internal opinion.

[Sheilbh]

I think you may be amazed by the US lack of interest in the Ukraine. All we are going to do is talk, and we haven't even talked about a red line yet.

Obama did mention a line, though he didn't specify a colour.

I think Putin knows the US and the EU care far, far more about Ukraine than Syria.

I've read Telegraph and Comment is Free comment sections. It's not pretty below the line

[Malthus]

Care? Yes. Make stern pronouncements? Yes.

Intervene in a military manner? Never.

Same cannot be said for Putin.

[derspiess]

I think Putin knows the US and the EU care far, far more about Ukraine than Syria.

EU, for sure.  But the US?  There's a lot less buzz about it than Syria, and the administration doesn't seem to be as interested as it was (or still is, even) in Syria. 

For me personally I care a great deal about the Ukraine situation & hope the opposition prevails.  Not sure I'd be willing to put boots on the ground or even do something like arm the opposition, but I'd gladly offer up our transport resources if any EU countries would like to send troops

[Syt]

Care? Yes. Make stern pronouncements? Yes.

Intervene in a military manner? Never.

Same cannot be said for Putin.

I would think that at the very least they would "protect" the Crimea and their Black Sea Fleet.

[Sheilbh]

Care? Yes. Make stern pronouncements? Yes.

Intervene in a military manner? Never.

Same cannot be said for Putin.

'Care' is perhaps the wrong word. The West has far more interests in Ukraine and in pushing back against Putin there than Syria which was already, sadly, a not terribly important pariah.

For me personally I care a great deal about the Ukraine situation & hope the opposition prevails.  Not sure I'd be willing to put boots on the ground or even do something like arm the opposition, but I'd gladly offer up our transport resources if any EU countries would like to send troops

I think at this point we're far away from putting boots on the ground or anything like that which I don't think anyone would support almost ever. Obviously no-one means military intervention. Though if there were a civil war I'd expect the West would be more supportive more quickly than in Syria.

[Tamas]

NATO troops in Ukraine would mean WW3, so that hopefully won't happen.

[derspiess]

Looks like they're deploying paratroopers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/world/europe/ukraine.html?_r=0

The agreement was announced after indications — including the deployment of paratroopers to help protect military bases — that the Ukrainian authorities were concerned about maintaining control, particularly in the country's west.

"In many regions of the country, municipal buildings, offices of the Interior Ministry, state security and the prosecutor general, army units and arms depots are being seized," Oleksandr Yakimenko, the head of the state security service, the S.B.U., said in a televised statement.

The Defense Ministry later added a further beat to a drumroll of ominous warnings a day after the capital, Kiev, erupted in a frenzy of fire and fighting that left at least 25 people dead, including nine police officers, and hundreds wounded.

"Military servants of the armed forces of Ukraine might be used in antiterrorist operations on the territory of Ukraine," the Defense Ministry said, raising the prospect that Mr. Yanukovych could call on the armed forces to try to restore order and keep himself in office.

I have a hard time believing that they didn't already have adequate security at arms depots. 

[derspiess]

NATO troops in Ukraine would mean WW3, so that hopefully won't happen.

It doesn't have to involve NATO.