Ukraine's European Revolution?

[Liep]

I'm starting to think Merkel was right.. he doesn't really seem to be in contact with any form of reality.

I am not so sure about that.  Nobody seems to have good ideas on how to get the Russian troops out.  It seems to me that Putin is winning. 

I wasn't saying that he was losing. A psychopath who thinks he's Spongebob might be able to kill hundreds of people before he's stopped.

[Caliga]

Putin is on TV. He mentions how Ukrainian radicals tortured IT people.

Did they: ask too many stupid questions!

[Liep]

Also, apparently the Russian soldiers are not Russian, but Polish and Lithuanian vigilante thugs.

[Liep]

And: Opposition was "probably" the ones who gave the order to fire on the protesters. And: We're very worried for Berkut, they were peaceful and now they're in the hospital.

[Syt]

 

[Liep]

You must remember that "you can buy Russian uniforms many places".

[Tamas]

[Viking]

Once the Russians lose their fear of him Putin is a dead man. Those Ukrainian soldiers at Belbek may just have killed Putin by proving that Putin's hand picked thugs would not fire on peaceful men protesting in front of a camera.

Berkut ended Yanukovich by shooting peaceful protesters. I no longer think he is an autocrat trying to boost his street cred and legitimacy by performing acts of strength and power, I think he is petrified of being overthrown.

[Tamas]

With his "we are only invading if we have to" and "we have nobody to talk to until a legitimate president is elected" stuff, he may be hinting at willing to let bygones be bygones if the new Ukrainian prez will be willing to bend over for him like the predecessors.

[Tamas]

Oh, wait: "President Putin: Russia will not recognise the outcome of upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine if the current "terror" continues. (BBC Monitoring)"

So, he also wants to cherry-pick the new president. IF he doesn't like him/her, he will just move in the tanks.

[Syt]

The ongoing ITAR-TASS log:

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/721957

15:31. Instructors from the West were involved in preparing the coup in Ukraine, says Putin

15:28. "Anyone could win presidential elections in Ukraine, it's impossible to predict," Putin answers to a question.

15:27. "People in south-eastern Ukraine shoul feel safe," says Putin

15:24. Situation in Ukraine is not an anti-constitutional state coup, it's a revolution.

15:23. Russia wiil think twice and try to predict all possible reactions on the situation in Ukraine.

15:14.  Putin says he gave orders to the government to retain ties with the new Ukrainian authorities. Russian officials have ties to Ukraine's Yatsenyuk and Turchynov, Vladimir Putin said.

15:11. "Ukraine's industry has very close ties with Russia. If Yanukovych had signed the association agreement with the EU, the industry would have stopped," says Vladimir Putin.

15:09. It's very easy to ruin the ties between Russia and the USA, but very hard to build up ahain, comments Vladimir Putin on the reaction of the US to the crisis in Ukraine.

15:03. Putin says that Ukrainian protesters were trained by specialists, and they are not less trained than riot police.

14:58. "What were our partners' motives? They supported illegitimate state coup," says Vladimir Putin. "We keep trying to cooperate with the new authorities, even though we don't recognize them."

14.57. Possibility of sending troops to Ukraine remains, but there is no such need for the time being, says Vladimir Putin. "If the decision to use military force in Ukraine is made, it will be legitimate," says Putin. "Russia's national interests are concerned, and it would be a humanitarian action,"  he adds.  Use of Russian troops in Ukraine would be last resort to be employed only on legitimate basis. If rampage begins in Eastern regions of Ukraine, Russia will reserve the right to use all available means.

14.54. Fincical markets seemed hysterical long before the conflict. The recent fall of the markets was most harmful to India and other BRICS countries, including Russia.

14.53. Ukraine's new authorities "have no right to determine the country's future."  "People of Ukraine must have a chance to determine their future, future of their region."

14.51. "Russia was right to provide security to the Crimean population as there were armed militants heading for the region."

14.50. "Russian and Ukrainian armed forces are friends," Vladimir Putin comments on the situation in Ukraine's Crimea. That's why there are no shots heard in the Crimea.

Anti-constitutional actions fuel the situation in eastern and south-eastern Ukraine.

14.49. Putin says there's no democracy in Ukraine. People are killed and burned alive, President says.

14.43. Russian President says overthrow of constitutional order and armed seizure of power occurred in Ukraine.

14.40. Yanukovych issued not a single illegitimate order

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday during his press conference on the situation in Ukraine, that Viktor Yanukovych has lost all his power. President says Yanukovych signed the agreement with the protesters and thus lost all his power.

[Grey Fox]

How can a coup be legal?

[Tamas]

The airforce personell Tim already mentioned, facing off unarmed against the Russian soldiers occupying their base:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cCNwQKhgo7M

The standoff is still going on, allegedly.
Balls of steel, as they continued marching forward despite the warning shots.

[Viking]

How can a coup be legal?

When it's done constitutionally? Y'know, by following legal procedures to replace the government.

[Grey Fox]

How can a coup be legal?

When it's done constitutionally? Y'know, by following legal procedures to replace the government.

Ok.