War with Russia next?

[Easy Street]

Originally Posted by minigundiplomat

You could also be very, very wary about getting involved in areas we have no particular ties to, have little understanding of, and have no resources or appetite for.....................

I wasn't suggesting that, necessarily. I was observing that it might not be wise to declare that partition of Ukraine is the best solution if your only evidence in support of that are some quotes by pro-Russian politicians in Crimea and some flag-waving on the telly, and that you might apply some caution before believing what you see in the media.

[SASless]

Taken from a news account about the Sunday News Shows today.....highlighting is my doing.

So here we have it.....the Welfare Man and Lurch, standing up for Freedom, Democracy, National Sovereignty, Peace, and Treaty Obligations. Pretty much as I have forecast.

Secretary of State John Kerry calls Russia's military incursion into Ukraine `an incredible act of aggression" and says President Vladimir Putin has made "a stunning, willful" choice to invade another country.

Kerry says Russia should respect the democratic process through which the Ukrainian people ousted their pro-Russian president and assembled a new government.

Kerry is raising the possibility of boycotting the June meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrialized countries in Sochi, Russia.

He's also discussing visa bans, asset freezes, and trade and investment penalties.

Kerry said he spoke with foreign ministers for G-8 and other nations on Saturday, and says everyone is prepared `to go to the hilt" to isolate Russia.

[Whenurhappy]

SASLess - what would you propose that the US does, then? Bomb Crimea, Moscow...?

[maxred]

Kerry says Russia should respect the democratic process through which the Ukrainian people ousted their pro-Russian president and assembled a new government.

I love this utter nonsense, when mob rule, as long as its in another country, someone else's country, becomes the West's Democratic process.

Spineless morons the lot of them, Camerloon, Odumbo et al. When will Bliar make yet another unwelcome appearance, oh forgot, he is leading the Middle East peace process, isn't he. And isn't that going terribly well

[Daysleeper]

SASless
you've been consistently vitriolic about the current US government in this and every other thread but, but I'm curious what you think they could actually have done or be doing different here?

Nothing short of a massive US led war will dislodge the Russians from Crimea and frankly that's an absurd thought.

[tartare]

Interesting piece here on how there might be Western retaliation against Russia.
Weapons aren't the only option
A little apocalyptic perhaps.
However - economic retaliation means they'd turn off the gas.

[Two's in]

Maybe here in the US we could get some Pakistanis from the border region to make a case to Putin for how well we respect sovereign territory - those that haven't been taken out by a UAV fired Hellfire of course.

I believe the phrase is "what goes around, comes around..."

Putin deliberately uses the word "terrorist" knowing it has become our umbrella to take any action we choose, where and when we choose under it's umbrella.

[awblain]

Putin can't turn off the gas - it's the only thing that's keeping him in clean bandanas and out of the discount market for Ukrainian hookers.

[Willard Whyte]

Roll on fracking.

[tartare]

Indeed Willard!

[SASless]

Well....you knew it could happen.....Putin is just another target!


Obama Authorizes Drone Strike On Putin




Now face it folks....there's really nothing we can and will do that is going to deter Putin from his goals.

So long as he doesn't over play his Hand....he is home free.

Putin is in charge...he pulls the strings....and there is nothing Europe or the USA is going to do that is a barrier to his ambitions.

[rh200]

Now face it folks....there's really nothing we can and will do that is going to deter Putin from his goals.

SAS, your wrong, their is something we could do, but it has the potential to cost us. Hence your correct in the last bit.

[NutLoose]

Bunch of spineless sycophants, they talk the talk but do not walk the walk.. There is not one western politician worth their salt. Georgia showed that.

[SASless]

Ergo....the "And" in my sentence.....lots we can and should do....but nothing of import we shall do.

[TheWestCoast]

Rush Limbaugh could be POTUS, Sarah Palin could be in charge of the State Department, Ted Nugent could be SecDef and the US military could be three times bigger and Putin would STILL have annexed Crimea and there would be still nothing the US could or would want to do about it.

Russia holds all the cards here. We're looking at the 1930s with nuclear deterrence thrown into the mix.

This is all about Putin's power and his continued grip on his country. He has no concerns about what we in the west think. Western leaders can boycott the G8 and the Paralympics all they want. The guy's a sociopath in charge of a nuclear arsenal, strategic forces and a whole bunch of natural gas and it won't matter to him what they do or do not do.

Whatever your political leanings, at this stage the best we can hope for is that he stops short of invading the rest of the Ukraine, that the Ukrainians themselves see sense and give up Crimea without attempting a fight, and that he doesn't go truly off the reservation and start looking at somewhere like the Baltic states next.

I know this reeks of appeasement and I know we're supposed to learn from history, but noone in their right mind is going to send the 6th Fleet to the Black Sea. I hope.

[Wetstart Dryrun]

...if only we had 600 soldiers, we could charge the guns.

...worked last time - a glorious victory, i think.

[SASless]

You would have to strip the Household of its Horses first.....

[Heathrow Harry]

".worked last time - a glorious victory, i think"

hardly - the Russians were in the same place after with the same guns as before the idiot charge. Some victory.....

Cavalry!!!

[melmothtw]

".worked last time - a glorious victory, i think"

hardly - the
Russians were in the same place after with the same guns as before the idiot
charge. Some victory.....

I think Wetstart got that Harry.

[SASless]

Same kind of Victory found fighting the Zulu, the Afghans, and Andy Jackson. Hopefully those days are past!