I Am a Ukrainian

[BoredSysAdmin]

Regardless of who shot whom, but If I had any stock of this airline I would sell it ASAP. Seconds Major f-up this year alone

 

[Ponzio]

Russian White Van sale?

a question for Mr. Putin

... and is this what people mean when they talk about a white van sale?

 

[Ponzio]

good read ... if anyone is still interested.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/world/europe/ukraine-leader-was-defeated-even-before-he-was-ousted.html?_r=0

 

[haraldo]

The airport in Donetsk was new in 2012, built for Euro 2012 football championship

Look at the terminal building how it looks now ......

 

[Chu Gai]

Probably trying to make it match what Sochi will be lookin like.

 

[Ponzio]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-ukraine-peace-negotiations-continue-war-intensifies/2015/02/12/e81403c4-b27f-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

Thanks Angie …

Putin is laughing his a$$ off right now. He’s avoided more sanctions momentarily and gained more territory and if things go according to plan, Mariupol is next and he has his land corridor to the Crimea by Christmas. Game/Set/Match. Then he’ll make nice … maybe.

Notice that none of the signatories to the cease fire are Merkel, Hollande … Merkel’s chaperone to the dance … Poroshenko or Putin but was signed by “lower-level representatives”. It won’t hold water. This the same crap Russia pulled in Minsk; when it was time to sign the last cease fire, the Russian foreign officer skedaddled back home before putting his Ivan Hancock on the dotted line. This guilt trip over WWII at some point has to stop for Germany … and Japan too, while we’re at it. As the strongest, financially & militarily, continental European power it has to lead. Stop looking to the US & UK to pick up the slack. This is your neighborhood. Remember what happened last time? Ask the Poles, Latvians, Estonians and Lithuanians.

Best quote from the article: “We have no illusions,” added Merkel, indicating Putin had put pressure on the rebels to accept the cease-fire.

 

[3db]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-ukraine-peace-negotiations-continue-war-intensifies/2015/02/12/e81403c4-b27f-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

Thanks Angie …

Putin is laughing his a$$ off right now. He’s avoided more sanctions momentarily and gained more territory and if things go according to plan, Mariupol is next and he has his land corridor to the Crimea by Christmas. Game/Set/Match. Then he’ll make nice … maybe.

Notice that none of the signatories to the cease fire are Merkel, Hollande … Merkel’s chaperone to the dance … Poroshenko or Putin but was signed by “lower-level representatives”. It won’t hold water. This the same crap Russia pulled in Minsk; when it was time to sign the last cease fire, the Russian foreign officer skedaddled back home before putting his Ivan Hancock on the dotted line. This guilt trip over WWII at some point has to stop for Germany … and Japan too, while we’re at it. As the strongest, financially & militarily, continental European power it has to lead. Stop looking to the US & UK to pick up the slack. This is your neighborhood. Remember what happened last time? Ask the Poles, Latvians, Estonians and Lithuanians.

Best quote from the article: “We have no illusions,” added Merkel, indicating Putin had put pressure on the rebels to accept the cease-fire.

Its not a guilt trip. Treaties will need to be ratified for Germany and Japan to build up their arms..basically get permission from the US, UK, and France.

 

[Ponzio]

What treaties? It’s almost 70 years since WWII ended.

With the exception of the French demurring on the subject, the US & UK would green light their arms build-up in a sec, regarding Ukraine & the Baltic states. Poland of all people has been begging them to do so for a while now, along with Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania.

For the Japanese it’s an internal issue, written into their constitution (Article 9), that I believe can be amended without the former Allies consent. I could be wrong but everything I’ve read to date has stated as such. The German military is alive & well and has contributed arms (mostly) and personnel to all NATO & UN sponsored interventions to date to varying degrees.

 

[3db]

What treaties? It’s almost 70 years since WWII ended.

With the exception of the French demurring on the subject, the US & UK would green light their arms build-up in a sec, regarding Ukraine & the Baltic states. Poland of all people has been begging them to do so for a while now, along with Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania.

Its still something that has to be done and I agree that the US/UK would accept/

For the Japanese it’s an internal issue, written into their constitution (Article 9), that I believe can be amended without the former Allies consent. I could be wrong but everything I’ve read to date has stated as such. The German military is alive & well and has contributed arms (mostly) and personnel to all NATO & UN sponsored interventions to date to varying degrees.

Its one thing to contribute, its another thing entirely to build up the forces beyond NATO and UN requirements. I think it would make a few countries nervous based on history.

 

[haraldo]

This is main reason pepole in Ukraine is not doing well now

 

[Ponzio]

Boris Nemtsov, Russian opposition leader shot dead. AP article below.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20150227_ap_53ebc6cafbac431d9329c976a561f459.html

Very telling in various reports was that he was killed by "assailants", per Moscow authorities, not by a lone/disturbed gunman. Putin stated that it was a "provocation" ... of course, you're the one who's being targeted Vladimir, right?

 

[Ponzio]

Russia holds its first International Army Games
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/08/russia-holds-its-first-international-army-games/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

favorite excerpt from article:
Lt. Gen. Ivan Buvaltsev, head of training for Russia's military, issued a challenge for NATO countries to join the games next year, saying Russia would be waiting "with arms wide open."

 

[Chu Gai]

I wonder what games they'll play? Maybe shoot a passenger jet out of the sky, or maybe let's take Berlin again. Where's Hillary with that reset button?

 

[Ponzio]

Where's Hillary with that reset button?

so Clinton is the reason that the Russians/Putin act the way they do? Wow! thanks for clearing that up for me. so u don't think that Russia's previous 300 year history towards their neighbors has any bearing on their current geo-political strategy?

I will say this though, I'm quite surprised at the current state of affairs. I anticipated a ramping up of hostilities this summer. Putin's ardor seems to have cooled towards the insurgents. maybe the economic sanctions have been more effective than we thought and the strain on Russia's business elite is causing some push back. hopefully this breathing spell will bring the Ukrainian political establishment to the realization that they need to clean up their act, if there's to be any kind of integration with the West. We'll see.

 

[Chu Gai]

Awwww, come on now! How could you think I'm saying the present behavior of Russia is a direct consequence of our former Secretary of State and then rail against it? That comment I'd hoped would have illustrated the naïveté that all we had was a minor disagreement or two, a dust up that could be symbolically rectified by a red button.

I do think that the U.S. as well as much of the world was lulled into thinking that the expansionist tendencies of the former USSR was ancient history. Then there was that little thing that occurred in Georgia and not much happened. And now there's this as well as Russia looking to claim much of the area around the North Pole. Ponzio, I know they have an expansionist history. Perhaps no country is more acutely aware than Poland-invaded by Germany then liberated, raped and brought under the sphere of the USSR.,I'm surprised Putin hasn't looked to annex the part of Brooklyn known as Manhattan Beach because of its large Russian population.

I know the sanctions have been tough on some of the Russian population and absorbing Crimea and other little areas incurs costs. But for the oligarchy to challenge Putin while still in Russia risks things like death, imprisonment, confiscation, etc. quite the pity he's still alive.

Thankfully, we have double agent Stephen Segal working for us.

 

[Steve81]

Perhaps no country is more acutely aware than Poland-invaded by Germany then liberated, raped and brought under the sphere of the USSR.

Also worth noting, the USSR was allied with Germany at the time, and actually invaded Eastern Poland about two weeks after Germany attacked.

 

[Ponzio]

Chu your spot on about the lulled part by both Republican ... George Dubya said he looked into Putin's eyes and thought he could trust him... and Democratic administrations. Obama, who should have known better, being a student of history, didn't want to believe that in this modern age one nation would invade another for territorial gain and secure borders. he must've been sleeping in class that day, along with the other European nations. Russia's paranoia runs deep in their collective veins. no amount of treaties or agreements will ever assure them or make them feel secure. that's why they've never felt any compunction about breaking them and attacking their neighbors while they're distracted (9/11, Iraq, etc.) to regain more territory. sometimes I wonder if the West has the memory of a goldfish.

another trend that should be monitored closely is China's voracious need for raw material & oil which they lack, similar to Japan before that little dustup occurred, called WWII. leaders matter but so does geography and past culture/actions. whenever the Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) generals spout off in their domestic press about the "barbarians" ... uh, that would be us ... I'm thinking, where have I heard this before?

 

[Ponzio]

Poor Poland ... right there at the crossroads between Europe and Russia.

 

[Chu Gai]

If I were a suspicious and paranoid person, just what would China take? Not North Korea. They're a useful thorn at least for now. Maybe take over some disputed islands and refuse to recognize the legitimacy of any international court in arbitration? Maybe wait for Russia to do some imploding and you know, some of those people that live in portions of the west seem to have some asiatic features.

 

[Chu Gai]

Also worth noting, the USSR was allied with Germany at the time, and actually invaded Eastern Poland about two weeks after Germany attacked.

Don't the Russians call that a non aggression pact?