Obama is enabling the Russian president’s impending intervention
and will make himself and the United States look utterly foolish
when that happens. Just like in Syria."
Posted on 02/22/2014 1:48:56 PM PST by No One Special
Events are unfolding at a furious pace in Ukraine. I decided not to blog about them last night, because I knew that whatever I wrote would be superseded within minutes, and that was definitely the case. The same is probably true now, but enough has transpired to justify some comment.
Yesterday saw the negotiation of a deal between the opposition leadership and Yanukovych in which the president made major concessions, including a return to the 2004 constitution (with much more limited presidential powers), the resignation of the interior minister, and the creation of an independent investigation overseen by the EU. But his concessions were insufficient for the crowds assembled at the Maidan. The opposition leaders were nothing of the sort: they led only themselves, having lost whatever influence they had over the Maidan the moment they commenced to negotiate. When they went to the Maidan platform to announce the deal, their ostensible followers reacted with rage. They were-and are-willing to accept nothing less than Yanukovych’s resignation.
Then the really wild rumors began. First, it was reported that Yanukovych had fled Kiev. But where? Initially, the claim was Harkiv. Then, a plane allegedly carrying Yanik was tracked flying south. Sochi? No: the plane flew on and on, eventually landing in the UAE. But was Yanukovych on it?
Apparently not. He was apparently in Harkiv after all, where an assemblage of regime loyalists was meeting. Then came the second rumor: that Yanukovych had resigned.
That rumor lasted a good 90 minutes, and then Yanukovych appeared on television, saying he had not resigned and would not resign. He accused the opposition of being Nazis who were mounting a fascist coup like Hitler’s in 1933.
In the meantime, the police left the streets of Kiev. Berkut units brought to the capital returned to Sevastopol and other cities. The parliament passed a series of new laws, naming a new acting PM and new ministers, and demanding Yanukovych sign all the laws it had passed and the constitutional change or resign. A law releasing Tymoshenko and invalidating the law under which she had been jailed also passed.
And as I write, the Rada has voted to remove Yanukovych from office, and Tymoshenko has left the hospital where she had been imprisioned.
The deal struck yesterday was midwifed by the EU, but although it deserves some credit, the laboring mother was the Ukrainian people, not just on Maidan, but throughout the country. Why did Yanuokovych make so many concessions? I surmise that he was stunned that the campaign of sniping that killed dozens only seemed to increase the determination of the opposition crowds rather than send the scurrying home. The seizure of government buildings throughout the country and the switching of sides by police and interior units in various cities made it plain that he had insufficient strength to control the country. And the firing of the commander of the army suggests that he wanted the military to intervene, but it refused: as I noted from the very beginning, the actions of the army and security forces would be decisive. Thus stymied, Yanukovych tried to buy time and made concessions, but clung to power hoping that he could reverse matters in time.
Now it appears that he has retreated to his eastern redoubt, and is planning to wage a civil war from it. Separatist rallies are occurring in the east.
Given his rhetoric-which dovetails perfectly with that coming out of Russia-it is only a matter of time before he calls on the fraternal support of big brother Russia.
How will Putin respond? I don’t know, but the rhetoric emerging from Russia-including threats to attack the Crimea if “Ukraine breaks apart,”
which is exactly what is happening-makes it plain that there is a substantial likelihood of Russian intervention, at least in the east. Moments ago Russia announced that the opposition had violated the deal which the EU had guaranteed, thereby creating the predicate for an intervention. (Though, interestingly, the Russian representative did not sign it, leaving in a huff.) Russia’s UN ambassador Churkin has blamed the “western powers” for destabilizing Ukraine. This further suggests an intervention is in prospect.
Which makes Obama’s reaction all the more shocking. Obama had a phone call with Putin yesterday. Afterwards, the White House announced that the conversation had been “constructive and workmanlike.” The administration made it sound like Putin was in agreement with Obama, and that he has a genuine interest in a peaceful outcome in Ukraine.
He might, but only on his bloody-minded terms. His actions have been and continue to be anything but constructive. Indeed, they have been nothing but destructive and threaten to become even more so.
It is astounding that Obama is publicly acting as if Putin is not ultimately and primarily responsible for this entire catastrophe in Ukraine, because that is exactly the reality. By validating Putin as a constructive force in Ukraine Obama is enabling the Russian president’s impending intervention and will make himself and the United States look utterly foolish when that happens. Just like in Syria.
From the early days of this, I anticipated that civil war was a very possible outcome in Ukraine. It looks for all the world that this possibility is about to become a reality, although I have been repeatedly surprised at the path to that outcome.
This is a tragedy.
Godspeed to the Ukrainian people. May we do what we can to give them a chance at independence and freedom. But I fear that there is a mismatch of will and capability-especially will-and that the ultimate outcome will be a partition of the country, with Yanukovych ruling over a rump state in the east (until Putin tires of him), and with Putin scheming to find the way to achieve his ultimate objective of gaining control, de facto or de jure, over the entire nation.
This is the end of the beginning, at most. As bad as things have been, they are almost certain to get worse. There is a real possibility that Ukraine will emerge free, but I fear that Ukrainians will have to fight for that freedom.
Apparently elections mean nothing in the Ukraine. These people are ridiculous. This was a coup....There is no other name for it.
A European Conservative commentator ( I forget the name) wrote today: “This was an uprising that Western societies are no longer capable of!” Amen.
George Soros may not have instigated the crisis in the Ukraine, but he is almost certainly making great advantage from the unrest as it unfolds.
This is a made-to-order opportunity for currency manipulation, under cover of being the “savior”, much as the crises that France and Great Britain went through a few years ago, of which the Soros international cartel profited greatly by what was essentially “insider trading”on exchange rates.
The worst part of this is, that the Soros organization is going to use the proceeds from this “opportunity” to further fund his incursion into the politics of the controlling regime of that territory once known as “the United States of America”, and bend it yet further into something it never was.
Nah, no conspiracy here. Just move along, folks, nothing to see.
“Malefactors of great wealth” are not all in the business of running huge business enterprises. Some are working the charnel-houses of nations.
Russia needs to keep its grubby bear claws off Ukraine.
Oh for God’s sake, will you people please give it a rest. You have no idea how ridiculous you sound.
Empty claims. Not a single piece of evidence.
Deranged. Obsessive. Paranoid. Ridiculous.
I agree.
Yanukovych apparently tried to flee to Russia, but failed. He was stopped from doing so by Ukrainian border police. He even tried to bribe them, but that didn’t work either.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL6N0LR0UW20140222
He’s trapped, for now at least. Hopefully, he’ll soon be arrested and put on trial.
Try something constructive. Here’s a history of the Ukraine you can watch on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRr-nrJ7xvQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQp_9zGKNg4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaCbRAcVr8Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1ktGkGk7tI
He should be put on trial for:
1. Trying to sell out his country to the Russians
2. Shooting and brutalizing his fellow citizens.
I salute the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Corrupt politicians everywhere should take notice.
He should be put on trial for:
1. Trying to sell out his country to the Russians
2. Shooting and brutalizing his fellow citizens.
I salute the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Corrupt politicians everywhere should take notice.
___________________________
I couldn’t have said it better myself. And here’s to hoping that Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus has gone through a few pair of underwear over the course of today’s events.
I hope they quickly find and dispose of those snipers.
Hasn’t it been said that the Rothschild’s used the American Revolution in much the same way? I guess that invalidates the cause.
Many of the West Ukraine “protestors” are neo-Nazi fascists. Complete with Nazi symbols, which are being scrawled in Kiev.
George Soros is perhaps even more ruthless than the “Red Shield”. He certainly has a lot more technology at his disposal, and it is used to influence geopolitics so much more rapidly than couriers and spies ever could, using merely human resources.
Nah. No conspiracy here. Keep moving, folks, the normal circumstances of the human condition is simply reasserting itself. Poor people give rich people money, and that’s not all, they seem happy for the opportunity.
Oh, wait. The poor people do not seem to be all that reconciled to their lot in life. What’s happening in the Ukraine, again?
I am on part 4 of that. VERY interesting and instructive to current events over there. Ukraine has been tangled up in a tug-of-war between east and west since the Mongols.
People are dying for what they believe in that's what...
Incredible graphic footage of Ukrainian protestors coming under sniper fire from government forces.
George Soros followed me to work today. He’s everywhere.
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