[Sacajaweau]

How does he do this with an executive order? I thought we were working with other countries. And through NATO....and how do these sanctions work?? You need some kind of plan? Where's Congress??

Russia is working with Parliament?

What's Obama trying to prove? Go back and listen to our rep...the one that said **** the EU.

The EU didn't want Ukraine because it didn't want to conform to the rules.

This whole thing is crazy.

[cripplecreek]

I don’t really see the point in sanctions anyway. Our state department hands out waivers like candy to politically connected companies and countries we owe money to.

[ScaniaBoy]

The EU didn't want Ukraine because it didn't want to conform to the rules.

The EU does not know what it wants. The conclusions of the meeting of the EU foreign ministers today had this to say:

6: The Council welcomes the Commission's proposal for temporarily removing customs duties on Ukrainian exports to the EU and looks forward to its swift adoption. It furthermore looks forward to the signing of the political provisions of the Association Agreement on 21 March in Brussels and confirms its commitment to proceed to the signature and conclusion of the remaining parts of the Agreement which together with the political provisions constitute a single instrument. These steps will confirm Ukraine's free and sovereign decision to pursue Ukraine's political association and economic integration with the European Union.

OK, here is an almost exclusive for FR:

Why does not the EU sign the whole agreement with Ukraine 21 March? It is a single instrument, after all.

The reason is that in late January the EU probably thought the Maidan revolutionaries wouldn't make it, and did not want to become too unfriendly with Russia, so at the EU-Russia summit 28 January it was decided that Russia and the EU would have to reach an agreement on "technical details" of the Deep Trade Treaty between Ukraine and the EU before it could be signed.

The new rulers in Kiev were not amused when they got to learn about this, and every EU official that has to mention the Accession Treaty rapidly skates over the reason why the whole treaty cannot be signed now.

I just wonder at what opportune moment the Russians will publish that agreement.

[holden]

Banks presumably will follow Executive Orders (even though technically they're not beholden, as the Executive Branch is, to follow his EO's) if they know what's good for them in Barry's world.

As with the Community Reinvestment Act, banks have come to value highly non-intervention from Executive Department examiners.

HF