Posted on 08/15/2008 11:16:45 AM PDT by HAL9000
KYIV. Aug 15 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has invited the Russian leadership to urgently start negotiating an agreement on the possibility of using the Russian Black Sea Fleet for military purposes."I have sent an urgent proposal to the Russian president through official channels on starting a negotiating process and drafting a relevant agreement that would settle our relations in case of the emergence of military actions, similar to those we witnessed in early August, and the ways of protecting Ukraine's national interests in this case," Yushchenko said in a commentary regarding Kyiv's position on the situation in Georgia, the plan for settling the conflict in South Ossetia, and the Russian Black Sea Fleet based in Ukraine, posted on the presidential website on Friday.
Am I interpreting this wrong, or are they basically throwing up the white flag?
Way to vague and poor on background to interpret this in any way.
I think you’re interpreting it wrong. Kiev is challenging Moscow.
Looks like it. But I wouldn’t jump to conclusions yet. Yushenko has proven himself to be pretty tenacious. He doesn’t hold many cards now though.
Ok. I just really couldn’t make heads or tails of it!
Moscow will not like this one bit.
But, like Poland, is is just the beginning of the consequences and fallout resulting from their agression in georgia.
Russia already has a fleet based in the Ukraine
There is no love lost between the Ukrainians and the Russians.
L
It is the Russian's primary naval base on the Black Sea and was built during the Soviet regime.
Now Ukraine is saying that since that base is on their territory the Russians are going to have to negotiate with the Ukraine under what conditions it can be used for military purposes.
Moscow will not like this one bit.
But, like Poland, is is just the beginning of the consequences and fallout resulting from their agression in Georgia.
Aahh, I hope all the Baltic States stand together in light of what happened in Georgia. United they stand, divided they fall.
> I think you’re interpreting it wrong. Kiev is challenging
> Moscow.
Correct.
He said that he does not want Russian maneuvers in the Black Sea to compromise Ukrainian sovereignty.
However, Ukrainian sovereignty does not really exist. Moscow tolerates it. Just let them step out of line.
Remember when Russia shut-off the gas in the Winter of 2006-2007? That was an answer to an election outcome of which they disapproved.
> Aahh, I hope all the Baltic States stand together in
> light of what happened in Georgia. United they stand,
> divided they fall.
Precisely.
Remains to be seen, though, whether the new Imperial Armies of Putinslavia will just overrun them one at a time, each one just hoping that he is not next, and with each one falling, the remaining ones becoming that much weaker.
“There is no love lost between the Ukrainians and the Russians.”
Depends on which part of the Ukraine. There are pretty divergent views amongst the population based on geography.
One of the absolute most couragous things about this, and I believe the act that turned the tide of the Russian juggernaught heading for Tiblisi, was when the Presidents of Poland, the Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania, all flew into Tiblisi together and sought out and personally stood with the Georgian president when the Russians were targeting him individually. Those other Presidents effectiovely said, "If you are going to kill him, you will have to kill us too."
IMHO, from that time, things began to get better. the russians were not willing to risk war with all of them at once, preferring to pick them off one at a time.
Now, with Bush's firm stance...which I hope he continues to back up with military equipment and personnel flying into Georgia for humanitarian support (and defacto military shield), I believe we may salvage the situation.
If you'd said 'ethnicity' I'd agree with you. The Russians left several hundred thousand of themselves there in an effort to politically destabilize Ukraine.
Ethnic Ukrainians hate Russians and have never quite forgiven the crimes Russia committed against Ukraine in the 1930's.
L
A lot of people get thrown by the diplomatic parlance of words like “invite” and “negotiate”. This “invitation” was a slap in the face to Russia.
As a neutral nation, Ukraine wants the Russians to give 72-hour advance notice of Russian warships sailing from Sevastopol. To the Russians, this is unacceptable. Look for Ukraine to back down or risk the Russians seizing the Crimean pennisula in its entirety. Crimea is predominately ethnic Russian and a referendum would ratify Russian moves to reassert their sovereignty, a post-1991 Treaty of Friendship notwithstanding.
Things will probably get real ugly in the next few weeks. Eastern Ukraine is populated principally by ethnic Russians (who support mother Russia). So the Ukrainians have their own little Sudetenland to worry about should Putin turn his evil eye towards them. Odds are he will. What an ugly fascist state Russia has turned into. Hope the West wakes up real fast.
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