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Putin’s Ukraine Gambit (Without Ukraine, there’s no Russian empire.)
NRO ^ | 2/28/14 | Charles Krauthammer

Posted on 02/28/2014 10:56:59 AM PST by cornelis

... Obama wants stability, the New York Times reports, quoting internal sources. He sees Ukraine as merely a crisis to be managed rather than an opportunity to alter the increasingly autocratic trajectory of the region, allow Ukrainians to join their destiny to the West, and block Russian neo-imperialism.

Sure, Obama is sympathetic to democracy. But it must come organically, from internal developments, you see. Must not be imposed by outside intervention, but develop on its own. But Ukraine is never on its own. Not with a bear next door. American neutrality doesn’t allow an authentic Ukrainian polity to emerge. It leaves Ukraine naked to Russian pressure.

What Obama doesn’t seem to understand is that American inaction creates a vacuum. His evacuation from Iraq consigned that country to Iranian hegemony, just as Obama’s writing off Syria invited in Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah to reverse the tide of battle.

Putin fully occupies vacuums. In Ukraine, he keeps flaunting his leverage. He’s withdrawn the multibillion-dollar aid package with which he had pulled the now-deposed Ukrainian president away from the EU. He has suddenly mobilized Russian forces bordering Ukraine. His health officials are even questioning the safety of Ukrainian food exports.

This is no dietary-hygiene campaign. This is a message to Kiev: We can shut down your agricultural exports today, your natural-gas supplies tomorrow. We can make you broke, and we can make you freeze.

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: ukraine
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To: cornelis

Anybody who has ever played “Risk” can tell you this.


21 posted on 02/28/2014 11:20:19 AM PST by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: Arthurio

Depends. Does the USA and the EU threaten to cut off gas supplies, and send in the tanks when things get tricky?


22 posted on 02/28/2014 11:21:05 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: Timber Rattler
I could really care less about Ukraine.

How much less? If you could care less, that means you do care now. Good for you!

23 posted on 02/28/2014 11:21:42 AM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious! We reserve the right to serve refuse to anyone!)
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To: 1rudeboy
Hey, I like the Georgians. They got spunk and theirs is one of the earliest Christian countries in history, along with Armenia and Ethiopia.

I could really care less about Ukraine though.

24 posted on 02/28/2014 11:22:22 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: cornelis

I doubt any Russian leader could let Ukraine go in peace, especially the Crimea with its naval access to the Black Sea. Russia simply will never let control of that access pass from their influence/hegemony.

Putin happens to be a very hard=liner however, so the likelihood of his letting Ukraine out of the Russian orbit is probably nil.


25 posted on 02/28/2014 11:22:24 AM PST by wildbill
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It's February 28th

Do You Know Where Your Donation Is?


Click The Pic To Donate

Please Donate Now

26 posted on 02/28/2014 11:24:44 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: cornelis
Yes Demetri, tell Vlad I will be more flexible after my election.

Oh cynical me, this Ukraine conflict stinks of a complicit US - Russian false flag and with the obozo in the WH it is a certainty to not bode well for the US.

27 posted on 02/28/2014 11:25:12 AM PST by drypowder
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To: Jim Robinson

There’s two horse’s asses in that picture.


28 posted on 02/28/2014 11:25:34 AM PST by steve86 (Some things aren't really true but you wouldn't be half surprised if they were.)
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To: Timber Rattler
They got spunk and theirs is one of the earliest Christian countries in history....

So where's your cutoff? Just ballpark your answer by century. I'm curious how much higher Georgian Christians rank over Ukrainian Christians.

29 posted on 02/28/2014 11:25:39 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: Arthurio
Activists in cajole and bully mode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSvj8F_Br4M
30 posted on 02/28/2014 11:25:51 AM PST by cornelis
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To: 1rudeboy

A.D. 1000


31 posted on 02/28/2014 11:28:01 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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To: wildbill

No Russian leader thinks Ukraine is anything but an accident of history.

The problem is from Moscow’s point of view is while the Belarusians are pro-Russian, the Ukrainians are like a wild horse that can’t be easily broken.

Looking back, Stalin’s big mistake was annexing parts of Poland to the Ukraine after World War II that messed up a very manageable situation for which Russia is paying dearly today.


32 posted on 02/28/2014 11:28:35 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Timber Rattler

Ok, so any Christians after 1000AD are worthless. Got it.


33 posted on 02/28/2014 11:29:16 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy

The subliterates “could care less”, why even bother with them?!


34 posted on 02/28/2014 11:30:47 AM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious! We reserve the right to serve refuse to anyone!)
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To: goldstategop

So those Russian troops that were issued new uniforms didn’t fool you?


35 posted on 02/28/2014 11:31:54 AM PST by Domangart (LBGT = NAMBLA)
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To: Revolting cat!

It’s worse than that . . . seriously, how does one “know” that Georgia was a member of the Iraq coalition and doesn’t “know” Ukraine was as well?


36 posted on 02/28/2014 11:32:31 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: 1rudeboy

Barry Hussein Ugama Obama has been threatening Uganda of late.


37 posted on 02/28/2014 11:33:03 AM PST by Arthurio
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To: Arthurio

Let me know when he rolls the tanks. /s


38 posted on 02/28/2014 11:33:52 AM PST by 1rudeboy
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To: cornelis

“What Obama doesn’t seem to understand is that American inaction creates a vacuum.”

Oh, he understands. He understands perfectly well. That’s his intent: to muck about in various countries, then leave and let our enemies take advantage of the power vacuum to seize control.


39 posted on 02/28/2014 11:35:35 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: Domangart

Of course not. I suspected they were Russian spetsnaz.

Not guys you want to mess around with.


40 posted on 02/28/2014 11:36:06 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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