Russian upper house approves use of force in Ukraine

CNN ^ | March 1, 2014 | Laura Smith-Spark. Diana Magnay and Ingrid Formanek

[maggief]

Simferopol, Ukraine (CNN) -- [Breaking News Update, 10:02 a.m. ET] (CNN) -- Russia's upper house of parliament voted Saturday to approve the use of military force in Ukraine. The vote was unanimous.

[Original Story, published 9:23 a.m. ET]

(CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has asked the upper house of parliament for approval to send Russian troops into Ukraine's Crimea region to normalize the political situation there, the Kremlin said Saturday.

Due to the "extraordinary situation in Ukraine," Putin said, there are threats to the lives of Russian citizens and Russian military personnel based in the southern Crimean region.

It comes on the same day that the new pro-Russian leader of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, asked Putin for help in maintaining peace in the Black Sea peninsula -- where Russia has a major naval base at Sevastopol.

[maggief]

FWIW:

http://webtv.un.org/#

Press Conference: the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General will read a statement on Ukraine

Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General will speak on behalf of the Secretary-General, and will take a few questions in Press Briefing Room.

[crosslink]

Ha ha with Russia having veto power in the UN Security Council no one cares what the UN says, cue up the Hans Blix from Team America LOL

[reagandemocrat]

Thank you for your work on this thread.

[maggief]

Heard the same thing on FNC. Those reporters don't have cameras?

+++++++++

[a fool in paradise]

Swiss air force “please don’t invade during non-standard business hours” PING!

http://rt.com/news/swiss-fighters-office-hours-514/

[maggief]

You are most welcome ... trying to staying on top of events as they happen.

[crosslink]

Maggie does all the heavy lifting I just bloviate.

I asked the admin if he could move this to breaking seeing it’s the biggest story of 2014

[maggief]

(Russian news source)

http://rt.com/news/yarosh-nationalist-address-umarov-380/

Ukraine nationalist leader calls on ‘most wanted’ terrorist Umarov ‘to act against Russia’
Published time: March 01, 2014 18:12
Edited time: March 01, 2014 18:45

A leader of the Ukrainian radical group Pravy Sektor (Right Sector), Dmitry Yarosh, has called on Russia’s most wanted terrorist Doku Umarov to act against Russia in an address posted on Right Sector’s page in VKontakte social network.

The statement points out that “many Ukrainians with arms in the hands” supported Chechen militants in their fight against Russians and “it is time to support Ukraine now.”

The message, signed “leader of Right Sector Dmitry Yarosh” then calls on Umarov “to activate his fight” and “take a unique chance to win” over Russia.

[maggief]

It was moved into Breaking News, but out again. ?

[rollo tomasi]

Keyboard commandos need to realize that elections, drawbacks, futile military “excursions” of attrition, over-spending, cronyism, horrible military leadership (Where self-preservation of selfish advancement rather than the mission is the top priority) in the last 26 years have consequences to future safeguarding of the planet by the United States.

The US is boxed in and needs to cure internal problems before branching out in order to face an adversary whose military is not a (Iraqi/Middle Eastern) joke.

[reagandemocrat]

Islamist terrorist?

[onyx]

LOL. Yep.

[crosslink]

I never have understood the process.

You have to love Putin he is a great chess player! this was his first move. Every good invasion need agitators to get the people in line.

Russia Ups the Ante in Crimea by Sending in the ‘Night Wolves’

The leader of Russia’s favored nationalist biker gang lands in Crimea amid rumors of a Russian takeover of this autonomous Ukrainian republic

Read more: Ukraine: Russia Ups the Ante in Crimea | TIME.com http://world.time.com/2014/02/28/crimea-russia-putin-night-wolves/#ixzz2ujsNtSt0

[maggief]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/01/crimea-crisis-deepens-as-russia-and-ukraine-ready-forces-live-updates

6.46pm GMT
Russia Today has accused a Ukrainian nationalist leader of calling on a Chechen leader to make common cause against Russia. The evidence is a screen grab of an unconvincing Russian social media page.

A leader of the Ukrainian radical group Pravy Sektor (Right Sector), Dmitry Yarosh, has called on Russia’s most wanted terrorist Doku Umarov to act against Russia in an address posted on Right Sector’s page in VKontakte social network.

The statement points out that “many Ukrainians with arms in the hands” supported Chechen militants in their fight against Russians and “it is time to support Ukraine now.”

The message, signed “leader of Right Sector Dmitry Yarosh” then calls on Umarov “to activate his fight” and “take a unique chance to win” over Russia.

[maggief]

(same link)

6.59pm GMT
The diplomatic interventions are coming fast. The first two snaps from Reuters are from NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and the last three are from Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy representative.

URGENT NEED FOR DE-ESCALATION IN UKRAINE’S CRIMEA; NATO ALLIES CONTINUE TO COORDINATE CLOSELY - RASMUSSEN

RUSSIA MUST RESPECT UKRAINE’S SOVEREIGNTY, INCLUDING WITH REGARD TO MOVEMENT OF RUSSIAN FORCES IN UKRAINE

EU’S ASHTON SAYS DECISION TO USE RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES IN UKRAINE IS UNWARRANTED ESCALATION OF TENSIONS

EU’S ASHTON CALLS ON RUSSIA NOT TO DISPATCH TROOPS BUT TO PROMOTE ITS VIEWS THROUGH PEACEFUL MEANS

EU’S ASHTON SAYS UNITY, SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF UKRAINE MUST BE RESPECTED BY ALL SIDES

[maggief]

Unconfirmed:

UCRANIA - Reports that Russian troops have crossed Chonchar peninsula into Zaporizhya ie mainland #Ukraine http://tyzhden.ua/News/103674

[expatguy]

"The second it happens, China makes it move in East Asia."

That may happen even without a move from the US.

The dragon is stirring as we speak.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[maggief]

AFP Photo Department@AFPphoto Unidentified armed men patrol in front of the Crimean Parliament in Simferopol on March 01, 2014. #Ukraine #AFP pic.twitter.com/UDartYvtuh

[maggief]

[crosslink]

This is from http://osnetdaily.com/2014/03/breaking-us-sixth-fleet-moves-toward-crimea-nato-troops-land-in-western-ukraine/

I do not know how good the source is as I have not read OSNETDAILY?

Remember those US warships who were so eager to “protect the Sochi Olympics” ? According to Russian sources they have now been detected moving in the black sea towards Crimea (according to their motion vector). As Russia rapidly completes its takeover on the Crimean peninsula, those ships will be able to survey the situation and gather intelligence for the Pentagon. Simultaneously, NATO troops have arrived at the Lviv region in western Ukraine, possibly in expectation for a Russian backed military coup against the NATO installed puppet regime in Kiev. It remains to be seen to whom the Ukrainian army itself is loyal to – Russia or NATO (it is known, however, to be based on Russian military hardware and tactics). If it decides to declare an emergency situation and martial law in order to neutralize the new regime and sweep the Svoboda Nazi gangs (who have just threatened to “resume Ukraine’s nuclear status” vs. Russia) out of the way, NATO could be facing a major strategic defeat, at least in eastern Ukraine.