Putin: Russia Reserves Right for Force in Ukraine

Wall Street Journal ^ | March 4, 2014 | Lukas I. Alpert in Moscow And Alan Cullison

[lbryce]

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia reserves the right to use force in Ukraine to protect Russian-speaking residents there and called the toppling of former President Viktor Yanukovych's government an "unconstitutional coup."

*SNIP*

He said he understood the desire by Ukrainians for change but said "illegal change" could not be encouraged.

"It was an unconstitutional coup and an armed seizure of power that took place. No one argues with that," Mr. Putin said.

[lbryce]

He said he understood the desire by Ukrainians for change but said "illegal change" could not be encouraged.
. Imagine that. While nostalgic for the halcyon days of Czarist glory

"It was an unconstitutional coup and an armed seizure of power that took place. No one argues with that," Mr. Putin said.

[lbryce]

Too late. Posted, cut off in mid-sentence. What I wanted to say was Putin was concerned about the unconstitutional coup happening in the Ukraine that gives him the right to intervene,I suppose, as opposed to a constitutional coup.

Ironic, isn't it? A former communist pining for the halcyon days of glory in the former See See See Pee. If only we had a leader that committed to maintaining his own country's Constitution.

[listenhillary]

Split the country and let the Western Ukrainians go their own way.

[deweyfrank]

So, does this mean that Mexico reserves the right to use military force in the US to protect its Spanish speaking residents here? I’m guessing there are millions more Mexicans living here than Russians in the Ukraine. Interesting logic, Vlad.

[joseph20]

Thank you. That was my line of reasoning as well. Just because Ukraine has ethnic Russians doesn’t give Russia the right to invade Ukraine.

[Genoa]

West Ukraine is looking terribly landlocked.

[goldstategop]

It could survive.

Of course, Russia has no need to stir up separatist sentiments and provoke unrest.

The new Ukrainian regime’s economic austerity policies should be enough to light the fuse.

[Blackyce]

“West Ukraine is looking terribly landlocked.”

So are neighbors Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland. Happens. But I haven’t heard many people calling for a split of the country as a goal in any case.