Ukraine appeals to West as Crimea turns to Russia

Reuters ^ | March 11, 2014 | Andrew Osborn and Alastair Macdonald

[Mariner]

SEVASTOPOL/KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's government appealed for Western help on Tuesday to stop Moscow annexing Crimea but the Black Sea peninsula, overrun by Russian troops, seemed fixed on a course that could formalize rule from Moscow within days.

With their own troops in Crimea effectively prisoners in their bases, the new authorities in Kiev painted a sorry picture of the military bequeathed them by the pro-Moscow president overthrown two weeks ago. They announced the raising of a new National Guard to be drawn from volunteers among veterans.

The prime minister, heading for talks at the White House and United Nations, told parliament in Kiev he wanted the United States and Britain, as guarantors of a 1994 treaty that saw Ukraine give up its Soviet nuclear weapons, to intervene both diplomatically and militarily to fend off Russian "aggression".

But despite NATO reconnaissance aircraft patrolling the Polish and Romanian borders and U.S. naval forces preparing for exercises in the Black Sea, Western powers have made clear that, as when ex-Soviet Georgia lost territory in fighting in 2008, they have no appetite for risking turning the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War into a military conflict with Moscow.

[Mariner]

Obama and the EU had 5 1/2 years to prepare for this eventuality, and did nothing.

No energy policy. Reduction of military readiness. Continued destruction of the currency and the nations' Capital Stock.

Now we're hearing a cry to intervene militarily, the siren song that a desperate and confused POTUS/EU is likely unable to resist.

Worst of all possible outcomes.

A military engagement with Russia in Crimea is certain recipe for disaster.

[CivilWarBrewing]

Didn't the nuclear disarmament treaty REQUIRE the U.S. to protect and defend Ukraine in exchange for their disabling their nuclear arsenal?

Hello, Obama? Crickets?

[SoFloFreeper]

Top U.S. Diplomat for Europe to the U.S. ambassador to the Ukraine: "F*** the E.U."

[RitchieAprile]

France and China also signed up. Their task forces aren’t coming through the Bosporus either.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

The damage that not honouring that treaty would to the credibility of the U.S. and all of NATO is incalculable.

The damage that honouring that treaty could do to the entire planet is also incalculable.

[Mariner]

"Didn't the nuclear disarmament treaty REQUIRE the U.S. to protect and defend Ukraine "

There was no such Treaty. I was never presented to the Senate, much less ratified. It was never even presented to the Russian Duma.

[Ingtar]

A military engagement with Russia in Crimea is certain recipe for disaster.

Ask the ghosts of the 600.

[Mariner]

"Ask the ghosts of the 600"

What/which 600?

[SZonian]

http://www.nationalcenter.org/ChargeoftheLightBrigade.html

[Longbow1969]

Anyone who gives up their nukes is an idiot.

If the Ukraine had nukes today, Russia wouldn’t have taken the Crimea.

Yes, we should stop Iran and nations like it from getting nukes, but I can certainly understand why they’d want to get their hands on one.

[SeekAndFind]

Ukraine aside... I believe it is a teaching moment to those in America who say they value multiculturalism as good in itself. NOT NECESSARILY !!

Note what is happening in Ukraine where one part of the “country” speaks Russian and consider themselves loyal to mother Russia instead of Ukraine.

LANGUAGE and VALUES are what unites a country. The moment you start splitting a country up into multiple groups who value their own language and values above the founding principles of this country, you have a formula for balkanization. It happened in the former Yugoslavia, is happening in Belgium and we are seeing it up close now in Ukraine ( with other places like Lithuania and Latvia, God forbid, soon to follow ).

That is why I am extremely troubled when I see Hispanics in Los Angeles watching a soccer game CHEERING for their “Home Team” Mexico and booing the US team. Some people say this is not a big deal.... I call it a portent of things to come.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm sorry, but the credibility of the U.S. and NATO was destroyed a long time ago. If there was any doubt about that, it pretty much became official in 1999 when the U.S. and NATO launched a major aerial bombardment of Serbia to enable Kosovo to do exactly what the eastern region of Ukraine wants to do right now.

[Ingtar]

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death,
Rode the six hundred.
Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns’ he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Russia didn’t even allow the fig leaf of electioneering in “eastern” (southern, ocean bordering) Ukraine, i.e. Crimea. The Bear took it a step further. Just stick in a different mayor and hey, let’s call that democratic.

I guess one has to admire the chutzpah and maybe it was manifest destiny for Crimea but what else will the Bear want to turn into a client regime now?

[dfwgator]

"Son...you're on your own."

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

I can’t disagree with you about that.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Sadly, Canada may be another case in point. The separatist PQ is expected to win the current provincial election (going from minority to majority status). If so, we'll likely see another run at Quebec independence. So much for bilingualism and multiculturalism, which were supposed to unify us.

[Rome2000]

If the Ukraine had nukes today, Russia wouldn’t have taken the Crimea.

I doubt it, unless they had a way to prevent a Russian nuke counter attack.

I agree that it was idiotic to give them up and trust NATO to protect them.

I doubt NATO would protect it's own members, they're too busy recruiting faggots.

No fags in the Russian army.

[GeronL]

They need to appeal to a higher authority

[VanDeKoik]

“The prime minister, heading for talks at the White House and United Nations, told parliament in Kiev he wanted the United States and Britain, as guarantors of a 1994 treaty that saw Ukraine give up its Soviet nuclear weapons, to intervene both diplomatically and militarily to fend off Russian “aggression”.”

Thanks, Clintoon. A gift that keeps on giving as if America is a chubby intern under his desk.