Posted on 03/16/2014 3:56:59 PM PDT by kristinn
Even before residents of Crimea headed to the polls Sunday, Ukrainians and Russians knew the result of the vote would be to secede and join Russia. So, when results showed that in excess of 95 percent of the ballots favored joining Russia, it didn’t really turn any heads.
What did, however, was news footage showing ranks of Russian tanks lining the road near Krech in eastern Crimea, apparently preparing to move, while other footage showed Ukrainian tanks moving to defend the border with Russia in the Donetsk district, on the eastern edge of the country.
The prospect of a beefed up Russian force moving north from Crimea into other parts of Ukraine or Ukrainian tanks engaging potential Russian invaders in the east raised tensions after weeks when the Russian takeover of Crimea was largely without bloodshed.
The interim Ukrainian government pledged to invest an additional $7 billion in its woefully underfunded military.
On Monday, Crimea’s rump government is expected to ask officially that Russia annex the territory. The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian soldiers still in Crimea had until Friday to leave the territory or face military action by Russian forces.
SNIP
The Friday deadline for Ukrainian troops to leave Crimea came in an announcement from the Russian Ministry of Defense, which said it had agreed to “a truce” to allow the Ukrainian forces a work week to get back to the Ukrainian mainland.
Russian troops without insignia have been occupying Crimea for two weeks and have surrounded several military bases still occupied by Ukrainians. Ukrainian soldiers said last week that their Russian counterparts had told them that after the referendum their presence would be considered illegal and that they would be given the choices of laying down their arms and returning to Ukraine, taking Russian citizenship or preparing...
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
I’m shocked....
This is Putin’s MO. Dump trainloads of Russian passports in an oil port tow, declare victimized Russians, invade, then rig a vote to join Russian for protection.
Next stop, Estonia.
i was always undecided about the potential of a fight. I never for a second felt it would be anything except Ukrainians vs Russians as the west by and large is putting economic interests first. It does seem the Ukrainians will, even if its just one general saying open fire, It won’t change anything. A protracted fight if that somehow occurs could see maybe a Poland involved in some way. They have to worry Russia finds a pretext to make them next.
All these border countries need to expel now. Close down borders so that Russia can’t send in thousands of ‘protestors’. You pick Estonia but there are any number of border countries who could be next.
It was even more than that in some precincts down here when Harvey Gantt ran against Jesse Helms.
The local newspaper published the votes by precinct, and in one black precinct, it was something like 1600 Gantt, 3 Helms. (I figured the three messed up their ballots.)
They are already getting frisky in eastern Ukraine (there is another thread on shenanigans in the east).
Please don’t get the idea I stand up for Putin as I don’t. If however you look at world events from his point of view you would see Obama and Cameron and even Sarkosy supplying rebels and interfering in the ME and the mess that has caused. Do you think he would view the the recent change in Ukrainian leadership as something similar but now right on his doorstep. The creeping Socialism and Islamization of Europe has to be a concern for Russia and yes their loss of influence in their bordering states makes them fearful!
But, but, but, we won the Cold War.
Everybody says so.
But so many Freepers have been saying for months what a great guy Putin is. Sheesh. Communists are never great guys.
These radical puppets will be gone by June 1st or sooner, so pledging to waste money on military spending is just so much hot air.
Not really.
Russians see Crimea as a special case, as part of the Motherland and themselves as righting a historical injustice.
The people living there after all are Russian and want to live in Russia and they do not see after Kosovo, why the West has any kind of say there.
“in excess of 95 percent”
That’s nothing. Obama got over 105% in some precincts.
“But so many Freepers have been saying for months what a great guy Putin is. Sheesh. Communists are never great guys.”
I agree. Take a look at Obama.
Not all of the people in the Crimea consider themselves Russian, especially the Tatars.
Of course that’s true. But the majority of them are.
The vox populi has spoken. Now Crimea has passed onto Russia.
Source please. Something other than this referendum under a military occupation. An earlier poll which says they want to leave Ukraine for Russia, perhaps?
You and I both know the election outcome was known from the beginning. Vox populi it isn’t. as for legally passing to Russia, that’s a problem.
The best thing we can do is conduct economic warfare with an effort to do everything possible to start exporting LNG to Europe ASAP. That will take years to accomplish. At that point Russia’s time as an aggravation are over.
First—I want to say—Putin is an autocrat—cut from the old cloth. He isn’t a Communist—he’s an old school tyrant, BUT
Senond—I note that he has played his weak hand well. I respect him and see he is a leader who does love his nation—and would like to expand it. Would he kill you or me to advance his goal? In a heart beat! I think Obama would as well but he would not be able to accomplish much. He is a good leader—just like Rommel was a good general.
Living through the South Ossetia and Abkhasia invasion I respectfully disagree. Putin sent truckloads of passports to invent Russian victims of Georgian aggression.
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