Russian Forces Double Along Ukraine Border

Time ^ | March 28, 2014 | By Mark Thompson

[Jim Robinson]

American officials are worried that 50,000 Russian troops being massed near the Ukraine border and within Crimea, the pro-Russian peninsula recently annexed by President Vladimir Putin, aren't there for just a training exercise.

Despite Russian reassurances that Moscow’s troop buildup along Ukraine’s eastern frontier is for a military exercise, its growing scale is making U.S. officials nervous about its ultimate aim.

President Barack Obama on Friday urged Russia to stop “intimidating” Ukraine and to pull its troops back to “de-escalate the situation.” He told CBS that the troop buildup may “be an effort to intimidate Ukraine, or it may be that [Russia has] additional plans.”

POPULAR AMONG SUBSCRIBERS TIME Magazine Cover, April 7, 2014 Mad Men’s Conquest of Cool Subscribe Geopolitics and the New World Order What India Wants Pentagon officials say they believe there could be close to 50,000 Russian troops bordering the former Soviet republic and inside Crimea, recently seized and annexed by Moscow. That estimate is double earlier assessments, and means Russian President Vladimir Putin could order a lighting strike into Ukrainian territory with the forces already in place. The higher troop count was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

“We continue to see the Russian military reinforce units on their side of the border with Ukraine to the south and to the east of Ukraine,” Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday. “They continue to reinforce and it continues to be unclear exactly what the intent there is.”

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf played down the notion that there are as many as 100,000 Russian troops now bordering Ukraine, as Olexander Motsyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., said Thursday on Capitol Hill. “I hadn’t actually seen the hundred-thousand number,” Harf said.

[Jim Robinson]

The U.S. has made plain it is not rushing military aid of any kind to Ukraine, despite Kiev’s requests. Ukraine has sought lethal military aid—small arms and ammunition—but that is off the table. “The rations, the Meals Ready to Eat, they are on the way,” Kirby said. “We expect them to arrive in Ukraine probably by the weekend is the best estimate. They’re going over land.”

[Fedupwithit]

Hey Obambi, ask Putin again not to reinforce the border one more time....maybe he’ll double it again..

[Dalberg-Acton]

Obama’s lips said “No” but his eyes said “Yes”.

[DoughtyOne]

China has got to be licking it’s chops right about now. If the West gets involved, it will have free reign to do anything it wants in the Western Pacific.

At least we have two carrier groups on the high seas at a time now.

[Bogey78O]

On the bright side, disarming them a few years back was a diplomatic victory.

[FreeReign]

The U.S. has made plain it is not rushing military aid of any kind to Ukraine, despite Kiev’s requests. Ukraine has sought lethal military aid—small arms and ammunition—but that is off the table. “The rations, the Meals Ready to Eat, they are on the way,” Kirby said. “We expect them to arrive in Ukraine probably by the weekend is the best estimate. They’re going over land.”

And additional aid is being delayed by Cantor(RINO) and Boehner(RINO) in the House.

Ukraine vote pushed to next week

" The Republican-led House was set to quickly pass a package of aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia in a brief pro forma session on Friday, which would have sent the measure straight to President Barack Obama for his signature."

"But GOP leadership decided to delay the move until next week to allow lawmakers a chance to register a yes or no vote on the legislation, a spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said. If the House had dispensed with the bill on Friday, it would have done so by voice vote."

[McGruff]

There must a million of them out there sir.

[skimbell]

Yeah, I Thought that 0 just told him not to do this!

WTF is this all about?

Putin better watch his step.

Homey Pres don't dig this chit!

[Mike Darancette]

The Ukraine must defend their territory.

[Hugin]

I would think the Ukraine would have plenty of Soviet era small arms on hand. What they need is the will to actually fight back. 50,000 is a ridiculously small amount of troops to invade a country the size of Ukraine. I doubt Putin is contemplating taking the country. More likely a land corridor from the Russian Federation to the Crimea.

[usconservative]

This is all about control over the territory the Russian Natural Gas pipeline passes through. Putin wants the Ukraine, he's going to take the Ukraine.

He's then going after Moldavia and Estonia. He's already signaled to Estonia that they'd better "shape up and treat Russian citizens right" or he's coming.

There's no way in hell Obama grows a pair of testicles and starts pushing back on Putin in a meaningful way. The entire resaon the EU is silent is because of their dependency on Russia's natural gas.

The same EU is now begging Obama to export American Natural Gas to the European Union because they're too afraid to confront Putin, and if they did,he'd turn their natural gas off.

Putin's got the upper hand.

[1_Rain_Drop]

"“The rations, the Meals Ready to Eat, they are on the way,” Kirby said"

That's reassuring. I hope the MREs arrive in time for the food fight. The russians are staging a food fight aren't they? The Ukies will be so ready the russians won't know what hit them.