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Putin Declares War
Wall Street Journal ^ | March 2, 2014 | Editorial

Posted on 03/02/2014 7:46:36 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Vladimir Putin's Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean peninsula by force on the weekend and now has his sights on the rest of his Slavic neighbor. The brazen aggression brings the threat of war to the heart of Europe for the first time since the end of the Cold War. The question now is what President Obama and free Europe are going to do about it. --SNIP--

In the brutal world of global power politics, Ukraine is in particular a casualty of the Mr. Obama's failure to enforce his "red line" on Syria. When the leader of the world's only superpower issues a military ultimatum and then blinks, others notice. Adversaries and allies in Asia and the Middle East will be watching President Obama's response now. China has its eyes on Japanese islands. Iran is counting on U.S. weakness in nuclear talks.

The Ukrainians can't be left alone to face Russia, and the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea can't be allowed to stand. Ukraine must remain an independent state with its current borders intact, free to follow its democratic will to join the European Union and NATO if it desires. The world is full of revisionist powers and bad actors looking to exploit the opening created by Mr. Obama's retreat from global leadership, and Mr. Putin is the leading edge of what will quickly become a new world disorder.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Russia
KEYWORDS: crimea; eu; failure; imgueagenda; putin; russia; soros; ukraine; ukrainecrisis; viktoryanukovich; yuliatymoshenko
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To: UCANSEE2
In the Budapest Memorandum The US, and UK guaranteed Ukraine’s safety. The US guaranteed the American Indians the same thing. Didn't work out well for them.


141 posted on 03/02/2014 2:20:33 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: Arthur McGowan
Don't worry we will do nothing. And if any WSJ editorialist thinks anyone in the world or the world itself will defend the Ukraine against Russia, they are romantic fools. Sorry Ukraine no one is coming to rescue you. You are on your own.
142 posted on 03/02/2014 2:33:15 PM PST by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: jimbo123

I think you are right. The Ruskies are looking for warm water ports and pipeline routes. Hopefully, the folks that want to can go their own way peacefully enough. I know it is sappy but maybe just maybe....


143 posted on 03/02/2014 2:51:20 PM PST by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: justa-hairyape

Every pro-abortion politician is a psychopath. Every person who has voted for a pro-abortion politician over the past 45 years has been voting for the termination of the United States. It is approaching fast.


144 posted on 03/02/2014 3:15:47 PM PST by Arthur McGowan
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To: mac_truck
I'm sorry you lack the resources to think more than one step ahead.

The more power Russia wields, the less stable and friendly towards us the former Warsaw Pact countries will become.

The less Western-facing and engaged these nations become, the more beholden Europe will become to the whims of Russia and to the internal pressure of the Muslim Diaspora.

This is chess, not beer pong.

145 posted on 03/02/2014 4:57:42 PM PST by wideawake
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To: jobim

Exactly on all points.


146 posted on 03/02/2014 6:40:18 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Berlin_Freeper
Sigh....Crimea was Russian for over 200 years until 1954. In fact, a century ago during another war, it was referred to as "The Russian Crimea." Before the Russians, it belonged to the Ottoman Empire, now defunct. Before that it belonged to the Venetians, now defunct. Before that.....it NEVER belonged to Ukraine. Never. Not for a day.

Nikita Khrushchev literally gifted RUSSIAN Crimea to Ukraine in 1954 as a political payoff in order to secure their party leadership "vote" (sic) on his accession after Stalin's death. THAT is how RUSSIAN Crimea wound up as part of Ukraine.

Imagine if Eisenhower had "given" Long Island and NYC to Connecticut as part of a "deal" to secure CT's vote on some political deal, in 1954. THAT is how the Crimea (presto!) became part of Ukraine, for the first time in recorded history. Yet it never had more than a few % of ethnic Ukrainians living there, while its naval bases and seaports remained a key cog in RUSSIA's military posture.

Not to mention that the Ukrainians, post WW2, were involved in VICIOUS mass-murdering and mass-deporting between Ukraine and Poland, with atrocities on both sides. Their borders have shifted 100s of miles a few times a century. And we should start WW3 over Russia reasserting its sovereignty over RUSSIAN CRIMEA?

Not on my planet. No frackin' way, Berliner. RUSSIAN CRIMEA is way more Russian than Hawaii is American, and no matter what, we're not giving up Hawaii, let me tell you.

147 posted on 03/02/2014 6:52:28 PM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: OwenKellogg
His actions could be a huge mistake and trigger unthinkable consequences.

And the RINO's and DINO's use that massive chip on Obama's shoulders. That is why they allowed an illegal alien half white half black man to assume the presidency. He is doing their illegal bidding. The Russians are the only ones stopping em.

148 posted on 03/02/2014 7:48:06 PM PST by justa-hairyape (The user name is sarcastic. Although at times it may not appear that way.)
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To: Travis McGee
It is really odd how you keep referring to Hawaii while ignoring the most glaring in-your-face example of Southwestern US and Mexico.

Especially in a week of this happening:


Not safe to display American flag in American high school
Today’s Dariano v. Morgan Hill Unified School Dist. (9th Cir. Feb. 27, 2014) upholds a California high school’s decision to forbid students from wearing American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo.
Imagine If Obama kept weakening our military, started murdering protesters, abandoned his office and got impeached from power, failed to flee to Mexico and hid in the SW with his stolen loot, welcomed INVADING Mexican military power... To be consistent and non-hypocritical, you would need to apply all your long past historical trivia in favor of Obama and Mexico.

In fact, you go even farther than the invading thug Putin does. Putin hasn't even claimed Crimea as part of Russia, he simply stated he invaded "to prevent possible violence".

Yet for a guy who says Ukraine is not our business, you are in overdrive making it your business in handing a part of a sovereign country to a military invader... on a silver platter with a pretty pink bow attached to it. (which is also very odd, btw.)

The year is 2014. Ukraine is a SOVEREIGN NATION, co-equal & brother to ALL CIVILIZED WESTERN NATIONS (throwing in the CAPS since you went there).

It is not acceptable for Russian troops to be put in Ukrainian territory and the only reasonable response from Civilized Freedom Loving People (I toned it down to simple capitalization) is that all political and economic pressure must be applied against the Invading Thug Putin who operates like a Mafia Boss rather than a Civilized Leader.

149 posted on 03/02/2014 9:52:59 PM PST by Berlin_Freeper
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To: KoRn
Thank you. I agree that it is not our problem and it's time for Europe to ball up using their own treasure.
150 posted on 03/02/2014 10:08:06 PM PST by MaxMax (Pay Attention and you'll be pissed off too! FIRE BOEHNER, NOW!)
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To: Psalm 144
The neocon, UN and EU house of cards is tilting.

Uh, who is the neocon?

Jesus Christ: You can’t impeach Him and He ain’t going to resign.




151 posted on 03/02/2014 10:14:07 PM PST by rdb3 (Get out the putter, this one's on the green.)
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To: Travis McGee

the is less difference between the russian and ukrainian languages than there is between the english spoken in north carolina and that in new hampshire.


152 posted on 03/02/2014 10:24:29 PM PST by TheRightGuy (I want MY BAILOUT ... a billion or two should do!)
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To: TheRightGuy

So what? Serbs and Croats speak the same language, and look at how they hate each other.


153 posted on 03/03/2014 4:59:48 AM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Berlin_Freeper

When Nikita Khrushchev literally gifted RUSSIAN CRIMEA to Ukraine in 1954 as part of a USSR political deal to secure his accession after the death of Stalin, the border wasn’t important, because Ukraine was just part of the USSR. It was an internal border shift, not an international border shift. This political gift was irrelevant while Ukraine was part of the USSR. But for the past 200+ years until today, Crimea has been RUSSIAN in fact if not in borders.


154 posted on 03/03/2014 5:03:37 AM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Travis McGee
Whoops, where is Ukraine? You mean RUSSIAN CRIMEA was not formerly part of Ukraine? Gee, is the MSM missing part of the story? Note the key in the lower left showing the frequent boundary shifts. Today's "crisis" in the Ukraine is more of the same history being played out. There is not a country in Eastern Europe that has not seen its boundaries shift by 100s of miles. This is par for the course.


155 posted on 03/03/2014 5:15:27 AM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Travis McGee

Trivia.

If that’s your main contention then Russia should have made a legitimate claim on Crimea way back in 1991 when the USSR formally ceased to exist and not 23 years later by military invasion of SOVEREIGN UKRAINE TERRITORY.


156 posted on 03/03/2014 5:16:58 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
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To: swamprebel

It’s an “agreement.” It’s not a treaty.

They are on their own.


157 posted on 03/03/2014 5:24:16 AM PST by Vermont Lt (If you want to keep your dignity, you can keep it. Period........ Just kidding, you can't keep it.)
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To: Mike Darancette

Poland is in NATO. Putin won’t go there. And why would he?


158 posted on 03/03/2014 5:29:23 AM PST by Vermont Lt (If you want to keep your dignity, you can keep it. Period........ Just kidding, you can't keep it.)
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To: escapefromboston
Nice to see some people on Freerepublic have some sense instead of wasting money we don’t have on a war we have no business with.

I think the lights really went on over the use of chemical weapons in Syria. If Duh-1 wanted to ouster a duly emplaced government over it, there had to be a problem.

I can't help thinking how he told Putin he'd 'be more flexible after he was re-elected'.

159 posted on 03/03/2014 5:30:30 AM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: carlo3b
The economy is in good hands, because we know French.. Hope and change, remember?

Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose.

160 posted on 03/03/2014 5:43:29 AM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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