[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Fascinating article. Nyquist had a similar conclusion early on, that the shootings and the conflict itself were planned well in advance by Moscow and are part of a larger strategy. But the Chinese have yet to truly start their own conflict or provocations in their sphere, which I expect if we are really entering into a new world war. Unless we count their oil rig in Vietnam’s waters? But seems an odd target to go after a fellow communist state.

[WhiskeyX]

Illarionov is quite correct.

[FreeReign]

He truly believed in what he was told by his political strategists, that Ukraine doesn’t exist as a state, there is no Ukrainian society, Ukraine is just collection of unrelated regions, and it will be enough to light a match and the so-called New Russia will erupt, and it will be easy to separate it from the rest of Ukraine.

Putin should have fired his advisors and listened to my free advice several months back.

There are not enough pro Russians in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Period.

[catfish1957]

I don't claim to be an expert on politics in that part of the world. But I would imagine there are enough folks left there who remember life under the USSR. That fact alone probably swayed a lot of undecided voters.

The only difference between Putin and Khrushchev is Putin keeps his shoes on.

[Rockingham]

Most of the Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine do not want to be annexed into Russia because they know well enough that conditions in Russia for ordinary people are worse than in Ukraine. Moreover, for Russia, annexation of the eastern provinces of Ukraine would incur substantial costs to govern the region and subsidize its faltering industrial sector.

Indeed, Russia has already suffered significant economic damage due its annexation of Crimea and seems to now be on the verge of a recession that will impair Putin's popularity. Finally, Russian aggression against Ukraine has crystallized opinion in Ukraine and the west against Russia, an adverse development for a country that needs Western investment, talent, and access to markets in order to revitalize its economy and rebuild its technical base.

Quietly, some of Russia's best minds and wealthiest businessmen are no doubt looking for ways to assure that Putin releases his grip on power when his current term as President ends in 2018. Otherwise, if Putin is reelected to another six year term, Russia's stagnation and decline seems inevitable. What Putin has done in regard to the Ukraine simply does not accrue to Russia's long term benefit.

[Mike Darancette]

The Ukrainians held tough and the Russian speakers did not want to be Russians. Now how does Putin look as he abandoned people in Ukraine.

[Kozak]

Good. Putin should DIAF. Слава України

[Talisker]

Putin’s attitude that the Ukraine does not have it’s own national identity is pure USSR leftover crap. His only hope was to supplement Ukranian Russians with military power to engender a coup that could hang on by - what? More military power? I thought he was going to annex the Ukraine. But when he started fluffing around with supporting elections and independence movements, the whole boondogle shifted into a balkanized triangulation strategy at best - but to what purpose? It would mean that he couldn’t seize Ukraine, and the best he could do is possible destabilization? Something got whacked here. Something didn’t work out as planned, and now we’re looking at best-solution adjustments. Putin’s like a cat that skidded across the linoleum and hit the screen door sideways, and then straightened up and said “I meant that.” Yeah, sure you did.

[FBD]

Good article. I had made assumption that south eastern Ukraine was lost, based on early reports of the separatists taking over Donetsk, etc. It appears those reports were exaggerated? What areas are still held by Russian separatists?
Thanks