Video stills Kiev: According to Russian news sources, also this report in Huffington Post, politicians from the far-right Svoboda party have been involved in a brazen attack on a CEO of Ukrainian state television. Some of the reports claim the attackers are members in the new Ukrainian parliament. The action
Continue readingTag: Russia
drive-by planet: Massive turnout in Crimea: 96.77 vote for integration with Russia: jubilant crowds capture the mood
There was a massive turnout in the Crimea referendum, with 81.3 percent of eligible voters participating. When the final tally was in 96.77 percent voted “yes” to integration with the Russian Federation. The way it breaks down in terms of numbers is 1,233,002 votes for integration out of a total
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Thoughts on Crimea
As the world prepares to accept the near inevitability of Crimea becoming part of Russia, the dominant feeling around the world is one best described as impotency. With the referendum coming in at 95% pro Russian, even if it skips over any official process and was boycotted by opposition groups,
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Double standards, threats and false claims in run-up to March 16 referendum in Crimea
The referendum in Crimea scheduled for March 16 has been declared invalid by US secretary of state John Kerry who also issued warnings of serious consequences if Russia “annexes” Crimea. He promised that sanctions against Russia would “get ugly fast.” This was echoed by Germany’s Angela Merkel who has made
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Ukraine: Russia punts ball down the field to gain time
Lavrov to punt … So Kerry and Lavrov met and walked on a soccer field, during a six-hour discussion of events in the Crimea and Ukraine. At the end of that session, they agreed to disagree: Lavrov said Crimea was very important for Russia but added that he could not
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Dr. Strangelove Was More Of a Documentary Than We Thought
This is a little bit terrifying, in the context of world destruction. Dr. Strangelove was a great movie in the 60s about a military base commander going crazy and ordering a nuclear strike on Russia without Presidential authorization. It should be remade today with another great comedic actor like Steve
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Nukes, world war, Dr. Strangelove and global showdown – Where’s Slim Pickins when you need him?
So the end-game plan for the US/NATO/EU alliance and the Western oligarchs and plutocratic elite who control it, in their bid to consolidate their present and highly precarious global dominance, seems to be, after encircling Russia and China with military bases and nuclear missiles, to eliminate Russia’s first strike response
Continue readingdrive-by planet: New government in Kiev not exactly ‘revolutionary’: demonization of Russia
Top – Kiev government officials / Beneath – billionaire oligarchs Igor Kolomoyski and Sergey Taruta It comes as no surprise that the so-called “democratic revolution” in Ukraine basically boils down to a change of governing elites. The self-appointed government in Kiev does not herald any sweeping change that could credibly
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Ukraine Crisis: The Harper Conservatives Are NOT Canada
by: Obert Madondo Last week’s “Canadian delegation” to Ukraine wasn’t a Canadian delegation. It was an all-Conservative outfit. The opposition was completely shut out. The shut out reminds me of how Third World tyrants do politics. How they exploit global crises to score cheap domestic political points. The shut out makes
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Cold War of Washington’s Own Making
It’s refreshing to see that, this time, we’re not all falling for the official line, the Washington line that lays the blame for the Ukrainian fiasco at Moscow’s feet. Washington (and Ottawa) would have us believe the fanciful lie that this is all Putin’s doing but it’s not. The late U.S.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Is Passive Resistance Putin’s Achilles Heel?
Vlad Putin is strutting about Crimea with a huge chip on his shoulder just waiting for some Ukrainian hot head to knock it off. He’s got bases surrounded, soldiers and their officers confined to their garrisons. Russian forces pretty much have the run of the place. The Russians came geared
Continue readingLeDaro: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – A New Cold War?
Is there a new Cold War? The situation in Ukraine is escalating with Russian troops invading the Crimea, and with concerns about Russian soldiers potentially advancing further. There has been a dip in world markets in response to this news. The United States has halted trade and investment talks with
Continue readingLeft Over: Intervention and Dissention…
The Ukraine crisis: John Kerry and NATO must calm down and back off The Guardian 2 Mar 2014: Jonathan Steele: The hysterical reaction to Russian military movements in Crimea won’t help. Only Kiev can stop this crisis becoming a catastrophe This was a great analysis of the real issues in the Ukraine,
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Thoughts on the Ukraine Situation
There has been an enormous amount of speculation around the Ukraine situation on social media today. First, let me be abundantly clear: I do not support the Russian actions towards Ukraine in recent days. Russia would be far wiser to allow the Ukraine to have an open election or referendum
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: WWCD? What Would China Do?
We’ve been getting this manicured image of Russia, isolated, standing alone against the world over its occupation of eastern Ukraine and, especially, Crimea. Then again, we do tend to see ourselves, the West, as the world. Vlad Putin sees the world differently. He sees China and he’s looking for China’s support over
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Ukraine Predictions: A Breakup, of sorts
Plea from Ukraine My earlier post showed some interesting maps of the ethnic and language divisions inside the Ukraine, and asked whether a split into two parts was going to happen. Today Julia Ioffe in the New Republic has this forecast: Neither America nor NATO can stop this. They’ve shown
Continue readingdrive-by planet: U.S. hypocrisy on Russian involvement in Crimea
This week US president Obama raised concerns about Russian involvement in Crimea. He said he is “deeply disturbed” by the Russian move and that “Any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing.” He made reference to “costs” facing Russia for its “military intervention” – adding to
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Putin Flips the Switch – Russian Troops Enter Crimea
Wakin’ the Neighbours, Putin Style The Washington Post reports that U.S. officials have confirmed that Russian forces are across the Ukrainian border. The U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity about internal deliberations, declined to provide numbers or specific locations of Russian deployments. Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador, Yuriy Sergeyev told the
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