Ukraine

The Obama administration has rolled out its first round of 'sanctions' ... according this morning's NYT, we are placing travel restrictions on approximately 12 Russian nationals who were involved in the invasion of Crimea.

Meanwhile, the EU has refused to do anything except schedule the cancellation of talks with Russia over menial issues such as visa relaxation.

So far, I'm seeing zero incentive for Putin to withdraw.

Europe is dragging its feet, as always.

Who would have seen that coming?
 
Who would have seen that coming?

A stark example of history repeating itself.

The buzzword Kerry has been tossing around the past two days has been "de-escalation" ... the problem is, Western countries are the only entities de-escalating. If anything, Putin is ramping Russia up.
 
A stark example of history repeating itself.

The buzzword Kerry has been tossing around the past two days has been "de-escalation" ... the problem is, Western countries are the only entities de-escalating. If anything, Putin is ramping Russia up.

Putin isn't gonna get too far. I think he has some interesting issues that will develop. Sanctions may wind up being a bigger deal if Europe gets involved with it. Russian's elite live it up in Europe and if their lifestyles are seriously threatened Putin will stop or wind up dead. As everything in this world, the "leaders' are just puppets for the rich elite, including Vlad the Overcompenstor.
 
Not really understanding the continued liberal infatuation with Sarah Palin (especially in relation to Ukraine).

Hmmm indeed.

Maybe it's because her approval rating is something like 40 points higher than the sitting President's. Obama could learn a thing or two from Palin it seems.
 
Meanwhile, there are now reportedly upwards of 20K Russian troops in Crimea, and our leader is vacationing in Florida.
 
Not really understanding the continued liberal infatuation with Sarah Palin (especially in relation to Ukraine).

Hmmm indeed.

Maybe it's because her approval rating is something like 40 points higher than the sitting President's. Obama could learn a thing or two from Palin it seems.

It's amazing what having to make decisions does to one's approval rating. Same thing happened to W. Often doesn't matter the content of the decision, simply that a decision was made. Decision is inserted into the partisan echo chamber and "Voila!"

And not sure where you're getting Palin's approval ratings. According the Public Policy Polling, she's one of the few Republicans that Hillary Clinton carries Alaska against. And according to Rasmussen (which is pretty conservative), Obama still registers in the mid-to-high 40's on most days and has even gone above 50% a couple of times during the past month.
 
Pretty sure it was Bedells "liberal infatuation " that introduced the ex-1/2 term Governor of the least populated state to a thread where the topic centered on foreign policy. A topic where she was confused on whether Africa was a continent or a country and during debate prep handlers were considering alling the whole thing off to keep from being embarrassed by her lack of ntellegence.
Perhaps the national "liberal infatuation" with Palin is the fact (R) and the conservative fringes keep propping her as a viable national leader.

Stop making her visible and then people will stop pointing out she is a numbskull.
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Back to Topic:
As for Russia sending 20K troops to the Crimea. We did after all invade 2 countries with in a years time. One for dubious reasons and the other for no reason. Me thinks USA has no stake on the moral high ground here and (b) foreign policy is cloaked. We have no idea the whats or hows of our involvement in the situation
 
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What are the chances of moving conversation centering around his ridiculous public figure to its own thread and save this one for the serious business of Ukraine?
 
Not really understanding the continued liberal infatuation with Sarah Palin (especially in relation to Ukraine).

Hmmm indeed.

Maybe it's because her approval rating is something like 40 points higher than the sitting President's. Obama could learn a thing or two from Palin it seems.

I agree that there have been too many words wasted on Sarah Palin in this thread, but I think it is in response to her being proffered as someone whose opinion about the Ukraine--or any matter of public policy, really--is worth hearing.
 
I agree that there have been too many words wasted on Sarah Palin in this thread, but I think it is in response to her being proffered as someone whose opinion about the Ukraine--or any matter of public policy, really--is worth hearing.

Part of the problem is that our american news sites are cluttered with other BS. CNN has 2 articles on Ukraine in their "Breaking News" one about Obama ramping up pressure on Russia the other is about Obama's approval rating. They have 2 articles on a town in Florida that's notorious for being a speed trap. And the headline is about the plane that's missing that's obviously not going to show up.

Ukraine has moved into old news at this point in the cycle.
 
I agree that there have been too many words wasted on Sarah Palin in this thread, but I think it is in response to her being proffered as someone whose opinion about the Ukraine--or any matter of public policy, really--is worth hearing.

Don't stoop, Julio. There are several others around here that seem to have welcomingly taken the plunge.

The notion that Sarah Palin's voice isn't worth hearing is preposterous. The constant barbs being dropped that question her intelligence are extremely disrespectful and predictably sexist. This is a woman that essentially sacrificed any semblance of normalcy in her life to run for Vice President. She didn't campaign or lobby for the VP role ... it was thrust upon her - and, all things considered, she met the challenge damn admirably. I would question any woman or man's ability to step into the limelight as aggressively as she was forced to without making errors.

That being said, do I give a **** what she says about the Ukraine? No.
Do I give a **** about what she said at CPAC? No.
 
Back to Topic: As for Russia sending 20K troops to the Crimea. We did after all invade 2 countries with in a years time. One for dubious reasons and the other for no reason. Me thinks USA has no stake on the moral high ground here and (b) foreign policy is cloaked. We have no idea the whats or hows of our involvement in the situation

Our nation is hypocrisy personified, no doubt. But the comparison of this situation to the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan is a tired one mainly because the dots only connect very broadly.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Ukraine was left with one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world (apparently larger than China, the UK, and several other 'superpowers' combined). The country was willing to proliferate, but not without assurances.

Who provided them? Bill Clinton (and Yeltsin / John Major) with the 1994 Budapest Memorandums on Security Assurances.

http://www.cfr.org/arms-control-dis...t-memorandums-security-assurances-1994/p32484

1. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine;

2. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defence or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations;

3. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the principles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind;


So, as the Obama administration is currently attempting to negotiate with Iran regarding the cessation of their nuclear program, what kind of example are we setting globally about our nation's ability to abide by treaty terms and protect our 'allies'?
 
Part of the problem is that our american news sites are cluttered with other BS. CNN has 2 articles on Ukraine in their "Breaking News" one about Obama ramping up pressure on Russia the other is about Obama's approval rating. They have 2 articles on a town in Florida that's notorious for being a speed trap. And the headline is about the plane that's missing that's obviously not going to show up.

Ukraine has moved into old news at this point in the cycle.

Please don't get your news from CNN. Jeff Zucker has ruined that network.
 
And not sure where you're getting Palin's approval ratings.

Palin's from PPP, Obama's from Gallup.

It's not empirical, but I think the argument can be easily made that Palin's stock is going up while Obama's continues to nosedive.
 
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