Crimea votes to secede from Ukraine and join Russia

[Dakine10 5,452]

Crimea was originally part of Russia but Kruschev (who was Ukrainian), gave it to the Ukraine. When the Soviet Union dissolved, there was talk about Crimea going back to Russia but Yeltsin didn't do it.

Who really knows what started the riots in Kiev.??

Russia and the EU were both offering economic incentives to Ukraine. The Ukraine government decided to accept Russia's offer, then the riots started in the pro-EU regions in Ukraine. The Russians in Crimea asked Russia for help/protection.

Now the EU has offered additional economic assistance to Ukraine and Obama seems to have found a Billion American Dollars to offer Ukraine.

Scotland has an upcoming vote to decide their independence from the UK, but no one is interested in that.

Puerto Rico has had votes on independence or becoming a state, but there wasn't much of an uproar in the USA about that.

The people in Libya, Iraq, Afganistan never asked the USA for help but we were there. Several years ago there was a little uprising in Iran and they asked the USA for help but we did nothing. And then there is the internal war in Syria.... So what is the U.S. foreign policy when it comes to supporting peoples rights and respecting there choices for freedom.?

So now the people of Crimea have voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.. Was it a fair, free and uncorrupted election? Are all elections in the USA fair, free and uncorrupted.?

If the people of Crimea voted to join Turkey would there be an international uproar.?

Is this entire situation made worse because of "the west's" fears of the old Soviet Empire and lingering concerns from the Cold War.?

Look at Europe and Russia... Most of Europe is in the EU or has applied to join that and NATO. So how do you think the Russian's feel.? Like they are being surrounded by NATO and that it is the "west" that is continuing the Cold War.. So the Russian's believe they are only protecting themselves....

The Russian military has much old/out-dated equipment and their navy boasts having a single aircraft carrier.. It really doesn't seem like much of a worldwide threat..... But NATO continues to expand and surround Russia... so who is the aggressor.?????

NATO should have disbanded a long time ago. It's mandate was defense against attack from the Warsaw Pact countries. Keeping a cold war era military alliance going all this time only keeps these cold war type of events going.

Hard to blame Russia for not wanting NATO on their doorstep, especially when Ukraine's elected government already decided not to go in that direction. And the failure of the countries who sponsored the Feb 21st agreement to do or say anything as Yanukovich was forced to flee also sent a clear message.

[Crashed~N2~Me 970]

Seems we have a vested interest = US is doing pretty good trade with Ukraine... http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c4623.html

& getting that naval base under western influence would be a huge Win for our side = "For the Russians, the base at Sevastopol is one of just three that provide access to the world’s oceans. The others are in the Murmansk region on the Barents Sea, and Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean."

This is how it has always been & always will be. 1 Man will kill another for treasure. & We haven't evolved much since the Vikings...we just do it in Business attire.

Some1 once said = "the love of money is the root of all evil".....

Edited March 17, 2014 by Crashed~N2~Me

[Dakine10 5,452]

That's generally what world leaders do. What's your point?

Some people seem to think plans should be pursuing military options in Syria or Ukraine, would that be a good thing?

What do you think should be done?

If I could see what was going to happen, the folks running our country should have been able to. Why on earth would we be stirring the pot trying to turn in a country that's ethnically 40% Russian against Russia. The odds of success are not good, and the consequences of things not working are extreme.

We should not have been there, or we should have been ready to go all in. Those were the only options.

Ukraine is broke. They have dismissed their high court judges, and significant amounts of their police force. Their military is not going to fight for free, and their is no money to pay them. The regional governors have been replaced with oligarchs who are just as corrupt and out of touch as the government they have replaced. Watch for it to become another terrorist breeding ground, although likely this will be Russia's problem.

The orange revolution failed. We shouldn't have tried to recreate it. It failed for a reason.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Seems we have a vested interest = US is doing pretty good trade with Ukraine... http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c4623.html

& getting that naval base under western influence would be a huge Win for our side = "For the Russians, the base at Sevastopol is one of just three that provide access to the world’s oceans. The others are in the Murmansk region on the Barents Sea, and Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean."

This is how it has always been & always will be. 1 Man will kill another for treasure. & We haven't evolved much since the Vikings...we just do it in Business attire.

Some1 once said = "the love of money is the root of all evil".....

It would come at a cost we are not willing to pay.

[Dakine10 5,452]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26612507

The Crimea referendum corrects a historical mistake and should not spark sanctions against Russia, ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has told Interfax news agency, as seen by BBC Monitoring: "Crimea was previously attached to Ukraine under Soviet laws, that is, under the [Communist] party's laws and without asking the people. But now the same people have righted that mistake. This is to be welcomed."

Elena, Sevastopol

emails: Nobody tried to take my vote. Most of the people I know, friends and family, gave their voice with a full heart and were very happy to be able to vote... In my city, most of the people that were born here or live here feel like they are Russian. We live like Russians, we think and talk in Russian... When my friends from all over the EU ask me where I am from, I'll answer that I am from Sevastopol and that I'm Russian. Everybody is waiting to see what Russia will do now.

The US has said it is imposing sanctions on a total of 11 people. Seven of those are Russian government officials - including aides to Russian President Putin, Vladislov Surkov and Sergei Glazyev - as well as Crimea-based separatist leader Vladimir Konstantinov and ousted Ukrainan President Viktor Yanukovych.

Edited March 17, 2014 by Dakine10

[GandD 5,966]

Watcha gonna do Obama?

What would you like him to do?

[BatmanUSA 105]

and the Ukraine people and its government are so angry about the Russian invasion that they have done NOTHING.. The Ukraine army has not made any attempt to defend its country..

I would like Obama to give one Billion Dollars to the American people instead of giving it to Ukraine..

[luckytxn 2,265]

Makes no difference what I want.

But I see now his sanction list. That should scare them out of Ukraine.

What would you like him to do?

[Crashed~N2~Me 970]

But I see now his sanction list. That should scare them out of Ukraine.

I know...them some heavy hitting sanctions all right all right.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Makes no difference what I want.

But I see now his sanction list. That should scare them out of Ukraine.

That's a cop-out. It's easy to criticise, but surely as a voter (assuming you are) you must have some sort of interest in how your tax dollars are spent.

You've said elsewhere that you think the US should adopt an isolationist position - you've also laughed at Obama for being 'weak'. So what would be your preferred course of action?

1) Obama starts a shooting war.

2) Obama uses economic and diplomatic sanctions (which seems to be the current chosen course of action).

3) Obama does nothing.

[luckytxn 2,265]

They may actually cut off their internet next.

I know...them some heavy hitting sanctions all right all right.

[BatmanUSA 105]

Obama should do nothing.! no wait.. he should STFU.! ..

and can anyone explain where Obama found one billion dollars to give to Ukraine.?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

IMHO, before we even consider that, the question is whether this is a problem for the Ukraine. Apparently it is not. The Russians have been amassing troops at the border and sending troops into Crimea for more than a few days now. It should follow that the Ukrainian army should have tried to match that movement, and yet, they allowed the Russians to walk in unimpeded.

It has been reported that Russian troops took out TV stations, cell providers and other communications means but we fail to hear reports of what the Ukrainian authorities are doing to reverse that.

It has been reported that the plants from which gas, electricity and communications are provided to Crimea still remain in Ukrainian territory. Logic should follow that the Ukrainian army should have taken control of these plants and gain some vital leverage in this crisis.

So far, it seems the Russian have been coming and going at will, their movements unfettered bu the invaded country's defenses.

It seems very clear that the Ukraine's notion of help is having the west, yet once again, fight their battles for them. Their call for assistance would be best heeded if they had some skin in the game.

So far, the reports are that the Ukraine government shut down electronic bank transfers and currency shipments to Crimea. ATM's are running out of cash and electronic transactions are not being honored.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Crimea is going to love the Ruble.

So far, the reports are that the Ukraine government shut down electronic bank transfers and currency shipments to Crimea. ATM's are running out of cash and electronic transactions are not being honored.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]