Russian forces enter the Crimea

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ne-crisis.html

Ukraine crisis live: UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine crisis

Russian foreign ministry admits to entering Crimea from its Black Sea Fleet base as the Ukraine's interior minister accuses country of 'armed invasion'

21.01 AFP has reported that Russian aircraft carrying nearly 2,000 suspected troops have landed at a military air base near the regional capital of the restive Crimean peninsula, according to an official in Kiev's new government.

"Thirteen Russian aircraft landed at the airport of Gvardeysky (near Simferopol) with 150 people in each one," Sergiy Kunitsyn, the Ukrainian president's special representive in Crimea, told the local ATR television channel, adding the air space had been closed. It was not immediately clear if Russia had the right to use the base or send additional troops there under its agreements with Ukraine.

Caution should be exercised before calling this an "invasion" right now - the new Kiev government may be panicking.

Russia may well be demonised by the western world for this but by all means, it's acting rationally and within it's own interests. The only peaceful solution here would be an independence referendum for the East of the Ukraine (including Crimea) but I very much doubt the new 'democratic' pro-western Government in Kiev - along with the US, EU and NATO - would agree to this.

If the west and the central Ukraine government refuse a referendum/a split..... then I have to say Russia is logical to go in.

Thoughts?

[The Don]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ne-crisis.html

Ukraine crisis live: UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine crisis

Russian foreign ministry admits to entering Crimea from its Black Sea Fleet base as the Ukraine's interior minister accuses country of 'armed invasion'

Russia may well be demonised by the western world for this but by all means, it's acting rationally and within it's own interests. The only peaceful solution here would be an independence referendum for the East of the Ukraine (including Crimea) but I very much doubt the new 'democratic' pro-western Government in Kiev - along with the US, EU and NATO - would agree to this.

If the west and the central Ukraine government refuse a referendum/a split..... then I have to say Russia is logical to go in.

Thoughts?

Not really rational taking over the airports of another country. I doubt the US/EU would directly get involved as it's right on Russia's doorstep and could potentially escalate the situation. The most likely scenario will be Crimea being annexed by Russia, which looks increasingly likely due to Moscow rushing through new annexation legislation. Whether or not the new government in Kiev will allow this is another matter (although the Ukrainian army pales in comparison to Russia's).

[-:Undertaker:-]

Not really rational taking over the airports of another country. I doubt the US/EU would directly get involved as it's right on Russia's doorstep and could potentially escalate the situation. The most likely scenario will be Crimea being annexed by Russia, which looks increasingly likely due to Moscow rushing through new annexation legislation. Whether or not the new government in Kiev will allow this is another matter (although the Ukrainian army pales in comparison to Russia's).

Our governments will never get involved because we are led by weak men who only like to pick on smaller countries, ie Iraq and Afghanistan both of which had no airforce. Russia would smack us back and knock out a few teeth if we tried anything on.

Ideally there would be a referendum in the East of Ukraine, but the west seems to want Ukraine to stay together. Putin has no choice.

[The Don]

Our governments will never get involved because we are led by weak men who only like to pick on smaller countries, ie Iraq and Afghanistan both of which had no airforce. Russia would smack us back and knock out a few teeth if we tried anything on.

Ideally there would be a referendum in the East of Ukraine, but the west seems to want Ukraine to stay together. Putin has no choice.

Thank god, why would we go in? I don't think starting a war with Russia would be very sensible...

It's also funny how there are rumours of russia giving out russian visas and citizenship in the crimea area to practically anyone to boost the percentage of 'Russians' in there to justify them making a move, which is a tactic they apparently used in the Georgia situation. Either way, it's not looking good for Ukraine.

[The Don]

Obama has made an official statement on the whole situation now.

Link to recording https://soundcloud.com/producermatth...statement-on-1

[Okeanos]

Your graphic is completely wrong, most of those regions which are green are not majority Russian speaking. Russia is not acting rationally, it is undermining a legitimate revolution and it is infringing the sovereignty of another country. Technically the native Crimeans are the Tartars.... the last time Russia got involved in the Crimea, Stalin deported them to Central Asia.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Your graphic is completely wrong, most of those regions which are green are not majority Russian speaking. Russia is not acting rationally, it is undermining a legitimate revolution and it is infringing the sovereignty of another country. Technically the native Crimeans are the Tartars.... the last time Russia got involved in the Crimea, Stalin deported them to Central Asia.

The revolution undermined a legitimate government.

[The Don]

The revolution undermined a legitimate government.

You must have a funny definition of legitimate. I don't view a president who gives himself more and more power and orders the murder of his countries citizens as legitimate. I don't know why you're trying to paint yanukovych as some sort of victim. Do you not know how corrupt he is/was?

[-:Undertaker:-]

You must have a funny definition of legitimate. I don't view a president who gives himself more and more power and orders the murder of his countries citizens as legitimate. I don't know why you're trying to paint yanukovych as some sort of victim. Do you not know how corrupt he is/was?

I'm not defending him or his government. I'm pointing out that, as much as the western media are trying to portray this as a peoples revolution, it's a US/EU-backed coup against a government that was elected in Ukraine. Sure half the country absolutely hated the government, but that's only because the Russian half of the country managed to outvote the Ukrainian side at the last election.... the wonders of multiculturalism.

Whoever you get in Ukraine it's going to be corrupt, brutal and run like a tinpot country. The only question is, are we going to keep lying to ourselves - as many of you did in the Arab Spring - over what the revolution and opposition are really about.

[-:Undertaker:-]

RT ‏@RT_com 44m

#UKRAINE: Russian flags raised in the cities of Melitopol, Yevpatoria and Mariupol http://on.rt.com/xhz2zu pic.twitter.com/rYYxBJyL4I

President Putin has also requested use of force in Crimea and it's gone to the Russian Duma upper house....

Maybe that's something President Obama could do in future (asking Congress to declare war) as the US constitution demands but which various Presidents - Clinton, Bush and Obama - have completely ignored making them unconstitutional wars.

It's come to something where Russia can be teaching America lessons.