To wit:
- Give back the Crimea to Ukraine. And, do not give me this nonsense that the pop-election legitimizes Russia's seizure of sovereign Ukraine territory.
- Stop egging-on the Russian-speaking Ukrainians in the East. Putin and the Russian press are doing their best to destabilize this region, hoping that it will blow up and disintegrate. He figures it is to his advantage, cuz he gets to pick up the pieces.
- Stop supplying weapons (like the SA-11), intel, and logistical support to the rebels. Withdraw your military intel officers.
Here are my observations.
- No, I do not expect Putin to do any of these things, short of his being hit by a bus (metaphorically, of course).
- Putin is making trouble making now, cuz he senses weakness in the West Wing. It is difficult to disagree with this judgment. Judge O's reaction: puny sanctions and harsh words. Big, fat, hairy deal.
- I am annoyed at those who repeatedly claim that this is a civil war. It is no such thing. It is a military incursion by one sovereign country, Russia, into another, Ukraine.
- We need a US president who will be fair but firm. Obama is not such a man, and neither is McCain.
- Ukraine is in deep hock to, you guessed it, Russia. They owe Russian nat-gas companies $billions. So, if the West gives economic aid to Ukraine, it will go directly into the pockets of Gazprom and friends. Neither Ukraine nor the EU can survive w/o Russian nat-gas.
- The EU is being of no help. The Baltic States and Poland are cranking up their defense budgets. Merkel speaks fluent Russian, and is a personal friend to Putin. Yet, their response is just as feckless as O.
Ukraine—The Next Generation
I get the feeling that none of this
will have a happy ending. Hang onto your hats, Ukraine's troubles are
just beginning.
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