Russia Eyeing Odessa Too? The Ukrainian Crisis in Maps, NATO Beginning to Get Serious, Another Quote from Putin Gives Us Hints as to What's Next

pic's source

Update 04/19:

More walking on egg shells foreign policy. Yeah, that should be as effective as it is in human relationships in general

How is a company or two going to convince Russia or our Eastern-flank of allies that we are serious? You would think a community organizer could organize a more significant response, especially one who is the United States commander in chief and can just call it into being.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/19/world/europe/us-plans-military-drills-in-eastern-europe.html?hp
Update 04/18: 

What a shock! (sarcasm in full swing) Pro-Russian "activists" or "protesters" reject Geneva deal. Really, you are surprised? Why? Mr. Putin is one clever comrade. Perhaps you would agree with me that he is likely behind this charade so that he can say, "See, we don't control them."


The Pro-Russian Militants React



Yet another parallel with Hitler's Germany and World War II:
Jews ordered to register in east Ukraine
Leaflets given out by masked men outside of synagogue. They are threatened with loss of citizenship, expulsion and confiscation of personal property if they refuse.


Is Putin’s Next Move to Take Over Odessa?
Protests and counter-protests have also spread to Odessa—a city of over 1 million that’s less than 50 miles from Transnistria.

Transnitria is the breakaway province of Moldova where 2500 Russian peacekeepers are.

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers has seen "a level of activity by the Russians" in Moldovan Transnistria that he said was similar to Russian military and paramilitary movements before Russia's annexation of Crimea. He said the Russian troop movements "fit the profile for the pre-deployment of additional special forces and intelligence units that engage in provocation and sabotage.”

 Putin: Russia’s great propagandist
Article by Kathrin Hille
-- welcome back to the USSR?



Putin Asserts Right to Use Force in Eastern Ukraine

Check out this quote for hints of what Putin is going to do:
“I remind you that the Federation Council has given the president the right to use armed forces in Ukraine,” he said, referring to the upper house of Parliament. “I really hope that I do not have to exercise this right and that by political and diplomatic means we will be able to solve all of the sharp problems.”

- and -

“The question is to ensure the rights and interests of the Russian southeast. It’s new Russia. Kharkiv, Lugansk, Donetsk, Odessa were not part of Ukraine in czarist times, they were transferred in 1920. Why? God knows. Then for various reasons these areas were gone, and the people stayed there — we need to encourage them to find a solution.”

If I may give a plausible interpretation:  
Putin intends to foment unrest that will lead to the concession of a referendum for the above-named areas of Ukraine to stay with Ukraine, join Russia or be independent.  We may be witnesses of a new country called New Russia arising out of Eastern/South-eastern Ukraine that will be a puppet regime of the old Russia.  It will be independent in name only, or perhaps be Russia's newest province, pre-emptively named by Putin as New Russia.  If he has to, he will use force to give the region "the right" to choose its future independent of Ukraine's wishes.  He expects the U.S. and NATO to do little else but cry about it and he will more than likely be right. However, for the security of Europe, there is a potential bright spot but, alas, Ukraine may be on its own.  

NATO to deploy ships, intensify Baltic & Mediterranean patrols 'due to Ukraine crisis'

U.S. Navy vessel Monterey

Offer comes after low morale among country's soldiers became evident in confrontations with pro-Moscow separatists

Beacon2Light's analysis of the above:  in a show of further weakness, NATO holds off on sending troops to bolster its Eastern flank and will send band-aids to a hemorrhaging Ukraine.  

I have a question to ask:  With the incredibly slow and uncertain response of NATO, how many of you are concerned, that with the Russian military build-up and its recent ventures, that perhaps 10, 15 or 20 years from now, Russian forces could blitzkrieg through half of Europe before NATO could or would muster a response?  

Would Ronald Reagan or JFK send non-lethal aid?  I think that they would have long before now sent thousands of troops into Romania, Hungary, Poland, etc.  I'd be pretty confident in asserting that they would say, "Move your troops away from Ukraine and we will move these additional forces out of Romania, Poland and Hungary.  If you don't, these will represent a permanent buildup and we aren't finished yet."  





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