The US should not intervene in Ukraine!

[Anomalocaris]

I think at this point, it would appear Russian troops stationed near Ukrainian border is fulfilling its intended function well. Russian troops are not moving to expose Russia to the charge of an armed invasion.

Meanwhile Ukrainian operation to tamp down Russian instigated sedition is turning into a total fiasco, most likely because Ukraine is heavily constrained in what sort of troops it can use to suppress the internal desention thanks the fear of armed Russian invasion. If Russian troops weren't massing on Ukrainian borders, Ukraine would have been able to send in loyal troops willing to crack heads. As it stands Ukraine must send in troops which can be counted on to treat the sedition elements with kid gloves. But these are precisely the troops whose loyalty to Ukraine can't really be counted on.

Again, everyone else tried to apply poker rules to a game of chess, but Russia played by chess rules and is winning.

The west backed Putin into the one corner he could fight his way out of. It was a stupid thing to do.

[A Theist]

I think at this point, it would appear Russian troops stationed near Ukrainian border is fulfilling its intended function well. Russian troops are not moving to expose Russia to the charge of an armed invasion.

Meanwhile Ukrainian operation to tamp down Russian instigated sedition is turning into a total fiasco, most likely because Ukraine is heavily constrained in what sort of troops it can use to suppress the internal desention thanks the fear of armed Russian invasion. If Russian troops weren't massing on Ukrainian borders, Ukraine would have been able to send in loyal troops willing to crack heads. As it stands Ukraine must send in troops which can be counted on to treat the sedition elements with kid gloves. But these are precisely the troops whose loyalty to Ukraine can't really be counted on.

Again, everyone else tried to apply poker rules to a game of chess, but Russia played by chess rules and is winning.

The west backed Putin into the one corner he could fight his way out of. It was a stupid thing to do.

This is Putin creating an excuse to go into the Ukraine. He'll take it too, under the guise of coming to the rescue of the Russian population there...same tactic Hitler used when he invaded Poland, to protect the German population there.

Barack is in way over his head dealing with Putin.

[Minimalist]

Just itching for another glorious "war," huh? Tell me again why you aren't signing up to head for the front lines?

[Anomalocaris]

I think at this point, it would appear Russian troops stationed near Ukrainian border is fulfilling its intended function well. Russian troops are not moving to expose Russia to the charge of an armed invasion.

Meanwhile Ukrainian operation to tamp down Russian instigated sedition is turning into a total fiasco, most likely because Ukraine is heavily constrained in what sort of troops it can use to suppress the internal desention thanks the fear of armed Russian invasion. If Russian troops weren't massing on Ukrainian borders, Ukraine would have been able to send in loyal troops willing to crack heads. As it stands Ukraine must send in troops which can be counted on to treat the sedition elements with kid gloves. But these are precisely the troops whose loyalty to Ukraine can't really be counted on.

Again, everyone else tried to apply poker rules to a game of chess, but Russia played by chess rules and is winning.

The west backed Putin into the one corner he could fight his way out of. It was a stupid thing to do.

This is Putin creating an excuse to go into the Ukraine. He'll take it too, under the guise of coming to the rescue of the Russian population there...same tactic Hitler used when he invaded Poland, to protect the German population there.

Barack is in way over his head dealing with Putin.

Bullshit. The unwinnable struggle to deprive Russia of Ukraine (and Balarus and central Asian satellites) was kicked into high gear under Bush and didn't get any winnable since Bush.

Geopolitical, in the long run China would be a far more formifable competitor than Russia. Russia has no love for China, and it would have behoved the US to stir up trouble between Russia and China. But instead we stir up existential trouble for Russia. Next watch Putin run to China, this coming May in fact, then Putin recently scheduled a state visit, in order to offer major concessions to China on Gas and arms sales in return for Chinese financial and diplomatic help for his position against the US.

Russia has in the past taken a studied neutrality in China's territorial conflicts with Japan and other nations of South China sea. This is a struggle which could escalate into war between China on the one side, and Japan and the US on the other. Hitherto China has been alone on this.

Amazingly, Putin suddenly found resurgent Japanese militarism alarming and whole heartedly endorsed China's position.

I think the poorly thought out strategy to strip Russia will continue to have unintended but alarming consequences for years to come.

[Autumnlicious]

I don't like the way America sticks their nose into everything that happens around the world, as if their our saviour, unfortunately Australia where I live licks their ass, like many others do also.

Well fuck you too.

[sven]

Putin is not Hitler. And he knows that only so much will be tolerated before a world of shit would rain on his parade.

He's not a delusional idiot like Hitler.

Putin is using the same actions that Hitler used...When Hitler was gobbling up territory in Europe the United States and other European countries mostly stood by and let him do it, until war broke out. If the United States and it's European allies would have acted much sooner against Hitler we probably would have avoided WWII.

Putin is a thug and he knows the U.S. and the West are going to do very little to stop him. He'll take the Ukraine.

I agree! The west won't risk a war with Russia. With a mad dog like Putin at the helm, there is too much risk of a nuclear war.

[Anomalocaris]

Putin is not a mad dog. He is a very cool, measured and purposeful, if ruthless, dog who never takes his eyes off the ball.

In fact I think he is cool and cunning enough to use the mad dog image western propaganda created of him against the west, and exploit the fact that such an image makes the population in west fearful of confronting a nuclear armed Russia led by him.

The more the west play up the image of a bogeymen Putin building back up the Soviet Empire and existentially threatening NATO allies Poland and Baltic republics, the more the memory of Soviet world-ending nuclear arsenal would inhibit western action.

[sven]

Putin is not a mad dog. He is a very cool, measured and purposeful, if ruthless, dog who never takes his eyes off the ball.

In fact I think he is cool and cunning enough to use the mad dog image western propaganda created of him against the west, and exploit the fact that such an image makes the population in west fearful of confronting a nuclear armed Russia led by him.

The more the west play up the image of a bogeymen Putin building back up the Soviet Empire and existentially threatening NATO allies Poland and Baltic republics, the more the memory of Soviet world-ending nuclear arsenal would inhibit western action.

You think he's that smart?
Well he got away with annexing Crimea. I'll give you that one.

[Brian37]

I do think our western allies trust Obama much more. Bush's actions haven't helped us. We cant engage everyone worldwide who might want our help, but we also cannot be isolationists either. I cannot say what we should do, but if anyone can balance this so it doesn't get worse, Obama can.

I think Bush's Dirty Harry policies have proven to us what we should not do.

[psychoslice]

I don't like the way America sticks their nose into everything that happens around the world, as if their our saviour, unfortunately Australia where I live licks their ass, like many others do also.

Well fuck you too.

Said like a true American lol.