I'm not going to talk up Russia or their actions here. It's not a system I would want to live with, nor do I particularly like Putin at all. But he is a very strong politician, much in the mold of our greatest presidents.
As to the Ukraine issue, it's a tricky question and I'm not familiar enough with what locals think as to ownership and country. Heck, wasn't too long ago the US went down to Panama and ousted the government there because we had "interests".
Already posted my answer to that. No.
58% isn't a huge majority.
I am not quite clear, what you want to say. The USA was okay with the Europeans handling the security in their area. They wanted them to. So the treaty that lead to the present situation was a European thing. It was not the Americans.
And the other stuff might be interesting in another context.
So again: Did the EU understand, what it was doing or not?
It is not 58%, it is much more. At the last election something like 89% voted for the pro-Russian candidate.
Our expeirance In Iraq.
No! If they occupy the place for a decade, kill a couple hundred thousand civilians, waste a trillion dollars of their treasure, get several thousand of their soldiers killed, and then leave the place in ruin. Only a war hawk would call that winning.
The Russians murdered 40 million people in the 20th Century. Something basically wrong with that.
I meant modern Russia.
Failure to so much as show up at your security council meeting on the Ukraine IS about the Ukraine.Making threatening comments IS about the Ukraine. Consistently foolish and amateur political responses across the board IS about Ukraine. Banging the drums of revolution in Egypt, Libya, and other countries while then ignoring the 'cause' in allied states like SA and Bahrain IS about Ukraine.I thought we were talking about your dissatisfaction with Obama on the Ukraine?
What treaty? The proposed closer link to the EU? Of course it was an European aka EU thing. The US had nothing to do with it, nor should it. The Ukrainians, some at least, wanted closer ties to the EU. They reached out, and a deal was made over years.. many years. Then the Ukrainians, well some of them, decided no and the rest of the country rebelled.. that is the situation.
It is in the context. People keep saying that Russia has the EU by the balls... they dont, it is actually the other way around and we can see it already in the markets.
As in negotiate with a sovereign nation over trade? Of course.
We've heard this exact line from you in past days.Failure to so much as show up at your security council meeting on the Ukraine IS about the Ukraine.
Frankly, I believe 'you' would do a better job than him...and I mean that sincerely.We've heard this exact line from you in past days.
It still has ZERO meaning.
Me, I would start an economic 'blockade' toot sweet.
None of that is the issue whatsoever.
The issue is that the Ukraine government gave up their nuclear weapons in exchange for a vow that we would protect the integrity of their borders. It turns out that was a chump move in which Russia, the USA and Britain tricked the Ukraine government into vulnerability to invasion and conquest - which has now happened.
There is no possible disarmament or non-nuclear proliferation agreement to be reached with any country in the future as it has been proven it is just a trick to try to convince the leader and country to voluntarily expose themselves to invasion. Why would any country make an agreement to not develop and keep nuclear weapons knowing such an agreement is worthless?
That is the issue, not the Crimea. Care to argue with that?
Failure to so much as show up at your security council meeting on the Ukraine IS about the Ukraine.Making threatening comments IS about the Ukraine. Consistently foolish and amateur political responses across the board IS about Ukraine. Banging the drums of revolution in Egypt, Libya, and other countries while then ignoring the 'cause' in allied states like SA and Bahrain IS about Ukraine.
Solely because we wish we had a POTUS with stones like his, instead of the craisins ours sports.
I don't have a crystal ball but I'll bet that Russia won't be leaving the Crimean peninsula or any other majority-Russian part of the Ukraine anytime soon.
Ok, but we won in Iraq.
Would you care to explain your POV, using technical and tactical information? Or, are you going to insist on forming an opinion from an uninformed position?
We could not win againist the insurgents in Iraq, because we could not win over the support of the population.
We neutralized the insurgents. We didn't win the support of the population in Japan and Germany, either.
Typical. Messing around, you mean, without a clue to damage they could cause nor a second thought. And when the damage is done and the guys that trusted them are hurting, it was not their fault, but those that got hurt. Remember Greece or the German unemployed after joining the euro? Same shameless behavior.
And now you think it was the Ukrainians, the Americans, the Russian has lost his grip on reality the German chancellor says? Anyone is at fault but the Eurocrats? Sure.
Frankly, I believe 'you' would do a better job than him...and I mean that sincerely.