Ukraine: Their story needs to be heard

[Thundercrack85]

Well that assumes all Russia wants is Crimea. They're still eying Eastern Ukraine. Still, Latvia – which has a large ethnically Russian minority and borders Russia – is part of NATO. So... maybe?

 

[Paradoxium]

I bet Iran is gonna make less nukes now. Thank god Ukraine doesn't have nukes, thanks to NATO. Cause NATO is doing a damn fine job right now.

 

[Destructus86]

You know...when news like this happens suddenly you have tons of people saying how the world is just getting worse and worse. And even though what's happening in the Ukraine is horrible...I STILL think the world is getting better. Overall.

 

[Teelie]

The world is. I'd repost (again) just how much better the world is getting but it's ignored in the sea of cynical and self-hating people who can't accept anything positive when all they want is to see how negative the world is.

 

[NickNitro]

Teelie, like the world, is getting worse and worse

 

[Teelie]

I could be worse but I'm trying not to become an honorable mention in the "banned users you kind of miss" thread.

 

[Teelie]

95.5% of referendum votes are to join Russia. Nothing ambiguous about those results.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I think that's by how much Joseph Stalin won his last election.

 

[hippie_hunter]

You would think that Russia would at least TRY to make their elections look legitimate when they're in the process of rigging them.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Well, the Tartars (who are virtually unanimously opposed to joining Russia) are boycotting the referendum. Still, a quarter of Crimea is ethnically Ukrainian.

I don't know how bad voter intimidation is though.

I've seen polls showing that a sizable number of ethnic Russian Ukrainians don't even want to be part of Russia, but then that was before this revolution. Still, 95%? Who's monitoring this election? North Korea?

 

[KevanG]

So how is this supposed to work? Does someone step in and ask to verify the count or does Russia just run off with the Ukraine?

 

[Thundercrack85]

I believe it's being done Soviet style. There's a cardboard box with a hole in it, surrounded by men armed with Kalashnikovs, and at the end of the day the Kremlin releases what they feel the results should be.

 

[jmc]

95.5% of referendum votes are to join Russia. Nothing ambiguous about those results.

4% margin of error so could be closer to 99.5%. It's almost comical.

 

[NickNitro]

I feel horrible for the people of Ukraine who don't want to be to apart of Russia, which apparently is only 1% or so........

 

[NickNitro]

Putin signs treaty for Crimea to join Russia

MOSCOW (AP) — With a historic sweep of his pen, President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty Tuesday to annex Crimea, describing the move as correcting past injustice and a necessary response to what he called Western encroachment upon Russia's vital interests.

In an emotional 40-minute speech that was televised live from the Kremlin, Putin said "in people's hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia."

He dismissed Western criticism of Sunday's Crimean referendum — in which residents of the strategic Black Sea peninsula overwhelmingly backed breaking off from Ukraine and joining Russia — as a manifestation of the West's double standards.

At the same time, the Russian leader said his nation didn't want to move into other regions of Ukraine, saying "we don't want division of Ukraine."

Thousands of Russian troops have been massed along Ukraine's eastern border for the last few weeks — Russia says that was for military training while the U.S. and Europe view the troops as an intimidation tactic.


http://news.yahoo.com/putin-signs-treaty-crimea-join-russia-125545053.html

 

[NickNitro]

Russian jets make repeated crossings into Ukraine airspace

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say Russian fighter jets flew into Ukrainian airspace a handful of times over the last 24 hours, in what one called a continued provocation of the heightened tensions in the region.

The officials say it's not clear what the intent was, but the aircraft could have been testing Ukrainian radar or making a show of force. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly about the issue.

The flights come as Russia increases military exercises along the Ukraine border, including moving a broad array of fixed wing and rotary aircraft, infantry and armor troops.

The West has threatened additional sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean region and the ongoing escalation of military operations along the border.

http://news.yahoo.com/russian-jets-cross-ukraine-airspace-184649384--politics.html

US troops land in Latvia amid Ukraine crisis

Riga (AFP) - Latvia on Friday welcomed American troops on its soil, part of a US force of 600 sent to the region to reassure the Baltic states amid concern over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

"Today is a special day because this morning I met the heads of the armed forces at the Adazi military base and greeted the US military unit that arrived this morning for military training," Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma told reporters.

Some 150 troops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade will be based at the Adazi base near capital Riga until at least the end of the year, according to the Latvian defence ministry.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-troops-land-latvia-amid-ukraine-crisis-135554490.html

 

[Teelie]

Putin's feeling the spotlight is shining on him a little less I suppose. Time to do something to get it back squarely on him.