Re: Ukraine
 

WW III ? :rofl: That's not gonna happen. I think there should be some intervention by the EU/US, but just to ensure a fair resolution of this dispute. (Which is NOT Russian Federation taking over the Ukraine)

I think what needs to happen is Crimea and some of eastern Ukraine ceded to Russia as most people there are pro-Russian, and then the rest of the not-crazy, democratic-supporting people can modernize and develop Ukraine with the help of the EU...

Re: Ukraine
 

Never say never.

Re: Ukraine
 

Well I hope not ! I don't necessarily want WW III happening as i'm planning to move to Europe in three years!

Re: Ukraine
 

Should we worry about the price of cheese?

Re: Ukraine
 

China does have a long list of territorial disputes though. In it's view the territory is China's and not, say, India's/Nepal's etc. It even sets a precedent for Russia.. why stop at Ukraine? Why not go roll back into Georgia?


Russian troops have surrounded a a couple of Ukrainian army facilities, and are apparently digging in with trenches. The Ukrainians have fully mobilised their army and there will be widespread protests in Kiev and Western Ukraine for their govt. to do something to stand up to Russia.

Can the US and the EU really afford to stand by and do nothing? It would make a mockery of the EU for starters. Here is a country that brought itself to the brink of civil war (and still is on the brink) in order to align itself more with open markets and "Western democracy".. and the West just sits on their thumbs, shrugs their shoulders and says oh you're being invaded by the oppressor you were trying to rid yourself of? Oh well. Sorry about that.

I am not saying that the West declare war. But talking rhetoric at press conferences really means jack squat. Park a few more ships in and around the Black Sea.. there are already a few in the region from the Sochi games anyways. Ask Norway, Algeria, Nigeria and other European suppliers to step up natural gas production to reduce the Russian bargaining chip. Then slap hefty sanctions on the Russians.

That way the US, EU and Ukraine will have a stronger position at the negotiating table. Russia keep their bases in Crimea until the lease expires. The Russian population will get guaranteed equal rights from Ukraine.

How long before the West start throwing sanctions around?

Re: Ukraine
 

Nah unless you have a specific Ukrainian cheese that you like or the cheese is processed and distributed from the Ukraine. I wouldn't worry too much about the cheese being impacted price wise or its availability.

Re: Ukraine
 

:goodpost:

Re: Ukraine
 

A completely false analogy. The Ukraine was part of the USSR for almost a century and has had political ties with Russia for centuries before that. Canada has never been part of the USA and any "history" is largely cultural with the primary political history being that Canada was refuge for loyalist Brits who disagreed with American independence.

Re: Ukraine
 

+1 again

Re: Ukraine
 

Yes, sorry about that. Nothing we can do when the oppressor is Russia. Realpolitik, Cold War, etc etc.. It's up to the Ukraine and Russia IMO, they're the states with the interwoven history and peoples. The EU is already creaking at the seems with expansion and financial pressure, what on earth can we do but bleat and admonish Putin.

Re: Ukraine
 

Did we not do a similar thing in the 80's

Argentina invaded the Falklands, we went down and fought for it back?

No one else got involved? No Russian intervention or US blocking tactics
No world war just two countries having a spat about an island that we call British.

Re: Ukraine
 

the Crimea was give to Ukraine in march 1954 by Nikita and all Putin has done is take it back

big deal!

Re: Ukraine
 

But Ukraine is still independent ! No reason for it to become part of russia if the people dont want that, just because it has has ties to russia!

Re: Ukraine
 

Only thing is UK is far more powerful militarily than Argentina. If it were the other way around, the UK invading an Argentinian territory then I am sure there would have been more to stop it.


To say that the US and EU can't do anything because it is Russia is in my opinion a weak excuse. It doesn't matter if Russia 'gave' Ukraine Crimea, it is Ukrainian territory and I am not aware of any nation that does not recognise that.

If Russia is allowed to move into Ukraine without consequences then that is going to have far more dangerous consequences in the future. We may as well go back to a Cold War state of West vs East.

The West is happy to intervene in Libya, put sanctions on Iran but when it comes to Russia it just lays down. There has to come a time when enough is enough. That time should be when Russia invades an independent country for no real reason other than a power grab.

Re: Ukraine
 

Maybe Britain could send out an aircraft carrier with no aircraft for some 'no-guns-boat diplomacy'.

The EU has already made a mockery of itself. Trying to take on the Russians would just make that clear to everyone. And America lost any moral argument against invading other nations when it invaded Iraq.

Nothing is likely to happen, because Putin, for all his faults, is a serious politician, and Obama, Merkel and Cameron aren't. They're completely out of their league.