WW III stemming from Ukraine?

Moldova Ukraine MapFrom the UKDailyMail.com:

EDWARD LUCAS: I hope I’m wrong but historians may look back and say this was the start of World War III

by Edward Lucas

Deep in the flat and featureless landscape of eastern Ukraine, it is all too ­possible that the outline of World War III is taking shape.

Whipped up by the Kremlin ­propaganda machine and led by Russian ­military intelligence, armed men are erecting road blocks, storming police stations and ripping down the country’s flag.

They are demolishing not just their own country — bankrupt, ill-run and beleaguered — but also the post-war order that has kept most of Europe and us, here in Britain, safe and free for decades.
Vladimir Putin is striking at the heart of the West.

His target is our inability to work with allies in defence against common threats. The profoundly depressing fact is that the events of the past few months, as Russia has annexed the Crimea and ­suppressed opposition in Ukraine, have shown the West to be divided, humiliated and powerless in the face of these land grabs.

We are soon to face a bleak choice. We can chose to surrender any responsibility we have to protect Ukraine and the Baltic states — almost certainly Putin’s next target — from further Russian incursion. Or we can mount a last-ditch attempt to deter Russia from furthering its imperial ambitions.

And just what would that entail?  Precisely?

If we do choose to resist Putin, we will risk a terrifying military escalation, which I do not think it an exaggeration to say could bring us to the brink of nuclear war.

Putin knows that. And he believes we will choose surrender. For the real story of recent events in Ukraine is not about whether that country has a free-trade deal with Brussels or gets its gas from Moscow.

What’s next?

Moldova, I submit.

BZ

P.S.
“Russian-Flagged Trucks Enter Slovyansk in Ukraine.”

On the cusp of an actual shooting war in Ukraine

Russian Troops In Ukraine

[Interesting note: the soldier above with the balaclava is holding an American made M-16 variant, non-piston driven, with likely an American suppressor — perhaps a SureFire muzzle brake and MagPull magazine.  How does this soldier come to carry American equipment?  Man in left background likely an AK variant with muzzle brake.]

Ukraine has made a large step in terms of its defense, and has authorized its military to shoot if threatened by external sources: i.e., Russian troops — of which roughly 20,000 are amassed adjacent Ukraine’s border.  One Ukrainian soldier’s death has already occurred.

Ron Paul actually thinks Putin has the law on his side in terms of invading Ukraine.

Further, Vladimir Putin publicly announced the annexation of Crimea on Tuesday (3-18), denouncing “western hypocrisy” in a “searing speech to political elites” in Moscow that is likely to go down as one of the defining moments of his long rule over Russia.  To wit:

And let us not forget that Mr Putin advocated in his doctoral thesis for a USSR regeneration, by way of energy control.  1989 was one of the lowest points of the former USSR and those who advocate for a musclebound Russian bear.

Because Putin outwardly exudes power and nakedly pushes boundaries, he is now massively popular in Russia.  This is not difficult to understand at all, for those who have a grasp of history.

Mr Obama has pointedly unearthed seven Russian officials for sanctionsSanctions.  Right.  That clearly hurt.  Wowzer!

But here’s a bit of the truth: the EU and the US are predominantly screwed with potential reaction to Putin’s inroads.

Russia wants nothing the US has, and the EU is beholden to the Russian Energy Nipple.

Russian Troops In SimferopolUkraine prepares to ratchet up.

And Ukraine is on the brink.

BZ

 

Global shocker: “Crimea votes to join Russia, accelerating Ukraine crisis”

Russian Troop in UkraineFrom YahooNews.com:

By Alissa de Carbonnel

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) – Crimea’s parliament voted to join Russia on Thursday and its Moscow-backed government set a referendum on the decision in 10 days’ time in a dramatic escalation of the crisis over the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula.

The sudden acceleration of moves to bring Crimea, which has an ethnic Russian majority and has effectively been seized by Russian forces, formally under Moscow’s rule came as European Union leaders held an emergency summit groping for ways to pressure Russia to back down and accept mediation.

Clearly, no one saw that coming.

BZ

P.S.
BZ shall now remove tongue from cheek.

 

Violence in Kiev: anti-government demonstrations leave 18 dead so far

A repeat of Tianamen Square?

Kiev Clashes and ViolenceFrom BBCNews.com:

Ukraine: Deadly clashes around parliament in Kiev

Violent clashes have erupted during anti-government protests in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, with at least nine people, including two policemen, dead.

In the worst violence in weeks, police used rubber bullets and stun grenades as thousands of protesters marching on parliament.

A deadline set by the security forces for the violence to end has passed with no immediate sign of police action.

The clashes came as MPs were due to debate changes to the constitution.

The proposals would curb the powers of President Viktor Yanukovych, but the opposition say they were blocked from submitting their draft, meaning no debate could take place.

Ukraine’s government had apparently been attempting to hook up more closely to Russia and Vladimir Putin.  That seemingly began to unsettle the proletariat.

Ukraine’s unrest began in November, when Mr Yanukovych rejected a deal with the EU in favour of closer ties with Russia.

The mood had calmed in recent days, but protest camps remain on the streets and the opposition – which insists the president must resign – had warned the government it risked inflaming tensions if it failed to act.

You can be guaranteed that Russian troops are in Kiev even at this very moment.  And there are explosions occurring in Kiev presently.

In the meantime, America media is silent on this.  John Kerry is silent on this.  Kerry believes that carbon is the largest threat to the world.  And Obama is — as per normal — doing two things: 1) He is monitoring, and 2) He is concerned.

Concurrently, Venezuela is falling apart by the numbers.  It is one of the major sources for our imported oil, I should offer, just behind Mexico.  Disburbance in the oil supply, anyone?

And America’s so-called “leaders” are silent and vacuous.

Putin invaded Georgia.  Will he decide to invade Ukraine?

BZ

UPDATE:

Mr Obama has weighed in.  He “condemns.”  He also “monitors.”  He is, of course, “concerned.”