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.”

 

Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria

Kerry has said: “the bombing begins Thursday.”

Here is an important headline from Tuesday, from the UK Telegraph:

Saudi Arabia has secretly offered Russia a sweeping deal to control the global oil market and safeguard Russia’s gas contracts, if the Kremlin backs away from the Assad regime in Syria.

The strategic jitters pushed Brent crude prices to a five-month high of $112 a barrel. “We are only one incident away from a serious oil spike. The market is a lot tighter than people think,” said Chris Skrebowski, editor of Petroleum Review.

Leaked transcripts of a closed-door meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan shed an extraordinary light on the hard-nosed Realpolitik of the two sides.

That said, where does it leave the United States?  Hanging precariously?  Promises of oil contracts denied?  Broken?

Or does Saudi Arabia fear Russia — and its potential response — more than it fears the United States?

President Putin has long been pushing for a global gas cartel, issuing the `Moscow Declaration’ last to month “defend suppliers and resist unfair pressure”. This would entail beefing up the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), a talking shop. 

Apparently, a clear Russian intervention if the US and/or other countries involve themselves in Syria.

The Putin-Bandar meeting was stormy, replete with warnings of a “dramatic turn” in Syria. Mr Putin was unmoved by the Saudi offer, though western pressure has escalated since then. “Our stance on Assad will never change. We believe that the Syrian regime is the best speaker on behalf of the Syrian people, and not those liver eaters,” he said, referring to footage showing a Jihadist rebel eating the heart and liver of a Syrian soldier.

Prince Bandar in turn warned that there can be “no escape from the military option” if Russia declines the olive branch. Events are unfolding exactly as he foretold.

Are you listening, Mr Obama?

BZ