Ukraine Crisis

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Putin's concern is maintaining the Crimean bases, warm-water Black Sea ports with access to the Med and beyond - it's the most Russian thing there is, that plus a bruised ego of having his puppet thrown out of office. You're fooling yourself if you think there is anything more to this than that.

It's OK there's allowed to be a bad guy here...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Putin's concern is maintaining the Crimean bases, warm-water Black Sea ports with access to the Med and beyond - it's the most Russian thing there is, that plus a bruised ego of having his puppet thrown out of office. You're fooling yourself if you think there is anything more to this than that.

It's OK there's allowed to be a bad guy here...

There's no reason for Crimea to be part of Ukraine. The "bad guys" are the rich corrupt thugs who oppress Ukraine's working class, whether they're Merkel's puppets or Putin's puppets.

The point is, it is part of Ukraine.

Stop being mindless parrot ...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Snow is full of so much false equivalence it's not funny. This is not about SAGE class or something you've read on a blog or something to do with left v right.  This is about Russia's military strategy and it has been Russia's military strategy since Peter the Great.

Yanukovych was not some  kind  of innocent party - he was elected with the help of Russia and on the back of ethnic Russians - he was a puppet, no the opposition are NOT Merkel's puppets. The parts of Ukraine where people live do not want to be tied Russia and want to look to the EU (if you had a choice between Russia or the EU... I think I'd know what most sensible people would choose) - The President then chose a blatant bribe from Russia etc etc etc

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Kalwejt is spot on.

and on the back of ethnic Russians...

That, at least, is completely irrelevant to his status as an 'innocent party' or otherwise...

You're right, but it flowed, so I kept it.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Again, I don't think Putin is making the right decision, especially if Russian intervention ends up extending outside Crimea, and I hope he's overthrown at some point by the Russian workers (hopefully in a more leftist protest than the Euromaidan ). Obviously invading would only give more legitimacy to the far-right elements of Euromaidan.

My God the cheap seats must be comfortable for you to insist on sitting in them for so long.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I think it is safe to call that this thread has officially been killed by Snowstalker.

He's our resident serial-killer.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm going to agree with ag and say that Putin has some sort of ulterior motive, though we'll have to wait and see what his next move is.

FTR I've shifted to tacitly supporting the Kiev government as the lesser of two evils at this point, especially since the neo-Nazis have been to some extent shoved aside.

Until I see the press release, I refuse to believe this.