Putin on the risk
Condemnation isn’t enough for Russian actions in Crimea
By Editorial Board, WashPost, Published: February 28
PRESIDENT OBAMA made an unscheduled appearance before the press at the White House Friday to warn Russia against a military intervention in Ukraine, which he said would be a “clear violation” of Russia’s commitments to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity as well as of international law. But the president made no mention of consequences other than international “condemnation” and unspecified “costs” — and Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to be deterred by that.
Mr. Obama also spoke in the conditional, referring to “reports of military movements.” But by late Friday it was clear that Russian forces were operating across Crimea, a southern region of Ukraine made up mostly of Russian speakers and that hosts Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Journalists broadcast images of Russian transport planes, helicopters and columns of armored personnel carriers penetrating the region. Ukraine’s acting president decried an “invasion.”
The West responded with phone calls. The Kremlin said Mr. Putin spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Secretary of State John F. Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Mr. Lavrov protested that Russia was not violating its commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and Mr. Kerry was not ready to contradict him. “The question is whether or not what is happening now might be crossing a line in any way, and we’re going to be very careful in making our judgments about that,” he told reporters. Again, hardly likely to alter Mr. Putin’s calculations.
Perhaps it was difficult for U.S. intelligence to discern Friday exactly what the Russian forces — some of which wore no identification — were doing. But Mr. Putin’s likely objective was not difficult to figure. He appears to be responding to Ukraine’s overthrow of its pro-Kremlin government last week with an old and ugly Russian tactic: provoking a separatist rebellion in a neighboring state, using its own troops when necessary.
(More here.)
By Editorial Board, WashPost, Published: February 28
PRESIDENT OBAMA made an unscheduled appearance before the press at the White House Friday to warn Russia against a military intervention in Ukraine, which he said would be a “clear violation” of Russia’s commitments to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity as well as of international law. But the president made no mention of consequences other than international “condemnation” and unspecified “costs” — and Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to be deterred by that.
Mr. Obama also spoke in the conditional, referring to “reports of military movements.” But by late Friday it was clear that Russian forces were operating across Crimea, a southern region of Ukraine made up mostly of Russian speakers and that hosts Russia’s Black Sea fleet. Journalists broadcast images of Russian transport planes, helicopters and columns of armored personnel carriers penetrating the region. Ukraine’s acting president decried an “invasion.”
The West responded with phone calls. The Kremlin said Mr. Putin spoke to British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Secretary of State John F. Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Mr. Lavrov protested that Russia was not violating its commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and Mr. Kerry was not ready to contradict him. “The question is whether or not what is happening now might be crossing a line in any way, and we’re going to be very careful in making our judgments about that,” he told reporters. Again, hardly likely to alter Mr. Putin’s calculations.
Perhaps it was difficult for U.S. intelligence to discern Friday exactly what the Russian forces — some of which wore no identification — were doing. But Mr. Putin’s likely objective was not difficult to figure. He appears to be responding to Ukraine’s overthrow of its pro-Kremlin government last week with an old and ugly Russian tactic: provoking a separatist rebellion in a neighboring state, using its own troops when necessary.
(More here.)
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1 Comments:
Putin lives in a world of words, not actions. President Obama is still living in professor fantasy land where 'words have meanings...'
I think it was 2012 when Romney mentioned that Russia was our #1 geopolitical foe. Romney was scorned and laughed at, President Obama could at least improve his standing by apologizing to Romney.
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