Putin and the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Now that he is a free man he can go where fashion fits.....

 

I wonder if there will be a Russian version of The Bachelor to find his next bride...
I hate to admit, but I'd watch that. lol

 

No, though what language is that?!?! Must be Ukranian

 

not to go all conspiracy theorist, and perhaps this thought should go in its own thread, but do you think the Defense/Space industry is rooting for a Cold War II?
you think there's some scare-mongering on the part of NASA and their contractors to get a larger bite of the budget pie to develop its own engines and rockets for getting to the ISS and beyond?

 

this actually makes perfect sense.

 

I wish they had asked respondents to identify Russia on a map as well. I can imagine that a person who thinks the Ukraine is in South America is acting rationally if they think Russia is also in South America. They're stupid, but they're rational.

 

The article below points out that the fields of Ukraine will be dry soon. This is a prerequisite to any major invasion - otherwise armor is confined to roads which makes defending easier.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/03/25/russia_s_window_of_opportunity_in_ukraine#

 

Maybe they'll make the mistake of not bringing enough winter clothing.











Sorry. Wrong foreign invader.

 

sure, why not. let them get bogged down in another insurgency and drain their already weak economy. whatever it takes to recover the lost glory of Mother Russia.

 

No. It would probably just make Algeria richer.

http://www.arcticgas.gov/Europe-a-loosening-link-to-oil-prices

 

I remember that attack. The Algerians were caught by surprise but ended the standoff without outside help. They crushed their own local Islamist insurgency & there really hasn't been a peep out of it since.
More importantly there are gas pipelines under the Med & it is much easier to ship natural gas by pipeline than by boat.

 

then again, forget NASA. I wonder what the hell this thing is up to...

 

sadly, Russian annexation of Eastern Ukraine is also looking more and more like a foregone conclusion.
it's looking more and more like a replay of the events that occurred in Crimea, and will likely have the same results.
it's hard to believe that in this modern age, this kind of thing can occur in the developed world, between modern (relatively), industrialized nations.
while Crimea was a very special case and had a unique historical and military/political relationship to Russia, it's hard to argue the same for Eastern Ukraine. you have to believe that the West will take a significantly tougher stance if Russia annexes Ukraine. probably still not military, but definitely more severe sanctions which will probably hurt the Russian economy a lot more. makes you wonder what kind of misguided "restoring the glory of mother Russia" quixotic quest Putin is on and how it will end. methinks it will not end well for Russia.
also, with China making noise in a similar vein in their "sphere of influence" - it's looking like a new, multi-polar world order is finally emerging, where you have several great powers, and neither is strong enough to do as they please globally, but all of them can do as they pleas within their own sphere of influence, and the other great powers are not strong enough to stop one-another from doing so.
kind of reminds me of the balance of power political landscape that emerged in the aftermath of the Congress of Vienna.
am I way out in left field on this, or do others feel this way about world evens?

 

Just curious how Kiev will react and if Putin would intervene. Worrying scenario.

 

I think Putin will intervene (you know, to protect the ethnic Russian population in the unrest that they themselves orchestrated), and Kiev will do nothing about it.
Ukraine will be the first offering on the altar of great power/balance of power politics.

 

given Crimea's isolation from Russia (both geographically and economically), one almost wonders if the annexation of eastern Ukraine became inevitable once Russia annexed Crimea...

 

It will be the biggest war in Europe since 1945. Conventionally it will probably be short, assuming Russia doesn't march on Kyiv, at least from everything I've read as a non military expert. But I am certain that there would be a long and brutal insurgency.

 

There are some Grozny natives here...they want to have a word with you.

 

Yeah, they've taken back that demand for a referendum, btw

 

Forgetting about Yugoslavia and Chechnya huh.