Ukraine on the verge of civil war!

[Osem]

I think we should add to that list:

Don't trust Putin. Ever!

Prepare a standard response to Russian acts of aggression which are agreed by all in advance and can be implemented quickly. While the EU and Nato were discussing what to do, Putin had made his move and secured a checkmate. It seems to me that Russia is like a playground bully which will carry on pushing people around until someone suddenly smacks him in the face. We need to have an option to hit Russian interests hard and fast as long as they continue to feel they're running rings around bloated and ponderous western 'committees' and getting away with it, they'll carry on pushing their luck.

I think that FIFA ought to remove the world cup from Russia but doubt that'll happen so at the very least there should be a mass boycott of the tournament if FIFA can't get its act together.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

It would save us the ignomy of loosing in the first round.

Shhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!................



There's still time to organise somewhere else to play the tournament. IIRC Fifa has an entirely credible backup plan for just such an eventuality - fresh after the unmitigated success which is Qatar 2022, they've signed up Libya as standby hosts...

http://news.sky.com/story/1245087/uk...-mystery-flyer

The flyer calls for all Jews over 16 to register and supply a list of all property they own.
It suggests if they do not, they will have their citizenship revoked, face deportation and see their assets confiscated.
The leaflet carries Russia's national symbol, as well as the Donetsk People's Republic insignia.

Obviously an attempt at provocation but it could still turn nasty

[Osem]

Yes there's plenty of scope for things to get very nasty indeed. Look what happened in the Balkans.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by martyh

http://news.sky.com/story/1245087/uk...-mystery-flyer



Obviously an attempt at provocation but it could still turn nasty

Keep up

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/35689838-post270.html

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Keep up

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/35689838-post270.html

to be honest i haven't been reading the thread lately i thought it was all over,i was awestruck at how NATO and the EU have put a stop to Russias antics ,makes me wonder why Russia bothered to go up against the might of the EU

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by martyh

to be honest i haven't been reading the thread lately i thought it was all over,i was awestruck at how NATO and the EU have put a stop to Russias antics ,makes me wonder why Russia bothered to go up against the might of the EU

Yes right now they're preparing another strongly worded letter that'll cow Moscow into submission, Vlad will tell 'em we definitely won't be annexing east Ukraine in the future 100% guaranteed and why will he be making such guarantees because they're annexing it right now!

[Osem]

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have seized a bus carrying international military observers, Ukraine's interior ministry says.

Negotiations were under way to secure the release of the observers, seized near the town of Sloviansk, it added.

Western leaders earlier announced they were debating fresh sanctions against Russia over its alleged failure to help de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine.

Russia has accused the West of wanting to "seize" Ukraine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27162941

Russia's foreign currency ratings were cut on Friday by the credit ratings agency Standard & Poor to one notch above "junk" status.

Meanwhile:

Day by day the language of diplomacy is being replaced by words of confrontation and recrimination, as the US and Russia manoeuvre in the escalating crisis over the future of Ukraine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27162158

"Having failed to postpone Ukraine's elections, having failed to halt a legitimate political process, Russia has instead chosen an illegitimate course of armed violence to try and achieve with the barrel of a gun and the force of a mob what couldn't be achieved any other way," Mr Kerry said.

The US secretary of state went on to describe Russia's action as a "full-throated effort to sabotage the democratic process."

Not since the Cold War ended more than 20 years ago, have such angry words been fired at the Kremlin by the state department.

Russia want to destabilise the Ukraine elections as it's easier for them to claim a mandate to intervene when the Government isn't election and because they probably won't like who the people choose. If Putin thinks the West is trying to seize Ukraine then why not let it's people decide who governs them? Or is the real problem the fact Ukraine people are trying to seize Ukraine against his better judgement?

[Osem]

Moscow has voiced concern over an "unprecedented" increase in US and Nato military activity near Russian borders, amid an escalating crisis in Ukraine.

Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu expressed the concerns in a phone call to US counterpart Chuck Hagel.

But the US said Mr Shoigu also pledged Russia would not invade Ukraine.

The US says it deployed extra troops in eastern Europe to reassure Nato allies. It has also imposed new sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-27200078

Russia reacting to the west reacting to Russia reacting... Sadly it's all very reminiscent of the 1970's and 80's.

[Uncle Peter]

Originally Posted by Osem

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-27200078

Russia reacting to the west reacting to Russia reacting... Sadly it's all very reminiscent of the 1970's and 80's.

Is right. There's all kinds being re-tasked to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania and Poland. US, Canada, France, UK, Italy and Sweden to name but a few have been shifting kit over there past few weeks.

[Osem]

Looks like it's kicking off out there:

Many pro-Russia rebels have been killed, injured and arrested in the Ukrainian government offensive in the eastern city of Sloviansk, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has said.

But, in a statement, he said the operation in the rebel-held city was not going as quickly as hoped.

Rebels earlier shot down two Ukrainian army helicopters, killing a pilot and a serviceman.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27250541

[Osem]

At least 31 people have been killed in a fire in an official building amid violence in the city of Odessa in south-west Ukraine, local police say.

The deaths came as pro-Russian protesters clashed with Ukrainian government supporters in the city.

Officials said some people were overwhelmed by smoke and others died after they jumped from the building.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27259620

[Osem]

Ukraine is edging towards "the point of no return", a senior UN official says, amid rising tensions between security forces and pro-Russia separatists.

UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic told the BBC that the crisis had worrying echoes of the 1990s war in his native Croatia.
Reports from eastern Ukraine say clashes between government forces and separatist militants have continued

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27458871

Let's hope he's wrong and that lessons were learned from that appalling conflict.

[Osem]

Ukraine's interior minister has said that three tanks have crossed the border from Russia into rebel areas of the east and fighting is under way.

The tanks entered Ukraine along with other armour through a checkpoint controlled by rebels in the Luhansk region, Arsen Avakov said.

Ukrainian forces engaged two of them and fighting is under way, he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27815441