Ukraine/Crimea

[Gistok]

With the Anschluss of Crimea by Russia, I was wondering about another Russian enclave... namely Kalingrad... the former northern half of East Prussia that Germany lost at the end of WWII. When the Russians came in, they expelled all of the Germans... the lower half of East Prussia became Poland, but the upper half [[wedged along the Baltic coast between Poland and Lithuania) is now occupied by ethnic Russians... surrounded by Nato countries.

Germany has not expressed an interest in the former territory, now no longer near the German border, although some German political parties wouldn't mind getting it back. I don't doubt that either Poland or Lithuania would mind extra seashore along the Baltic, including the historic German city of Königsberg [[now Kalingrad).

But what is more interesting is that the ethnic Russians who live there now have never expressed a desire to leave Russia... until last year... when a large rally was held in Kalingrad complaining that everyone around them [[Poland, Baltic Republics, Germany) was getting wealthier... but they weren't!

It will be interesting to see into the future when this outpost, separated from Russia proper by hundreds of miles, become the "poor man in the neighborhood"... as the Russian economy takes some hits as anticipated...

[sveta]

Alaska next ))

[Papasito]

Crimea voted to join Russia, then was annexed. This is not the same as invading and taking over a sovereign country. If Russia invades Poland or an Eastern European country against their majority will, that's a completely different scenario.

If the world obstructs a nation willingly joining Russia, with a minority of resistance, then is it safe to say the world could come after the USA if they were to annex Puerto Rico if the majority of Puerto Ricans approve, but a minority who capture the attention of the media disapprove? The USA has no dog in this fight.

Frankly it's none of our business, and it's time for a financially bankrupt country to stop playing World Police. Let Europe sort it out for once. Our homeland is falling apart.

Preliminary results in Sunday's referendum on whether Ukraine's Crimea region should join Russia or become an independent state show overwhelming support for Russia.

With 75% percent of the ballots counted, close to 96% of voters want to become part of that country, according to the Crimean Electoral Commission. An official had announced earlier that more than 80% of voters had cast ballots by the time polls closed at 8 p.m. local time [[2 p.m. ET) Sunday.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/16/world/...sis/index.html

[Papasito]

Romney was right on Russia.
Current events are what happens when a Community Organizer becomes Prez.

[Bobl]

Romney was right on Russia.
Current events are what happens when a Community Organizer becomes Prez.

How, then, does one explain the invasion of Georgia, during the Bush administration?

[Zacha341]

Or an explanation for the action against Serbia and Cosovo under the Clinton administration? Politics.

[Zacha341]

Our response is inconsistent anyway it can be argued. When it's in our interest to engage other countries on how they organize, manage their sovereignty and human rights we do so. When not, we don't.

Maybe after a few more 'lectures' the Russians will have us provide our own ride to the International Space Station ----!

Frankly it's none of our business, and it's time for a financially bankrupt country to stop playing World Police. Let Europe sort it out for once. Our homeland is falling apart.

[sveta]

Donbass wants to join Russia

[sveta]

США и ЕС не нужно лезть во внутренние дела России. Россия - опасная страна)
"Русские не сдаются" и "Кто к нам с мечом придет, тот от меча и погибнет". Это у нас в крови. Бараку Обаме стоит помнить об этом.
На самом же деле войны никто не хочет. Сейчас же идет война политиков с народом.

[SDCC]

США и ЕС не нужно лезть во внутренние дела России. Россия - опасная страна)
"Русские не сдаются" и "Кто к нам с мечом придет, тот от меча и погибнет". Это у нас в крови. Бараку Обаме стоит помнить об этом.
На самом же деле войны никто не хочет. Сейчас же идет война политиков с народом.

Is this translated correctly?

U.S. and the EU do not need to climb into the internal affairs of Russia. Russia - a dangerous country)
"Russian do not surrender" and "Who is to come to us with a sword, who perish by the sword." It's in our blood. Barack Obama should remember this.
In fact, no one wants war. Now there is a war politicians and the people.

[Zacha341]

^^^ Hah! It can be argued that the Russians [[Putin) ain't taking the president too seriously [[imagine how they judge his parsing, entourage and what not ala Jayz, Kerry and saber-rattling old McCain, et al).

Yet they are reminding him who they are, quite seriously and historically.

[ghettopalmetto]

Well, here's what the ignorant North American media isn't telling anyone:

Russia's alleged motivations for moving into eastern Ukraine and into Crimea are "to protect the Russians" who live there. Well, where does that end?

Latvia--former Soviet Socialist Republic--has a significant proportion of Russians [[about 27%), with Russians constituting a majority in Riga. Do we just let Russia re-take Latvia to protect the ethnic Russians there?

And hell, while they're at it, why not re-take Lithuania too, since Lithuania is the only obstruction between "mainland" Russia and Kaliningrad Oblast? How many sovereign nations do we let Russia invade before we stop saying, "It's not our problem?"

Ukraine--and the other nations of Central Europe--lived under Russian "protection" for centuries. Such a situation is the *last* thing those people want, especially as Gistok noted, the EU member states of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have grown wealthier in the past decade. This current line of rationalization is nearly identical to that used after World War II--and it didn't turn out too well for the Central Europeans.

In my perception, since this part of the world isn't on the "official" American Tourist Loop of Dublin-London-Paris-Amsterdam-Rome, this is a mysterious region where we don't have a lot of people who understand the history and culture. Regardless of the outcome, I don't think it infeasible that the western portion of Ukraine [[much of which was historically part of Poland), separates and seeks to join the EU.

"The Ukrainians are our neighbors. They are fighting for the same things we did back in 1989 - for a country that is more democratic, less corrupt and is European."

-Radoslaw Sikorski, Polish Foreign Minister

[GUSHI]

Ww3 is coming, just a matter of time. to many countries with to many things that go BOOM!

[oladub]

sveta, When enough Chinese immigrants settle in parts of Siberia or Muslims settle in parts of Russia, perhaps they can have an election too like the Crimeans did.

[sveta]

oladub, Россия - многонациональная страна. По большому счету нам не страшны никакие мигранты.
В Америке тоже много русских, и они тоже могут собрать референдум))
Не желаете всем Детройтом присоединиться к России? А что? У нас хорошо)))

[sveta]

Я голосую за присоединение Детройта к России. И самое главное - мы ждем не дождемся, когда же к нам приедет Эминем!

[Danny]

Alaska next ))

No way! Alaska is ours by manifest destiny. It's filled with resources and natural treasures. The Grizzly Bear Nation will never gets its furry claws on our State.

[Danny]

Я голосую за присоединение Детройта к России. И самое главное - мы ждем не дождемся, когда же к нам приедет Эминем!

Этого не произойдет, Россия-матушка, как дикий Grizzly Bear. Это очень трудно охотиться его, прежде чем он тонет свои бритвы острые когти его жертвам!

[Danny]

Похож Россия все еще застряла в его 19-го века пограничных споров с его восточными соседями Европы. Пару раз они вторгнуться в Польшу, Литву, Украину, Эстонию, Латвию и даже Финляндию. Теперь, когда хотят кусок Крыму.

[sveta]

Please, write in english, I undestand)

[sveta]

хотят кусок Крыму

Крым уже наш )
Детройт - следующий))

[Zacha341]

Eh? Say what? To who?

[Danny]

Крым уже наш )
Детройт - следующий))

Детройт не принадлежит России-матушки. Мать Россия, как Детройт.

[Zacha341]

Onward, in the news:

In Cold War Echo, Obama Strategy Writes Off Putin

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/wo...n.html?hp&_r=0

from article:

Just as the United States resolved in the aftermath of World War II to counter the Soviet Union and its global ambitions, Mr. Obama is focused on isolating President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia by cutting off its economic and political ties to the outside world, limiting its expansionist ambitions in its own neighborhood and effectively making it a pariah state.

[oladub]

oladub, Россия - многонациональная страна. По большому счету нам не страшны никакие мигранты.
В Америке тоже много русских, и они тоже могут собрать референдум))
Не желаете всем Детройтом присоединиться к России? А что? У нас хорошо)))

Sveta, considering that Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, and Tibet also became multi national counties and that Siberia is experiencing a similar influx of Chinese immigrants and workers, China's economy is growing faster than that of Russia's, and that China's military expenditure is over twice that of Russia's, you are very sanguine about history not repeating itself.