Updates on the soon to be, newest Russian Federation satellite...
(Meeting today in London between Kerry and Lavrov)
“We do not have a common vision of the situation,” Sergei Lavrov [Russian Foreign Minister] told journalists in London through an interpreter, adding that the “dialogue was constructive.”…
Lavrov also told reporters that Russia had no plans to invade southeastern Ukraine.
“The Russian Federation does not and cannot have any plans to invade the southeastern regions of Ukraine,” he said…
Lavrov also said Crimea – which was part of the Soviet Union before the end of communism – was of “immeasurable” value to Russia, and meant more to his country than the Falklands mean to Britain.
And Putin is clamping down on the internet, independent media outlets and liberal journalist in Russia itself...
Yesterday, Ekho Moskvy, the biggest Moscow radio station who had its website blocked yesterday, invited on the air the editor of Den, a strange Moscow paper, said the crackdown on the press was necessary because the West had waged “an information war” against Russia, to which Russia had to present a united front. A family friend wrote from Moscow in shock: His television was telling him the internet is for radicals and perverts, which, to him, was a clear foreshadowing of a great firewall with the West. (Other Moscow friends, all liberals, are beginning to get seriously depressed. One describes a foreboding feeling that a civil war is near, another asked for the number of a good immigration lawyer in the U.S.)
Just ANOTHER little piece of information to ponder.....IF sanctions are implemented,Putin COULD
demand export payments in GOLD BULLION....now wouldn't that be interesting? (per IMPLODE/
EXPLODE financial site)....."unintended consequences" abound..... :Eek:
homeagain wrote: Just ANOTHER little piece of information to ponder.....IF sanctions are implemented,Putin COULD
demand export payments in GOLD BULLION....now wouldn't that be interesting? (per IMPLODE/
EXPLODE financial site)....."unintended consequences" abound..... :Eek:
The threat to cut off oil and natural gas to Europe is almost as much of an empty bluff as the threat to stop buying it from Europe. Russia's economy is a disaster and they need those Euros and it will take a long to time to replace Europe as a customer. Conversly, after shutting down nuke and coal plants, Europe, especially Germany, needs that natural gas and oil.
A international game of chicken.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Ukraine activated it 60 000 man national guard today as Russia conducted war games. Putin promised this week he wouldn't invade. Of course Russian troops were observed without insignia so he can claim they aren't Russian.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
I condemn President Putin’s announcement of new laws incorporating Crimea into the Russian Federation.
Russia has disregarded all calls to step back into line with international law and continues down the dangerous path. Russia continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and remains in blatant breach of its international commitments. There can be no justification to continue on this course of action that can only deepen Russia’s international isolation. Crimea’s annexation is illegal and illegitimate and NATO Allies will not recognise it.
I am deeply concerned by reports of the death of one Ukrainian officer. It is urgent that all sides show restraint and take all possible steps to avoid further escalation.
Now I bet that "condemn" statement has Putin really worried.
"Dangerous path?" This sounds like a walk in the spooky woods in a fairy tale.
Restraint? That's what the west has been doing from the git-go, and see where we are at now. Maybe when the Russian Federation is finally backed up to eastern Poland, some of that restraint will be reconsidered.
Putin is powerfully invested in "empire building" his legacy.....(see this kind of M.O. in corporate
america......he who has the MOST territory/subordinates/scope of responsibility has job security)
In this case, Putin secures his "name"/legacy in history......he is driven, and THAT is an M.O. to
be wary of.....JMO
