The Forum > General Discussion > The Ukrainian crisis
The Ukrainian crisis
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Posted by Foxy, Monday, 23 February 2015 10:16:04 AM
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Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad) was Immanuel Kant’s native city that he allegedly never left. Historically it used to be a German, East Prussian, city before 1945.
Crimea was seceded to Ukraine by Khruschchov (a Ukrainian) in 1954 as an internal reorganisation within the Soviet Union. Its population is mainly Russian with a Tatar minority, although originally it belonged mainly to the latter. Putin did not grab Crimea solely for some historical or nationalistic reasons but because of the Russian military naval base Sevastopol - their only access to the Black Sea - having got in danger of falling into American hands after the pro -American (formally pro-EU) Maidan coup on 22.2.2015, symbolised by the Victoria Nuland’s entry onto the scene with her famously hacked “f..k the EU” phone call to the US ambassador in Ukraine. Russia with no access to the Black Sea is almost like the US with no access to the Carribean. Until 22.2.2014 Russia was happy with its base being on the Ukrainian territory which they trusted more than the new, aggressively pro-American and anti-Russian government. The sanctions are of US doing; according to Biden they had to be forced onto the EU states, since it is the EU who will eventually suffer, of course besides Russia, which is hit badly also by the fall in oil prices. There are more EU states under direct US infliuence/pressure than the one-two under Russian. Economic cooperation on the large scale between Russia's Eurasian Union and the EU, where Ukraine could have played an important mediating role - a "hegemon" that the US was apparently afraid of - is now definitely out of question. Whether at long run Ukraine will be happier with their role of an Amrican protectorate, as a wedge driven, rather than a mediator, between the two Unions is not at all clear Posted by George, Monday, 23 February 2015 11:33:45 AM
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Putin feels cornered and scared that the chain of destabilisations - Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya , Syria, Ukraine - is now going to be exported to Russia because of its enormous natural resources, although it is China rather than America that is going to gain if Russia is weakened too much. So, it seems, the last thing Putin has in mind is to attack NATO countries.
All his activities are about making sure that Crimea is not going to be taken away from Russia. Should the war escalate, e.g. through a shipment of American arms including specialist crew, things could get completely out of hand because Russia will defend their home like they did against Napoleaon and Hitler, both fights deeply in their memories. Americans who might feel victorious (for having prevented the economic joint venture EU-Eurasian Union) should remember that also the other two major Western invasion of Russia started with first conquering Ukraine. This last escalation - even if it does not lead to a nuclear Armageddon - is what Europe (not the US nor Australia) is afraid of. Should it happen it will not be on a Russian iniciative, Russia is two weak (erxcept for nuclear) to confront the USA directly militarily. It will rather copy US by trying to influnce some EU countries one way or another (Hungary, France, Greece?) while America is holding sway over UK, Poland and the Baltics as far as their anti-Russian interests are concerned. Both having the same effect - to destabilise EU, to make it less dangerous as an American or Russian ally respectively Posted by George, Monday, 23 February 2015 11:54:26 AM
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hypocritical west
this is all about security and national defense this crisis was created by the folly of Gorbachev USA loves to loiter on other people's corridor why do you think they got their stupid little aussie brother to sing hymns of praise to the visiting Abe ( a supporter of WW2 attrocities committed in china and SEA)?... it is all about maintaining their influence in this region, a hold which they are fast losing to China. for this instance, i agree with Putin, USA is the culprit for the escalation of conflict in ukraine shame on the americans and to the aussies who does the bidding of big brother time we grow up and start thinking for ourselves Posted by platypus1900, Monday, 23 February 2015 1:01:38 PM
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Dear George,
The following link may be of interest: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/20/uk-guilty-of-catastrophic-misreading-of-ukraine-crisis-lords-report-claims Posted by Foxy, Monday, 23 February 2015 1:41:15 PM
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Foxy - The Guardian has as much readable credibility in this instance as toilet paper.
Posted by Philip S, Monday, 23 February 2015 9:25:48 PM
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Historically the lands between SW border of Lithuania
and the Vistula River in Poland were the tribal lands
of Lithuania called Prussia. In the 12th/13th century
the Germanic Knights of the Sword invaded the region
resulting in decades of war between Lithuania and the
invaders. As late as the WWII - Lithuania descendents
still lived in the region. We know several Lithuanian
families from that region that claim ancestry dating
back to the 16th century.
As late as the 1990s reclaiming of Independence by Lithuania
the Kalingrad region was considered to be part of Lithuania
but the Russians insisted the region to be a trade of
for Lithuania's Independence. Admittedly the entire region
today is full of Russians. Who, by the way, want to break
away from Russia.
Russian has been stealing land for centuries. It originally
started off as a small Principality of Moscow and expanded
from there. To the East, to the South, to the West. A large
region of Eastern Finland was stolen by the Russians in
the previous century. The Russians have always taken what
they wanted with no considerations for international
consequences.