THEM AND US

"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things."(TP)

Since beginning of the conflict in Crimea it was always like this – THEM and US. ‘THEM’ were Russians and Ukrainians, some silly rebels, democratic rights of Russians and drawing parallels with Scots who also want their independence from UK.

US, of course, was the Western world. And, like UK intelligence suggested to Cameron, it's not worth starting World War Three over Ukraine. You see, it’s THEM, not US.

It all changed on 17 July, when flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, travelling over the conflict-hit region, crashed, hit by a messile. Soon suspicions started to grow that plane was shoot down by so called pro-Russian militants, i.e. „seperatists”.
A total of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members perished - 193 Dutch nationals (including one with dual US nationality), 43 Malaysians (including 15 crew), 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians and 10 Britons (including one with dual South African citizenship), 4 Germans, 4 Belgians, 3 Filipinos, one Canadian and one New Zealander on board.
Suddenly the whole world changed. It wasn’t THEM anymore, it was US. It wasn’t about pro-Russians killing Ukrainians and otherwise, it’s about THEM killing US. And finally it’s worth paying attention! Cynical? Hell, yes! Real politics? Sadly, yes.
Rebels, hitting the Western passenger plane, did the worst for themselves.  estern authorities now are coming out with all sorts of evidence about Russia’s direct support to so called rebels in Ukraine. Evidence of serious weapons being shifted out from Russia to rebels suddenly are out on the table. It’s harder and harder for Putin to deny Russia’s involvement in the conflict.   
What will happen next? I don’t know. Mr. Putin has fanned Russian sentiment in Ukraine and back at home, and now is under pressure from his own people inside Russia to do more to help rebels. Crimea was a quick and easy bite, and Russia loves winners. Backing out of conflict right now would mean a complete personal defeat for Putin. Declaring openly a war on Ukraine? Even crazier possibility. So let’s see.  

Finally! The first step!

Finally the first step into the right direction! HERE!!!!!

European Union has signed partnership agreements with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. 

On the other hand, Putin, who said that making Ukraine choose between Russia and the EU would split it in two, might be right here as this might escalate the rebel actions in the East Ukraine. 

NATO vs cheap energy

Well, here we go. According to this piece, Russia is following its dream scenario trying to persuade Baltic states to leave NATO in exchange for cheaper oil or gas.

 

Ukraine is NOT a member of NATO, so there is no legal reason for Western allies protect it against Russia’s attempts while Baltic states are members of NATO and thus can’t be messed with. As it works out Russia has had a thought about it and here it is – the solution – a deal! Russia is offering cheaper gas! Brilliant, isn’t it? Who will not jump at such opportunity?

As impossible as it seems, the silly little precedent is already there - Hungary on Monday approved a multi-billion-euro loan from Russia for an upgrade of the country’s only nuclear power plant, which will increase Hungary’s dependence on Moscow dramatically.

Sometimes I truly wonder how shortsaigthed ones can be in Brussels? Does EU really wants its members to be tied in deals like this right now with a country which by all means is acting like Devil’s empire again? While unsettled blood is still pouring in Ukraine?

About possibility Baltics accepting the Russian offer... It depends. The current generation of politics in Baltics had been born and lived under Soviet Sun so there is always a possibility of blackmail on top of legal way pro-Russian parties taking over at the next elections which is rather possible. Back into the UdSSR?

Looks a bit more than just an ethnic unrest

According to the piece, published in Washington Post, Russia's interests in Ukraine are much more serious than just overwhelming desire to protect the poor Russians there.


I actually recommend the opinion of Lilia Shevtsova for an insight.

Just like all of his predecessors, Putin supports the empire. Just like them, he probably believes that Russia can survive only as an empire rather than as a normal nation state.

According to Shevtsova, postmodern Europe, with its emphasis on treaties, soft power, and negotiations, has proven utterly feckless when it comes to bringing the Kremlin to heel.

The Russian elite is plugged into the Western economy and its financial system. That is why the West is helpless when it comes to containing Russia. So far, the Western governments haven’t shown any willingness to inflict financial or other kind of pain on themselves.

Only 15% Voted For Annexation in Crimea

According to  this piece in Forbes, only 15% of voters in Crimea voted for annexation.


Official Kremlin results: 97% for annexation, turnout 83 percent, and percent of Crimeans voting in favor 82%.

President’s Human Rights Council results: 50% for annexation, turnout 30%, percent of Crimeans voting in favor 15%.

46 dead in Odessa

46* (unofficial data so far) have been killed and about 200 injured yesterday in a fire in an official building in the city of Odessa in south-west Ukraine. 


Things are getting worse in Ukraine. Early Friday, pro-Russian militants shot down two Ukrainian attack helicopters and a third one, carrying medics... with shoulder-fired missile launchers!

I would not have problem with pro-Russians, clashing, throwing homemade Molotovs, building barricades and protecting their point of view. Okay, let's throw few hunting guns in the mixture. But shoulder-fired missile launchers? I don't have any of that sort stored under my bed. And you?

 Who will stop all this bedlam and when? Aren't you scared how fragile and vulnerable the peace of post-war Europe had been despite all the treaties, unions and agreements?

U.S. is waiting for German Chancellor Angela Merkel to persuade  Europeans to take a firmer stand against Russia, but, as usual, EU is unable to make any decission. What's left? Only NATO.

NATO pledged in a 1997 cooperation agreement with Russia that it wouldn’t station “substantial combat forces” in central and eastern Europe. But now the crisis in Ukraine is pulling it back to the mission that led to its creation 65 years ago: defending Europe’s eastern rim against Kremlin expansionism. 

Soo.... The Cold War is back? Or we shall see escalation, leading to something far worse?

CUTE!

This is so damn cute! Just read it!