Kiev

[Little Green Man]

Freed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, quoted by Interfax Ukraine at Kiev's Zhylyany airport, says all those behind the violence must be punished. She says: "We will not be worthy of the memory of the people who were killed and who opened the road for us, if we do not punish all those who deprived them of their lives, who took their lives, who beat the students, who beat our peaceful spiritual people."

Not exactly a Mandela moment then !!

She's no Aung San Suu Kyi.

Hopefully she's yesterday's politician.

[Hoboh]

Here is the 'peaceful' demonstrators!

No doubt the same ones who will be bleating about the punishment the Russians will deal out if Putin sends the army in.

[bobo the clown]

You do have to wonder whether the EEC should be wanting them in !!

[StaffsTrotter]

You do have to wonder whether the EEC should be wanting them in !!

I was wondering that on the way up to the match. There was a long piece on the radio where they were interviewing some of the protestors - most of whom were quite to happy to proclaim themselves of an extreme far right persuasion

[Hoboh]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/f ... tions-west" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm sure Mr Putin is crapping himself, you silly little bald man! slide back under your rock.

THEN IT GETS WORSE!!

Speaking in Sydney after the G20 finance ministers conference, George Osborne, the chancellor, said British cash is available to help Ukraine return to stability.
"We are here ready to help just as soon as there is someone at the end of the telephone. We should be there with a chequebook to help the people of Ukraine rebuild their country," he said.

Just how much more of our tax, not fecking your money are you going to give away around the world on top of your ring fenced £11.7 billion overseas aid?
What use or business is it of ours what goes on in the Ukraine? There will never be troops going in there either US or EU (EU troops will never go anywhere near a real war anyway) and if Putin decides enough is enough of the meddling pretend super state EU getting a little too close, Georgie boys cash will hardly stop him!

[Hoboh]

Now we see the truth in Kiev!

Ukraine's Finance Ministry and National Bank, along with parliamentary speaker Oleksandr Turchynov, have suggested to the country's international partners - particularly Poland and the United States - that a financial assistance credit of around $35 billion be extended in the next week or two.
"During the last two days we have had consultations and meetings with ambassadors from the EU, USA, other countries, and financial organization over Ukraine getting urgent macro-financial aid," acting Finance Minister Yuriy Kolobov said in a statement issued on Monday, Feb.24.
Kyiv is also proposing that there be a large international donors conference involving the European Union, the United States, Poland, the IMF, other countries, and international financial organizations on the extension of aid for modernization and reforms in Ukraine, as well as achieving an association agreement between the country and the EU.

We want a wedge of western money!!!!!

[Zulus Thousand of em]

It'll be a lot cheaper than setting up a Ukrainian version of Camp Bastion.

[bobo the clown]

Not asking the German's though. Interesting.

[jaffka]

Not asking the German's though. Interesting.

Still a lot of bad memories around Europe following the war. Ranging from dislike to outright hatred.

[Hoboh]

Oh wow!
I mean, I know some of the posters in the comments section of the Mail tend to be a little OTT from time to time and slightly unbelievable but seriously those in the Guardian on the current Ukraine situation, feckin' hell!!!!
I really thought liberal hand wringing lefties, the 'its shocking', 'do something brigade' only existed in some dark recess of hobo’s mind as simple easy shot targets but by God they are real.
The bleating of how the EU (yes you read that right, the EU) will have to do something to stop Putin with a massive air force, 150,000 troops and nearly a 1000 tanks from moving in just beggars belief, do they not realise Putin probably choked on his last glass of vodka reading their 'threats' and may still be laughing.
Pour in the cash, bail them out, send in IMF funding, threaten to, well, call the Russians naughty boys and make them stand alone in a corner of the world, oh sorry, we already try to do that
First off, WHAT CASH? The EU cannot afford it, the IMF will struggle to raise the funds as soon as the Yanks stop the pretence they can do anything and start to think about the greenbacks again, as for the EU? just where are you going to get most of your energy from then? Oh lord this is so funny.
Last but not least,
Can we expect hordes of Guardian readers enlisting into the armed forces to fight a war with Russia?
Will they be dangerous and radicalised when they return?
Will the secret 'Clegg weapon' be deployed?
Is William Hague bald or does he shave his head?

[Lord Kangana]

Not asking the German's though. Interesting.

Still a lot of bad memories around Europe following the war. Ranging from dislike to outright hatred.

Not exactly on the button with history is it, though?

Considering vast swathes of The Ukraine (along with Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia) welcomed the Germans with open arms as liberators from the Russians, enthusiastically helped in the murder of Jews and Gypsies, and then contributed a significant proportion of the 3.5m Hiwis that fought (or aided) the Germans.

Really, The Ukraine doesn't belong with Russia. I predict they'll shed The Crimea and join the EU. Probably after loads more violence and unsavoury scenes.

[bobo the clown]

^^ ... &, to be fair, the Crimea was part of Russia until 1954 when (given that they ran the lot) they felt it fitted better in Ukraine. The population is majority Russian (maybe, in part, helicoptered in over the past 40 years) and the language is more than 50% first language Russian they DO have a point in this instance.

Plus, the port and access is SO important they are not going to let it slip are they ?

[Montreal Wanderer]

^^ ... &, to be fair, the Crimea was part of Russia until 1954 when (given that they ran the lot) they felt it fitted better in Ukraine. The population is majority Russian (maybe, in part, helicoptered in over the past 40 years) and the language is more than 50% first language Russian they DO have a point in this instance.

Plus, the port and access is SO important they are not going to let it slip are they ?

Of course Catherine the Great pinched it from the Turks IIRC.

[William the White]

^^ ... &, to be fair, the Crimea was part of Russia until 1954 when (given that they ran the lot) they felt it fitted better in Ukraine. The population is majority Russian (maybe, in part, helicoptered in over the past 40 years) and the language is more than 50% first language Russian they DO have a point in this instance.

Plus, the port and access is SO important they are not going to let it slip are they ?

And to continue to be fair Stalins near-genocidal mass deportation of Crimean Tartars aided that Russification. The Tartars are now a minority but a sizable one that would certainly not welcome a return to russian rule.

This is grim stuff.

[bobo the clown]

^^ ... &, to be fair, the Crimea was part of Russia until 1954 when (given that they ran the lot) they felt it fitted better in Ukraine. The population is majority Russian (maybe, in part, helicoptered in over the past 40 years) and the language is more than 50% first language Russian they DO have a point in this instance.

Plus, the port and access is SO important they are not going to let it slip are they ?

And to continue to be fair Stalins near-genocidal mass deportation of Crimean Tartars aided that Russification. The Tartars are now a minority but a sizable one that would certainly not welcome a return to russian rule.

This is grim stuff.

Yes. My "to be fair" was trying to say this is very complex and very murky and all sorts of people can claim rights which can equally easily be counter-claimed.

The distressing facts are, however, that, however it's done, the Russians aren't going to let Crimea out of their sphere without a fight and I see no-one willing or able to give them a fight over it.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

It's not complex. It's not murky. It is very simple. When people, no matter how large your minority is, are a majority in a smaller entity, and the majority in the larger entity are c*nts, then by osmosis, the smaller majority in their own way act like c*nts to the minorities in their area where they are a majority.
Hence Slavs feck Ukrainians who feck Russians who feck Krim Tatars who feck Bulgari who feck badgers.
C*nts the lot of 'em... Just like the IRA and the UVF were c*nts and like how the Afrikaaners And the ANC were c*nts.

[William the White]

It's not complex. It's not murky. It is very simple. When people, no matter how large your minority is, are a majority in a smaller entity, and the majority in the larger entity are c*nts, then by osmosis, the smaller majority in their own way act like c*nts to the minorities in their area where they are a majority.
Hence Slavs feck Ukrainians who feck Russians who feck Krim Tatars who feck Bulgari who feck badgers.
C*nts the lot of 'em... Just like the IRA and the UVF were c*nts and like how the Afrikaaners And the ANC were c*nts.

Not all people, not all of the time. Ever.

Even in the Rwanda genocide people were being rescued, protected, hidden by the tribal 'enemies'.

It's old news now - given how events are moving - but a two week old poll in Ukraine - i'm told by email, I can't give a source - showed only 7% wanting Ukraine to divide...

That said, Newsnight tonight had some tasty guys, talking about 'problem ethnicities' in the Ukraine, who, when pressed, identified 'the Russians and the Jews'... I'm definitely not saying this is the majority or motivating force in the ukrainian Revolution, but Newsnight's view was that far right forces were growing...

But, they will also be opposed...

I suspect that Ukraine has only a small minority who are c**ts... But they may be truly prickish ones...

Anyway, i'm off to a muslim country in the morning and expect to enjoy it hugely...

[Bijou Bob]

Seeing Hague Sat alongside the Americans gives me the jitters. It's not Our issue, it's of little strategic importance, leave it the feck alone.

[Hoboh]

Seeing Hague Sat alongside the Americans gives me the jitters. It's not Our issue, it's of little strategic importance, leave it the feck alone.

Oh don't worry in 48hrs time it will all be effectively over, Putin will have secured his objectives and put the fear of God up The Ukraine and the EU.
Hague is now there for the hand wringing platitudes of the US, EU, now't else.

[Hoboh]

15.01 John Kerry has appeared on the Sunday morning political show "Face the Nation," on CBS.

He said:

You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text.
Mr Kerry, however, added that Russia still has "a right set of choices" that can be made to defuse the crisis.
It's an incredible act of aggression. It is really a stunning, willful choice by President (Vladimir) Putin to invade another country. Russia is in violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine. Russia is in violation of its international obligations.

Mr Kerry said Obama told Putin in a 90-minute phone call on Saturday that "there will be serious repercussions if this stands. The president ... told Mr Putin that it was imperative to find a different path, to roll back this invasion and un-do this act of invasion."
Mr Kerry said G8 nations and some other countries are "prepared to go to the hilt to isolate Russia" with a "broad array of options" available.
They're prepared to put sanctions in place, they're prepared to isolate Russia economically, the ruble is already going down. Russia has major economic challenges.
He also mentioned visa bans, asset freezes and trade isolation as possible steps.

So 'Mr' Kerry the law abiding US of A is appalled, what a feckin' joke!
'Violation of the sovereignty', ring any bells? Vietnam, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, almost Syria, Iran in the pipeline and countless other places, you lot should be sectioned not sanctioned.

The problem is the menace of the very undemocratic, German led, mass expansionist EU, promising a 'good time' for anyone who joins until the bills role in.
I cannot believe people in these types of country are so thick to fall for the EU charm when founder, larger, members are slowly and surely beginning to doubt the whole thing.

The efforts of both the EU and US to destabilize countries on the border of Russia has now backfired in spectacular fashion, the bear has awoken. Those who doubt the Russian armed forces abilities do so at their peril they have been modernising rapidly over the last decade it is misleading to think otherwise.

Putin is right on this one.