A Russian Explains The Real Stakes In The Fight For Crimea (And Ukraine)

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Zero Hedge:

Authored by Sergei Markov, originally posted at The Moscow Times,

Today, as a result of the Ukrainian crisis, U.S.-Russian relations have hit their lowest point since the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 or of Czechoslovakia in 1969 — or perhaps even since they bottomed out during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Crimean crisis, which began as a power struggle between the ruling authorities in Kiev and opposition forces, transformed in to an attempt to overthrow Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych by pro-Western and nationalist opposition forces with the support of the U.S. and European Union.

The crisis escalated into a conflict between the U.S. and Russia after the West supported a coup, then lied by violating the Feb. 21 agreement when it recognized the formation of a new and illegitimate government of extremists.

This conflict has the potential of sparking a new Cold War — something I never thought could happen in modern times since I believed it would have to be rooted in ideological differences. Instead, Moscow and Washington have billions of dollars of economic interests at stake, making this a geopolitical rather than an ideological Cold War.

Moscow does not see the revolution in Ukraine as an attempt to create a more democratic or law-based society. Instead, it sees the events in Kiev as an attempt to make Ukraine as anti-Russian as possible. The new government represents a minority of the Ukrainian population. It wants to suppress the Russian-speaking majority and violate their right to representation by holding unfair elections on May 25.

Moreover, U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel deceived President Vladimir Putin when they pursuaded him to convince Yanukovych to refrain from using force to quell the Maidan, and then to sign the Feb. 21 agreement — which they refused to uphold. Instead, they told Russia to accept the new reality in Ukraine. But why should Moscow accept that reality when it is directed against Russia, democracy and human rights?

What did Russia do to become the focus of so much animosity? Is it because it prevented the West from bombing Syria? Because it persuaded Yanukovych not to sign the Association Agreement — a treaty of little real importance to the EU? Those are trivial reasons for starting a new Cold War.

It seems that the West simply does not like Putin. He is a huge obstacle who prevents them from achieving global hegemony. For this reason alone he must be broken. Nobody in Moscow has any doubt that what happened in Ukraine will be repeated in Moscow in two or three years. Without Putin, there will be few world leaders left who have the power or courage to stand up to Washington. When this happens, the entire world will have to quickly accept the new reality.

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@Greg:

Maybe this approach to negotiations explains the GOP’s reluctance to reveal any specific details concerning their agenda, their intentions, or their imaginary solutions.

Note the comedian-based rhetoric complete with requisite mall-rat level snark. Watch as the drone parrots this line endlessly throughout the blog’s comment sections, though it has no real basis in fact.

@Kraken, #101:

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that my observation concerning hidden agendas and proposals lacking details and specifics was intended to be humorous.

@Greg:

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that my observation concerning hidden agendas and proposals lacking details and specifics was intended to be humorous.

Though the drone’s comments do remain unintentionally funny, it seems to think that I perceive its rehearsed recitations to be as intentionally humorous as the comedian-based rants from the flatulent 1960s that they’re based on.

There’s was an actual topic under discussion here, remember?

@Greg:

Conversations ebb and flow. Keep up.

those CRIMEA RUSSIANS ARE DESPICABLE, AFTER SPENDING YEARS ALONG UKRAINE,
TKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR LAND, THEY WANT IT FOR THEMSELVES, THAT IS A BUNCH OF THIEVES ,
I WOULD NEVER TRUST THEM, AS NEIGHBORD,
THEY ARE DANGEROUS AND HATEFULL HUMAN, NOT WORTHY TO BE HELP,
EXCEPT TO BE SEND TO VLADIMIR PUTIN, AND TO NEVER COME BACK,
THEY COMMIT TREASON ON UKRAINE, AND THE UKRAINIANS WILL NOT FORGET, THEY HAD TRAITORS AS NEIGHBOR IN
THEIR OWN LAND, THIS LAND SHOULD BE PURIFIED AND BURN,
FOR HAVING HAD SO MANY TRAITORS,
LIVING ON THEIR GROUND,

Kraken
thank’s for the info,
now i see PUTIN signing the paper,
well he can dream on the paper, but it is a trash paper,
RUSSIA WILL NEVER OWN CRIMEA, NO MATTER HOW MANY THUGS THEY PUT THERE, THAT PAPER
WILL NEVER BE LEGITiMATE ANYWHERE AND PUTIN,
MIGHT NOT LIVE TO REGRET IT,,

ANGELA MERKEL I hope she send some help to UKRAINE ALONG THE DUTCH SOLDIERS, AND OTHER
WE CANNOT LEAVE UKRAINE TO BE BUTCHER, EVEN THOW THEY ARE BRAVES AND WANT TO ANSWER RUSSIA PUSH, THE OTHER COUNTRY ALSO, THE MORE THE BETTER,
SO TO GIVE A STERN NOTICE THAT IT WON’T BE SO EASY AS THEY THINK,
GIVE THEM ALL THEY NEED TO WIN,
RUSSIA HAS SHOWN TO BE A COWARD IF HE ATTACK SMALL UNREADY COUNTRY,
HE WILL BACK UP WHEN THE WHOLE EUROPE GET IN THE GAME,
AND DON’T MISS HIM IF YOU HAVE A TARGET OF HIM,
LET THAT LITTLE CREEP FALL, FOR PEACE OF OTHER HUMAN BRAVES,

@ilovebeeswarzone: Bees, we don’t want Obama to be rescued. He created the situation, let it sink the Dimocrats.

@Redteam: Rooting for the enemy? That’s sinking awfully low RT.
Semper Fi

Redteam
ah ahah I get it VELY VELY FUNNY,
BYE

@rich wheeler:

Rooting for the enemy?

You mean supporting Obama’s activities is rooting for the enemy? Convoluted thinking.

@Redteam: You’re “supporting Obama’s activities.” Good for you RT.
March Madness—Truly the greatest tournament in Sport. Did you see those nightcaps? Incredible!

the RUSSIAN SAY, WE DON’T WANT TO INVADE UKRAINE,
what the hell are they encircling UKRAINE WITH 80 THOUSANDS TROOPS, and stole CRIMEA, WHICH WILL NEVER BE YOURES,
ARE WE SUPPOSE TO BELIEVE THEIR WORDS NOW THAT THEY STARTED, NOW THAT THEY STOLE
FROM UKRAINE WHAT BELONG TO THEM, HOW ABOUT GIVING THAT BACK NOW AND THE WEAPONS THEY STOLED LIKE CRIMINAL ROBBER, AND EVEN THE DOLPHINS UKRAINE HAD TRAINED, PLUS THE HUMILIATION DONE TO UKRAINE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, BY THEM AND THE WHOLE WORLD.
NEVER
no VLADIMIR PUTIN HAS LOST THE TRUST OF ALL THE WORLD, HE IS ALONE , AND YES HE IS VULNERABLE, NO MATTER HOW MANY NUCLEOR ARSENAL HE HAS, HE IS A LEFT OUT OF ANY TALK FROM THE OTHER COUNTRIES, WHO SEE HIM AS A VULGAR THUG TO EXTERMINATE,
NO WORDS IS GOOD ENOUGH, SHOW ACTIONS BY GIVING BACK WHAT YOU ROBED, ALL OF IT, AND GET YOUR THUGS OUT OF THERE
YOU LITTLE MISERABLE PUNK LIAR SNAKE OPERATOR,
TIME IS NO OBJECT TO GET YOU,
YOU WILL HAVE TO HIDE FROM YOUR PEOPLE ALSO WHO DON’T WANT THEIR SON TO DIE FOR YOU WHO DO NOT DESERVE ANY LOST LIVES, IT MAKE YOUR FUTURE IN HIDING
UNTIL YOU DIE,
AND YOU DID IT ALL ON YOUR OWN,

@rich wheeler:

You’re “supporting Obama’s activities.” Good for you RT.

Absolutely Rich, everything Obama has done has made him look like a complete idiot, and I’m supporting all his efforts to make sure everyone knows.

Did you see those nightcaps? Incredible!

Sure did, thank goodness for split screens.

@ilovebeeswarzone:

NOW THAT THEY STOLE
FROM UKRAINE WHAT BELONG TO THEM, HOW ABOUT GIVING THAT BACK

I think that’s going to happen, it may be after a Repub gets in office.I doubt Putin will do anything to prevent Obama from continuing to look like the village idiot.
Russia is a weak country (with Nukes, which won’t be used) and can’t afford to support Crimea or Ukraine.

Redteam
YES IT SOUND THE RIGHT SOLUTION,
bye

@Redteam: “After a Repub. gets in office.” God help The Ukranians the way you Repubs. manage to consistently steal defeat from the jaws of victory. Putin could be dead and buried before there is another Repub.in the W.H.
BTW As Bees suggests, Putin is feeling pretty isolated and lonely. He’s recently been calling Barack for advice and counsel.

@rich wheeler:

He’s even calling Barack for advice and comfort.

Not likely, maybe to laugh at him.

“After a Repub. gets in office.

That will be Jan 20, 2017, I think the world has had a bellyful of Obama. The reason his plan to destroy the US by 2017 won’t work is that even Dims are bailing on him now. All the Dims in Red states are bailing out on Zippy and his obamacare.

the way you Repubs. manage to consistently steal defeat from the jaws of victory.

Yes but even the Dims are running away.

THAT’S A GOOD TALK FROM FOX, ABOUT SELLING AND PROVIDING THE UKRAINE AND OTHER AROUND THE OIL THEY NEED TO BECOME INDEPENDANT OF RUSSIA,
THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD HAVE PUTIN PLAY BULLY ON ONE OF THEM ,
EVEN STOLE ONE CRIMEA FROM UKRAINE, HIS EXCUSE IS FULL OF BULSHIT,
BUT NOW THEY HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE TO SEND RUSSIA PACKING WITH HIS OIL,
CANADA CAN AND KNOW HOW AND FAST ENOUGH, AS SOON AS THEY HAVE THE CALL , THEY ARE SMART AND DEPENDABLE THEY DON’T FOOL AROUND, AND THER EXPERIENCE IS UP TO DATED , THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR CREDIBILITY, AND ARE TRUTHWORTHY,

THE COWARD RUSSIAN CALL OBAMA AFTER THEY INVADE,
THESES TALKS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE THEY INVADE AND STOLE FROM UKRAINE THEIR DESTROYERS AND CRIMEA LAND, WHILE THEIR THUGS ARE ENCIRCLING UKRAINE
STILL TODAY, AND HE WANT TO SPEAK WHITH LOADED
GUN ON UKRAINE PEOPLE, THEY HAVE DISARMED, HOW COWARDLY DONE
WHAT DOES HE EXPECT, THE THIEF VLADIMIR PUTIN, TO NOW HAVE OBAMA ON HIS SIDE,
TALK IS CHEAP, SHOW US ACTIONS, AND GET OUT IN RUSSIA, GIVE BACK WHAT YOU STOLE AND
HUMILIATE A COUNTRY SOVEREIGN BY SHOWING YOUR MIGHT, IMPOSE IT BY FORCE IT TAKE A
COWARD, LIKE YOU,ARE, NOW UNCOVERED,
ALL OF IT YOU BULLY EVERY ONE OF YOUR DESPICABLE SHAMELESS ACTIONS,
AND EXPECT ALL THE WORLD TO FORGET,
THAT WON’T HAPPEN, YOU HAVE UNLEACH THE ANGER OF THE WORLD AND FOR AS LONG AS YOU ARE IN POWER,

so VLADIMIR PUTIN STARTED THE WAR IN UKRAINE,
I’M SURPRISE YOU ARE STILL ALIVE,
YOU HAVE BLOOD IN YOUR HAND,
your RUSSIAN PEOPLE have not done their job yet, but it”s just a matter of time,
you miserable little war monger for this to happen,
THE PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO SEE THEIR SON AND HUSBAND TO FIGHT AND DIE FOR YOUR FANTASY,
THEY WILL ELIMINATE YOU,

@Kraken: Robert Zimmerman from Hibbing Minn.
The poet laureate of rock. A man of peace.

American Journalist, VICE Reporter Simon Ostrovsky, Being Held By “Pro-Russian” Gunmen

Sloviansk mayor holding @SimonOstrovsky told us Simon was spreading false, one-sided info. “Now he needs to learn a lesson.” #Ukraine

If one didn’t know any better, one might think this was a Democrat complaining about FOX.

THOSE RUSSIANS traitors should be shot for holding a journalist, in UKRAINE,

those holding our JOURNALIST, would be better to release him NOW,
you lives are on the games,