Crisis in Ukraine

[LazyLion]

Sorry about the rough translation... translated by Bing

For entering Russia voted 123% sevastopoltsev emotions Sometimes prevail over common sense, but even the emotions can be traced back to the illegitimacy of the referendum.

The euphoria, the Russian anthem, morjachki, 93% ...

Though someone tried to analyze the results of the referendum in absolute terms? A feeling that just put the figure at 93% and then everything themselves. It is clear that no country in the world recognizes the referendum, but yesterday's poll on this blog showed that half the voters (including bots) considers the referendum honest. If you fold the bots, then perhaps there will be people who sincerely believe that the referendum was held on the rules.

But in this you can believe? We Will Analyze.

An official at 0000-0000 from the Crimea: voter turnout Krym on 20: 00 (22: 00 GMT) stood at 81.36%, Chairman of the Commission of the Supreme Soviet of the Crimea to organize and conduct a referendum by Mikhail Malyshev.

"The 8:0 pm in the Crimea voted 1 million 250 thousand. 426 people. This is the result of excluding Sevastopol, "he said. "In view of Sevastopol voted 1 563 000 724 million," added the head of the Commission.

If we calculate: 1724563 -1250426 = 474137 people from Sevastopol voted in the referendum.

Go to the site statistics of Sevastopol and read at the end of last year, the population of Sevastopol numbered 385462 persons. It is the children who do not have the right to vote.

474137-385462 = 88675 person accidentally appeared in Sevastopol during the referendum.

474137/385462 * 100 = 123% of the Sevastopol voted for entry into Russia.

That is, came all-and babies, and high school students, and a suspect dead.

http://teh-nomad.livejournal.com/2007998.html
https://www.facebook.com/Tymoshenko.UA?ref=stream

 

[DreamKing]

I will protect "freedom of speech" even those are for the oppositions.

if you can't see what's wrong with you? then don't tell me you understand what is democracy and freedom of speech.

 

[LazyLion]

Official Population of Sevastopol = 385462 (Taken from the Election Authority's own site statistics 2013)
People from Sevastopol who voted in this referendum = 474137


88675 suddenly appeared out of nowhere in Sevastopol!

 

[Unhappy438]

88675 suddenly appeared out of nowhere in Sevastopol!

A Russian reporter, who is a citizen of Russia said that she was allowed to vote.

 

[LazyLion]

A Russian reporter, who is a citizen of Russia said that she was allowed to vote.

Voter turnout of 123%! That is pretty impressive!

 

[Jola]

A Russian reporter, who is a citizen of Russia said that she was allowed to vote.

Does this tell you how many Russian troops are in the Crimea ?

 

[techead]

Voter turnout of 123%! That is pretty impressive!

haha! sounds like something that would happen in Africa! There is hope for us!

 

[Unhappy438]

Does this tell you how many Russian troops are in the Crimea ?

22k are the more recent estimates

 

[zippy]

Seems that Russian troops also invaded pieces of Ukraine that are outside of Crimea.

Yanks are furious but I guess that it is unlikely that they will do anything, except some financial sanctions.

and Cold War version 2.0

 

[techead]

Interesting read

To begin to understand Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approach to the current crisis in Ukraine, we have to start with an effort to understand the man himself. Vladimir Putin is a product of his environment—a man whose past experiences have informed his present outlook and world view. As Clifford Gaddy and I propose in our recent book, Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin, Putin is best understood as a composite of six multiple identities that stem from those experiences––the Statist, History Man, Survivalist, Outsider, Free Marketeer, and Case Officer. We argue that it is the combination of all these identities that made Putin an effective behind-the-scenes operator in Russian politics and helped propel him into the Kremlin in 1999-2000. These same identities are now at play as Putin deals with Ukraine and with the West’s response.

 

[LazyLion]

NATO PLEDGES CLOSE COOPERATION WITH UKRAINE

NATO has vowed to intensify cooperation with Ukraine after residents in the Crimea peninsula voted overwhelmingly to secede and try to join Russia.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya visited NATO headquarters Monday with a request list for technical equipment that Ukraine's government needs to deal with the secession of Crimea and the Russian incursion there. It was not immediately clear what equipment Ukraine was asking for.

NATO said in a statement the alliance was determined to boost cooperation, including the "increased ties with Ukraine's political and military leadership, strengthening efforts to build the capacity of the Ukrainian military and more joint training and exercises."

Deshchytsya said in talks with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen he "discussed our possible cooperation in the field of sending monitors to Ukraine."


Source : Sapa-AP /kd
Date : 17 Mar 2014 14:54

 

[Unhappy438]

Ukraine declares marshal law

https://charter97.org/en/news/2014/3/17/90761/

 

[techead]

Breaking News :

The EU has agreed to impose travel bans and asset freezes against 21 officials from Russia and Ukraine.

The move follows Sunday's referendum in Crimea, in which officials say 97% of voters backed breaking away from Ukraine and joining Russia.

The so-far unnamed individuals targeted by the sanctions are seen as having played a key role in the referendum, which Kiev, the US and EU deem illegal.

Pro-Russian forces have been in control of Crimea since late February

more

 

[Unhappy438]

Intelligence officer/investigative journalist Brian-Michel LaRue as he labels himself has this to say:

From my point I can see a buzz of activity: #Russian troops loading heavy equipment on railcars. Highway perfect for rapid #Ukraine invasion

Clarification: #Russian equipment/troops are loading railcars & transport TOWARDS #Ukraine. Not in patterns for military training exercises

Airfield is about 10km from #Ukraine border. #Russian troops with light infantry and armour less than 3km from border. Well over 2,000 (est)

 

[Polymathic]

interestingly I had 3 Ukrainians follow me on Behance today

 

[DreamKing]

dejavu?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Kosovo_declaration_of_independence

it is only the political game about power and benefits. nothing else.

 

[LazyLion]

JAPAN IMPOSES SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA OVER CRIMEA

Japan has announced a set of sanctions against Russia for its recognition of Crimea as an independent state.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said in a statement that Japan does not recognize the outcome of Crimea's referendum to split from Ukraine, saying it violates the Ukrainian constitution.

Japan's sanctions involve suspension of talks on relaxing visa requirements between Japan and Russia as well as planned talks on investment, space and military.

The moves are seen as modest compared to sanctions by the U.S. and European Union, which have frozen the assets of individuals linked to the unrest in Crimea or who support the region's vote to secede from Ukraine.

Kishida also urged Russia to comply with international laws, withdraw the recognition of Crimea's independence and not move further toward its annexation.


Source : Sapa-AP /kn
Date : 18 Mar 2014 06:39

 

[LazyLion]

US AND EU IMPOSE SANCTIONS AS CRIMEA TURNS TO MOSCOW

The United States and Europe hit Vladimir Putin's inner circle with sanctions but failed to dissuade the Russian leader from pursuing his apparent goal of annexing Crimea.

The White House said the measures were the toughest against Russia since the Cold War and warned it would target economic power brokers in Moscow if the Kremlin does not change course.

There was no sign of Putin backing down, however, and Crimea's pro-Moscow authorities made plans to swiftly honor Sunday's 96 percent referendum vote to return to the Russian fold.

Putin took a step closer to formally annexing the territory by recognizing its independence from Ukraine, opening the way for Russian lawmakers to later endorse its accession.

Monday's dramatic developments marked the most direct clash between the West and the Kremlin in decades.

Sanctions also came from Canada and Japan, which denounced Russia's "deplorable" move in recognizing the breakaway vote.

Obama slapped sanctions on seven Russian officials, including deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin, and four Ukrainians accused of usurping Ukraine's territorial integrity, including ousted president Viktor Yanukovych.

"If Russia continues to interfere in Ukraine, we stand ready to impose further sanctions," Obama warned.

The European Union also unveiled travel bans and asset freezes against 21 Russian and Ukrainian officials, including Vice Admiral Alexander Vitko, the head of Russia's Black Sea fleet.

"These are by far the most comprehensive sanctions applied to Russia since the end of the Cold War -- far and away so," said a senior US official.

Another official explained that the intent was to target those surrounding Putin, even if the measures did not take the extraordinary step of targeting the foreign head of state himself.

"If you look at the list of Russians who are being sanctioned here... they are the key ideologists and implementers and architects of this policy," one official said.

Officials said that, for now, the sanctions would target individuals and not wider Russian business interests.

But they noted that the new executive order signed by Obama allows future measures to target "individuals with a great deal of influence over... Russian governmental policy and the economy who do not hold positions in the government."

They would not confirm that was a reference to Russia's vastly rich business tycoons, or oligarchs, who are believed to possess great political influence with the Kremlin.

Obama said a diplomatic solution to the crisis was still possible if Russia pulls its troops back to barracks in Crimea, allows foreign observers to deploy and agrees to negotiate with Ukraine.

But he warned: "Further provocations will just further isolate Russia and diminish their place in the world."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague called for dialogue, stressing that "for the UK and her allies the Crimea remains part of Ukraine."

"Continuing to ignore those calls will bring serious consequences for Russia," he said.

The Kremlin's official website quoted Putin's decree as recognizing "the Republic of Crimea... as a sovereign and independent state."

It was issued "considering the expression of the will of the people of Crimea at the general Crimean referendum."

The decree added that it entered into force from the moment of its signature and included the time stamp of 10:30 pm (1830 GMT).

On Tuesday, Putin will address both houses of the Russian parliament on the crisis sparked by pro-Kremlin forces' effective seizure of the Black Sea peninsula at the start of the month.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply disappointed and concerned" about Sunday's vote.

He warned a "deterioration of the situation will have serious repercussions for the people of Ukraine, the region and beyond."

Those targeted under Obama's executive order will see assets and interests in the United States or under US jurisdiction blocked and Americans will be barred from doing business with them.

As well as Rogozin, who ridiculed Obama over the move, the list includes Vladislav Surkov and Sergei Glazyev, key aides to Putin.

The officials targeted in Crimea include Sergei Aksyonov, who has named himself the interim prime minister of the territory, and Vladimir Konstantinov, the speaker of the Crimean parliament.

The EU list includes Aksyonov and two other Russian officers: Anatoliy Sidorov, commander of the Western military district, and Alexander Galkin, head of the Southern military district.

Both areas have seen major recent military exercises, with large troop build-ups, and both are responsible in part for the Russian military presence in Crimea, said a notice in the official EU journal.

In response, Rogozin -- a former Moscow envoy to NATO known for his hawkish views of the West -- tweeted in English: "I think some prankster prepared the draft of this act of the US President."

Meanwhile, diplomats in Brussels said EU and Ukrainian leaders would on Friday sign the political portion of a landmark pact whose rejection by Yanukovych sparked protests that led to his fall.

Most of the international community has rejected the Crimea referendum as illegal and Ukraine said it was recalling its ambassador to Moscow for consultations.

But the undaunted government of Crimea took several decisive steps aimed at permanently severing its ties with Kiev.

It has begun seizing control of Ukrainian institutions and plans to set the peninsula's clocks two hours forward to Moscow time.

Ukraine's interim president Oleksandr Turchynov denounced the vote as a "great farce" and watched as agitated lawmakers approved a partial mobilization of the army.


Source : Sapa-AFP /kn
Date : 18 Mar 2014 05:15

 

[techead]

Well it's quite clear that Putin doesnt give a F. It's a big finger to the WEST and EU. Im sure Putin is happy now, he got what he wanted and wont do anything stupid like invade Ukraine. He has no reason to?

Aside from the obvious costs, war isnt going to do any favours for his Eurasian Union

 

[Compton_effect]

A bit off topic, but there might be a positive if South Africa also initiates sanctions...

Cancellation of SA spy satellite project could cost taxpayer R100 million plus

South Africa could face a claim exceeding R100 million for not meeting contractual obligations regarding the acquisition of a Russian radar surveillance satellite.

The acquisition was apparently spearheaded by now retired Lieutenant General “Mojo” Motau when he headed Defence Intelligence and would have cost at least R1.2 billion.