Ukraine Heats Up

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

I appreciate your keen discernment.

Where our perspective differ I am trying to read the Russian mind, he believes he is being circled and you are empathizing with the ambitions
of citizens of former satellite countries.

I nevertheless understand the latter.

And I believe that a lot of people (including myself) tend to sometimes equate the former Warsaw Pact satellites (e.g., Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, the Baltic States ...) with the republics of the former USSR (e.g., Belarus, Ukraine), in terms of the inhabitants identifying with Russia (and vice versa). I doubt you could find more than a handful of Czechs, Hungarians, Poles or Estonians who would again want their economic and cultural destiny tied to Russia.

My son has traveled extensively through the countries of the former Warsaw Pact (I have too, but during the Soviet era) and the people in places like Poland, Hungary, Romania, etc. are quite fond of Americans (and even American foreign policy) and have very little good to say about the Russians.

[piece-itpete]

The clearer this becomes the sadder it is. Putin is acting like an old time thug. He will be remembered for closing the door on a 'lawful' age, if you follow me.

Now Russians are being bused into eastern Ukraine.

This is pretty good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNKsLlK52ss

It's one segment of five. All five are on YT.

Pete

[donquixote99]

Facts on the ground!

[Dondilion]

There is a Kosovo example.

[piece-itpete]

http://www.policymic.com/articles/84...es-on-this-map

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

http://www.policymic.com/articles/84...es-on-this-map

Pete

Far, far too simplistic.

John

[piece-itpete]

I tend to agree, but it is one facet.

One thing has impressed me, that's the Ukraines' troops ability to hold their fire. It certainly would be an excuse for Russia to start taking whatever they wanted even though the Ukrainians would only be defending their bases. They really are counting on us to help.

Pete

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

One thing has impressed me, that's the Ukraines' troops ability to hold their fire.

I agree but you have to consider that, at least in Crimea, if the Ukrainian Army ordered its soldiers to fire on the Russians, many ethnic Russian soldiers would refuse and some might even switch sides. A real mess.

John

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I agree but you have to consider that, at least in Crimea, if the Ukrainian Army ordered its soldiers to fire on the Russians, many ethnic Russian soldiers would refuse and some might even switch sides. A real mess.

John

Past Presidents in the Ukraine woefully underfunded their military so it would have been a crapshoot.

[piece-itpete]

Oh they'd get slaughtered, and John I agree. They do have a remarkable espre de corps by the look of things.