Ukraine: military (Aug '14 to mid-June '15) closed

[OUTLAW 09]

And what you are clearly missing is that the West, since the start of this conflict in March, has been in the weaker position. Sanctions have not and will not reverse Russia's gains in Ukraine. Contrary to your prediction, the destruction of the Malaysian airliner has no discernable impact on the conflict's outcome. Russia physically occupies Crimean while its proxies remain sufficiently strong in Donbas. That's called leverage - something the West clearly lacks in Ukraine and has not been able to gain. The cycle of action and counter-action escalating the tensions between the US/EU and Russia outside of Ukraine have their limits too. The Ukrainians know this - they also know given their economic and political situation, they cannot wage a perpetual war against Russia no matter how much U.S. hawks want to arm them with American weaponry.

That Russia had and continues to have the upper-hand given its geographic proximity and large amount of military materiel in the region, no one at all should be surprised about the outcome of this conflict. And what have the Ukrainians gained from fighting it besides a burdensome reconstruction projection in the future or the loss of thousands of lives? Is the Ukrainian government any more stable or independent? You are calculating the gains and losses using the February status quo as your baseline - hate to break it to you but the Russian intervention has changed that calculus, and not in favor of Ukraine. That's the point of the whole operation in the first place.

Ukraine's de jure claims in a negotiation will mean less over time so long as the de facto conditions favor Russia. That you continue to push for escalation knowing that Russia holds all the cards is very short-sighted and will only cost Ukraine more lives, treasure, and land in the long run.

Again AP--so you consider negotiation over the long run as what "containing" this new form of Russian neo imperialism?---you still are not recognizing the sheer existence of this movement inside both Russia and within Putin.

If in fact a strong immediate economic sanction series ie cut off from SWIFT, cut off from 90 day lines of credit, hitting Gazprom immediately as well, and no stock sells had been done immediately after the Crimea annexation---- we would not be where we are today with the ongoing in your face annexation of southeastern Ukraine, the blatant kidnapping of an Estonia national CI officer to prove to Estonia that Russia is still the ruler over Estonia, and now the doubling in violation of ceasefire agreements of Russian troops in Moldavia in the last two weeks.

Really look at the current three fronts Russia has us dancing on---and what was the response to the last two of the three by the US/EU/NATO---nothing in reference to Moldavia and Estonia--right? Putin watches this like a hawk to see our responses and when nothing comes what do you think he thinks---"home free keep moving" until someone seriously calls me out---right AP?

You still do not get the use of POWER as an end goal and yet you seem to imply well let's let Putin change the last 25 years so he "can feel accepted" among the superpowers.

So what is the new "mantra" of politics? ---"we will swap land" for an alleged new form of "peace" so Putin will sleep better at night now that Russia has returned as a superpower in Putin's eyes---come on AP think your comments through.

Was that not what drove Chamberlain in 1938 and what did it get Europe in exchange in the end? Again another great example of "negotiation success--right?"

Historically there are times where hard economic responses can take the place of force-that is actually the concept behind "soft power" but in this case the US/EU did nothing at first-so really a fake response and Putin foresaw that move believe me----this was one of those moments and it basically failed and no negotiations are ever going to return the Crimea nor the coming creation of "New Russia" regardless of what you write.

You still are not admitting the existence of Russian fascism and what is driving their new form of neo imperialism nor even discussing what Russian neo imperialism is--how it has directly evolved as Communism waned--and how it has structured itself inside Russia and how it is now driving Russian foreign policy.

That my friend is the key in understanding Putin's moves and at the same time his paranoia about the US and western values.

Fascism under the guise of neo imperialism coupled with nuclear weapons and the recently voiced will to use them---we have not encountered at all even during the Cold War---and that my friend is a deadly combination.

Do not think for a moment--China is not watching how this plays out in reference to our will to pivot in the Far East--it is all connected.

By the way AP--this is how the "New Russian Army" is treating ethnic Russians in their "New Russia". Kind of looks like a dictatorship if one asks me or better yet like a country "conquered" by the Soviet Army in 1945---does not seem to be the expressed will of the ethnic Russians that Putin so claims he is "defending" does it?

#BreakingNews Russian terrorists and their local allies force all residents in #Horlivka btw. 20 and 60 to join them.
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