Ukraine crisis: President calls snap vote amid fighting

[pampango]

Source: BBC

Ukraine's president has dissolved parliament and called snap elections, as government forces continue to fight pro-Russian rebel forces in the east.

Petro Poroshenko said many current MPs were backers of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych and that the majority of Ukrainians wanted a new parliament.

Elections would be held on 26 October, he said in a TV address.

On Tuesday, Mr Poroshenko is expected to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at talks in Minsk Belarus.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28931054

---

The right wing parties Right Sector and Svoboda must be hoping to improve on their disastrous performance in the May presidential election when their candidates combined for 1.87% of the vote. Most of us hope they do even worse and disappear from the political scene altogether.

[Purveyor]

1. Ahhh so the coup d'etat isn't quite working out as expected, eh. Good

as our neocon/neolib friends will be deeply disppointed, indeed.

[pampango]

3. Ahh, yes. The "coup" in which the president agreed to stay, controlled the army and decided to leave

anyway with all his money.

If the right wing parties do as bad as they did in May, I think none on the left will be disappointed.

[The Magistrate]

4. Actually, Sir, This Is Pretty Much As Expected

Once a new President had been elected, the clearly proper and democratic course is to replace the rump Parliament, left from the prior, overthrown regime, and this was always going to be done as soon as it possibly could be. Calling a 'snap' election is not unusual; the President feeling he and his will be bouyed by good feelings and patriotic identification, which in crisis generally will focus on a leader in office, is a pretty standard calculation. Likely the resulting Parliament will more closely reflect the sentiments of the population loyal to Ukraine, just as a Congress elected in the United States in 1862 and 1864 reflected the sentiments of that portion of the populace loyal to the Union.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Three questions:

1. What evidence do you have to support your assertion there was a "coup"?
2. Who exactly are these "neocon/neolib" individuals and what qualifies them as such?
3. Why would such persons in Question 2 be "deeply disappointed" as it relates to the story in the OP?

[Igel]

7. If there was a coup,

there'd be no need for elections.

The elections are to replace the legislature--which, oddly, was fairly unaffected by the coup. And called, equally oddly, not by the person who gained power during the coup but by election.

This stretches the definition of "coup" in the same way that a full-body biohazard suit stretches the definition of "a sock."

[olddad56]

17. 2 doors, a sedan is 4 doors.

[VanGoghRocks]

2. Your comment puts me in mind of the Beatles' song "Getting Better" (off

the Sgt. Pepper album) where McCartney sings, "I have to believe it's getting better" and Lennon responds "It can't get much worse!"

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Oh good. While we have you here:

1. Would you admit there is in fact documentable evidence of pro-Russian demonstrators shooting at pro-Ukrainian demonstrators during the May 2nd riots in Odessa?
2. Would you admit you have no evidence that the Ukrainian military is summarily executing captured pro-Russian separatists?

You left our other conversation so early and didn't even manage to give us a response to those questions. Thanks in advance!

[bemildred]

8. Weapons convoys spotted moving in eastern Ukraine from direction of Russia

KRASNODON, Ukraine -- For several evenings this month, convoys of military weaponry passed with clockwork-like regularity through Krasnodon, a rebel-held town in eastern Ukraine near the porous border with Russia.

The convoys were seen three times last week by Associated Press reporters, and one of them carried about 30 units of weaponry and supplies. All were coming from the direction of Russia and heading west to where pro-Moscow separatists were fighting Ukrainian troops.

One rebel fighter described how easy it was to cross into Ukraine through a Russian-controlled frontier post in a convoy that included a tank, adding that the border officer appeared unfazed at the deadly cargo.

NATO and Ukraine have accused Moscow of covertly shuttling heavy artillery and other weapons to the separatists -- allegations that Russia routinely denies. NATO says since mid-August, those weapons have been fired from both inside Ukraine and from Russian territory.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/weapons-convoys-spotted-moving-in-eastern-ukraine-from-direction-of-russia-1.1975490

[The Magistrate]

9. Although This Really Ought To Put Paid To It, Sir

We will still see claims here that statements heavy weapons are shipped from Russia to the secessionists are just propaganda and lies put out by NATO and Kiev.

[newthinking]

18. From Ukraine Government with no proof. Even the US is not saying this was the case, and BBC reporter

said it was taken out of context on twitter.

[bemildred]

20. Well, they didn't actually say it was the Russian military did they?

And everybody has Russian arms in this, do they not? And everybody is moving around in the war zone, aren't they? So it's not really a lie. There are no doubt convoys of Russian arms moving back and forth there all the time. If people draw the wrong conclusion, it's not your fault, is it?

[newthinking]

24. You have the makings to report on the war in Ukraine :)

[newthinking]

22. More sloppy reporting. This is conjecture and like the "sighting" by the Guardian reporter two weeks

ago likely an attempt to sensationalize (The reported crossing by Shawn Walker and Telegraph reporter turned out to be border troops crossing into a border buffer zone: No attempt to hide, lights on, lights at the checkpoint, and then the reporters did not even bother to return in the morning to verify what the checkpoint was.)

In this case they saw:

From the story:
-----------------
On three evenings between Aug. 19 and Aug. 23, AP reporters saw large convoys of military hardware pass through Krasnodon from areas near the Russian border and head north and west, toward the fighting. They were later seen returning empty of their cargo. On other days during that period, the reporters only heard the convoys.

-----------------------

No crossing was observed. Yet what they likely saw was the machinery being moved along roads that are in the rear of their battlelines. Why would they move them, vulnerable on trucks (when large distances are involved they don't "drive them&quot close to the front??? Duh.

But it makes more sensationalist headlines, and what the heck nobody will call them on it.

[bemildred]

10. Ukraine captures Russian soldiers ahead of key talks

DONETSK, Ukraine —

Kiev’s security service on Monday said its army in the war-torn east has captured 10 Russian paratroopers on Ukrainian soil, ramping up tensions on the eve of crunch talks on the conflict.

Soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were captured near the Ukrainian village of Dzerkalne, about 50 kilometers southeast of the rebel hub Donetsk, Ukraine’s security service (UBS) said in a statement.

“Investigators opened a criminal probe into illegal border crossing by Russian armed citizens,” it added.

The news comes just hours before Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is due to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in months alongside top EU officials in Minsk on Tuesday.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/ukraine-captures-russian-soldiers-ahead-of-key-talks

[bemildred]

11. 'Russian paratroopers captured in Ukraine'

Ukraine's security service says its military in the war-torn east has captured 10 Russian paratroopers on Ukrainian soil and is questioning them as part of a criminal probe.

Soldiers from the 331st regiment of 98th airborne division based in central Russia were taken near the Ukrainian village of Dzerkalne, about 50 kilometres southeast of the rebel hub Donetsk, it said in a statement on Monday.

"Russian soldiers have been detained with personal documents and weapons," it said, adding, "Investigators opened a criminal probe into illegal border crossing by armed Russian citizens."

Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers had been captured on Monday - hours before Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is due to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in months.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/08/26/russian-paratroopers-captured-ukraine

[amandabeech]

12. Perhaps Poroshenko could take these fine fellows along and introduce them

to Vladimir and Angela. A touch of reality might make things all the more interesting.

[bemildred]

13. That would make it more interesting. nt

[amandabeech]

14. I'd pay good money for the videotape. n/t

[bemildred]

15. Heh.

It could "go viral".

[amandabeech]

16. Especially if there were to be an altercation between Putin and Merkel.

I know that Putin is supposed to be the martial arts master, but I wouldn't want to mess with a pissed-off Angela.

It would clearly make the on-line versions of the British Tabloids!

[newthinking]

19. Any actual pictures or video? Both sides appear to be posturing before the talks

[bemildred]

21. Yep. That is my interpretation. nt

[DarthDem]

26. I Agree

A bunch of propaganda on both sides in an attempt to improve negotiating positions and capture public opinion.

[newthinking]

23. This at least could be more interesting and potentially verifiable.

(than the sloppy opportunistic "reports" of recent.)

"Hey, they went that away! Must have come from Russia!"

[bemildred]

25. As Amanda says, it could get interesting if they trot these guys out for the camera. nt