UPDATED: Putin says he has no interest in the rest of Ukraine but stays defiant on Crimea

[DonViejo]

Last edited Tue Mar 18, 2014, 09:55 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post

President Vladimir Putin declared Tuesday that Russia has no designs on any other parts of Ukraine beyond Crimea.

In a speech to a joint session of parliament, which he used to call for the "reunification" of Crimea with Russia, he said that that region has a special role in Russian history that makes it unique.

But he also promised that Russia will do what it must to protect the rights of Russians living abroad -- which suggests that he intends to play a role in restive eastern Ukraine, with its large Russian population.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russias-putin-prepares-to-annex-crimea/2014/03/18/933183b2-654e-45ce-920e-4d18c0ffec73_story.html

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I assume the headline, "Putin: Russia doesn't warn more of Ukraine than Crimea" should correctly read, "Putin: Russia doesn't want more of Ukraine than Crimea."

ON EDIT:

dipsydoodle informs us the headline has "now changed to Putin says he has no interest in the rest of Ukraine but stays defiant on Crimea. Thanks for the heads up, dipsydoodle!

Now, I wonder, is it okay to change the headline of this OP or, do I have to go with the original? Anyone know? Thanks in advance!

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

UPDATE:

Russia officially absorbs Crimea

Russia officially absorbed Crimea Tuesday afternoon, moments after President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia has no designs on any other parts of Ukraine.

In a speech to a joint session of parliament, which he used to call for the “reunification” of Crimea with Russia, he said that region has a special role in Russian history that makes it unique.

Ecstatic leaders of the Russian and Crimean parliaments signed a treaty of accession as soon as Putin was done, and the Kremlin said afterward that it considers the treaty to be in force even before parliament has ratified it.

Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russias-putin-prepares-to-annex-crimea/2014/03/18/933183b2-654e-45ce-920e-4d18c0ffec73_story.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Now changed to "Putin says he has no interest in the rest of Ukraine but stays defiant on Crimea"

Re. the previous headline : I'd guess it was composed by some half wit previously employed by the Grauniad.

[another_liberal]

3. The Guardian has some good details at its "Updates" link:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/18/ukraine-crisis-putin-plan-crimea-annex-speech-russia-live

[dipsydoodle]

8. Yes

I'd browsed that from time time this morning.

Only problem is that RT News reported the same which means the Guardian's report is a pack of lies.

[another_liberal]

9. Yeah, I overlooked that . . .

We can really only trust those who tell us what we're supposed to want to hear. Alternate points of view only make one think excessively . That can cause uncertainty and even lead to resistance.

[dipsydoodle]

10. Can also lead to some discussing the price of eggs.

[blackspade]

2. Yeah, sure he doesn't....

[olddad56]

4. So if I move from the US, what US rights do I have? Is Putin going to invade Rancho Cordova next.

[hobbit709]

5. Where have I heard this before?

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Yes, do change the headline to the current one - "warn" made no sense anyway

( I have been an LBN host in the past - they'd rather have a current headline than a nonsensical one, I'm sure).

[DonViejo]

19. Thanks, muriel_volestrangler! Done.

[C_U_L8R]

7. Hello Brighton Beach

Pootie Poot is looking out for ya.

[DFW]

11. Putin is borrowing his lines from Mel Brooks (with one minor change):

"I don't want war! All I want is peace...peace...peace...!
A little piece of Poland,
A little piece of France,
A little piece of Austria
And the Ukraine, perchance!
A little slice of Turkey
And all that that entails,
And then a bit of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales!"

[freshwest]

18. LOL

[MADem]

29. Did you look into his eyes and see his soul?

He didn't need to steal the latest piece he's stolen.

Russia and Ukraine have a treaty that gives Russia basing rights in the Crimea through 2047.

He was never in any danger of losing that outlet to the sea. Further, if he couldn't have cut a deal to extend that agreement (and given the economics of the region, that would have been very unlikely), it would have given him several decades to relocate to another warm water location, like say, somewhere around Sochi where it's nice and warm even when you're holding Olympics.

It's not "fearmongering" when the behavior matches the assertion.

[freshwest]

41. Oh, noes! Missed that. Had a busy day. And thanks for the details on the Crimean lease.

Did he say something hateful to DFW?

BTW, ODS claims another victim:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=313008?=trans

Correction. Make that two gone, not one.



MIRT has been pretty busy as of late.

[MADem]

47. Downthread, he gleefully admitted to me that he was a troll, that he'd been banned before, that he

expected to be banned for this latest round of bullshit, and he'd be back again. He apparently was under the misapprehension that this kind of behavior is "swaggering" or "cool." Poor dear didn't realize that he came off like a dork.

Some travelling music for our puny "internet tough guy" friend:

[freshwest]

48. *Lonesome Loser* LOL, perfect. Hadn't heard that one in years. Thanks. n/t

[Adrahil]

12. Of course, the Russians also said they would respect Ukrainian terrirtorial integrity....

LOL

[okaawhatever]

44. Yeah but their fingers were crossed. What they meant was the didn't want Ukraine....to have nukes nt

[malthaussen]

13. Sounding more and more like deja vu all over again. n/t

[OKNancy]

14. change it if you warn... I mean want.

[WatermelonRat]

15. When you let someone forcefully annex part of a neighboring state, they seldom stop there.

And even if we were to take him at his word, annexing Crimea is still wrong.

[MADem]

30. Oh, gee....welcome to DU....

You've got your RT talking points in a row, I see.

[MADem]

36. Your position IS RT's. nt

[WatermelonRat]

35. Because Russia signed a treaty guaranteeing Ukrainian territorial integrity

[CFLDem]

40. Since when did territorial integrity matter to the US?

Certainly not before the Indian wars...

[freshwest]

49. Well, it was like this, but they haven't finished taking over everything yet:

Of course, we have a modern version of how the Europeans established their claim. Bush said this meant the Moon belonged to the USA. I mean, look at that flag. it must be true!



Atthough they used the flags of various European nations at the time they met the natives. That's how it always works, see the Russian flag in Crimea. And all those happy faces there:



Simple and reliable way of changing maps of territory. It's not like Europe doesn't expect that sort of thing. Sweet music, if you don't mind the bodies it took to change all those lines:

We can't hold a candle to these guys when it comes to conquest, ethnic cleansing, genocide, revolutions and total warfare. We're just rank amateurs in comparison.

The Founding Fathers didn't want us involved with them, they knew the history. Not that I don't love 'em, I can't help but find them compelling. After all, most of my family was in Europe for millenia.

But they've been killing each other for thousands of years, on an industrial scale at times. And even today the USA is not even 250 years old officially. We ain't all *that* special in the span of world history, despite the hype.

[Beacool]

16. Sure, and I didn't want all the delicious soda bread I ate yesterday.

Dude is a megalomaniac.

[geek tragedy]

17. "We don't want to invade and annex those gas fields in Eastern Ukraine, but man those bogey

monsters you read about in rt.com are just might force us to roll our tanks in there and take those gas fields, out of humanitarian concerns."

If they merely wanted Crimea, they could have had it pretty easily without this charade.

[Brigid]

20. The word "Sudentenland" comes to mind.

[Brigid]

31. So you believe Putin?

I don't. Fear and distrust are two different things.

[Brigid]

39. And we all know . . .

Last edited Tue Mar 18, 2014, 12:12 PM - Edit history (1)

How well deals Obama makes with right-wingers go -- if there is such a deal. BTW, the Sudentenland had a lot of ethnic Germans.

[TwilightGardener]

21. He has no interest--until his shit-stirrers create instability and violence and

undermine the new government and upcoming elections. Then he'll have a reason to "take an interest" and send in the masked goons like in Crimea. Just biding his time.

[IsItJustMe]

22. Putin speeks with forked tongue.

Putin can not be trusted what so ever. He also said that they were not going to invade the Ukraine when the Russians had military exercises along the border of Ukraine. We saw how that turned out.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

37. Hah. For now, maybe.

Putin would no doubt love to have the entire old USSR back together, but seems willing to work in chunks.

Find a pretext, grab some land. Wait a few years, rinse and repeat.

[okaawhatever]

46. Yeah, when are the next Olympics? nt

[Skittles]

42. he is lying

the prize has always been Ukraine

[NutmegYankee]

43. Holy Sudetenland Batman!

Talk about Deja Vu!

[Cha]

45. Didn't Putin say that about Crimea? Just sayin'.. Tweet from joshuafoust..

joshuafoust @joshuafoust
Follow
Putin assured Kyiv today he has no plans to grab other parts of Ukraine. But 2 weeks ago he said the same of #Crimea http://www.kremlin.ru/news/20366
3:49 AM - 18 Mar 2014
52 Retweets 6 favorites

TOD

Thanks Don

[Comrade Grumpy]

50. Time will tell. He wants a buffer from NATO. A federated Ukraine might do it.