I look forward to their apologies when the Baltic states are next to need "rescuing"

The MSM assertion is all bluster to feed the MIC, and perhaps distract from what's kicking off in Libya and Syria/Iraq.

over the last 25 years NATO has been reduced greatly. The US has moved most troops out and has just recently shipped a few A10 aircraft over for a rotation but not permanent stationing. Russia has increased it's presence and has threatened many countries and invaded a couple during this time frame and NATO has done nothing.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/world/europe/military-cuts-render-nato-less-formidable-as-deterrent-to-russia.html?_r=0

if you look, they are no threat to Russia. Less than 6000 troops in Latvia, Estonia? I sure see what Russia is fearing.

for now

But there is no chance of that and Putin knows it. He will push until he gets what he wants.

He knows he can take what he wants in Ukraine.by force a little at a time and NATO will not respond. I doubt NATO would do anything, even if he pushed onto Kyiv.

NATO would not risk direct conflict with Russia over Ukraine.... And Putin knows it. Unfortunately I think Putin wouldn't risk conflict with NATO over Ukraine either... But believes he was won this game of chicken, which he probably has.

He has what he wanted.

He wants a land bridge to Crimea. Mariupol is next.

Really, fella? You want a "full-scale war" against Russia? You and whose army?

but Russia already has been supplying a full scale war on them.

This is the same kind of madness as in the movie Doctor Strangelove.
They want war and they don't care if it kills millions...they will be safe in the bunkers.

... So it's coming whether he wants it or not.

They are celebrating.

MOSCOW—

Ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, who fled to Russia a year ago after being toppled by months of street protests, said he was ready to return to Ukraine if the opportunity arose.

The pro-Russian leader was overthrown by the "Maidan" uprising in Kyiv against his decision to back away from a deal that would have taken the country towards integration with Europe and instead tighten economic ties with Russia, Ukraine's old Soviet master.

Just weeks after his departure, Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula, a base for Russia's Black Sea fleet, and pro-Russian separatists seized key buildings in the east of the country leading to a conflict in which more than 5,000 people have been killed.

Interpol has put Yanukovich on the international wanted list at the behest of Kiev authorities on charges of embezzlement and financial wrongdoing. But Russia is likely to turn down any request to extradite him, Interfax news agency said last month, citing a source familiar with the situation.

http://www.voanews.com/content/a-year-after-fleeing-ukraine-yanukovich-speaks-of-return/2653220.html

BERLIN — A Russian newspaper claims to have an official government strategy document outlining the invasion of Ukraine that was prepared weeks before the Ukrainian government collapsed last year.

The editor of Novaya Gazeta, Dmitri Muratov, reported the document during an interview with Echo of Moscow, a radio station. In the interview, which was reported by news outlets Saturday, he did not reveal how the newspaper came into possession of the document in the media unfriendly Russian world, but said he had confidence it was authentic.

Novaya Gazeta is considered a rarity in Russia these days, an independent investigative newspaper that’s known to anger the Kremlin on a regular basis. The editor said the paper’s plan is to publish the full details of the strategy document next week.

Muratov said the document characterized then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych as “a person without morals and willpower whose downfall must be expected at any moment.” Yanukovych fled Ukraine for Russia on Feb. 22, 2014.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/02/21/257386/russian-news-report-ukraine-invasion.html

happen, maybe even wanted it.

Not otherwise knowing a damn thing about it.

It's easy to "prepare for full-scale war" when someone else will be doing the heavy lifting.

Baku-APA. The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service has closed 23 border crossing points on the border with Russia, the service’s website reports on Saturday, APA reports quoting ITAR-TASS.

This comes in line with Ukraineian cabinet of ministers’ order of February 18, 2015, to close 23 checkpoints on the border with Russia

According to the decree, the border were to be closed for vehicle traffic and pedestrians across one checking point in the Kharkov region, ten - in the Lugansk region, nine - in the Sumy region, one - in the Chernigov region and two - in the Donetsk region.

http://en.apa.az/-_223433.html

Baku-APA. Ukraine must pay for Russian gas being supplied to rebel areas in the country's war-torn east, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Friday, raising the possibility of another gas dispute in the midst of winter, APA reports quoting AFP.

Russian gas giant Gazprom began direct deliveries to separatist areas on Thursday in addition to other areas of Ukraine after Kiev temporarily cut supplies.

Ukrainian state firm Naftogaz had warned that it would not pay for deliveries to rebel areas.

"According to existing contractual obligations, Kiev must pay for the Russian gas," Medvedev wrote on his Facebook page.

http://en.apa.az/xeber_ukraine_must_pay_for_russian_gas_sent_to_223416.html

ZHOLOBOK, Ukraine (AP) -- The Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists completed an exchange of prisoners Saturday, starting a process outlined in a peace deal brokered by international leaders.

A separatist representative overseeing the exchange in a remote location on the frontline between the warring sides said 139 Ukrainian troops and 52 rebels were transferred.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote on his Twitter account that he was informed the process had begun by the national security service.

"In the near time, 140 of our heroes will be free," he wrote, without specifying further. His spokesman, Svyatoslav Tsegolko, later confirmed only 139 Ukrainian soldiers were released Saturday and that another would follow in the coming days.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UKRAINE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-21-13-22-00

And that agenda is as evil and as dangerous as can be

You don't have to be a Putin fan (something of a red herring issue) to see that Ukraine is fundamental to their interests (and vice versa). ANY Russian leader would have to react strongly (how in particulars is another matter) to an attempt by the West to "flip" Ukraine -- which was initially foist on an unwilling Janukovitch before he was deposed -- the way that the Baltics were flipped. Now you can see that the reaction -- which hasn't been pretty but is NOT to those who are both knowledgeable and more objective about the situation than the MSM (listen to "Democracy Now" eg for a more sane perspective on this issue) in any way really surprising. So you have those like McCain who don't just want to ramp up military aid to Ukraine; they KNOW that the Russians would reply in kind and they want to push the issue until "we win". This is simply irresponsible.

The only solution is for some kind of guarantee negotiated for both federal autonomy for the Russian-dominant areas of Ukraine and a parallel guarantee against Ukraine "flipping" in that way without Russian consent. Russia for its part should have to reciprocate with concessions that Ukraine needs, such as guaranteeing the flow of oil on good credit terms and low prices, and other concessions including economic.

Russia and Ukraine are closely intertwined and totally interdependent, and that reality has to be recognized in any resolution of the issue. The current situation is indeed ugly, but it was one that specifically grows out of the efforts to force Ukraine to choose between Russia and the West, which is untenable as Ukraine needs both and so does Russia.

I know that some will consider this approach an outrage but no other general outline will produce a stable and prosperous peace

This is largely America's problem. We don't know shit about history. We think history began in 1776 and the only good parts are the ones about us and our ''Manifest Destiny'' -- cover for where we're allowed by god to kill anyone who gets in our way.

Same thing happened with Vietnam. The Vietnamese of the North and of the South had been fighting each other for over a thousand years. And the only time they weren't fighting each other was when they joined together to fight the Chinese. And then here we come and fuck everything up.

The Ukrainians and the Russians are essentially the same. North and South.

The Rus People.

I'm sick of war as is most of humanity.

If we can't find leaders who can lead us to peace, then we need new leaders.

- We already know how to get to war.........

novel, heavy on the history. I surely saw the vast gorge between Westerners understanding of the ancient Slavic civilization and understand how far the typical Russian people are removed from whatever government happens to be installed.

It did start 100 years from those events, plenty of similar issues.

LONDON (AP) -- The United States and Britain on Saturday discussed new sanctions against Russia as Ukraine's week-old cease-fire showed further signs of unraveling, yet emerged with no clear plan for further targeting an economy that means far more to Europe.

After meeting his British counterpart for two hours, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he was confident that the U.S. and its European allies would respond with "very serious" measures to cease-fire violations by Ukraine's rebels and their Russian backers. He said trans-Atlantic talks on the matter would continue.

"We know to a certainty what Russia has been providing and no amount of propaganda is capable of hiding these actions," Kerry told reporters.

Last week's cease-fire agreement was not vague or optional, he said, but that Russia and its proxies are complying only in a few places while seizing land and resupplying forces.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_KERRY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-21-14-45-08