Russia-Ukraine tensions all over again

[Baruch]

Partly, the Russian/Ukraine fight is about Russia's historical struggles for warm weather ports.  Russia does have Crimea and "some access", but it fears the loss of it. 

When I took senior/graduate level classes at Univ of Maryland in the 90's about the breakup of the Soviet Union, the professor (correctly) predicted that Russia would go for Crimea and take other steps to control the adjacent territory for exactly that reason. 

There are rational reasons to allow the Russians that access - at a cost.  It would be a great benefit to them (financially and economically) but also nationally psychologically.  And they should have that access (for some world peace) but give something in return. 

One cost would be to stop meddling in Ukrainian affairs.  Another might be to stop hacking other govts' election systems.  We can tell when they do the hacking if we look hard enough.  So an agreement with them to stop in return for something they obsessively desire is worth something.

But we need an organized response to make them agree.

Let the US return all troops home, and stop meddling in other's elections ... then maybe others might, reciprocate.  But people being people, if you don't kill them first, they kill you.  Don't you think our permanent occupation of Germany is interference in German affairs?

[Hydra009]

Russia Says Ukraine May No Longer Be a Country Soon

Hopefully, this is just sabre-rattling that won't amount to anything.  Most of the time, that's exactly what this is.  Most of the time.

But it's important insight into Russia's mentality and propaganda techniques:

"The Kiev authorities are doing everything to split Ukraine, implementing the West's scenario for separating Ukraine from Russia, while ignoring the interests of their own people. In the end, the country was effectively split," he added. "The continuation of such a policy by the Kiev authorities may contribute to Ukraine's loss of statehood."

1) Pin the blame on the US, as if we're the ones who whipped up an insurrection and then sent Little Green Men (unmarked but unmistakably Russian military forces) into Ukraine to seize territory.
2) Undermine Ukrainian leaders by painting them as US stooges.  Blame them for Ukrainian civilians' hardships in a naked attempt to set Ukrainian civilians against their government.
3) Overtly threaten Ukraine's government into compliance with Kremlin wishes.

[Baruch]

The US has supported neo-Nazis in the Ukraine from 1946 forward.  Including when Nazi-Uke partisans were fighting Stalin for the next several years after the official end of WW II.  We later tried to infiltrate this soft underbelly with Ukrainian turncoats ... but the British double agents betrayed them and the US ... all these would-be spies were caught and executed.  The attempt to undermine Ukraine, and Crimea, resumed in 1992, with the fall of the Soviet Union.  The Europeans are all in for this ... historically ... look up Crimean War.