Obama to Make Announcement on Ukraine at 4:45 EST (Video & Transcript)

Let’s hope this isn't the one time the red line matters. If there was ever a situation to stay out of and not inadvertently start a large scale war it is this one. The best solution seems to be to split Ukraine or at least hold a referendum on it in Ukraine. The problem is no one trusts anyone’s intentions at the moment and it could spiral out of control because of this.

Agit8dChop
To all those people who are criticizing Obama what would you have him do?

Start warming up the ICBM's?
Put marines on the ground in Crimea?

Russia SAVED the Ukraine in the 40's with the Patriotic war, Ukraine may be sovereign but it has always been at Russia's influence/allowing.

If The Ukrainian government cant create a working relationship with Russia then the man with the bigger gun will win.

And its not Obama's fault for not standing in the way with this finger on the button.

get real people!

The damage was done already. As stated, if Obama was a strong leader, Putin would not have done it in the first place!

Obama is reactive not active.

Obama isn't a leader. He only responds to world events, he doesn't direct them through policy.

reply to post by john452

Yes, that's the same solution I've been suggesting as the best realistic optimism can hope for.
On the face of it (which is good enough for diplomatic purposes) it can be made to harmonise with "what the people of Ukraine want".
If the State Dept has any sense, that's the kind of line they should be taking in private discussions with Russia.

reply to post by beezzer


Yet Americans don't want to be seen as the police of the world?

Foreign policy like this is a tricky thing... it's posturing and bullying until military action finally happens... and then we have two countries with full nuclear capabilities... and the populace of one saying things like "our president is all talk, no action" disregards consequences... real, history making, or history destroying, consequences.

All it takes is one mad man who plays chicken with nuclear weapons and waits too long to blink... and that's all folks. Putin is wagering the U.S. is too soft to act... and some bad asses in the pentagon would burn it all to prove him wrong.

That, in micro, is what's wrong with human politics... power consolidated in one guy who doesn't care much as he's gonna die anyway and so plays with countries and the lives of all in them. Putin is a pathetic, narcissistic power seeker and Obama is paying for being a thinking leader who hesitates to waste lives in useless power games (ETA or more actually, paying for not portraying himself as more badass precisely to avoid such bullying tactics).

Scary situation, actually. I hope cooler heads in Russia prevail.

MessageforAll
reply to post by beezzer

 

Yet Americans don't want to be seen as the police of the world?

Then what do we do?

(honest question)

Do we make a statement and say, "Sucks to be you, world".

or do we say, "Hey, people have rights! All people!"

I mean, do we bug out of the UN, NATO, and say "see ya, bee-yatches!" Where do we draw our "red line"?

reply to post by freakjive


I have updated the OP to include the video and a transcript of his address.

TL;DR - He said NOTHING! He took no questions. Typical Obama fashion.

reply to post by beezzer


I don't have the answer but what I don't understand is how do you expect for a corrupt and sadistic government to take the moral high ground over another.

You Americans know this, yet you still feel obliged to pick up this role.

This isn't meant as an insult, it really isn't but its true though.

reply to post by beezzer


but that doesnt make sense.

what kind of ''stronger'' foreign policy should he have? Do you think a pro Russian, Ukrainian leader was ever going to listen to Obama or become pro-western and bite the hand that feeds him because of ANY US PRESIDENT?

After the horrid and illegal fkups in Iraq and Afghanistan the USA begged to have a leader that STAYED OUT OF FOREIGN affairs. Now, you say its his fault he hasn't gotten more involved.

look at Syria for example, what could Obama have possibly done short of putting marines on the ground?

its the same here. No amount of political blustering, foreign policy, threats would have stopped this before it happened.

you all just want a reason to blame Obama, no government can stop these kind of movements without military force and no ones going to use military force against a civilian uprising, especially when Russia or China is involved.

Its just more ATS anti-obama bullcrap! its absolutely pathetic drivel and the constant saturation of ''its all obama's fault, blame obama'' nonsense has really lessened the quality of this site, and that's sad!

reply to post by whyamIhere


Hmmm.... What would Ron Paul do about the Ukraine Crisis if he were President Right Now ?


Former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul says the U.S. should keep its hands off of the quickly developing situation in Ukraine and let the country solve its own problems, arguing that Americans understand “that our interventionist foreign policy is only creating more enemies overseas.”

“If you asked most Americans how they feel, my bet is that you would discover they are sick and tired of the US government getting involved in every crisis that arises,” Mr. Paul, Texas Republican, wrote in his weekly column under the headline “Leave Ukraine Alone!” “Certainly the American people want none of this intervention in Ukraine.”


www.washingtontimes.com...


Yes , thats just about Right Mr. Paul

I have seen Monkey's at the Zoo have feces fights....

With more Organization than our Governments Foriegn Policy...🙈🙉🙊

Add: Zanti....I would not let one American Soldier step foot in Ukraine.

My comments are more to the fact that Putin is making our President look foolish.

reply to post by Zanti Misfit


Agreed. On CNN they are discussing the White houses "options" that have been presented mostly including economic sanctions and Georgia joining NATO. It doesn't sound like the military option is on the table as of yet, but a hornets nest could still be stirred with sanctions etc. In either case, getting involved will hurt our relations with Russia, which obviously isn't a good thing.

I must say I always find this rethoric quite amusing. Since when exactly does the USA care for the people in other countries or their right of self-determination? Just waltzing in there and installing a fascist puppet dictatorship that tortures and kills dissenters as usual would be honest for a change.

Why does Obama make everything his business all the time? Why does he even need a press conference he didnt say anything constructive and its nothing to do with him anyway i swear he thinks he is the president of the entire world and everyone should look to him for answers! All he ever does is make situations worse and increases tension between the countries involved in whatever the crisis is. Seriously Obama worry about your own country mate! He is probably just provoking Putin more.

MessageforAll
reply to post by beezzer

 

I don't have the answer but what I don't understand is how do you expect for a corrupt and sadistic government to take the moral high ground over another.

You Americans know this, yet you still feel obliged to pick up this role.

This isn't meant as an insult, it really isn't but its true though.

I agree with you completely.

Stand, sit, do something!!!

Make a definitive statement is all I'm saying.

freakjive
reply to post by freakjive

 

TL;DR - He said NOTHING! He took no questions. Typical Obama fashion.

What did you expect?

The commander in chief is part of the communist invasion of the United States of America.

in other words...

He aint' gonna do jack.

Why would he root against his own team?

reply to post by Agit8dChop


All I want is for him to do something!!!

I've seen less "waffling" at IHOP!

This is Not Assad nor Syria he is threatening ...... Weak American President Vs
Strong Russian One ....... No way Putin or Russia will listen to Anyone over Crimea

Just My Humble Opinion (did anyone mention the Gas Pipelines ......)

Riouz

reply to post by Riouz


If i were a Ukrainian malcontent.. I might
think severing the gas pipelines over and over was a
cool thing to do.

The gangsters wont get paid if the junk isn't delivered.

reply to post by freakjive


I see they are still waiting on that spine donor.