Crimea's parliament votes in favor of leaving Ukraine for Russia, referendum scheduled

The parliament of the disputed Crimean Peninsula has voted in favor of leaving Ukraine to become part of Russia, with a referendum on endorsing the move to be held later this month. The parliament, which enjoys a degree of autonomy under current Ukrainian law, voted 78-0 with eight abstentions in favor of holding the referendum and joining Russia. Local voters will also be given the choice of deciding to remain part of Ukraine, but with enhanced local powers.

www.foxnews.com...

Well, look at that. Russia got what it wanted.

Crimea votes to join Russia, accelerating Ukraine crisis

www.reuters.com...

(Reuters) - Crimea's parliament voted to join Russia on Thursday and its Moscow-backed government set a referendum within 10 days on the decision in a dramatic escalation of the crisis over the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula. The sudden acceleration of moves to bring Crimea, which has an ethnic Russian majority and has effectively been seized by Russian forces, formally under Moscow's rule came as European Union leaders gathered for an emergency summit to find ways to pressure Russia to back down. U.S. President Barack Obama took steps to punish those involved in threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, ordering the freezing of their U.S. assets and a ban on travel into the United States. The U.S. Navy announced a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Truxton, was heading to the Black Sea in what it said was a long-planned training exercise and not a show of force. The Crimean parliament voted unanimously "to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation". The vice premier of Crimea, home to Russia's Black Sea military base in Sevastopol, said a referendum on the status would take place on March 16. He said all state property would be "nationalized", the Russian ruble could be adopted and Ukrainian troops would be treated as occupiers and be forced to surrender or leave. The announcement, which diplomats said could not have been made without Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval, raised the stakes in the most serious east-west confrontation since the end of the Cold War. Russia stocks fell and the ruble weakened further after the news. Moody's ratings agency said the stand-off was negative for Russia's sovereign creditworthiness. Russia said it would make it easier to give passports to native Russian speakers who have lived in Russia or the former Soviet Union. Putin has cited the threat to Russian citizens to justify military action in Georgia in 2008 and now in Ukraine . Far from seeking a diplomatic way out of the crisis, Putin appears to have chosen to create facts on the ground before the West can agree on more than token action against him. EU leaders had been set to warn but not sanction Russia over its military intervention after Moscow rebuffed Western diplomatic efforts to persuade it to pull forces in Crimea, with a population of about 2 million, back to their bases. It was not immediately clear what impact the Crimean moves would have. French President Francois Hollande told reporters on arrival at the summit: "There will be the strongest possible pressure on Russia to begin lowering the tension and in the pressure there is, of course, eventual recourse to sanctions." The new Ukrainian government has declared the referendum illegal and opened a criminal investigation against Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Askyonov, who was appointed in a closed session by the region's parliament last week. The Ukrainian government does not recognize his authority or that of the parliament. A Crimean parliament official said voters will be asked two questions: should Crimea be part of the Russian Federation and should Crimea return to an earlier constitution (1992) that gave the region more autonomy? "If there weren't constant threats from the current illegal Ukrainian authorities, maybe we would have taken a different path," deputy parliament speaker Sergei Tsekov told reporters outside the parliament building in Crimea's main city of Simferopol. "I think there was an annexation of Crimea by Ukraine, if we are going to call things by their name. Because of this mood and feeling we took the decision to join Russia. I think we will feel much more comfortable there."

It appears that we have a power play win by the Russians here. Where the US drew a red line, Russia went around. Crimea itself chose to follow Russia's lead. Many ethnic Russians live in the area, which could account for the movement, but there are also many guns pointed in their direction...coercion maybe? Who knows. At this point this is a major foreign policy gaff by the UN, EU, and the United States.

reply to post by TheOneElectric


This is so wrong on so many levels, Putin has changed the World in one week.World we never be the same again.I m atheist but if there is GOD he should help rite now.

xavi1000
reply to post by TheOneElectric

 

This is so wrong on so many levels, Putin has changed the World in one week.World we never be the same again.I m atheist but if there is GOD he should help rite now.

Nato and US did the in a way in Yugoslavia so this Putin changed the world is a very western hypocritical point from my view. The whole Iraq/Afghanistan/Syria/Libya that Bush and company started has changed the game and if western are not playing by some rules why should Russia. And what did the western do in Yugoslavia. If it is fair to break up sovereign states when the regional population wants it in Yugoslavia then it is fair everywhere on this planet. Let the local people make the choice where they want to belong and not some western propaganda machine.

The UN is more of a self serving propaganda tool than a real tool for peace and stability.

LittleByLittle
Nato and US did the in a way in Yugoslavia so this Putin changed the world is a very western hypocritical point from my view. The whole Iraq/Afghanistan/Syria/Libya that Bush and company started has changed the game and if western are not playing by some rules why should Russia.

The UN is more of a self serving propaganda tool than a real tool for peace and stability.

Two wrongs doesnt make one good.

reply to post by xavi1000


My concern here is: Will it stop at Crimea?

Is this a new world where in which invasions of smaller nations occur through a coerced political vote at the end of bayonets, rifles, and tanks? Would it appear that the world at large has become a stage for the larger states to absorb one another through either Economic Unions or Political Appropriations?

It's like an arms race for political capital and economic stability. It is interesting, but...I don't know where it is heading.

Since land grabs are now all the rage, It's time for the US to annex Mexico. Better yet, let's annex everything down to the Panama Canal.

reply to post by TheOneElectric


Exactly , now China will send troops in Taiwan to protect their citizens there , France will send troops in Belgium and on and on(only examples) if you know what i mean.And Russians citizens are everywhere , Latvia, Estonia, Poland.Putin is a mad dog and he needs to be in chains.

xavi1000

LittleByLittle
Nato and US did the in a way in Yugoslavia so this Putin changed the world is a very western hypocritical point from my view. The whole Iraq/Afghanistan/Syria/Libya that Bush and company started has changed the game and if western are not playing by some rules why should Russia.

The UN is more of a self serving propaganda tool than a real tool for peace and stability.

Two wrongs doesnt make one good.

In fact it is very good to the western to face the same action themselves as they create so they might think of what they are doing. But they will not since they are to ego based and self servicing to see their mistakes. Karma is coming even for the blind ones.

Putin is a mad dog and he needs to be in chains.

So was Bush and clearly Obama and John Kerry are also insane on a level beyond compare. Lets put them all in chains.

LeatherNLace
Since land grabs are now all the rage, It's time for the US to annex Mexico. Better yet, let's annex everything down to the Panama Canal.

Actually, if countries follow this example, Mexico can annex California, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and other northern sections of the good ole U.S.

I guess its the new free market at work. Its not a hostile takeover its more like a corporate merger. This isn't an apple to apple comparison to the US/NATO in the Middle East. You can make the argument that the US/NATO propped up governments but to walk into another countries territory and then make it part of your country once more is on another level. If they go here Putin might as well rebuild the USSR. They were all part of Russia at one point anyway right?

Good ok then Mexico can come get some of Cali and Texas back because they have deep roots and it was once theirs right? China your up next you know what you want, grab those islands from Japan and Tibet too it belongs to you. How bout you India you got some land your disputing with China right. If we doing that how bout everywhere else in the world. Where will it stop. What is the solution. Let it happen? OK but didn't everyone take that approach in the last two World Wars. So we wait and watch and let everyone devour the smaller powers around them till its one entity.

Bush didnt follow the rule of law, Putin also.Welcome to the law of jungle .

A brillant move.

Layers upon layers.

That is Russia's response to created instability along it's borders. Sit and squat. Heh.

reply to post by TheOneElectric


Look at it like this. The US did the exact same thing. How is it any different aside from the flags on the uniform.

Hell lets keep it real, Russia split the Ukraine in half without firing a single shot. They just let the people talk.

xavi1000
Bush didnt follow the rule of law, Putin also.Welcome to the law of jungle .

The law is also created by the self serving so even the law is morally corrupted. There is only higher moral code of the golden rule to follow that the self serving cannot corrupt. The whole currency system is a Ponzi scheme and laws are created to keep control even if the laws are totally contradictory to the golden rule.

The Right To Self-Determination is a cornerstone of the UN and is a part of its Charter.

If the people of Crimea wish to be part of the Russian state and not part of the Ukraine surely that is their right, isn't it?

And another consideration; the US has many military bases throughout the world, what lengths would they go to protect their interests?
Why should it be any different for Russia?

Of course this was inevitable. During the Soviet regime the government would place political agents into surrounding territories, whose responsibility it was to ensure that the people "democratically" elected to join the Soviet Union. In fact, around the time of WWII, Nikita Khrushchev was tasked with such responsibilities, among other things. Anyway, Crimea is populated with pro-Russian supporters, and thus why I said it was inevitable.

I don't really know how things are going to turn out over there, but there are only a couple of probable courses of action. I do not see the West intervening in any meaningful capacity, especially not militarily, as such action would be absurd at this point. Especially not the US. It would be a horrible strategy to get involved militarily in a conflict in this part of the globe, considering how many military resources are tied up elsewhere. And the military presence of US forces in Europe at this point is quite small, less than 100,000 bodies, and I have heard that a large percentage of those forces are in support roles, ie non-combat roles.

So the US cannot really adequately display a show of force in an attempt to bluff the Russians, because the Russian military could bring a large percentage of its full strength to bear anywhere in the region. Then there are the obvious problems that would arise from any military actions, like nuclear standoffs and what have you.

Anyone who has studied military strategy, or really just about anyone who thinks about the changes the militaries of the world have gone through, will realize that overall strategies have shifted to that of deterrence. This is the only logical strategy in an era of nuclear weapons, and this being the case I would not like to see any military flexing by two nuclear nations. The outcome could potentially be too costly.

xavi1000
reply to post by TheOneElectric

 

This is so wrong on so many levels, Putin has changed the World in one week.World we never be the same again.I m atheist but if there is GOD he should help rite now.

Why should God interfere when people vote for what they want? God supposedly gave us free will but when people vote for something that the west doesn't want he should step in and change it?

Let's see if the same people supporting Russia and Putin, gladly welcome Mexico when they come asking for Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon, Utah, Nevada and California.

Mexico does have deep roots in these places.

Also when Argentina decides to take back the Falklands, let's see if the Brits just sit back and allow them to take the islands.