Russian Invasion Of Ukraine (Formerly: Democratic Malaise Draws Ukraine Eastwards)

[vector7]

U.S. Air Force Radar Problem Delays NROL-67 and SpaceX CRS-3 Launches

• Source: Marc Boucher, SpaceRef
• Posted March 27, 2014 11:10 AM
• 1 Comments

©U.S. Army
File photo of MOTR radar at White Sands.

A problem with the U.S. Air Force AN/MPS-39 Multiple Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) at the Eastern Range, reportedly a fire, has delayed the launch of the National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-67 launch and now unofficially SpaceX's launch of the CRS-3 resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Yesterday, United Launch Alliance tweeted that "Prior to the 1st #NROL67 launch attempt Mar 25, an issue developed with a @45thSpaceWing mandatory range asset needed to support the launch."

Through sources at the NASASpaceflight forum that asset was identified as the Air Force MOTR 19.39 radar, though the Air Force has yet to publicly comment or confirm that this is the asset with the problem.


MOTR radar just south of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Credit: Google Maps.

According to U.S. Army which uses the MOTR at White Sands are the "are phased array radars, each capable of simultaneously tracking up to 40 objects within a scan volume of 60 degrees by 60 degrees. Each MOTR phased array antenna is mounted on an azimuth over elevation pedestal so that full hemispheric coverage is possible. The precision of the radar is 0.2 mils (approximately .02 milliradians) in angles and 1.5 yards in range. The peak power of the radar is one-megawatt, but a mix of six different waveforms provides for a total average transmitted power of 5000 watts, the highest of any of the WSMR radars. The MOTR is capable of tracking a six-inch sphere to range in excess of 120 km."

The MOTR radar was developed in the 80's and put in service in the 90's. There are only a handful in operation globally today.



It is not known at this time how long a delay will be before the radar is fixed. This could also push back the Cape's launch schedule beyond the NROL-67 and SpaceX CRS-3 launches. This depends on the seriousness of the presumed fire and available spare parts or manufacturing of new parts.

A plan to upgrade the Eastern Range has been in the works for several years.

The Launch and Test Range System (LTRS) Integrated Support Contract (LISC), a 10-year contract that consolidates three contracts currently supporting the Air Force's launch ranges at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California was delayed until no earlier than the second quarter of this year.


Images credit: Courtesy Col. Rob Uemura, U.S. Air Force, presentation at the 15th FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference (2012).

Comments:

Dave Huntsman • 13 hours ago

If any further proof was needed that the Range is America's weak link in space launch, here it is. It also shows that SpaceX having multiple pad complexes at the Cape will still be liable to long downtimes due to Range problems that are out of their control, and which are under control of a government bureaucracy which is not responsive enough to support the commercial marketplace - or even the government one. Long-term, Range responsibility needs to be removed from DOD. Shorter term, entities like SpaceX need to ramp up their capability to launch from places not hamstrung by Range constraints or weaknesses.

John Schindler‏@20committee22 mins
"I can't tell you how awful this is" / RT @BlogsofWar US intel: More indications Russia could invade Ukraine http://goo.gl/pnLPl7

U.S. Defense officials say the numbers of troops far exceeds the amount needed for a training exercise. And the fact that there is no real evidence any large-scale exercises have occurred, and that none of the troops have returned to their bases, is also concerning to U.S. observers.

Some have estimated the troop strength to be at about 30,000 -- Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, though, claimed Thursday that the number could be as high as 80,000. It is believed that an additional 50,000 troops may have flooded the region in the last few days.

These indications are contributing to a growing sense of alarm in Washington.

"I can't tell you how awful this is," said one congressional source who spoke to Fox News on the condition of anonymity.

The latest assessment offers a consensus view of intelligence agencies and the U.S. military. The assessment also takes into account that Putin likely has the desire to create a land bridge into Crimea.

Putin may also believe that if he is to pay a price with the international community in the form of sanctions, he is better off getting everything out of this incursion that he wants, one senior U.S. official told Fox News.

After the briefing, one committee aide said: "Nothing that happened in the briefing calmed the sense of alarm expressed by members yesterday."

"It's remarkable concern," one source said Wednesday. "There are senior people here are more concerned than I have ever seen them."

John Schindler‏@20committee4 mins
By the end of the weekend, Europe's biggest war since 1945 will have begun or Putin will have started to send the troops on the border home.

John Schindler‏@20committee2 mins
Moscow's best army units (elms of 2nd GMRD, 4th GTD + VDV) are camped out on #Ukraine's border: soon it's time to execute or head home.

John Schindler‏@20committee2 mins
Plenty of YT clips now of RU units near the border: they look to be in good order, eqpt well maintained, locked and cocked, & ready to roll.


http://www.voanews.com/content/penta...s/1880734.html
Intelligence sources in Ukraine tell a VOA reporter that Russian forces have established a field hospital in Russia's Bryansk region about 20 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

Brian Hubbs‏@BrianHubbs1·24 secs
"Intelligence sources in Ukraine tell a VOA reporter that Russian forces have established a field hospital in Russia's Bryansk region"

NATOSource‏@NATOSource27m
Kirby: Pentagon looking at "either adding to or reinforcing existing operations or exercises" #Ukraine #NATO #EUCOM http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/pentagon-sees-russia-reinforcing-units-on-border-with-ukraine …


Sorin Ionescu‏@sorin8 mins
Draft Letter from Government of #Ukraine http://i.imgur.com/7GwvIBL.jpg . @20committee, what does it say?


John Schindler‏@20committee7 mins
@sorin it's a mob prep order....has this been authenticated?


Sorin Ionescu‏@sorin4m
@20committee A Ukrainian who has lived in Canada for the past 10 years received it at his former address. http://www.reddit.com/r/UkrainianConflict/comments/21goyh/received_a_draft_letter_from_ukrainian_government/ …


John Schindler‏@20committee6 mins
Units massing on #Ukraine border are also "regime preservation" force; Putin won't have them that far from Moscow 4 long without good cause.


John Schindler‏@20committee7 mins
+1 / RT @mhikaric Unsaid, but basically #Russia amassing best, mobile units: those unnecessary for show of strength http://outfront.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/26/u-s-intel-more-likelihood-russia-will-invade-eastern-ukraine/ …


Free Ukraine‏@Ukrainolution6 mins
@odessum @20committee Nobody here in Kyiv speaks of “if" the Russians invade but “when” the Russians invade. We all accept it as certain.


RT @Galrahn: The #osint assessment most credible IMO says Russia will invade at 4pm GMT, about 13.5 hours from now.

RT @Galrahn: If that #osint analysis is correct, in the next 48 hours we will see the largest amphibious landing since the Falklands.


Gregor Peter ‏@L0gg0l 1m
RUSSIA HAS DEPLOYED ELITE BATTLE READY LAND/AIR DIVISIONS FROM SOUTH OF MOSCOW TOWARDS UKRAINE BORDER NEAR KHARKIV (via @unmaudit)


Gregor Peter ‏@L0gg0l 5m
NATO ON HIGHEST ALERT SINCE 1989 INCLUDING WESTERN EUROPE, U.S DEFENSE SOURCE SAYS (via @unmaudit) #ukraine #russia



Sergei Dorenko urges the Russian secret service to kill Ukrainian politicians



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msch_...&feature=share
Published on Mar 27 , 2014

Known TV presenter Sergei Dorenko speaking talk show on Channel 1
called the Russian security services to carry out operations in Ukraine
and Ukrainian leaders to eliminate , citing the experience of Israel.

Sergei Dorenko
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Dorenko



Russia has just moved NUCLEAR ARMED missiles close by to NATO states

Published on Mar 25, 2014



The United States, Poland, and the three Baltic states have voiced concern over Russia's deployment of nuclear-capable missiles close to the four European Union countries' borders.

US State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf confirmed that the US had urged Russia to not take steps that would destabilize the region. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Igor Konashen-kov says the missiles will be deployed in Kaliningrad in the Western Military District. For years, Russia threatened to deploy missiles in response to the United States' plan to install a NATO missile system in Eastern Europe. Moscow says the NATO missiles are a threat to Russian national security. Russian media reports say the newly-deployed missiles can hit NATO targets located in Poland, Lithuania, and even Germany.

[vector7]

Russia will neutralise the US bases by targeting them with Iskander missiles, which cannot be intercepted by ABMs. http://www.timesofoman.com/Columns/Article-1802.aspx

Cato Institute ‏@CatoInstitute 1m
The U.S. and Europeans are heading toward extended confrontation with Russia, says @Doug_Bandow
http://www.cato.org/blog/russians-uk...ampaign=buffer

The head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Sergey Pashinsky says that the Ukrainian Army is fully deployed. According to him, the combat capability of the Ukrainian Armied Forces has increased several times during the past month.
http://lb.ua/news/2014/03/27/261041_...e_ukraine.html





Russian Market‏@russian_market·5m
RUSSIA SAYS UKRAINIAN ARMY FULLY LEFT CRIMEA

Russian Market‏@russian_market·5 mins
Putin gives order to return Ukraine's weaponry in Crimea

Mark Galeotti‏@MarkGaleotti36 mins
What Would A #Russian Invasion Of #Ukraine Look Like? Military musings http://wp.me/pjjTl-yN

russian navy blog‏@russiannavyblog3 mins
Forum rumor: North Fleet Udaloy BPK Severomorsk preparing for out of area deployment



Mikael Abramsson‏@MikaelSthlm3 hrs
Lithuanian leader calls to double military spending by 2019 http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Lithuanian_leader_calls_to_double_military_spendin g_by_2019_999.html …

gandalf greybeard‏@gerrydogma2 hrs
Russian tanks deployed in field, Klimovo region close to Ukraine border (25.03) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5B-2Ua14M8 … @BBCDanielS @ARothNYT @ChristopherJM



Naharnet ‏@Naharnet 2m
#Breaking Russian President Putin said the Crimea takeover showed the "new capacities" of the Russian army


Jerry Popowicz‏@JerryPopowicz·8 hrs
Video of Russian Military on highway moving towards Rostov-On-Don and Ukraine March 26 (Part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGC0mG0WgXE … #Ukraine


Jerry Popowicz‏@JerryPopowicz·8 hrs
Video of more Russian Military on highway moving towards Rostov-On-Don and Ukraine March 26 (Part 2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6RNa9kwlho … #Ukraine


Russian foreign ministry says Swiss restrictions on military exports to Russia over Crimea are 'counterproductive' against spirit of policy of neutrality - @Reuters

14:01 Russian Deputy PM Golodets says Russia-China relations are "at their best" today

14:03 MAY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN UKRAINE ILLEGITIMATE BECAUSE IT RUNS COUNTER TO FEBRUARY 21 AGREEMENT - RUSSIAN PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO OSCE

14:32 SHOIGU: WITHDRAWAL OF UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES UNITS FROM CRIMEA IS OVER, STATE SYMBOLS REPLACED AT ALL SHIPS AND ALL MILITARY UNITS THAT JOINED RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES

14:32 EVENTS IN CRIMEA SERIOUS TEST FOR RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES, DEMONSTRATE THEIR NEW CAPABILITIES - PUTIN

14:43 WE MUST MAKE UTMOST USE OF UKRAINIAN ARMY, INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS, WHO DECIDED TO SERVE TO RUSSIA; ATTITUDE TOWARDS SERVICEMEN RETURNING TO UKRAINE MUST BE EXTREMELY CORRECT - PUTIN

14:44 PUTIN: MILITARY ALLOWANCE OF UKRAINIAN SERVICEMEN, WHO DECIDED TO SERVE IN RUSSIA, WILL BE BROUGHT IN LINE WITH RUSSIA'S SOON, WHICH IS FOUR TIMES MORE THAN IN UKRAINE

14:49 Moldovan opposition demands govt resignation, claims Chisinau secretly joins sanctions on Russia

14:56 Next stage of Russian Armed Forces development should include group in Arctic - Putin

http://www.interfax.com/news.asp


Andrew Roth‏@ARothNYT5 mins
The Belgorod-Kharkiv train is bordertown madness Russian police say many 'unstable' ppl riding these days, journo visa prompted many more Qs




Daniel Sandford‏@BBCDanielS9m
President Putin spoke to senior military officers today. Talked a bit about Crimea (RUS) http://kremlin.ru/news/20650
zerohedge ‏@zerohedge · 2 min
Russia's state-backed fund has tapped money from sovereign wealth funds in China and the Middle East - FT
zerohedge ‏@zerohedge · 1 min
SENIOR RUSSIAN SECURITY OFFICIAL TELLS PUTIN THERE HAS BEEN A SHARP INCREASE OF EXTERNAL THREATS TO RUSSIA FROM THE US AND ITS ALLIES - IFX





RUSSIA BEGINS PROCESS OF DENUNCIATION OF SOME BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH UKRAINE ON BLACK SEA FLEET -RUSSIAN SECURITY COUNCIL DECISION -Interfax

zerohedge ‏@zerohedge · 1 min
SECURITY OFFICIAL: "LAWFUL DESIRE OF PEOPLES OF CRIMEA AND EAST UKRAINIAN TO BE WITH RUSSIA CAUSING HYSTERIA IN THE US AND ITS ALLIES" - IFX

zerohedge ‏@zerohedge · 2 min
SECURITY OFFICIAL RUSSIA TAKING "OFFENSIVE COUNTERINTELLIGENCE MEASURES" IN RESPONSE - INTERFAX

Gregor Peter‏@L0gg0l8m
OBAMA SAYS RUSSIAN TROOPS TO INTIMIDATE UKRAINE OR BECAUSE THEY HAVE "ADDITIONAL PLANS" (via @cbsthismorning)

Gregor Peter ‏@L0gg0l · 5 min
OBAMA SAYS RUSSIAN TROOPS MASSING ALONG UKRAINE BORDER UNDER THE GUISE OF MILITARY PRACTICES

Barack Obama: Russia must pull back troops from Ukraine border
http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...der?CMP=twt_gu

Obama, "What I have repeatedly said is that he may be entirely misreading the west. He's certainly misreading American foreign policy. We have no interest in circling Russia and we have no interest in Ukraine beyond letting Ukrainian people make their own decisions about their own lives."



greg white‏@whitegl2 hrs

Russian Foreign Ministry says West needs to "take an aspirin" over fears of buildup on #ukraine border http://mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/newsline/669A4B53F115860644257CA9003D786A …

Obama To Putin: Will You Remove Your Troops From Ukraine, Pretty Please? – Putin To Obama: No.


It’s almost like Obama’s endless sternly worded statements are having no effect on Putin.
Via CBS News:

President Obama, in an interview in Rome with “CBS Evening News” anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley, said Russia must take steps now to reduce tensions over Ukraine.

“It’s well known and well acknowledged that you’ve seen a range of troops massing along that border under the guise of military exercises. But these are not what Russia would normally be doing. And, you know, it may simply be an effort to intimidate Ukraine or it may be that they’ve got additional plans,” Mr. Obama said.
To resolve and de-escalate the situation right now, Mr. Obama said Russia needs “to move back those troops and to begin negotiations directly with the Ukrainian government, as well as the international community.”

Mr. Obama said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been “willing to show a deeply held grievance about what he considers to be the loss of the Soviet Union.”

“You would have thought that after a couple of decades that there’d be an awareness on the part of any Russian leader that the path forward is not to revert back to the kinds of practices that, you know, were so prevalent during the Cold War but, in fact, to move forward with further integration with the world economy and to be a responsible international citizen.”
Keep reading…

ZIP | March 28, 2014 10:50 am

RT @Julie_C_Smith: This just in: NATO to elect and announce new Secretary General today.

via ‏@gerrydogma:

FP : US relying largely on still photos from satellites, alarmingly little in the way of signals intelligence, or intercepted communications

FP : US agencies have...increasingly dire assessments of the Russian activity & indicated the likelihood of an invasion is rapidly growing

FP : Intel officials have told Obama there is mounting evidence that Russia is preparing for a possibly imminent invasion of Ukraine.

James Miller‏@MillerMENA4 mins
The picture on our Ukraine Liveblog is a Russian tank in Simferopol yesterday http://bit.ly/1eZQx4j pic.twitter.com/6nxzHWW3Ra



Mike Giglio‏@mike_giglio·2h
"Nothing of the kind." RT @mfa_russia #Russia posing no military threat to #Ukraine http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_0...e-Moscow-5437/ … …

gandalf greybeard‏@gerrydogma·1h
@mike_giglio From the people that brought you "There are no Russian troops in Crimea" and "We have no intention of annexing Crimea" etc..






1413 GMT: Russian forces on the border may be far closer to full invasion strength than other estimates indicate. The Wall Street Journal reports:

Russian troops massing near Ukraine are actively concealing their positions and establishing supply lines that could be used in a prolonged deployment, ratcheting up concerns that Moscow is preparing for another major incursion and not conducting exercises as it claims, U.S. officials said.

Such an incursion could take place without warning because Russia has already deployed the array of military forces needed for such an operation, say officials briefed on the latest U.S. intelligence.

The rapid speed of the Russian military buildup and efforts to camouflage the forces and equipment have stoked U.S. fears, in part because American intelligence agencies have struggled to assess Russian President Vladimir Putin’s specific intentions.

According to this latest assessment, Russia has 50,000 troops on the border close enough to strike Ukraine. That is perhaps a 100% growth in just one week, and US officials say that far more Russian forces are positioned further back and can be quickly mobilized.
http://www.interpretermag.com/ukrain...ng-a-war/#1345

Jerry Popowicz‏@JerryPopowicz12m
Russian tanks on rail at Unecha, Bryansk Oblast, Russia. This area is experiencing a heavy military build-up March 23 pic.twitter.com/PDY7cIkRUQ



Jerry Popowicz‏@JerryPopowicz22m
Russian Army has spent 10 days restoring an old military airfield near Klimovo. For military aircraft? #Ukraine http://dumskaya.net/news/rossiyane-za-10-dnej-vosstanovili-voennyj-aerodr-034165/ …


LBCI News English‏@LBCI_News_EN·3 mins
#Russia has expanded its retaliatory sanctions against the West - Ria news agency cites foreign ministry Reuters


zerohedge‏@zerohedge·3 mins
RUSSIA TOOK STEPS TO WIDEN RETALIATORY SANCTIONS: RIA


Jerry Popowicz‏@JerryPopowicz22m
Russian Army has spent 10 days restoring an old military airfield near Klimovo. For military aircraft? #Ukraine http://dumskaya.net/news/rossiyane-za-10-dnej-vosstanovili-voennyj-aerodr-034165/ …



OSINT @osint_org
Russia Launches Nuclear-War Drill, Saying It Was Long Scheduled bit.ly/1jeIVfB

6m
House will consider Senate's Ukraine aid bill on Tuesday, House leadership aide says - @frankthorpNBC

Euromaidan PR‏@EuromaidanPR24m
#Euromaidan & Antimaidan activists in #Kharkiv plan to announce truce to counteract agitators in the region. http://kharkov.comments.ua







Jerry Popowicz‏@JerryPopowicz4m Bryansk Oblast. Russian army support vehicles on rail in Klintsy (March 27) SRC VK #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/haKt8IYqBf


John Schindler‏@20committee4m
Folks, it's just not that hard to employ good COMSEC when you're still in your own country; the trick is when your forces start moving.

John Schindler‏@20committee47 mins
Motyl: #Ukraine prepares for war http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/28/opinion/motyl-ukraine-military-buildup/ …

John Schindler‏@20committee51 mins
#Ukraine MFA accuses Russian security agencies, incl FSB, of destabilizing eastern & southern Ukraine - UNIAN

Paul Erickson ‏@epaulnet 2m
Pentagon 'Monitoring' Russian Troop Presence Along #Ukraine Border | ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/penta...ry?id=23085958 …

Micheál & Friends ‏@GorseFires 1m
Russian amphibious assault training exercise in Baltic 28 Mar http://function.mil.ru/news_page/cou...1913044@egNews … #Ukraine #Crimea #Russia




Ukraine Reporter ‏@StateOfUkraine 2m
Head of #Kherson (#Ukraine) region reports 3 fold increase in cars entering from #Crimea. Likely refugees. http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/03/28/7020636/ …


Alex Halpern ‏@HalpernAlex 3m
#Ukraine Air Force beginning large-scale air defense exercises. http://info-news.eu/ukraine-started-...efense-drills/ …

Russian military helicopters darting over Ukrainian territory
Crimean News, Today, 18:04
Helicopters crossing the border between Crimea and Kherson.
http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/rosiyski-viys...yu-342494.html

As conveyed correspondent, Russian MiG-35 crossed the administrative border and fly into Ukrainian territory literally "over the heads" of border guards. Helicopters cut into a circle, back to the Crimea.

RT @Missilito: USAF F-15's on Baltic Air Policing QRA scrambled four Russian #Airforce Su-24's and one An-26 over Baltic Sea on Friday via @Latvijas_armija


gandalf greybeard‏@gerrydogma2m
Russian military helicopters & support facilities, near Belgorod, close to northern UKR border http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtvKGBzJOio …

Missilito‏@Missilito27m
According to forum comment five military train transports pass Novozybkov station everyday. #Russia #Ukraine via nortwolf-sam

Missilito‏@Missilito27m
According to forum comment five military train transports pass Novozybkov station everyday. #Russia #Ukraine via nortwolf-sam

---

Missilito‏@Missilito31m
Strange APC's passing Novozybkov station, Bryansk Region [52°31′22″ N 31°56′49″E] Loudspeakers? Riot Control? Psyops? pic.twitter.com/WYzA0MURAh








Jerry Popowicz‏@JerryPopowicz7mMore Russian choppers at Valuyki Belgorod Oblast (March 28 20km from Ukrainian border SRC VK #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/5GOqmJT8bJ

Aureliano Buendia‏@Aureliano_no_241 hr
Unverified claim on #Ukraine air caps. from military: All su27s, su24s, su25s active, many mig29s reactivated. http://bit.ly/1iIaCN6

Euromaidan PR‏@EuromaidanPR1h
#Russian military helicopters keep flying near #Ukraine territory http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/rosiyski-viyskovi-gelikopteri-shastayut-nad-ukrayinskoyu-teritoriyeyu-342494.html … |PR News pic.twitter.com/dKzP6mYx3h




Euromaidan PR‏@EuromaidanPR4 mins
#Ukraine Ministry of Defense organizes air training http://www.5.ua/ukrajina/politika/item/376898-minoborony-provodyt-povitriani-navchannia … |PR News


http://news.belta.by/en/news/president?id=744081

“I’ve told Putin that making Crimea part of Russia is not a problem. Doing something in Ukraine, helping someone is not a problem either. But one has to bear in mind the consequences at every step,” said the Belarusian leader.

“What is the most dangerous thing for Belarus and Russia now? I and President Putin understand that the most dangerous thing would be Ukraine’s accession to NATO or NATO’s deployment and reinforcement in Ukraine. It is the worst thing that could happen for Russia and Belarus! It is more important than Crimea. I said that, too,” stated the Belarus President.

..

“If bloodshed had started, neither Russia nor Belarus would have been able to stay indifferent about it regardless of considerations about NATO. But these are only speculations. I don’t think there are so many cutthroats in Ukraine as to start the bloodshed. God forbid, I don’t even want to think about it,” concluded Alexander Lukashenko.

http://www.newsweek.com/stopping-put...-option-238783

Stopping Putin: The Military Option
By Max Strasser
Filed: 3/28/14 at 10:58 AM

[snip]

No matter what Russia does in Ukraine – even in the case of a full-scale invasion – there is little chance NATO, or the U.S. acting independent of the alliance, will engage in a shooting war with Russian troops.

FYI - this guy lives in Polkowice, Poland

Lukasz Wojcik‏@LukaszWojcik116h
Transport of about 50 #leopard tanks just cruised through my home town today. They go East... #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/m56pNf3nxU

[Avvakum]

Putin calls Obama to discuss U.S. proposal on Ukraine-White House

2 hours ago

.50,000 Russian Troops At the Ready on Ukraine's Border

By Steve Holland

Related Stories

• Obama to Putin: Pull back from Ukraine border Associated Press
• Russia's buildup near Ukraine may reach 40,000 troops: U.S. sources Reuters
• US expected to announce sanctions against Russia Associated Press
• US rejects Crimea vote, cites Russian intimidation Associated Press
• U.S. condemns Russian move to annex Ukraine's Crimea Reuters

RIYADH (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin called U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday to discuss a U.S. diplomatic proposal for Ukraine, the White House said, adding that Obama told him that Russia must pull back its troops and not move deeper into Ukraine.
It was believed to have been the first direct conversation between Obama and Putin since the United States and its European allies began imposing sanctions on Putin's inner circle and threatened to penalize key sectors of Russia's economy.
Russia's reinforcement of troops near Ukraine has brought the total forces there to as many as 40,000, U.S. officials estimated on Friday in a build-up that has increasingly worried Washington in recent days.
The White House noted specifically that it was Putin who called Obama, who is ending a four-country trip in Saudi Arabia and had just returned to his Riyadh hotel after talks with King Abdullah.
Putin called to discuss a U.S. proposal for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine crisis, which Secretary of State John Kerry again presented to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting at The Hague earlier this week.
View gallery

Members of the Ukrainian far-right radical group Right Sector stand outside the parliament in Kiev M …

The United States has been pressing Russia to pull back its troops to their Crimean bases and agree to talks with the Ukrainian government with international mediation. International monitors would go into Ukraine to assure that the ethnic Russian minority there is safe.
"President Obama suggested that Russia put a concrete response in writing and the presidents agreed that Kerry and Lavrov would meet to discuss next steps," the White House said.
A senior Obama administration official described the call as "frank and direct," and said the next step is the Kerry-Lavrov follow-up discussions to see whether the Russians are serious about diplomacy.
The official also said Obama and Putin discussed the latest version of a "working document" that Kerry and Lavrov have been working on regarding ways to defuse the crisis.
"We have been in close touch with the Ukrainian government in this process," the official added.
Obama and European leaders this week piled pressure on Russia to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis in a peaceful way. In a speech on Wednesday in Brussels, Obama built his case for sanctions against parts of the Russian economy like the energy industry and said NATO would bolster its presence in the alliance's member nations close to Russia.
The White House said Obama stressed to Putin that the United States continues to support a diplomatic path in close consultation with the Ukrainian government.
"President Obama made clear that this remains possible only if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty," the White House said.
The Russian deployments on the border with Ukraine include the establishment of supply lines and the fielding of a wide range of military forces, U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
These include militia or special forces units made up of Russian fighters wearing uniforms lacking insignia or other identifying markings, similar to the first Russian forces to move into Crimea during Russia's recent military takeover there, according to U.S. and European sources familiar with official reporting.
(Reporting By Steve Holland; editing by Alistair Bell, Sandra Maler and G Crosse)

[Avvakum]

Yep, Russia is so intent on crushing the freedom of Ukraine that.... It's returning military equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces;

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/russia-a...aine-1.1749988

[Avvakum]

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Blogs » Lee Fang » How the Gas Lobby Is Using the Crimea Crisis to Push Bad Policy and Make More Money

Lee Fang

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Investigating the intersection of politics, lobbying and public policy at RepublicReport.org.




How the Gas Lobby Is Using the Crimea Crisis to Push Bad Policy and Make More Money

Lee Fang on March 20, 2014 - 11:14 AM ET

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Rex Tillerson " class="imagecache imagecache-main_node_view_image" height="400" width="615">


Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, which has ties with Russian gas giants (Photo courtesy of Michael Wuertenberg, CC 2.0)



This post was originally published at RepublicReport.org
A small group of pundits and politicians with close ties to the fossil fuel industry are using the crisis in Crimea to demand that the United States promote natural gas exports as a quick fix for the volatile situation. But such a solution, experts say, would cost billions of dollars, require years of development, and would not significantly impact the international price of gas or Russia’s role as a major supplier for the region. Rather, the move would simply increase gas prices for American consumers while enriching companies involved in the liquified natural gas (LNG) trade.
On Capitol Hill, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) was among the first to use the crisis in Ukraine to demand that the Department of Energy speed up the approval process for new LNG terminals. “Now is the time to send the signal to our global allies that US natural gas will be an available and viable alternative to their energy needs,” said Upton in a statement. As we’ve reported, Upton’s committee is managed in part by Tom Hassenboehler, a former lobbyist who joined Upton’s staff last year after working for America’s Natural Gas Alliance, the primary trade group pushing to expand natural gas development and LNG exports.
Paul Bledsoe, in an opinion column for Reuters, wrote that the United States should expedite natural gas exports to “bolster transatlantic solidarity and help to form a united US-EU response to Russian intervention in Crimea.” He was identified in the piece as a member of the “White House Climate Change Task Force under President Clinton.” What wasn’t disclosed, however, is that Bledsoe is an official with a pro–fossil fuels think tank called the Bipartisan Policy Center, which is funded by the American Gas Association and energy companies with a financial stake in promoting the natural gas industry. (Although he’s not listed on the website, a representative with BPC told Republic Report that Bledsoe continues to work there.)

Groups created and funded by Charles Koch, chief executive of Koch Industries, have also demanded that America should respond to the crisis in Crimea with LNG exports. “A serious President would also fast-forward permits on new liquefied natural gas terminals that could ship to Europe,” claims a column posted by Americans for Prosperity, a Koch-run advocacy group. A similar argument is advanced by the Koch-founded Cato Institute.

What’s left undisclosed, however, is the huge financial stake in the debate for Koch Industries. A brochure for the company shows that Koch has deeply expanded its footprint into the natural gas market, and is now actively engaged in shipping, sourcing and marketing LNG, in addition to becoming a leader in developing financial instruments related to natural gas. “To complement existing North American activities from Houston and to optimize their global portfolio, KS&T companies are expanding a Europe-wide natural gas business from Geneva and an LNG trading business from offices in Houston and London,” reads the document. Further, Koch federal lobbying disclosures show that the firm has pushed a bill to expedite LNG exports from America to NATO countries.

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In perhaps the most ironic twist of this public debate around how to respond to Russia’s incursion into Crimea, American lobbyists with ties to Russia are calling for a solution that would not only shield Russian gas oligarchs, but enrich them. The National Association of Manufacturers has opposed tough sanctions on Russia. Instead, NAM has used the crisis in Ukraine to “urge speedier approval of liquified natural gas exports, arguing that the move would weaken Vladimir Putin’s control over Europe’s energy supply.” NAM’s chief lobbyist Jay Timmons told Politico that an LNG-export response would “send a strong signal to the Russian Federation, our NATO allies, our trading partners and the rest of the world that energy exports matter and are a critical tool of American foreign policy.”
What Timmons did not mention is that ExxonMobil is a leading member of his trade association, and that ExxonMobil has extensive ties to Russian gas giants, including partnerships to develop natural gas in the United States and around the world. (For more on the business ties, see Kert Davies and Steve Horn’s recent reporting on the Putin-sanctioned alliance between ExxonMobil and Russian state–owned oil and gas giant Rosneft.) In short, Timmons’s strong signal to Russia would help Russian gas businesses.

[Avvakum]

Mar 28, 2014 7:40AM ET / Russians in Ukraine
Ultra-Nationalist Group Riles Kiev as Congress Approves Aid Bill

Danielle Wiener-Bronner

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Activists of the Right Sector movement and their supporters gather outside the parliament building to demand the immediate resignation of Internal Affairs Minister Arsen Avakov, Kiev, March 27, 2014. (REUTERS/VALENTYN OGIRENK)

Yesterday, the House and Senate approved $1 billion towards $27 billion total international aid for Ukraine, while President Barack Obama warned that it is "important for us not to promise and then not to be able to deliver."
The bills passed through both the House and Senate with near unanimity, and include a measure to expand sanctions against Russia in addition to the pledge for aiding Ukraine. “This bill is a first step toward supporting the Ukrainians and our Central and Eastern European partners, and imposing truly significant costs on Moscow,” said House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor.

Robert Menendez and Bob Corker talk Ukraine.

According to the New York Times, however, the overwhelming agreement on the decision to usher the bills to Obama belie a confusion about what to do after that — especially with regards to Russia:

Lawmakers in both parties called for more aggressive sanctions on Russia, including penalties for the banking and energy sectors. Some senators pressed for increased military assistance to Ukraine and an expanded NATO force in Eastern Europe. And Republicans called for flooding Europe with liquefied natural gas to break the Continent’s dependence on Russia. “We’ve got to do this now, because once he goes in, what are we going to do, put boots on the ground?” asked Senator Kelly Ayotte, Republican of New Hampshire. But voices just as adamant urged caution, and few lawmakers said they were eager for a military confrontation.

Western sanctions against Russia have failed to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt plans to annex Crimea, a move the UN called illegal.
Meanwhile, Obama closed his trip to Europe by reiterating support for Ukraine and a commitment to sanctioning Russia — but with a cautious tone. He explained that forcing through more Russian sanctions could end up hurting American business:

Hopefully we can design sanctions that minimize the impact on American companies or Italian companies and maximize the impact on Russian entities. Hopefully we don't have to use them... We're continually hopeful Russia walks through the door of diplomacy and works with all of us to try to resolve this issue in a peaceful way.

Obama also said that stabilizing Ukraine would be a priority:

There are ways for us to hopefully influence Russian decision-making and one of the most important things we can do on that front is make sure that the Ukrainian government is stable, that its finances are stable, and their elections go forward as currently scheduled.

Ukraine has agreed to harsh austerity measures, like hiking up the price of gas, in accepting the International Monetary Fund's bailout package. But unrest is stirring in Kiev again, putting local leaders on edge. On Thursday night, activists from the ultra-nationalist group Right Sector stormed the parliamentary building in Kiev, blaming the government for the death of leader Oleksandr Muzycho.
Muzycho was killed in a shootout with police on Monday. Ukraine's interim president Oleksandr Turchynov warned that the group, which helped oust deposed president Viktor Yanukovych, was focused on "destabilization" of the country. It appears they've already started to do so:

[vector7]

zerohedge ‏@zerohedge · 14 min
Russia's Military Begins Massive Nuclear War Drill http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-0...lear-war-drill

[Ryan Ruck]

Link to Zero Hedge is broken. Here's the article:

Russia's Military Begins Nuclear War Drill

March 29, 2014

Submitted by Zachary Zeck of The Diplomat,

While much Western attention has been bestowed on Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine, Moscow also began a massive nuclear offensive exercise on Thursday.

According to the Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta, on Thursday Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces began a massive three-day exercise involving 10,000 soldiers and 1,000 pieces of equipment from more than 30 units. The major purpose of the drill, according to the report—which cites multiple senior Russian military officers—is to ensure Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces have sufficient readiness to conduct offensive operations involving the massive and simultaneous use of nuclear missiles.

Global Security Newswire previously carried a story on the nuclear exercise, also citing the Nezavisimaya Gazeta article. GSN described the exercise as “as practice for a large-scale nuclear offensive.” It added: “Exercise participants were set to position and prepare missile-firing units for launch, and to practice various administrative and support functions for the operation.

As Russia’s conventional military capabilities have deteriorated following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow has become increasingly reliant on operationalizing its nuclear arsenal. This has been reflected in successive Russian security documents. For example, Russia’s 1997 national security concept stated that Russia would use its nuclear arsenal “in case of a threat to the existence of the Russian Federation,” whether that threat came in the form of nuclear weapons or from a conventionally superior military power.

This threshold was further lowered in Russia’s 2000 military doctrine, which was the first released during Vladimir Putin’s presidency. This document said that Russia would use nuclear weapons “in response to large-scale aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to the national security of the Russian Federation.” This held out the possibility that Russia would use nuclear weapons even if Russia proper hadn’t been attacked. The same doctrine further noted that Russia reserved the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of any kind of weapons of mass destruction against it.

Shortly before reassuming the Russian presidency for a third term, Putin reaffirmed the importance he placed on Russia’s nuclear forces in a number of articles and speeches. For example, in an op-ed article in Foreign Policy magazine, Putin wrote: “We will, under no circumstances, surrender our strategic deterrent capability. Indeed, we will strengthen it.”

Thus, this week’s massive offensive nuclear drill is in line with the goals that Russia and Putin have been articulating for well over a decade. It is also consistent with Putin’s recent emphasis on conducting more frequent and sophisticated military drills to improve the combat readiness of Russian military forces. Indeed, Russia conducted a much smaller surprise nuclear drill in October of last year.

Still, the timing of the drill is likely to cause great concern in Western capitals, particularly in Washington. The drill could very well be intended to signal Russia’s resolve over events in Ukraine where Russia has been at loggerheads with the West and the government in Kiev over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea. A very visible reminder of Russia’s substantial nuclear capabilities would make sense for Moscow in a number of different contingencies, including if Russia is intending to move forces deeper into eastern Ukraine, as many currently fear.

For what it’s worth, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta article said there was no connection between the current nuclear exercise and the crisis in Ukraine. As evidence of this, it pointed out that in December of last year the commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces had said that his forces would conduct a large and complicated exercise sometime during 2014. From this, the Russian daily concluded that the drill had been planned for weeks and was completely unrelated to the tensions of Ukraine.

At the same time, it ended the article by noting that testing the readiness of Russia’s strategic forces was especially important in light of the “current reality of the world situation.”

[Avvakum]

Link to Zero Hedge is broken. Here's the article:

Russia's Military Begins Nuclear War Drill

March 29, 2014

Submitted by Zachary Zeck of The Diplomat,

While much Western attention has been bestowed on Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine, Moscow also began a massive nuclear offensive exercise on Thursday.

According to the Russian daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta, on Thursday Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces began a massive three-day exercise involving 10,000 soldiers and 1,000 pieces of equipment from more than 30 units. The major purpose of the drill, according to the report—which cites multiple senior Russian military officers—is to ensure Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces have sufficient readiness to conduct offensive operations involving the massive and simultaneous use of nuclear missiles.

Global Security Newswire previously carried a story on the nuclear exercise, also citing the Nezavisimaya Gazeta article. GSN described the exercise as “as practice for a large-scale nuclear offensive.” It added: “Exercise participants were set to position and prepare missile-firing units for launch, and to practice various administrative and support functions for the operation.

As Russia’s conventional military capabilities have deteriorated following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moscow has become increasingly reliant on operationalizing its nuclear arsenal. This has been reflected in successive Russian security documents. For example, Russia’s 1997 national security concept stated that Russia would use its nuclear arsenal “in case of a threat to the existence of the Russian Federation,” whether that threat came in the form of nuclear weapons or from a conventionally superior military power.

This threshold was further lowered in Russia’s 2000 military doctrine, which was the first released during Vladimir Putin’s presidency. This document said that Russia would use nuclear weapons “in response to large-scale aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to the national security of the Russian Federation.” This held out the possibility that Russia would use nuclear weapons even if Russia proper hadn’t been attacked. The same doctrine further noted that Russia reserved the right to use nuclear weapons in response to the use of any kind of weapons of mass destruction against it.

Shortly before reassuming the Russian presidency for a third term, Putin reaffirmed the importance he placed on Russia’s nuclear forces in a number of articles and speeches. For example, in an op-ed article in Foreign Policy magazine, Putin wrote: “We will, under no circumstances, surrender our strategic deterrent capability. Indeed, we will strengthen it.”

Thus, this week’s massive offensive nuclear drill is in line with the goals that Russia and Putin have been articulating for well over a decade. It is also consistent with Putin’s recent emphasis on conducting more frequent and sophisticated military drills to improve the combat readiness of Russian military forces. Indeed, Russia conducted a much smaller surprise nuclear drill in October of last year.

Still, the timing of the drill is likely to cause great concern in Western capitals, particularly in Washington. The drill could very well be intended to signal Russia’s resolve over events in Ukraine where Russia has been at loggerheads with the West and the government in Kiev over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea. A very visible reminder of Russia’s substantial nuclear capabilities would make sense for Moscow in a number of different contingencies, including if Russia is intending to move forces deeper into eastern Ukraine, as many currently fear.

For what it’s worth, the Nezavisimaya Gazeta article said there was no connection between the current nuclear exercise and the crisis in Ukraine. As evidence of this, it pointed out that in December of last year the commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces had said that his forces would conduct a large and complicated exercise sometime during 2014. From this, the Russian daily concluded that the drill had been planned for weeks and was completely unrelated to the tensions of Ukraine.

At the same time, it ended the article by noting that testing the readiness of Russia’s strategic forces was especially important in light of the “current reality of the world situation.”

No country but especially Russia could responsibly fail in the mission of defending it's sovereignty and in fact it's national existence, by failing to maintain it's strength in this day and age, especially after losing 27 million + people in the last Patriotic War against the Third Reich. Russia need not have an Enemy specifically to measure it's defenses against, but history shows the madness of unpreparedness, like 'Operation Barbarossa' in 1941 and Pearl Harbor against the US in that same year.

Here in America, complacent and lazy with peace, arrogance, and wealth, we would do well to consider what the Russians are doing, and maintain our own Arsenals, and like the Russians, restore civic pride and civil defense measures also.

[vector7]

Jerry Popowicz ‏@JerryPopowicz 29m
Wow! So this is how Russian Army unloads at Klimovo Bryansk Oblast,
near the Ukrainian border
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA04zzDjNc4 … pic.twitter.com/hSFHCWB7KI



Ukraine Reporter ‏@StateOfUkraine 16m
#Russia has reduced troop numbers near border with #Ukraine but swapped in advanced T-90 tanks and elite paratroopers http://inforesist.org/k-granicam-s-u...t-90-i-desant/ …

http://1greywind.livejournal.com/497016.html


Nathan Hunt: "reportedly assets that have been moved into one of the taken Ukr airbase in Crimea."

Vice News Russian Roulette series:

The previous 01-11 episodes can be found posted here.

The previous 12-14 episodes can be found posted here.

The previous 15-18 episodes can be found posted here.

Russian Roulette: The Invasion of Ukraine (Dispatch Nineteen)

Published on Mar 28, 2014

Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News

Earlier this week, Ukraine's government finally grasped reality and ordered its troops out of Crimea. But by the time of the evacuation order, Russia's military had already started booting Ukrainian troops from their bases or getting them to switch sides. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky met with Ukrainian Marines in Feodosia as they decided whether to remain loyal to their country or break their oath of allegiance to stay with their families in Crimea.





Russian Roulette: The Invasion of Ukraine (Dispatch Twenty)

Published on Mar 29, 2014
Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News

As Crimea becomes part of Russia, tensions continue to rise in Ukraine and demonstrators attempt to break into parliament in Kiev. VICE News' Simon Ostrovsky joins the protesters in Independence Square as they fight for a change in their government.




Russian Roulette: The Invasion of Ukraine (Dispatch Twenty One)

Published on Apr 3, 2014
Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News

Ukraine's ultra-nationalist Right Sector movement has been extremely active during the Euromaidan protests, but Kiev is now moving to disarm the group. On Monday, one Right Sector member instigated a shootout outside a restaurant. Three people were injured, including a city official. In response, riot police surrounded the Dnipro Hotel, which the group was using as their headquarters. The group was forced to vacate the building without their weapons and move to a base outside Kiev. Simon Ostrovsky of VICE News was there as events unfolded.




Vladimir Putin ‘wants to regain Finland’ for Russia, adviser says



Finland has increased border surveillance in recent weeks as Mr Putin moves to ‘protect what belongs to him and his predecessors’

Adam Withnall

Sunday 30 March 2014

After annexing Crimea and with troops massed on the border of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin will not stop trying to expand Russia until he has “conquered” Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland, one of his closest former advisers has said.

According to Andrej Illarionov, the President’s chief economic adviser from 2000 to 2005, Mr Putin seeks to create “historical justice” with a return to the days of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and the Soviet Union under Stalin.

Speaking to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, Mr Illarionov warned that Russia will argue that the granting of independence to Finland in 1917 was an act of “treason against national interests”.

“Putin’s view is that he protects what belongs to him and his predecessors,” Mr Illarionov said.

“Parts of Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States and Finland are states where Putin claims to have ownership.

He added: “The West’s leaders seem, from what they say, entirely to have forgotten that there are some leaders in the world who want to conquer other countries.”

Read more: 'Russia threatened countries ahead of vote'
Putin calls Obama as Russia positions troops along border
Obama warns Russia 'must pull back troops' from Ukraine border
Crimea's dolphin army to be taken over by Putin

Mr Illarionov has helped draft a host of Russia’s economic policies in recent years, and served as Mr Putin’s personal representative at a number of G8 conferences. He is now a senior fellow at the Cato institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity in Washington.

Finland is not a Nato member, meaning a Russian invasion would not be considered an attack against the alliance. The commander of the Finnish air force has said it has increased surveillance operations over the Baltic Sea in recent weeks.

The Scandinavian nation was part of the Russian empire for 108 years as an autonomous Grand Duchy. Asked if Mr Putin posed an immediate threat to what is now a stalwart of the EU, Mr Illarionov said: “It is not on Putin's agenda today or tomorrow.

“But if Putin is not stopped, the issue will be brought sooner or later. Putin has said several times that the Bolsheviks and Communists made big mistakes. He could well say that the Bolsheviks in 1917 committed treason against Russian national interests by granting Finland's independence.”

On the subject of what can be done to stop the progress of Russian expansion, Mr Illarionov said sanctions had helped rather than hindered Mr Putin because they “confirm his view of the world” – and that of “the Kremlin’s propaganda”.

“We must offer resistance by all means available,” he said. “I'm not a bloodthirsty person, but there is sometimes no other way than military power to stop an opponent. The only answer to pure aggression is demonstrating willingness to offer a collective defence.”

[American Patriot]

Ryan... any predictions?

[Ryan Ruck]

LOL

But seriously, I do still think it is a distinct possibility that Russia will carve off their bit of Ukraine and then settle back down while everyone capitulates to them, just like what went down with Georgia.

The the thing that gives me pause is the massive troop buildup which is far larger than what their current operation would call for. Also concerning are the reports of Russian subversives becoming active in Estonia and Latvia. They are NATO countries. If anything happens with them, all bets are off.

[American Patriot]

Pretty much my thoughts. Russia will do what they want, the rest of the world will piss and moan. There IS a chance though this could escalate quicker than any of us believe and blow up in everyone's faces.

It's that "blow up" part I'm concerned about.

[American Patriot]

Number of Russian troops on Ukrainian border decreases - defence official

KIEV, March 31 Mon Mar 31, 2014 1:07pm BST





(Reuters) - The number of Russian troops deployed on the border with Ukraine is decreasing, a Ukrainian defence ministry official said at a news conference on Monday, adding that it was not possible to verify how many had left so far.


But Major-General Oleksandr Rozmaznin told journalists the drop in numbers might reflect a scheduled rotation of conscripts.


"The number of soldiers has fallen, but the exact figure is pretty approximate. I can not confirm the number," said Rozmaznin when asked if as many as 10,000 soldiers might have left the border.

[American Patriot]

Russia sets terms for Ukraine deal as 40,000 troops mass on border

Lavrov demands that Kiev have only limited powers as Kerry says military moves are obstructing peace deal

• The Guardian, Sunday 30 March 2014

Link to video: John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov on Ukraine crisis talks Russia on Sunday night repeated its demand that the US and its European partners accept its proposal that ethnic Russian regions of eastern and southern Ukraine be given extensive autonomous powers independent of Kiev as a condition for agreeing a diplomatic solution to the crisis over its annexation of Crimea.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, told reporters Ukraine could not function as a "unified state" and should become a loose federation. He made the remarks after an inconclusive meeting with John Kerry, the US secretary of state, at the Russian ambassador's residence in Paris following a day in which tensions over Ukraine deepened appreciably. Lavrov called the talks "very, very constructive".
Kerry told reporters the US and Russia agreed on the need for a diplomatic solution but made clear there had been no breakthrough, saying the Russian troop build-up along the border was creating a climate of fear and intimidation in Ukraine and was not helpful.


He called for Russia to pull back its forces and said talks on the country's future must include Kiev's leaders. "We will not accept a path forward where the legitimate government of Ukraine is not at the table. This principle is clear. No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine."


Despite the distance between the two sides, Kerry said Washington would "consider the ideas and the suggestions that we developed tonight".


The meeting took place against an ominous backdrop of the gathering of an estimated 40,000 Russian troops on Ukraine's eastern border, and warnings from Nato and the Pentagon that the Russian military activity, ostensibly relating to routine exercises, was abnormal and could be a prelude to an invasion.


General Philip Breedlove, Nato supreme allied commander Europe and the head of the US military's European command, was ordered back to his post in Brussels during a visit to Washington after Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, pointed to "a lack of transparency" from Russia about the troop movements. Unlike Moscow, Washington has said it will not resort to force to resolve the crisis.


The US has called on Russia to disarm irregular forces in Crimea, admit international observers and pull its troops back from the eastern border. But speaking to Russian state television before the talks, Lavrov laid out Moscow's quite different terms. Primarily, he said, Russia was seeking a federal solution for Ukraine as part of "deep constitutional reform".


"Frankly speaking, we don't see any other way for the steady development of the Ukrainian state apart from as a federation," he added. Under the Russian plan, which Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin reportedly discussed in a phone call initiated by Moscow on Friday, each region would have control of its economy, taxes, culture, language, education and "external economic and cultural connections with neighbouring countries or regions", Lavrov said.


"Given the proportion of native Russians [in Ukraine], we propose this and we are sure there is no other way."


The Russian proposal to radically alter the way Ukraine is governed and administered is certain to arouse strong opposition in Kiev, where it will be viewed by critics of Moscow's intervention in Crimea as a roundabout way of breaking up or partitioning the country.


In an apparent attempt to assuage concerns in Kiev and western capitals about Russian intentions, Lavrov said there were no plans to invade eastern Ukraine.


Latest US intelligence estimates based on satellite data indicate that Russia's troops on the Ukrainian border include a wide range of special units, elite forces and equipment.


"We have absolutely no intention of, or interest in, crossing Ukraine's borders," Lavrov said. "We [Russia and the west] are getting closer in our positions." He said Moscow's terms for defusing the crisis, the worst between the west and Russia since the end of the cold war, also included a pledge by Kiev's government that Ukraine would not seek to join Nato.


The eastward expansion of Nato since the collapse of the Soviet Union was one of the main grievances Putin expressed in a speech in Moscow this month when Crimea joined the Russian Federation.


Lavrov said Russia remained determined to protect the rights of Russian speakers in eastern and southern Ukraine and implied that it reserved the right to take appropriate action if its proposals for a federation and other settlement terms were not accepted.


Apparently seeking to exploit western unease about long-standing policy aims beyond Ukraine, Putin reportedly told Obama that Moscow also wanted guarantees about the future of the Russian-backed separatist territory of Transnistria in Moldova, on Ukraine's south-west border.


Putin told Obama the fate of the breakaway region should be solved not by force but by talks in the 5+2 format of Moldova, Transnistria, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Russia and Ukraine, with the EU and US as observers.


The Kremlin said Putin had suggested "examining possible steps the global community can take to help stabilise the situation" in the region. It was unclear what response the US and its EU partners would make to the Russian demands.


The Obama administration has insisted Russia withdraw its forces from Crimea, reduce its military build-up on the eastern border, respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine and support national polls due in May to elect a new president and government.


The US and EU imposed limited sanctions on Russia following the annexation of Crimea. Lavrov said the measures had had little impact.


Lavrov made no mention of the Ukraine elections or any possible withdrawal from Crimea. Many analysts now predict that in any deal, the US and its western allies, and thus Kiev, will be forced to accept the annexation as a fait accompli.

[American Patriot]

Ukraine crisis: Talks between US, Russia fail to break deadlock
Published March 30, 2014
FoxNews.com

Is Russia preparing for a full invasion of Ukraine?
Putin's ambitions far from finished in Eastern...
Rep. Hunter says US has 'no leverage' in Russia

Four hours of talks between Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart failed to break a tense East-West deadlock over how to proceed on the Ukraine crisis, though the two men agreed the situation requires a diplomatic solution.

The talks came hours after a leading Ukrainian military analyst told Fox News there are now about 50,000 Russian troops within several hours of the two nations' border, but there has been a "general decrease in tensions" since Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Obama on Friday.

Sitting face-to-face but not seeing eye-to-eye on any of the most critical issues, Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov advanced far different proposals on how to calm tensions and de-escalate the situation, particularly as Russia continues to mass troops along its border with the former Soviet republic. As he called for Moscow to begin an immediate pullback of the troops, Kerry also ruled out discussion of Russia's demand for Ukraine to become a loose federation until-and-unless Ukrainians are at the table.

"The Russian troop buildup is creating a climate of fear and intimidation in Ukraine," Kerry told reporters at the home of the U.S. ambassador to France after the meeting, which was held at the Russian ambassador's residence and included a working dinner. "It certainly does not create the climate that we need for dialogue."

The U.S. believes the massing of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, ostensibly for military exercises, along the border is at once an attempt to intimidate Ukraine's new leaders after Russia's annexation of the strategic Crimean peninsula and to use a bargaining chip with the United States and the European Union, which have condemned Crimea's absorption into Russia and imposed sanctions on senior Russian officials.

Kerry noted that even if the troops remain on Russian soil and do not enter Ukraine, they create a negative atmosphere.

"The question is not one of right or legality," he said. "The question is one of strategic appropriateness and whether it's smart at this moment of time to have troops massed on the border."

Of the 50,000 troops, about 10,000 are located directly at the border, but Ukrainian military analyst Dmitry Tymchuk told Fox News on Sunday he has seen some "pull-back and regrouping" of these soldiers, lessening the immediate chances of a full-scale Russian invasion.

Russia says the troops near the border are there for military exercises and that they have no plans to invade, but U.S. and European officials say the numbers and locations of the troops suggest something more than exercises.

And, despite the Russian assurances, U.S., European and Ukrainian officials are deeply concerned about the buildup, which they fear could be a prelude to an invasion or intimidation to compel Kiev to accept Moscow's demands.

U.S. officials said Kerry proposed a number of ideas on troop withdrawals from the border and that Lavrov, while making no promises, told him he would present the proposals to the Kremlin.

At a separate news conference at the Russian ambassador's house, Lavrov did not address the troop issue. Instead, he made the case for Moscow's idea of Ukraine as a federalized nation with its various regions enjoying major autonomy from the government in Kiev. Russia says it is particularly concerned about the treatment of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers who live in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Lavrov said that Ukraine can't function as a "unified state" and should be a loose federation of regions that are each allowed to choose their own economic, financial, social, linguistic and religious models.

He said every time Ukraine has elected a new president, the country has adopted a new constitution, proving that "the model of a unified state doesn't work."

Ukrainian officials are wary of decentralizing power, fearing that pro-Russia regions would hamper its Western aspirations and potentially split the country apart. However, they are exploring political reforms that could grant more authority to local governments.

The U.S. has been coy about their position on a federation. Washington has encouraged ongoing political and constitutional reform efforts that the government in Kiev is now working on but U.S. officials insist that any changes to Ukraine's governing structure must be acceptable to the Ukrainians.

Kerry said the federation idea had not been discussed in any serious way during his meeting with Lavrov "because it would have been inappropriate to do so without Ukrainian input."

"It is not up to us to make any decision or agreement regarding federalization," he said. "It is up to Ukrainians."

"We will not accept a path forward where the legitimate government of Ukraine is not at the table," Kerry said, adding that the bottom line is: "No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine."

Lavrov denied that Moscow wants to "split Ukraine."

"Federation does not mean, as some in Kiev fear, an attempt to split Ukraine," he said. "To the contrary, federation ... answers the interests of all regions of Ukraine."

Lavrov said he and Kerry did agree to work with the Ukrainian government to improve rights for Russian-speaking Ukrainians and disarm "irregular forces and provocateurs."

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that U.S. officials have been divided over whether Putin's call was indicative of a genuine desire to ease tensions between East and West or a pretext for further military action in Eastern Europe.

White House officials described the call as "frank and direct" and said Obama had urged Putin to offer a written response to a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine crisis that the U.S. has presented. Obama also urged Moscow to scale back its troop build-up on the border with Ukraine, which has prompted concerns in Kiev and Washington about a possible Russian invasion in eastern Ukraine.

The Kremlin, on the other hand, said Putin had drawn Obama's attention to a "rampage of extremists" in Ukraine and suggested "possible steps by the international community to help stabilize the situation" in Ukraine.

Kerry has repeatedly met with Lavrov over the past month in attempts to halt Russia's annexation of Crimea. However, those talks have proven fruitless, and U.S. officials tell the Journal that Putin is likely to demand that the U.S. accept Russia's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula earlier this month as the minimum necessary for any cooperation between the two nations.

In previous meetings, Mr. Kerry has outlined to Mr. Lavrov a common approach to resolving the Ukraine crisis, U.S. officials told the Journal. This included joint initiatives to stabilize Kiev's economy, promote the decentralization of the country's political system and demobilize pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian paramilitaries that have blossomed across the country in recent months. However, those proposed initiatives have been contingent on the unlikely event of Russia pulling back from Crimea.

White House officials described the call as "frank and direct" and said Obama had urged Putin to offer a written response to a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine crisis that the U.S. has presented. Obama also urged Moscow to scale back its troop build-up on the border with Ukraine, which has prompted concerns in Kiev and Washington about a possible Russian invasion in eastern Ukraine.

The Kremlin, on the other hand, said Putin had drawn Obama's attention to a "rampage of extremists" in Ukraine and suggested "possible steps by the international community to help stabilize the situation" in Ukraine.

[American Patriot]

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Paul Roderick Gregory Contributor Follow

I cover domestic and world economics from a free-market perspective full bio →

Op/Ed 3/30/2014 @ 5:17PM 7,331 views

Putin's Brazen Demand In Return For Him NOT Invading Ukraine

An unexpected late-night call from Vladimir Putin to Barack Obama has raised hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. Do not hold your breath Washington D.C.! Putin’s vague assurances that Russia favors diplomacy over tanks were sufficient to lure John Kerry to redirect his plane to Paris for talks with his counterpart on Monday.

But, rest assured, Putin’s diversion from arms to diplomacy is designed to test whether he can get the United States to sell out Ukraine without an invasion that would further isolate Russia and inflict serious damage on its economy.


Putin’s diplomats are already making the case for an agreement that creates an emasculated Ukraine comprised of loosely connected regions, each conducting its own economic and foreign policy (and free to join Russia if they wish), with a powerless figure-head government twiddling its thumbs in Kiev. And Ukraine: Say good by to joining the European Union under such circumstances. You are no longer a country.


President Obama’s sole offer of military assistance to Ukraine so far.

Barack Obama & Vladimir Putin at Putin’s dacha 2009-07-07 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)




The timing of Putin’s bid for a diplomatic solution reflects the erosion of his Big Lie as he moves from the small Crimean to the big theater of Ukraine. (See my Mr. Putin: Tear Down That Potemkin Village). Thinking people are beginning to ask why Putin’s propagandists can cite virtually no cases of Ukrainian-on-Russian ethnic violence, only a few victims of riots or random bullets. As OSCE observers fan out through Ukraine, they are also finding no instances of extremist or neo-Nazi violence other than events staged by Russian titushki (the Ukrainian slang for paid Russian provocateurs). As days pass, even observers sympathetic to Russia will increasingly understand the fiction of Putin’s Big Lie.The expected election of a moderate reform president, with no record of ethnic enmity, and the miserly showing of right-wing candidates, would reveal to the world the hollowness of Putin’s portrayal of Ukraine as Serbia-Kosovo boiling cauldron of ethnic animosity. The Ukrainian people seem to be showing great wisdom in uniting behind a consensus candidate, whom the Russians would find difficult to discredit.


The impending May 25 presidential election poses an even greater threat to the Putin Big Lie narrative. Yesterday’s filing deadline brought forth five candidates. The front runner, Pyotr Poroshenko (UDAR Party), a Ukrainian businessman and pro-European member of parliament, is projected to garner 36 percent, after UDAR’s leader former boxing champion, Vitaly Klitschko, withdrew in favor of Poroshenko. Former prime minister, Yulia Timoshenko’s anti-Russia program is projected to attract a voter tally of 11 percent, Kharkiv’s mayor, Mikhail Dobkin, representing Yanukovich’s Party of the Regions, is expected to gain 5 percent. The candidates of the two nationalist parties (Tyagnibok and Yarosh) are expected to gain one to two percent each.
Unlike the Crimean referendum, which took place under the tutelage of Kalashnikovs, criminal thugs, titushki meddlers, and without international observers, the Ukrainian presidential election will be watched by hundreds of certified observers, monitoring polling places and the election count. The Ukrainian election commission, unlike its Russian counterpart, is allowing in all contenders, who can distribute their election material and most likely appear on Ukrainian media (which is currently blacked out in the East and South).
The Russian and Ukrainian people are not stupid, despite being barraged by Putin’s Big Lie. Russia’s rulers cannot afford to let their subjects see a real democratic election. For most Russians, quasi-democratic elections are, at best, a distant memory dating back to Boris Yeltsin.
Putin cannot allow this election to take place. It will reveal the trivial support for the so-called radical neo-Nazi nationalists. Putin cannot spin Poroshenko, who has served in several governments, into an anti-Russian neo-Nazi radical. True Timoshenko made inflammatory anti-Putin statements, which will limit her appeal to the broad Ukrainian electorate. It seems Ukrainian voters, who sympathize with her years in prison on trumped up charges, feel she had her chance to rule and failed. It is time for new blood.
Putin’s diplomatic push, therefore, is against the May 25 election. His diplomats propose (Lavrov and Itar-Tass News Agency) that the presidential election be declared illegal to be replaced by ill-defined regional and local referenda. Before any national election, Russian diplomats demand, Ukraine must adopt deep constitutional reforms (when and how?) so that they can have “a president supported by all.” (Quite a task in a country as divided as Putin would have us think).
Putin’s top diplomat (Lavrov) lays out the rationale for Russia’s proposed treatment of Ukraine as follows:
“Frankly speaking, we don’t see any other way for the steady development of the Ukrainian state apart from as a federation.”
Lavrov’s proposed plan calls for each region to:
“control of its economy, taxes, culture, language, education and external economic and cultural connections with neighboring countries or regions… Given the proportion of native Russians [in Ukraine], we propose this and we are sure there is no other way.”
In a word, Putin wants Ukraine to be partitioned into autonomous regions, with a figurehead national government in Kiev – a round-about way of breaking up Ukraine. And he expects Barack Obama to accept!
Putin’s diplomats warn the West that, if their proposals are not accepted, Russia reserves the right to take appropriate (military) action. In typical Russian negotiating style, the right to intervene militarily in Moldavian breakaway regions is added to the mix. (I guess the Baltic states are next).

What do Ukraine, the United States, and Europe get in return for the de facto breakup of Ukraine? Answer: The promise that Russia will not invade.
To their credit, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry forcefully rejected Russia’s demands immediately as follows:
“The ultimatum and the didactic tone of these statements demonstrate that as the real aggressor Russia does not accept any control over its own behavior. Under the barrels of its machine guns, this aggressor demands only one thing — the complete capitulation of Ukraine, its dismemberment, and the destruction of Ukrainian statehood. Russia’s proposals for federalization, a second official language, and referendums are viewed in Ukraine as nothing less than proof of Russia’s aggression. We sincerely regret that Minister Sergei Lavrov had to voice them.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry proceeded to return fire:
“We would like to propose to the Russian side that before issuing ultimatums to a sovereign and independent state, it turn its attention to the disastrous conditions and complete powerlessness of its own national minorities, including the Ukrainian one… Why not hold referendums on broad autonomy and, if necessary, the independence of the subjects of the Russian Federation?”
According to press accounts, Putin laid out the terms of his political initiative to Obama in their late night call. I would presume that our president would have responded that the United States has no right to intervene in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation, much less tell it when to hold its elections or amend its constitution. I fear, however, that Obama is looking for a diplomatic breakthrough that he can trumpet to the American people as a victory of his wise diplomacy. Well, let John Kerry see how much Russian flexibility there is in Paris.
If John Kerry signs on to any substantive part of the Russian proposals, we have betrayed Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Nevertheless, I can imagine John Kerry returning waving a piece of paper that promises peace in our time. He will say that Russia has kindly agreed not to invade Ukraine and only wants some minor changes in the Ukrainian constitution, which will make things better for all parties. We can continue to work together with Russia to solve the really big issues of our time in Iran and Syria. The reset is still on.
If such a disaster happens, poor Ukraine will understand it is on its own to face the Russian juggernaut. Maybe the U.S. will increase the number of lunch boxes it has promised Ukrainian troops.
If the United States were to fall into Putin’s trap, there would be rejoicing in the Kremlin. The wet-behind-the-ears, naïve U.S. president has fallen for it one more time.
The author serves on the International Academic Advisory Board of the Kiev School of Economics. The views are those of the author and not the school.
The author’s latest book is Women of the Gulag: Portraits of Five Remarkable Lives.

[American Patriot]

Former Prime Minister Announces Candidacy for President of Ukraine

By PATRICK REEVELL and DAVID M. HERSZENHORNMARCH 27, 2014

Photo

Yulia V. Tymoshenko after confirming plans to run for president in elections on May 25. She ran unsuccessfully in 2010. Credit Genya Savilov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Continue reading the main story

KIEV, Ukraine — Yulia V. Tymoshenko, the former prime minister, said Thursday that she would run for president in elections to be held in May.


The announcement made it clear that after two and a half years in prison she intends to play an active role as Ukraine struggles with political upheaval, a severe financial crisis and menacing moves by Russia, which annexed the Crimean Peninsula a week ago, has massed troops along the eastern border and poses an enormous threat to this country’s gas supply.


Ms. Tymoshenko announced her political intentions on a day of fast-moving diplomatic and economic developments in the Ukraine crisis, the focal point of escalating tensions between Russia and the West.

The International Monetary Fund announced an agreement to provide Ukraine with up to $18 billion in urgently needed loans; the House and Senate in Washington approved a $1 billion aid package and new sanctions against Russians and Ukrainians deemed responsible for the Crimea annexation; and the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to reject that annexation, a symbolic step that Western nations called a rebuke to Russia that showed its isolation.


And in a possible sign of further internal turmoil, hundreds of members of Right Sector, the extreme nationalist group that played an important role in the convulsions that culminated in a change of government last month, gathered outside Parliament in Kiev on Thursday night, demanding the resignation of the interim interior minister.
They were angry over the killing by police officers earlier in the week of a far-right activist, Oleksandr Muzychko, whom the Interior Ministry had described as a violent member of an armed criminal group. The crowd later dispersed but promised to return Friday.


Ms. Tymoshenko, a charismatic but also potentially polarizing figure, ran unsuccessfully for president in 2010 against her archrival, Viktor F. Yanukovych, who was toppled in the February upheaval and fled to Russia.


She is now the best-known candidate in a field that includes Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire known as the chocolate king; Vitali V. Klitschko, a former boxing champion who is a leader in Parliament; and Sergey Tigipko, a veteran lawmaker and former vice prime minister under Mr. Yanukovych who announced his candidacy on Thursday as well, calling himself an independent.


Ms. Tymoshenko was jailed on charges that were criticized by the West as politically motivated and as stemming from her rivalry with Mr. Yanukovych. She was freed from a prison hospital just hours after Mr. Yanukovych departed the presidential residence last month, and she immediately went to Independence Square, the gathering point for demonstrators in Kiev, where she received a mixed reception.


Although Ms. Tymoshenko has long harbored ambitions to be president, and despite her candidacy’s being widely expected, she had seemed to waver a bit in recent weeks. While the demonstrators in Kiev were thrilled about Mr. Yanukovych’s ouster, many have expressed suspicions of anyone with longstanding ties to Ukrainian politics, which has a history of corruption and mismanagement.
Ms. Tymoshenko, 53, held a news conference to announce her ambitions at the headquarters of her political party, Fatherland, in Kiev.

“I plan to run for the position of president of Ukraine,” Ms. Tymoshenko said. She also said that she considered President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who moved to annex the Crimean Peninsula in the aftermath of Mr. Yanukovych’s departure and has deployed at least 20,000 Russian troops along the Russia-Ukraine border, to be “enemy No. 1 of Ukraine.”
She emphasized her experience, arguing that she was more qualified than any rival. Sitting with crutches on either side of her, the legacy of chronic back problems aggravated by her incarceration, she said Ukrainian lawmakers “can’t imagine what I, as a politician, have experienced for myself in prison.”
Ms. Tymoshenko, who is known for her trademark blond braid, generated new controversy this week after she was heard in a recorded telephone conversation using expletives and a derogatory term for Russians, and saying that Russia should be destroyed for its invasion and annexation of Crimea.
“I am hoping that I will use all of my connections and will get the whole world to rise up so that not even scorched earth would be left of Russia,” Ms. Tymoshenko said in the call, posted on YouTube.


Similar calls, believed to have been recorded by Russian intelligence services, have been posted on YouTube, including one between an American assistant secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, and the American ambassador in Kiev, Geoffrey R. Pyatt.
Ms. Tymoshenko, writing on Twitter, suggested that some of the conversation had been altered but appeared to confirm the general contents, and apologized for using expletives.


Since Mr. Yanukovych’s ouster, which the Kremlin has denounced as a coup supported by the West, the Fatherland party has held a strong grip on the new provisional government.


Both the acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, and the acting prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, are leading members of Fatherland. The party voted at a conference last year to nominate Ms. Tymoshenko as its candidate for president should she be able to run.


The I.M.F. loan agreement, announced in Kiev, will hinge on the country’s steps to let the value of its currency float downward, to cut corruption and red tape, and, crucially, to reduce huge state subsidies for the consumption of natural gas.


The energy subsidies alone represent roughly 8 percent of Ukraine’s gross domestic product, and Russia has said that it intends to raise the price of natural gas to Ukraine on April 1. Ukraine is largely dependent on Russian supplies and already owes the Russian energy company Gazprom more than $1 billion.


The deal, subject to the approval of the monetary fund’s board next month, is intended to get the new government through looming debt obligations when its hard-currency accounts have been sharply diminished by the months of unrest.


The two-year loan package, the fund said in a statement, is expected to unlock more loans, including from the United States and the European Union, which should bring the total over two years to $27 billion. The loans will be more spread out and less onerous than the $15 billion Russia had promised Mr. Yanukovych before he fled the country.


Mr. Yatsenyuk told Parliament on Thursday that the country was “on the brink of economic and financial bankruptcy” and required urgent steps in conjunction with the monetary fund. He announced legislation to prevent “financial disaster,” including provisions that would freeze the minimum wage and raise taxes on the largest businesses.
The White House press secretary, Jay Carney, praised the I.M.F. announcement, saying it was “a powerful sign of support from the international community for the Ukrainian government.”

[American Patriot]

4 minutes ago....

31 March 2014 Last updated at 11:08 ET Russia troop reduction on Ukraine border welcomed


Russia has said the troops deployed along its border with Ukraine are taking part in military exercises





Germany's Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has welcomed a "slight reduction" in the number of Russian troops along Ukraine's border.


The Russian defence ministry said one motorised infantry battalion was withdrawing from the Rostov region.


After a meeting with his French and Polish counterparts, Mr Steinmeier said it was a "small signal" that the situation was becoming less tense.


Thousands of Russian soldiers are still said to be deployed along the border.


Earlier, Ukraine condemned a visit to Crimea by Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and a delegation of government ministers.


A foreign ministry spokesman in Kiev said the highest-level trip to the Black Sea peninsula by officials from Moscow since its annexation by Russia was a "crude violation" of international rules.


A note protesting against the presence of an official in "the territory of another state without preliminary agreement" had been sent, he added.


Crimeans voted to leave Ukraine for Russia on 16 March, in a poll condemned as illegal by the UN General Assembly.


Mr Medvedev announced that he would make Crimea a special economic zone. He also vowed to quickly boost salaries and pensions, and to improve education, healthcare and local infrastructure.

[American Patriot]

new one on me... a "doomsday plane". Guess it's the same as our own airborne command post planes. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Looking_Glass))


A Russian “doomsday plane” is circling over Crimea right now

Mar 31 2014 - 0 Comments
By David Cenciotti
Just in case someone had doubts about air superiority over Crimea.

The Tupolev Tu-214SR is a Russian Special Mission Aircraft believed to act as a communication relay aircraft.


This kind of aircraft is often dispatched by the Russian Air Force to accompany Putin’s presidential aircraft on its travels and for this reason it is considered the Russian version of the U.S. E-4B, a so-called “doomsday” plane, with an airborne command and control role.


This aircraft was spotted over Sochi during the Winter Games and it is currently operating at FL270 (27,000 feet) over Crimea, quietly broadcasting its position by means of ADS-B transponder.


The Tu-214SR using callsing RSD48 has circled directly over Simferopol international airport and is currently heading towards Sochi airport, its departure airfield.
Image credit: FR24.com screenshot