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http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/europe/199664-us-moves-to-isolate-russia-from-community-of-civilized-nations

March 02, 2014, 05:36 pm
US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'

By Russell Berman

The Obama administration on Sunday worked to isolate Russia on the world stage even as its president, Vladimir Putin, showed no signs of rolling back his military intervention in Ukraine.

President Obama spoke by phone with leaders from Great Britain, Germany and Poland, and he dispatched Secretary of State to Kiev on Tuesday for a show of solidarity with the new Ukrainian government.

After suspending preparations for an upcoming Group of 8 summit in Sochi, the administration began canceling lower-level diplomatic and economic meetings with Russian counterparts. And senior administration officials warned that Russia could be booted from the G8 altogether and that its economy would suffer because of Putin’s decision to occupy the Crimean peninsula following the ouster last week of Ukraine’s pro-Russia president, Viktor Yakunovych.

The strategy, described in a briefing senior administration officials on the condition of anonymity, was aimed at demonstrating to Putin that his intervention in Crimea would not go unpunished while also offering him “an offramp” if he chose to reverse course.

“It is Russia’s choice to behave in this manner,” one senior administration said, or whether it wants to return “to the community of civilized nations.”

Yet it was unclear Sunday if Putin cared or was even listening to the condemnation of Obama and U.S. allies. He sought and received authorization from the Russian parliament for military force just hours after Obama warned him to stay out of Ukraine, and administration officials acknowledged that Russia had reinforced its military position over the weekend.

The administration officials said more than 6,000 Russian troops in Ukraine and that its forces now had “completely operational control of Crimea.” The U.S. has seen evidence of unrest and “ethnic skirmishes” in eastern Ukraine, an official said, although it does not believe Russian forces have taken over areas outside of Crimea.

Asked if the administration had any reason to believe Putin was responding to the pressure and the condemnation, a senior official replied with a implicit shot at former President George W. Bush: “We in this administration have made it a practice not to look into Vladimir Putin’s soul,” the official said.

The officials noted the steep drop in recent days in the value of the Russian ruble and argued that Putin had “badly miscalculated.”

“The Russian economy really is quite vulnerable,” a senior administration official said.

The officials said the U.S. had suggested sending international monitors to take the place of Russian forces in Crimea to assuage Putin’s concern for the safety of ethnic Russians and minority populations, which he cited as the rationale for the military intervention. Putin “did not slam the door on that,” a senior administration official said.

The U.S. is not considering any kind of military intervention at this stage, the officials said.

“Right now we are focused on political and economic and diplomatic options,” a senior administration official said. “We are looking to de-escalate this.”

The U.S. is working with the International Monetary Fund on an aid package for Ukraine, although an administration official said the country’s economic challenges were mainly “short-term” in nature because of their natural gas reserves.

“Ukraine is a very rich country and will be even richer when its natural gas is exploited,” the official said.

Earlier Sunday, Kerry took the Sunday new shows to accuse Putin of a “brazen act of aggression” straight out of the 19th century.

“It’s a 19th century act in the 21st century that really puts into question Russia’s capacity to be in the G8,” Kerry said on ABC’s “This Week.”

He called on Congress to put together an economic aid package for Ukraine and said the U.S. would be prepared to impose economic sanctions on Russia.

“It may well come that we have to engage in that kind of activity, absolutely. I think all options are on the table,” he said.
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Offline sinkspur

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2014, 02:13:50 am »
Quote
Asked if the administration had any reason to believe Putin was responding to the pressure and the condemnation, a senior official replied with a implicit shot at former President George W. Bush: “We in this administration have made it a practice not to look into Vladimir Putin’s soul,” the official said.

This detritus in the White House is always about politics, and just chafe that Bush is viewed more favorably on foreign policy than they are. 

Putin taking Crimea is a small price to pay if it takes this bastard president down a peg or two.
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Offline 240B

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2014, 02:21:44 am »
Yeah sink. Imagine you are in the military and you had to choose who you would fight with.
 
Would you pick Obama, or Putin?
 
That makes everything pretty simple.
You cannot "COEXIST" with people who want to kill you.
If they kill their own with no conscience, there is nothing to stop them from killing you.
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Offline EC

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2014, 02:24:55 am »
Putin taking Crimea is a small price to pay if it takes this bastard president down a peg or two.

I doubt you'll find many Ukrainians agreeing with that.
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Offline Rapunzel

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #4 on: March 03, 2014, 02:25:50 am »


Putin taking Crimea is a small price to pay if it takes this bastard president down a peg or two.

I don't imagine the citizens in Crimea feel so warm and fuzzy as you about being invaded.
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Offline sinkspur

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2014, 02:31:18 am »
I don't imagine the citizens in Crimea feel so warm and fuzzy as you about being invaded.

Actually, from what I read, most Crimeans speak Russian and aren't all that opposed to being under Russian control.  Plus, Crimea's a drain on Ukraine, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ukraine's not in a big hurry to reclaim it.
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Offline 240B

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2014, 02:37:32 am »
I apologize for a small break in the flow of this thread, but I was shocked to read the word 'detritus'. That is a very unusual word and one I haven't heard in years.
 
I'll bet one in a million Americans know that word, if that. I'm being generous.
You cannot "COEXIST" with people who want to kill you.
If they kill their own with no conscience, there is nothing to stop them from killing you.
Rational fear and anger at vicious murderous Islamic terrorists is the same as irrational antisemitism, according to the Leftists.

Offline ABX

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #7 on: March 03, 2014, 02:57:49 am »
Yeah sink. Imagine you are in the military and you had to choose who you would fight with.
 
Would you pick Obama, or Putin?
 
That makes everything pretty simple.

You don't fight for your commander, you fight for the guy standing next to you watching your a&&

Offline 240B

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2014, 03:08:57 am »
You don't fight for your commander, you fight for the guy standing next to you watching your a&&

I know, I know exactly what you are saying, but still. I just can't do it. I cannot fight Obama's crazy wars, live by his crazy rules, and do the thing. It is just not fair what is going on.
 
Not fair to me, or to my buddies. Not fair. Not right.
You cannot "COEXIST" with people who want to kill you.
If they kill their own with no conscience, there is nothing to stop them from killing you.
Rational fear and anger at vicious murderous Islamic terrorists is the same as irrational antisemitism, according to the Leftists.

Offline PzLdr

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2014, 03:54:06 am »
Actually, from what I read, most Crimeans speak Russian and aren't all that opposed to being under Russian control.  Plus, Crimea's a drain on Ukraine, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ukraine's not in a big hurry to reclaim it.

At least 10% + of Crimeans are Krim Tartars, and while they may speak Russian they are VERY opposed to being under Russian control. So are the Ukranians who live there.Nor is the Crimea a drain on Ukraine. Russia extorted a lease on the naval base at Sebastapol with cheap natural gas, and other fuels.
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Offline Chieftain

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2014, 03:58:19 am »
Actually, from what I read, most Crimeans speak Russian and aren't all that opposed to being under Russian control.  Plus, Crimea's a drain on Ukraine, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ukraine's not in a big hurry to reclaim it.

I hear the same thing, that Crimeans are all but begging to be back as part of the Motherland.  If that is the case then there isn't anything Ukraine can do to stop it.  Ukraine will be lucky if they are left to attend to their own affairs....


Offline Chieftain

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2014, 04:10:55 am »


 :silly:

Offline PzLdr

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2014, 04:17:38 am »
I hear the same thing, that Crimeans are all but begging to be back as part of the Motherland.  If that is the case then there isn't anything Ukraine can do to stop it.  Ukraine will be lucky if they are left to attend to their own affairs....



Wo'da thunk: Sudeten Russians.
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Offline Chieftain

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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #13 on: March 03, 2014, 04:30:24 am »
Wo'da thunk: Sudeten Russians.

The back and forth over all of this territory has been going on for Centuries.  France was much the same way at one time, but Henry V pretty much solved that at Agincourt when his archers slaughtered the cream of the French aristocracy.  Napoleon was the guy who was finally able to untie France as a country.  Stalin did much the same thing in Russia and later in forming the USSR.

The divisions and loyalties in these regions go back centuries, and just like in the Middle East, there is virtually nothing short of war that the US can do about any of it.


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Re: US moves to isolate Russia from 'community of civilized nations'
« Reply #14 on: March 03, 2014, 04:56:05 am »
If they really want to put leverage on Putin, they need to start freezing the assets of wealthy Russians - the assets they've taken out of Russia and hidden from view.  The freeze could be justified as part and parcel of imposing economic sanctions on Russia, and would be removed once Russian troops are out of Ukraine (incl. Crimea).  Oligarchs and Plutarchs depend as much on their wealthy cronies as on the loyalty of their troops, so if someone puts a hurtin' on Putin's nearest and dearest (politically speaking), then they'll put a hurtin' on Putin.