In The News

[Topazora]

Soooo glad my city took the red light cameras down, they were more trouble than they worth.

[Crazy Rich]

Info gathered on Ukraine Crisis from numerous articles.

The Canadian prime minister is the first G7 leader to set foot in Ukraine to show support for the Ukraine people, has offered Ukraine over $200 million, and plans to send aid including military advisors, doctors and monitors as well as advisors that will assist the government in appealing to the Russian minority. Canada has also made new sanctions against Russia.

The Canadian prime minister will head to the G7 summit in the Netherlands, where discussions will include stronger ties between Canada and Europe (including free trade agreement), discussing about stopping the G8 (not inviting Russia anymore), and the U.S and Europe will also seek stronger ties including a free trade agreement of their own as well as a new priority to send American gas to Europe so as to significantly decrease dependence on Russian gas (Britain, France and Germany would like this a lot, and the Ukraine Crisis has fueled the momentum and resolve behind this).

Also, Ukraine and the European Union have signed a political association agreement which came with Ukraine receiving 500 million euros. They look towards possibilities of a free trade agreement.

Finally, Japan to unveil $1 billion aid to Ukraine at G7 summit. (way to go Japan!)

[BANE]

And Russia doesn't care at all.

[The1PerfectOrganism]

No they don't but at least the other nations seem to be standing together on this B.S.

[BANE]

What's B.S about it?

[The1PerfectOrganism]

Russia's President is a huge d*ckhead and apparently the country is full of racists, if by any means anyone intentionally or inadvertantly even so much as hinders any of that or puts that "B.S" in a negative light I think that's a good thing.

[BANE]

Russia's President is a huge d*ckhead and apparently the country is full of racists, if by any means anyone intentionally or inadvertantly even so much as hinders any of that or puts that "B.S" in a negative light I think that's a good thing.

[The1PerfectOrganism]

What's funny Bane?

[BANE]

I just find it funny that your support of international policies and actions is backed up by the opinion that a leader is a dickhead.

[The1PerfectOrganism]

Well, I am sixteen and naive.

And as far as I can see Putin is a d*ck. Lol

[Eva]

And Russia doesn't care at all.

^^

Clearly, the EU leaders aren't willing to put some real pressure on Putin and his inner circle, nor their energy imports from Russia, so all this sanctions bullshit is worthless. Putin won, game over.

[Crazy Rich]

In military news. There are talks of Germany to help Ukraine modernize and strengthen it's military. This came after Germany praised the new leadership of Ukraine for reassuring the Russian minority.

This is neat to me as a military guy, if I were to pick between German military equipment and Russian military equipment I'd chose German hands down. Give me a G36 over an AK any day.

And Russia doesn't care at all.

Russia has actually been feeling the pinch, and the results are expected to show more in the long run rather than short. Plus another point is that the mere act of standing up against Russia and supporting Ukraine is message enough, you know, as opposed to the sort of appeasement that didn't stop WW2.

And Russia doesn't care at all.

^^

Clearly, the EU leaders aren't willing to put some real pressure on Putin and his inner circle, nor their energy imports from Russia, so all this sanctions bullshit is worthless. Putin won, game over.

I wouldn't be so sure. I myself am trying to stay away from expecting "happy happy" short term results. The G7 is having an emergency meeting in the Netherlands, the Ukraine Crisis being the big subject. One of the subjects like I previously mentioned is a free trade deal between the U.S and Europe which Britain, France and Germany would particularly like so as to send more American gas to Europe (they might even start doing this this before any deal and regardless of a deal), so that Europe can be significantly less dependent on Russian gas, that is when Europe is in a better position to strike much harder at Russia's economy.

True, Crimea is lost for now, but this isn't over yet, the rest of Ukraine now needs our help more than ever.

[BANE]

I was watching a financial/economics youtube video between two accountant/stock market guru guys that I can't seem to find now that was essentially saying that if Russia decided to, I believe, start demanding their oil and gas payments in something like Gold (for ex.), they could literally cripple the US economy. Russia seems to hold all the cards, and (I might add) annexed Ukraine without a single official loss of life by any of their troops. Plus, 96% of the people voted for joining Russia. The only thing the world should really be concerned with now isn't trying to get Crimea back (they, as an autonomous region, clearly voted to join Russia...), but to prevent further incursions into Ukraine. Which I hope doesn't happen, because then I'll start seeing this situation in a whole other light.

Also, even with the sanctions hasn't Russia's economy actually risen?

[Crazy Rich]

Are you familiar with Soviet-esqe voting? In which voting is at gunpoint and there is no real alternative option, it's just "Yes or Yes"? There was no option to remain with Ukraine as is, only to stay with Ukraine under outdated terms.

Also,

http://tbtpics.tampabay.com/news/world/russia-feels-sting-of-economic-sanctions/2171455

Granted, Russia isn't exactly on it's knees, but it's naïve to expect immediate results. And what happens at the emergency G7 meeting certainly has the potential to shape things up.

Only time will tell.

And the only reason Russia took Crimea bloodlessly is because the Ukrainians have shown amazing self-restraint that is praise worthy, and it was Pro-Russian forces who shot and killed un-armed Ukrainian soldiers while they merely stood there. Ukraine believes in diplomacy and military action hasn't been an option, not yet anyway.

In other news, this crisis has been a wake up call for European counties.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/03/21/ukraine_crisis_a_wakeup_call_for_many_european_countries.html

After the Cold War, Sweden refocused its national security strategy to give more weight to deployments in faraway conflict zones and even non-military challenges such as climate change. Critics who dwelled on a Russian threat were dismissed as dinosaurs.

They are now having an "I-told-you-so" moment.

Both the left and right wing in Swedish government sweat nervously as they both agree their military is inadequate. Many other European nations have begun planning increased military spending, especially nations once under Soviet rule who have also called on NATO to move more resources to the Baltic states including ground troops and missile defences.

[BANE]

Yeah, I very much doubt it was at gunpoint.