Ukraine Crisis

[ag]

http://www.conservapedia.com/Main_Page

Conservapedia states that the reason for the vote was because of Russia's anti homesexuality laws...

Will you quit bringing up Conservapedia like its the actual voice of the Tea Party?

Well, it's the job of the Republicans to keep check on their crazies and block them from acceding elective office.

Looking at people like Foxx and Gohmert, you failed.

True. It's very rare that True Leftists get into Congress (like Cynthia McKinney and Dennis Kucinich), but right wing nutjobs seem to have a fairly easy time getting in.

please let's not make this another hack thread about US politics, k?

back on topic, is there no representation in the Crimean parliament for non-Russian ethnics?

There is no assigned ethnic representation.  Back in the 2010 Crimean elections, the Party of Regions won 80 of the 100 seats and Strong Ukraine which later merged into it won 2 seats. The Russian Unity Party (which advocated reunification with Russia) won another 3 seats and the Communists 5 seats.  Qurultai-Rukh, which is a Tatar ethnic party and the Union Party (which advocated closer EU ties but also adding Russian as a second official language for Ukraine) each won 5 seats.  So even without the latest round of shenanigans there was at least a 90-10 split in favor of Russia assuming everyone in the Party of Regions has gone along with the Anchluss.  Possibly 95-5 depending upon how the Union Party decided to go on the Anchluss issue.

So the strong support in the Crimean Parliament for the Anchluss is not really due to opponents being excluded.  There hasn't been a need for that as there effectively was no opposition, even before all this started.

The Party of Regions has NEVER been a pro-Russian party, not even in Crimea. It is a "pro-Eastern" party, but not pro-Russian - and, definitely, not pro-annexation (if it were, it would not have existed elsewhere in Ukraine as a major force). The pro-Russian party had just a few seats before the current events. Though some of the PR MPs at a personal level were pro-Russian, there is no reason to believe they were united on this beforehand. In fact, the original decisions (to do the referendum, etc.) were adopted by 60+ MPs, with the rest simply not attending. In fact, I am not even certain if all of those 60+ were present - there were no observers in the room. Of course, by now, some of the original recusants are, probably, collaborating - they are bound to believe Russia won, and would want to be with the winner.

[NewYorkExpress]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/ukraine-s-defence-minister-denied-entry-to-crimea-1.1735755

Ukrainian Naval Headquarters in Crimea were stormed by a combination of pro-Russian militiamen and Cossacks. Rear Admiral Serigei Haiduk has been detained by Crimean authorities.

Defense Minister Ihor Tenyuk, and deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema, were barred from entering Crimea in their bid to avert more extreme hostilities.

[Famous Mortimer]

It looks like Crimea is going to retain it's republic status within Russia. Will it be the only republic with a Russian majority?

Also, Sevastopol is going to be a federal city, which puts it on par with Moscow and St. Petersburg.

[ag]

It looks like Crimea is going to retain it's republic status within Russia. Will it be the only republic with a Russian majority?

Also, Sevastopol is going to be a federal city, which puts it on par with Moscow and St. Petersburg.

No, about half the Republics have a Russian majority. Say, Karelia does.

It is likely to be the only Republic without a native minority: Tartars are evacuating their families.

[Tender Branson]

Putin's approval rating in Russia meanwhile soars to above 60% from below 50% before the Ukraine situation.

Time for Obama to do the same and annex Canada ?

[Beezer]

Baja California sounds like a good alternative as well.

[Хahar 🤔]

FIBA has announced the relocation of EuroBasket 2015 from the Ukraine.

[YL]

According to the Guardian, a Svoboda member of the Ukrainian parliament was a member of a group of men who stormed in to the office of a head of a TV station, physically attacked him and forced him to write a resignation letter for being too pro-Russian.

[ag]

Ukraine is evacuating Crimea, withdrawing from CIS and introducing visas for Russians.

[ag]

FIBA has announced the relocation of EuroBasket 2015 from the Ukraine.

And FIFA has not yet relocated the World Cup from Russia in 2018. This is obscene.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Er... it's FIFA.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Isn't there also going to be a World Cup in one of the Gulf emirates some time soon? If so, is that really any better?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Qatar 2022. And, well, no. As we type stadiums are being built by slaves.

[RogueBeaver]

Dear God.

[Simfan34]

...

[Incipimus iterum]

wow....

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Well crap.

[Sol]

I suspect this is just further maneuvering, to put pressure on Estonia to toe the line with Moscow.

Not that they should or will, of course. And Russia is aware of NATO...

[RogueBeaver]

Unless Putin puts Article 5 in the same category as the Budapest Memorandum.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Guys, Estonia is in NATO. This is just making noises.

Ukraine is still the place of actual events.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Guys, Estonia is in NATO. This is just making noises.

Ukraine is still the place of actual events.

^^^^^

[ag]

Unless Putin puts Article 5 in the same category as the Budapest Memorandum.

Does he have any reason to believe it isn´t? Has it ever been tested? What are they going to do: brick Medvedev´s iPhone?

[ag]

Guys, Estonia is in NATO. This is just making noises.

Ukraine is still the place of actual events.

It is in NATO, indeed. So, you are very confident they will fight for Narva?

[ag]

I suspect this is just further maneuvering, to put pressure on Estonia to toe the line with Moscow.

Not that they should or will, of course. And Russia is aware of NATO...

It is increasingly not obvious, what is it that comrade P. is aware of.

[NewYorkExpress]

I suspect this is just further maneuvering, to put pressure on Estonia to toe the line with Moscow.

Not that they should or will, of course. And Russia is aware of NATO...

It is increasingly not obvious, what is it that comrade P. is aware of.

They won't, Putin has nukes...