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wantkitteh writes:
"The BBC is reporting that Russia has given Ukrainian military forces in Crimea a deadline of 3AM Tuesday morning to surrender or face assault. Moscow claims the position is to protect Russian civilians in Crimea following what it describes as the illegal coup in the past weeks. The Ukrainian Prime Minister has denounced Russia's actions as totally illegal and has called on it's allies to put pressure on Moscow. Russian military readiness in the area is very high with a blockade in place at Ukraine's naval headquarters and pre-positioned air and ground forces already in central locations around Crimea. Ukrainian forces are outnumbered and unprepared to face the threat. Demonstrations in the largely Russian-speaking area have supported Moscow's position while outside the area civilians are scared of what the future holds."
Russia's military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until dawn on Tuesday to surrender or face an assault, Ukrainian defence sources have said. The head of Russia's Black Sea Fleet Aleksander Vitko set the deadline and also threatened two warships, Ukrainian officials said. However, Interfax news agency later quoted a fleet spokesman who denied that any ultimatum had been issued. Moscow has said its troops are needed in Crimea to protect civilians. The Kremlin says people in Crimea have come under threat from "ultra-nationalists" since pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted last month. Russia is now said to be in de facto control of the Crimea region.
(Score: 5, Informative) by VLM on Monday March 03 2014, @08:13PM
There is no such thing as the Ukrainian people. As if there's one united group.
Picture Iraq or Yugoslavia again, this time sandwiched between Poland and Russia. Same deal for all those situations, the country doesn't really exist, some Imperial Powers decided to gather a bunch of people who can't stand each other into one blot on the map, which worked pretty well when the Empire kept them under control. Not surprisingly two of the ethnic groups are at each other's throats, like forever, and only an evil genius strongman kept them under control. Once he was kicked out, its open season on each other, and someone gets to try and stop the genocide. In this case the Russians. Aside from all the P.R. photo-op garbage, they seem to be doing a decent job. Better than we did in Iraq, which is rather embarrassing, which is why the USA is all lathered up. And the EU don't want to be accused of ignoring genocide like the "former Yugoslavia" yet again, etc.
Russia kind of needs access to that naval base which has been either theirs or leased forever. One way or another they're keeping that base and land access to it. What happens to the rest of the country is unclear.
VLM's gut level guess? War refugees and forced relocation and all the ethnic Russians end up dead or shoved east and all the ethnic Slavics end up dead or shoved west and the smaller Ukraine allies with Poland and NATO and EU and the new vassal state of Crimea allies with Russia. No point building a wall between them, maybe a DMZX
(Score: 1) by photong on Tuesday March 04 2014, @06:53AM
all the ethnic Russians end up dead or shoved east and all the ethnic Slavics end up dead or shoved west
Russians are slavs.