U.S. troops in Poland as Ukraine crisis persists
By Laura Smith-Spark and Victoria Butenko, CNN
updated 6:40 PM EDT, Wed April 23, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/23/...s/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

I've been following the Ukraine story since February. Its gotten pretty heavy. Russian is definitely trying to take over Ukraine. The journalist held captive in the article above is from Vice news. He has had some great youtube videos. Here is the last one he did before held captive. Check the others out. This guy has some balls.

One of the best columnists to read is Anne Applebaum of the Washington Post, who knows a great deal about eastern Europe (a couple of major history books) and is well-connected in Poland.  Her husband was, maybe still is, the foreign minister.  

Putin may not want all of Ukraine or all of Lithuania, and might not want any of Belarus, but even the pro-Russian dictator who runs Belarus is publicly creeped out. 

BBC has a photo of US troops freshly arrived in Poland.

Since everyone on this NSR forum is either anti-Obama or anti-Conservative I bring this up due to Ukraine will surely play a part in the next couple election cycles. NATO vs. Russia ain't going away. It will be interesting to see what USA policy will be going forward with this. Ukraine is not part of NATO so not under the protection of it. The annexing of Crimea by Russia is surely illegal and the thug tactics going on in Eastern Ukraine is purely tactical on Putin's part. A land bridge to Crimea is needed by Russia and it makes sense that they are conniving to take it over. Ukraine people are in a difficult situation along with the other countries bordering Russia. The Russian Bear is raising its head! Now we know why Pres. Obama didn't visit the olympics in Sochi. Something tells me he knew what was going to happen afterwards...

yeah, my bro who works for nato has not changed our vacation plans this summer, but he says that things have been ramping up on their end for support and ancillary actions.

gracias. i was wondering when someone was going to mention it. it is much more post-worthy than the usual partisan infighting, and effKay rants. continue,

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Water dissolving...and water removing
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

It seems to me one significant complicating factor is the local support for Russian operations in eastern Ukraine. They aren't exactly crying out for western help. The Ukrainian government doesn't want to lose territory, but if the people there push some sort of referendum to join Russia, and the Ukraine central government resists, it would give Putin a solid pretext to invade.

I really think instead of asking "what is the US doing to help?" should really be "what is Chancellor Merkel doing to help?". I still don't see this regional issue as being worthy of American blood.

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

Both political parties in the US can yell and scream, but as history shows, there is absolutely nothing we can do about the situation...other than imposing sanctions.

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I was right.

Fictional (?) Phonecall:

"Hey Vlad, Barack here, whats up?"

"Not much"

"Vlad, ya' know we are winding down in the Mideast,and midterm elections are coming. The folks here are giving us leaders a pretty hard look. Think you could stir something up to distract them."

"No problem ole buddy"

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  Trying to think of something new

 

 

 

I think folks are still uncomfortable with the Bundeswehr leaving der Vaterland.

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A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.