US warns Russia 'this is not Rocky IV' as Putin puts fighter jets on combat alert

[xenon54 out]

Turkey, who doesn't like Erdogan?!

So the goverment is paying Turks in here to bash Erdogan?

 

[Audio]

So the goverment is paying Turks in here to bash Erdogan?

It was sarcasm. It means the opposite, government regulation of internet.

 

[Audio]

What do you make of all that mess? Is that some sort of a new Cold War approach?

At the moment i'm of the opinion it's still a good deal.
Holiday resort (Crimean peninsula) to Russians (it was theirs historically anyways-given to Ukraine in the 50's i think, as a token of brotherly love among the Soviet republics, if anyone thought that Ukraine would be it's own country back then, he was shot, and ethnic Russians are the majority), the remaining country (40mill + population) reorients west. It's a pretty fucked up and mismanaged country though (decrepit industry and infrastructure). The coming of IMF and it's aid + reforms package is something the country desperately needs, but it will be very painful for a few years. A good analogy i read somewhere said that IMF reforms done in a economically struggling country is like surgery without anesthesia.

The oligarchs that financed the protests have now themselves bought governor seats in eastern provinces. If their gangs (the protesters with shields, batons and molotovs) are put on a leash, so that the remaining ethnic Russians don't feel threatened, i don't see Russia invading southern and eastern Ukraine.
Most likely, Russia is in Crimea to buy time for a referendum (the recent laws passed in Russian parliament also indicate this), so that oligarch thugs (pro west lol!) dont come down in numbers and force the population on how they would vote.

Some eastern European states and Baltic states (each with their varying Russian minority-which can be used as a pretext for invasion like in Crimea-ie Russia feels it's citizens/blood is threatened => it invades) will be beefing up their defense spending in the following years, or at least allocating more funds towards the notion of a "proper army", no more of that light expeditionary wheeled APC's mantra that's been so popular in the last two decades, but probably MBT's from German reserves, jets etc etc
Any moral views on basing of ABM on European soil will most likely be thrown out the window, possibly even an increase in spending is coming.....

All in all, the "profit" (40 mill. consumers and as icing on the cake, cripples Putin's Customs Union idea-Ukraine was to be the 2nd largest partner after Russia) from this game well exceeds the investment (some coverage in media and lip service) if things stay how they are. But if it comes down to shooting, it becomes useless cargo.....If Russians seize eastern and southern parts of the country (industry is located there, run down industry but still ) the "profit" margin drops drastically.

Oh and, Russians are epicly inept at propaganda. There's videos on youtube, of some lame false flag operation where a bunch of guys drive down to some administrative building in Crimea, exit the bus, assume battle formations and then shortly after leave. Weapons they carry are issued only to Russian Spetsnaz....and they were supposedly representing pro western insurgents creating havoc in Crimea-justifying the invasion......
Or their press is filled with stories about 600000 refugees on a certain border pass between Russia and Ukraine, but a web cam surfaced on the net of the said border pass with two cars at the checkpoint!

Ukraine isn't even a NATO member (although would be interesting to know what the US has promised to the oligarchs for their support of now acting PM, Yatsenyuk-before this mess, he wasnt even in the top 3 most popular/influential politics in Ukraine), no war should be fought over them. If the above objective is met through other channels then military confrontation, the result is still very favourable. If not, it's not worth it.

Sorry for the mass of text, i was away from the internet for the weekend and had an itch to write.