It is obvious that Russia is conducting an invasion of Ukraine. This violates the 1994 Budapest Memorandum between Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Britain,
in which each party agreed to respect the territorial integrity of
Ukraine. Russia's claim that it is acting to protect the rights of
Russian citizens in Ukraine is redolent of Hitler's claims that he was
taking over Czechoslovakia and the free city of Danzig and attacking Poland to protect ethnic Germans. Russia has treaty rights in its naval base in Crimea,
but it has gone much farther by taking over the whole peninsula; it is
as if the United States, possessed of treaty rights in its base in Guantanamo, should send in military forces or auxiliaries into Cuba.
What is the United States prepared to do about this?
Not much, to judge from the brief remarks President Obama made in the White House
press room Friday afternoon before hurrying over to speak, with evident
relief, in the more welcoming venue of a Democratic fundraiser three
blocks away at the Capital Hilton. “We are now deeply concerned by
military movements taken by the Russian Federation within Ukraine,”
Obama said at the White House. “The United States will stand with the
international community in affirming that there will be costs for any
military intervention in Ukraine.”
Pretty bland stuff. “Deeply concerned” rather than “gravely
concerned”--a much stronger phrase in diplomatic argot. “The United
States will stand,” not act or lead, “with the international
community”--no mention of NATO or the European Union
or fellow Budapest Memorandum signatory Britain--“in affirming that
there will be costs,” affirming not assuring or promising, “for any
military intervention in Ukraine.” Why add “any” if there is no doubt
that there is intervention--excuse me, “military movements.”
Here are some suggestions of what the United States can do.
(1) Announce it will not only not attend the G-8 conference scheduled for Sochi
but will move to expel Russia from the G-8. Russia doesn't belong in
the G-8 anyway; the other members, the original G-7, have much larger
economies with electoral democracies, free markets and the rule of law.
Russia is deficient on each count.
(2) Move U.S. and other NATO military forces into Poland and other
Eastern European NATO countries, particularly the Baltic republics.
These nations have been extremely cooperative with the United States and
have received the back of our hand in return.
(3) Move to set up the anti-ballistic missile facilities in Poland and the Czech Republic which Obama scuttled in 2009--on the anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland, when it was an ally of Nazi Germany, in 1939.
(4) Cut off Russian banks' access to U.S., European Union and Japanese banking facilities. Such moves squeezed Iran">Iran hard enough to get it to the bargaining table.
(Click link below to read more)
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About Me

- Judy Chaffee
- This site is the inspiration of a former reporter/photographer for one of New England's largest daily newspapers and for various magazines. The intent is to direct readers to interesting political articles, and we urge you to visit the source sites. Any comments may be noted on site or directed to KarisChaf at gmail.
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