Friday, March 21, 2014

Op-ed: Ukraine vs. Russia...Putin vs. Obama...one and the same

Op-ed: 
Ukraine vs. Russia...Putin vs. Obama...one and the same
By: Diane Sori

“We’re imposing sanctions on more senior officials of the Russian government.”

- Barack HUSSEIN Obama 3/20/14

Useless...totally useless for in order for economic sanctions to work one needs to sanction an entire country NOT just target specific individuals, but when one does NOT understand basic economic premises, let alone how they work or don't work, what can you expect.

And while some suspect that Crimea is all about Vladmir Putin wanting to restore the former Soviet Union as the world's number one superpower, the fact is he wants even more...as in Vladimir Putin wants to restore the glory days of the Russian Empire complete with Czar Putin the First.

Also wanting to be the political foot hovering over the backs of the economies of Europe without actually crushing them, Putin knows what 'red lines' he can and cannot cross. Starting WWIII is NOT in Putin's plans for at heart he wants wealth...personal wealth and power.

Territorial acquisition by force is indeed Putin's goal as he strives to rebuild the 'motherland' and his personal fortune with Crimea being rung one on his ladder to implied success on all fronts. And knowing that what Putin wants Putin usually gets, our 'fearless' leader does NOTHING but slap useless sanctions on a few rich Russians who could care less.

Thinking he's putting pressure on Russia with sanctions that include denying visas, freezing assets, and barring those sanctioned from doing business in the U.S. along with being unable to conduct transactions in American dollars anywhere in the world...he's putting them on a very small group of wealthy individuals. Sanctioning wealthy individuals including Putin’s chief of staff Sergei Ivanov, lifelong friends Arkady Rotenberg and Russian oil billionaire Gennady Timchenko, whose companies have amassed billions of dollars in government contracts, along with 17 others individuals as well as freezing the assets of Bank Rossiya, Putin's private bank owned by personal friend Yuri Kovalchuk, is Obama's idea of standing up to Putin.

And what does Putin do in response as the European Union joins Obama in expanding the number of people they're targeting (including pro-Russian Crimean secessionist leaders, 10 leading Russian lawmakers who have endorsed the annexation of Crimea, and three top Russian military commanders) along with threatening to cancel an EU-Russia summit...Putin counter-sanctions Obama's and the EU's sanctions by imposing entry bans on American lawmakers like Harry Reid and John Boehner, and on senior White House officials like Obama's senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer and his deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes. And playing tit-for-tat Obama signed an executive order that would enable him to penalize key sectors of the Russian economy, including their energy businesses. An executive order that Obama could act on if Russian forces move into other areas of Ukraine...like any of Obama's executive orders would ever stand in Putin's way.

But until this happens...and there is NO guarantee it will ever happen as we all know how Obama loves to hear himself bloviate but NEVER acts on his bloviations...the 'Russian Bear' has again checkmated Obama as he marches forward with even more force and determination. So while Obama continues to declare Russia's incursion into Crimea a violation of international law, and while Ukrainian officials vow NEVER to accept Crimea's annexation by Russia, Putin signed a decree that recognizes the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Crimea at the same time the Russian parliament starts the legislative process of annexing Crimea back into the 'motherland.'

And know that NO matter how loud Obama squawks Putin will NOT give up Crimea, and will manipulate his way into other areas of Ukraine with pro-Russia populations as well. But this time he may do it with political upheavals and financial sabotage instead of with troops and tanks...as in do it by encouraging ethnic Russians into committing acts of public protests...do it by waging a well-crafted cyberwar...do it with visa restrictions...do it by financially crippling Ukraine by raising natural gas prices...and do it by demanding immediate repayment of billions of dollars in debts and loans.

"We offer peace, and Russia offers war" said Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk who still hopes for a diplomatic solution to the turmoil that is engulfing his country all while acknowledging that there was "a strong possibility" of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

So while Crimean lawmakers have approved legislation to make the Russian ruble the official currency in Crimea along with the Ukrainian hryvnia, and while on March 30th, Crimea will move to Moscow Standard Time, a partial mobilization of Ukraine's armed forces has started...armed forces that really are NO match for Putin's forces. But no one...NOT Obama or Ukrainian officials...can overlook the fact that that most of Crimea's population, with the exception of the Tatar minority and some ethnic Ukrainians, are more than happy to return to what they have always regarded as their ancestral home...'mother' Russia.

And this serves Vladimir Putin well for the man who wants to return Russia to her long ago imperial glory works his will and his wants...as all bullies do...through intimidation and strength...while Barack HUSSEIN Obama shows weaknesses and ineptitude on the world stage. And Obama's weakness will indeed be the cause of Ukraine's ultimate downfall as a community organizer is NO match for a 'Russian Bear' with a heart of steel whose NOT afraid to get blood on his hands.

And know that when this is all said and done there will be blood on Putin's hands...blood on Obama's hands...and it will be innocent Ukrainian blood and that is the saddest thing of all.



If you like what you see, please "Like" us on Facebook either here or here. Please follow us on Twitter here.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Go Putin! We lova ya!