If Putin and the communists could use Ukraine as a decoy war expecting The West to invade Syria.
That said, it is well known Putin wants Eastern Ukraine, however, I didn't expect this level of killing.
There are some parallels to the past.
8 January 2000
By Martin Bright
...Romanian President, Nicolae Ceausescu (click here) had condemned the Soviet action in Czechoslovakia and it was thought that Moscow was preparing to teach him a lesson.
Minutes from meetings at the time record Defence Secretary Denis Healey telling Wilson that Britain could not 'stand idly by' if the Soviet Union continued its expansion. A telex from Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart, made public for the first time, shows that towards the end of 1968, Britain believed that Soviet tanks were about to enter Romania. Intelligence sources even put a date - 22 November - on the invasion.
Tony Benn, who as Minister of Technology visited President Ceausescu in June 1968 and remained in contact with Romanian ministers, said last night: 'I had no idea these discussions were going on. But there was a lot of Cold War panic at the time.'
Harold Wilson's biographer, Ben Pimlott, said: 'There were fears and anxieties at the time about a possible invasion of Romania. But no one had any idea that the Government had intelligence about the exact date it was due to happen.'...
This aggression is taking place after the Ukraine President met with Putin in Minsk. Curious, Putin actually discussed the expediency of a cease fire with President Poroshenko. I take it Putin didn't care about discussing his new economic union based in militarization?
Thomson, Reuters
...Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (click here) promised after late-night talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin to work on an urgent ceasefire plan to defuse the separatist conflict in the east of his former Soviet republic.
The first negotiations between the two leaders since June were described by Putin as positive, but he said it was not for Russia to get into the details of truce terms between the Kiev government and two rebel eastern regions....
I sincerely do believe, now more than ever, Putin's economic union was simply a ruse to rebuild the Soviet Union. If he was actually looking to build a strong base for economic expansion the Polish apple orders from the new economic union would be doubling, not ending as punishment.
I suppose the increase in killings of Ukrainians by Russia gives President Poroshenko an incentive to a ceasefire.
..."We can only contribute to create a situation of trust for a possible, and in my view, extremely necessary, negotiation process."...
Russia has created a two party reality. He is stating there is an interest expressed by the Ukraine people and second interest by rebels located in the eastern border of the country. Before Russia decided a ceasefire was paramount to the best outcomes, there was no second party. There was, however, a civil war. President Poroshenko and his military were attempting to end the civil war. Now, President Putin enters with negotiations from a completely different party to bring about what exactly, another annexation for Russia or another dysfunctional country dependent on Russian support?
If one recalls Russia stated it knew nothing and was not affiliated with any extremists in Ukraine. They called themselves Pro-Russian since the Crimean expansion by Russia. But, up to now Russia had denied any affiliation and now Putin enters with a ceasefire because there is another party to actually bring about a legitimate separatist country whereby Russia has a strong interest.
It has been well known Russia wants Eastern Ukraine no differently than it has wanted Crimea. What is most curious is that Putin didn't recognize the elections in the eastern region of Ukraine and now there needs to be a ceasefire with tanks rolling into Ukraine and deaths at the hand of Russia. It doesn't really look like a ceasefire is at all what Putin was recommending, so much as a takeover. How can a ceasefire occur with increased causalities from a nation that is basically inferior militarily to anything Russia can throw at it.
What is really being demanded by Putin is that Ukraine relinquish control over Eastern Ukraine. Offering nothing in return, militarizing the entire eastern region of Ukraine and expecting the remains of Ukraine and NATO to simply go away in expectations of "that is all Russia wanted."
I know the wise thing to do is to measure Russia's desires and leave the rest of Ukraine in peace to pursue it's constitutional aspirations and become a stronger power with economic ties to Europe. Sort of a solution that King David would administer, half for each major power in the region.
But, if that is the assessment and estimation by Europe, the new Ukraine without the eastern provinces and Crimea will become a target repeatedly by Russia both politically and strategically. The only assessment that makes sense is to eliminate any civil resolve between Russia and Ukraine and expect the eastern border regions a Russian militarized zone. An "RMZ." That is what Russia sincerely wants. They don't care about the people. They don't really care about South Ossetia or Abkhazia, while Poland made it easy to pick sides on that issue. Poland did itself no favors.
But, what Russia wants with all this land is a zone between it's sovereign borders and any other country. Paranoid at the very least, it also speaks to future relations with The West and forget any lasting relationship with NATO.
Assuming Russia is seeking an "RMZ" between it and Europe the only logical solution would be to militarize Ukraine in order for the people to defend themselves against further paranoia and/or desperation by Russia. It might have ended it's import of Polish apples simply because to purchase them with Rubles would cost too much.
The West has to stop Russian expansion. There has to be a resolve to carry through with alliances and relationships that will say loudly to the world The West and Ukraine will not tolerate such aggression and deaths of innocent people.
Novoazovsk is not a military site and is simply an administrative town of about 12,000 people. There is absolutely no reason for bombs falling in Novoazovsk by the Russians and/or their allies the eastern Ukraine rebels. These powers are simply bombing to kill unarmed people in the beds where they sleep. If Europe doesn't plan to stop this aggression now and clearly based in human rights for all the people of Ukraine, it will face more and more problems in the future.
August 27, 2014
By Doug Stanglin
The move comes (click here) despite Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's efforts to push a peace plan in his two-hour meeting Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Rebel forces lobbed at least 10 shells at Novoazovsk. Plumes of black smoke rose above the town, which was also hit repeatedly by shelling Tuesday, injuring four people, Mayor Oleg Sidorkin said, according to an Associated Press reporter in the town.
In Washington, the State Department accused Russia of orchestrating a new military campaign in Ukraine that is helping rebel forces expand their fight and sending in tanks, rocket launchers and armored vehicles....
If Russia again denies any affiliation or control over the Ukraine rebels than it has no prowess to even propose a ceasefire.
August 26, 2014
By Uri Friedman
Meeting in Finland, a group of Americans and Russians develops an agenda for peace.
...In an effort to break the impasse, (click here) a group of American and Russian experts and former officials—including an ex-director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service and a top Russia advisor to George W. Bush—recently met on an island in Finland. Working privately, in an approach known as “Track II diplomacy,” they developed a plan for a possible high-level diplomatic discussion on resolving the crisis in Ukraine. In a climate of intensifying hostilities, their ideas—among others, establishing a UN-authorized peacekeeping mission in eastern Ukraine, granting amnesty to combatants who have not committed war crimes, and respecting Ukrainian legislation on the country's "non-aligned" status—chart a path to peace....
