Did world war 3 just start?

[Kutnupe14]

From the AFP: Putin says Kiev's gas cutoff in east Ukraine 'smacks of genocide'

That's war talk. Putin may be preparing to use that as a pretense to invade.

 

[T.Lex]

That's war talk. Putin may be preparing to use that as a pretense to invade.

Purple?

In a variation of that, since Russia effectively has control, the "rebels" will request "humanitarian assistance" from Russia (i.e., Russia's gas lines) and Russia will oblige. And hey, since they're providing basic needs, why not just make them another regional district of Russia, right?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

From Garry Kasparov today

"To every concession, with every success, Putin is encouraged & strengthened at home & wonders how much more he can get for so little effort."

https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/570628446759608320

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Satellite image research proves Russian artillery strikes into Ukraine | UniversityPost

 

[smokingman]

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49880
UN condemns Ukraine civilian deaths | Herald Scotland

It is comical almost,how biased US coverage is.ABC had an article earlier today on the UN condemning the Ukrainian government in Kiev,it has since been pulled from the website.

As far as research proving Russian artillery has been striking in Ukraine,a claim the US government made back in July of 2014 the OSCE and UN have found no evidence of any such attack.
If they had Russia would have been formally charged in the UN under international law.
The only reason Russia has not been charged with invading Crimea is that they can not be,as Crimea was autonomous with its own government and constitution since 1991 when it agreed to a joint currency and partnership with Kiev.The vote may have not been witnessed by western observers,but observers from 22 countries where observing when Crimea voted for independence from Ukraine.
But the US media has most Americans thinking Crimea is the same as any other part of Ukraine.It isn't and never was.

As for the collapse of the Russian economy,you may want to rethink where you get news.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102450195
Russia's stock market is the best performing thus far in 2015(granted it was beat to hell in 2014).

Look,I understand the US wanted to eliminate Russian control of the Black Sea,and one of its only warm water ports.I wish they would have succeeded,but they did not.Now a year after the coup it is really the Ukrainian people who are being beat to hell.They have a currency going through hyper inflation(http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...trading-halted-soon-we-will-wwalk-around-suit down 44% today alone).They have a lack of basic services,and they still rely on Russia for heat and power.The big losers are average Ukrainians who just want a normal life.You can blame Russia or the US supported coup...to them it does not really matter who is to blame their lives are in turmoil.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

First death-free day of Ukraine ceasefire, US sees no compliance

 

[mrjarrell]

Lithuania is spooked enough that they're bringing back conscription to bolster their armed forces. I'd say they're really expecting to be invaded. Gotta wonder if Putin has the balls to invade a NATO member? That WOULD be the start of WW3.

https://news.vice.com/article/spooked-by-russia-lithuania-is-reintroducing-military-conscription

 

[mrjarrell]

And Britain is sending military "advisers" to the Ukrainians. This is how it starts....

https://news.vice.com/article/uk-de...to-ukraine-raises-concerns-over-mission-creep

 

[Dead Duck]

And Britain is sending military "advisers" to the Ukrainians. This is how it starts....

https://news.vice.com/article/uk-de...to-ukraine-raises-concerns-over-mission-creep

Hope those advisers brought some new equipment with them.

Oh it started a long time ago. This is where it gets interesting.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Purple?

In a variation of that, since Russia effectively has control, the "rebels" will request "humanitarian assistance" from Russia (i.e., Russia's gas lines) and Russia will oblige. And hey, since they're providing basic needs, why not just make them another regional district of Russia, right?

More "obviously" invade?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Kiev says starting withdrawal of heavy weapons from frontline

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Vladimir Putin's approval rating? Now at a whopping 86% - CNN.com

 

[Kutnupe14]

Vladimir Putin's approval rating? Now at a whopping 86% - CNN.com

I don't know if I believe that or not. Putin is a dictator, that for some reason people are afraid to label, a "dictator." With figures like these, one can't help but think of North Koreans voting 99% in favor of the Kims.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Oh, the article makes reference to it might being fake

 

[smokingman]

Europe Isn't Really Worried About Putin - Bloomberg View
[h=1]Europe Isn't Really Worried About Putin[/h]
Looks like NATO nations in Europe are cutting defense spending this year,with some still spending less than 1% of their GDP(NATO guidelines are a minimum of 2% of a countries GDP).

 

[smokingman]

NATO has, for no understandable reason, found itself in Russia's crosshairs. NATO cannot figure out how it is that Russia could possibly feel threatened by its actions, which, unlike Russia's are not in the slightest provocative. Russian military plane over international waters 25 miles from the UK coast is "real and present danger" to NATO. Yet...

Yet yesterday US combat vehicles conducted a military parade and show of military force in Estonia just 300 yards -- yards! -- from the Russian border. That is just over 60 miles from downtown St. Petersburg.
​

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...s-military-maneuvers-300-yards-russias-border

[video=youtube;fcrIdqHEBe8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcrIdqHEBe8[/video]

and yes the vehicles are proudly displaying American flags(not all of the vehicles,but most of the armor where flying the American flag).

 

[T.Lex]

NATO cannot figure out how it is that Russia could possibly feel threatened by its actions, which, unlike Russia's are not in the slightest provocative. Russian military plane over international waters 25 miles from the UK coast is "real and present danger" to NATO.

That's the kind of thing that hurts your credibility.

The only thing more provocative than a military parade 300 m away from a border crossing is a military "parade" of unmarked vehicles driven by soldiers "on vacation" wearing unmarked uniforms who end up shooting real bullets a couple hundred kilometers inside a sovereign nation. Oh wait, maybe shooting artillery at another sovereign country's military installations. Yeah, that seems like it would be provocative.

But, maybe that's just me...

 

[Kutnupe14]

That's the kind of thing that hurts your credibility.

The only thing more provocative than a military parade 300 m away from a border crossing is a military "parade" of unmarked vehicles driven by soldiers "on vacation" wearing unmarked uniforms who end up shooting real bullets a couple hundred kilometers inside a sovereign nation. Oh wait, maybe shooting artillery at another sovereign country's military installations. Yeah, that seems like it would be provocative.

But, maybe that's just me...

...or subs in territorial waters..... or Nationalizing 3/4 or another nation's navy

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Confirmed. Boris Nemtsov was shot four times in the chest and killed.

He was co-chair of the RPR-PARNAS political party, one of the leaders of Solidarnost movement and an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-02-27-17-48-35

 

[mrjarrell]

On the ground in Debaltseve with Vice. Nice to see the Russian fighters admit Russia's involvement.

[video=youtube_share;-ZjbYXF6yi0]http://youtu.be/-ZjbYXF6yi0[/video]