Was chatting with my wife about this on the weekend. I don't know that a full-scale war will erupt, but I'm nervous that it might. The potential is definitely there.
I'm on the other end of that spectrum, I don't think there is any way a war would happened (apart from some Russian/Ukraine skirmishing). Which country, if they wanted to (which I don't think they do), would be able to send troops to Ukraine to defend it?
I don't think the US military is in a position to invade, and unlike some of the other countries they have invaded in the past, if they try to just bomb the Russians they would get a run for the money since the Russians would be able to match them in air power (unlike say Afghanistan or Iraq). Last I checked Europe is broke as fuck, so I don't see them putting their hand up for a fight against Russia.
The Chinese will just be watching this and hoping Putin succeeds with no dramas, so they can pull the same shit down the line if they want.
Whether you agree with Putin or not, he has picked the best time to do this (imo) and not many other nations with any might can raise a valid argument against his invasion since they have all done the same (or would do so). At the same time I think I don;t Putin won't overplay this. The Russians will probably be happy taking Crimea and splitting Ukraine into two countries.
That could happen... I actually hope Russia annexes the whole of Ukraine, one less place for those EU idiots to senselessly dump our money.
Regardless of what happens in Ukraine there will not be anything more but some empty sanctions talk and even that is just senseless posturing. We need their gas. So what? They don't have much else so why not just keep buying their gas and otherwise ignore them.
Maybe Obama put Putin up to this so he can again pose as the big friend of Europe.
Report: Ukraine military dolphins to switch nationalities, join Russian navy
By Faith Karimi, CNN
updated 7:41 AM EDT, Thu March 27, 2014
(CNN) -- Just when you thought this divorce couldn't get any messier.
Weeks after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region, it plans to take custody of dolphins in the nation as well.
Not just any dolphins. These highly trained military mammals detect risks such as sea mines or enemy scuba divers trying to slip through. Sea mines are sophisticated weapons that can sink ships and other watercraft.
"The combat dolphin program in the Crimean city of Sevastopol will be preserved and redirected toward the interests of the Russian navy," state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported Thursday.
Dolphins are a crucial part of open-water security. They detect sounds and objects in murky waters that human beings can't, making them uniquely effective at highlighting dangers on the sea floor.
Harnessing the military power of animal intelligence
Ukraine was using outdated military equipment for the dolphin program and planned to disband it next month, RIA Novosti said.
The Ukraine Defense Ministry told CNN that the nation has an ocean dolphin facility but declined to provide details, saying they're classified.
The dolphin program dates to the 1960s, when Russia and Ukraine were part of the Soviet Union, but was handed over to Kiev after independence, RIA Novosti said.
The U.S. Navy in San Diego also trains dolphins and sea lions to help protect its assets and find dangerous objects underwater.
Tensions between Moscow and Kiev have escalated since Russia reclaimed the Crimea region after a referendum this month that overwhelmingly supported the annexation. The United States and its allies have pledged to isolate Russia for its actions.
Ukraine also has combat sea lions that operate under the same base. It's unclear whether they'll be barking allegiances to Moscow or Kiev.
Comments
That could happen... I actually hope Russia annexes the whole of Ukraine, one less place for those EU idiots to senselessly dump our money.
Regardless of what happens in Ukraine there will not be anything more but some empty sanctions talk and even that is just senseless posturing. We need their gas. So what? They don't have much else so why not just keep buying their gas and otherwise ignore them.
Maybe Obama put Putin up to this so he can again pose as the big friend of Europe.
Lying bastards, fuck them, all of them.
But I don't think Putin is fanatical enough to take it, he's more Machiavelli then Hitler most days of the week.
We know how that works out with Russia.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/world/europe/crimea-dolphins-defect/
We don't do that anymore. Source: I work there!
One of the best Unintentional Comedies ever.