Inkwell Institute

Eurasian Desk

First, have you had enough of the ‘news’ (I use the term loosely) of the missing plane?  One satellite photo can give MSM 6 hours of coverage of nothing at all………if you are then join us today we will look at the Ukraine situation in a different light…….8 to 80….fun for all…..join us.

Crimea has voted and now the world is quaking with the prospect that Putin may be trying to re-start the Cold War……..NATO countries are making a case for needed cash for their defense from the Russian bear……they are using a time tried and true technique….fear mongering (Propaganda 2.0….look it up)…….

First to weigh in was the Baltic nation of Estonia………

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to “invade eastern Ukraine” after occupying the country’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, Estonia said.

Russia warned that Ukraine’s government has lost control of the country today, fueling concern the Kremlin may extend a military intervention as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for it to halt a takeover of the disputed province.

Events in Ukraine “clearly show that the Russian Federation only accepts force,” Estonian Defense Minister Urmas Reinsalu said in an e-mailed statement today. To deter Putin, “a clear message needs to be sent that an attack will cost the aggressor dearly.”

Now that they have the rest of Ukraine on the brink…..the US has promised cash and weapons to protect the country from further incursions from Russia………a minister in the Ukraine is adding more fuel to the fire……..

Russia may be preparing a further military incursion into his country, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Yurii Klymenko, told diplomats at a briefing on human rights.

“There are indications that Russia is on its way to unleash a full blown military intervention in Ukraine’s east and south,” Klymenko said on Thursday.

His statement was widely supported by other ambassadors, but challenged by a Russian diplomat, who read a prepared statement justifying Russia’s actions so far.

Klymenko issued the warning as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Europe would step up political and economic sanctions, if Russia goes ahead with its plan to annex Ukraine’s Crimean region.

The problem is….Putin is calling someone’s bluff………

Vladimir Putin officially signed the bills completing Russia’s annexation of Crimea today, hailing the move as a “remarkable event,” the AP reports. It was one of the day’s two auspicious signings; earlier, interim Ukrainian President Arseniy Yatsenyuk signed on to what Reuters refers to as a “landmark” political association agreement with the European Union. It was ousted president Viktor Yanukovich’s opposition to the pact—in favor of closer ties to Russia—that started the protests that began the crisis.

The deal calls for greater political and economic cooperation, and eventually free trade once a new president is elected in May. Yatsenyuk said the deal indicated that the EU would “speak in one single and strong voice” to support the Ukraine, CNN reports. As for that other signing? “Frankly, I don’t care about Russia signing” the annexation bill, Yatsenyuk said. “I care about Ukraine, Ukrainians, and our European future.” In other Ukraine news:

Events are beginning to tumble out of control……..

• Ukraine set today as the deadline for the militias patrolling Independence Square in Kiev to turn in the illegal weapons that they openly carry, the New York Times reports. Europe is insisting the groups disarm before any financial aid flows to Ukraine.
• Ukrainian troops will today join NATO training exercises in Bulgaria, the AP reports. The exercises were planned before the crisis broke, but take on an extra significance now.
• Vladimir Putin laughed off US sanctions, RT reports. Referring to the targeted lawmakers he derisively said, “Yes, these are those so-called ‘polite people in camouflage with guns.’ … I need to avoid these citizens as they are ‘compromising the country.'” He also said that he’d open an account at the sanctioned Rossiya bank. But Russia won’t issue retaliatory sanctions, he said, and it will keep repairing NATO helicopters in Afghanistan. Apparently retaliatory visa bans are another matter.

Eastern Ukraine is NOT out of the cross hairs……..why?

The race is on……….The stage is being set for the escalation of hostilities………but what can the West do to slow down Putin and the Russian Bear?  Will the sanctions and other attempts slow the pace?

Putin is far from finished with this situation……..