re: Obamas statement on middle east and Ukraine from the white house just now

quote:

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Um no Putin will do what ever he wants. His belief system and convictions really doesn't care what others say and do. The issue is he doesn't see how much he is hurting his own people and neither do they.

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Funny the US managed to stand up to and finally defeat the USSR. Reagan was able to install Pershing Missiles in Europe despite a massive KGB coordinated protest movement, putting enormous pressure on European leaders. Reagan was able to build a coalition, and keep it united.



What should be done? Don't let Putin drag this thing out, hiding behind an investigation. We know that Russia is responsible. We should privately tell Putin what will be done, if he doesn't begin to de-escalate the conflict. It's highly unlikely that he will give up the Crimea, but we may be able to contain his gains, and actually have him pull back.

Lay out all the evidence of Russian culpability before the UN. Photos, radio intercepts, etc.

Provide the Ukrainians with conventional weapons, not just MREs.
Place missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Put NATO troops in Poland and further east if possible.
Put even more stringent sanctions on Russian financial transactions, in London. Pressure the French to cancel military sales to the Russians. Announce long term agreements with Germany and other Russian customers of fuel to work on new sources of energy.

Make Russia as much of an international pariah as possible.

Putin is not some omniscient presence. He probably has internal enemies, who would be more than happy to see him fall. He hasn't exactly shown himself to be a political genius. All he's proven is that he's a bully who will go as far as you let him.