プーチンの賭け

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes January 28, 2015

Leftist victory in Greece threatens continuation of EU sanctions against Russia

Developing See (1) Julia Smirnova und Boris Kalnóky, “Mit Tspiras hat Russland einen neuen Verbündeten; Die neue griechische Regierung verfügt über bemerkenswert enge Kontakte nach…

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Crimea, Deutschland, Dictatorship, European Union, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes January 24, 2015

Putin attacks Mariupol, may seek land corridor to Crimea

Developing See (1) Julia Smirnova, “Mariupol wäre für die Separatisten wertvollster Ort; Die Angriffe auf Mariupol markieren eine neue Eskalation des Kriegs in der Ostukraine….

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, use of force, Vladimir Putin January 23, 2015

Negotiating with terrorists: Merkel’s proposal for a broad economic zone with Russia and its friends

See “Ukraine-Krise: Bundesregierung lockt Russland mit Handelszone; Zur Belohnung gäbe es eine Wirtschaftskooperation: Die Bundesregierung hat laut Medienbericht dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin eine Handelszone…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, OSCE, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes January 21, 2015

Poroshenko interview in NZZ; agreement to withdraw heavy weapons from Minsk September 19 demarcation line

Developing Vladimir Putin acting, through his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, reached an agreement in Berlin this week under which Russian “separatists” in eastern Ukraine would…

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Crimea, European Union, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin January 20, 2015

REPRISE: If Putin invades Mariupol and seizes a land corridor to the Crimea, what will NATO, the U.S. and the EU do?

Originally published October 3, 2014 See Update (October 31, 2014), here. Russia’s continuing aggression in the Ukraine, and continuing appeasement in the West The ceasefire…

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Barack Obama, coverage of foreign events, Crimea, foreign news coverage, human rights, International Law, NATO, OSCE, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes November 12, 2014

Go for Putin!

Commentary The contempt Vladimir Putin evidently feels for Barack Obama and the West was revealed in a split-second at the APEC summit in Beijing these…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Dictatorship, elections, European Union, International Law, Russia, sanctions, State Department, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes October 31, 2014

REPRISE: If Putin invades Mariupol and seizes a land corridor to the Crimea, what will NATO, the U.S. and the EU do?

Der Spiegel reports renewed fighting around the Donetsk airport and, much more ominously, that the leader of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, has threatened…

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Barack Obama, Brazil, Crimea, Deutschland, Dictatorship, European Union, France, freedom of speech, Germany, human rights, India, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin October 3, 2014

If Putin invades Mariupol and seizes a land corridor to the Crimea, what will NATO, the U.S. and the EU do?

See Update (October 31, 2014), here. Russia’s continuing aggression in the Ukraine, and continuing appeasement in the West The ceasefire in the Ukraine established by…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, European Union, foreign news coverage, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 27, 2014

Putin’s threats against NATO and other countries

There are disturbing signs that Vladimir Putin’s ambitions, following his successful invasions of the Crimea and the eastern Ukraine, have become or remain boundless. He…

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Barack Obama, China, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, Dictatorship, European Union, France, freedom of speech, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes September 24, 2014

REPRISE II — Putin’s wager: Russia’s rogue authoritarianism versus fundamental human rights and the existing international political and legal order

Russia and the Ukraine—The Big Picture Originally published April 24, 2014 In a fatal error, Putin challenges the modern postwar international political and legal order…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, Deutschland, European Union, foreign correspondents, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes September 20, 2014

Obama in Control: No lethal aid for Ukraine, no combat troops in Iraq no matter what, and lethal aid for “moderates” in Syria

Friday night fatigue can affect one’s musings on world affairs. Much of the fatigue this week comes from the news. The Russian-Ukrainian War Russia is…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Iraq, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes September 14, 2014

The Russia-Ukraine War: Putin, cunning judo master, versus Obama, NATO, and EU, conflicted and confused; Protagonists continue battle for Ukraine and vision of world order

Developing Russian President Vladimir Putin, a cunning and brilliant tactician who has now taken on the entire international legal and political order through his invasions…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 13, 2014

Putin’s response to new sanctions: (1) New invasion of Donbas with white truck convoy, entering without authorization or inspection; and (2) Renewed fighting (artillery and rockets) in Donetsk

Putin Escalates Crisis in Response to New Sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin has reacted true to form, in response to the entry into force of…

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Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S Foreign Relations, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 12, 2014

Full text of new EU sanctions against Russia (September 8, 2014)

Developing See “New EU sanctions hit Russia,” EU Business, 12 September 2014 (11:10 CET). The full text of the new EU sanctions against Russia because…

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Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, State Department, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force September 10, 2014

TWO VASTLY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES — Conditions for lifting the new EU sanctions (once in force): (1) Ceasefire holds; or (2) All steps in Minsk Protocol on ceasefire and peace process completed

Much has been at stake in the battle within the EU over whether the new sanctions against Russia (agreed on September 5) should now enter…