l’Observateur Incisif

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Barack Obama, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, Spain, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Nations Secretary General, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes February 7, 2015

REPRISE: Kiev caves in to Russian military threats, offering far-reaching concessions in eastern Ukraine; Pacifism and appeasement grip Wasington and Europe; First signs of Russian military intervention appear, as troops on border are poised to strike

Originally published April 12, 2014 The Atmosphere in Washington On Saturday, April 12, The New York Times did not have a story (or even a…

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Crimea, Dictatorship, elections, electronic curtain, freedom of speech, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, sanctions, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United Nations Secretary General, use of force, Vladimir Putin November 2, 2014

The meaningless “sham” elections in “separatist”-held areas of the Ukraine on November 2, 2014

“Une dictature est un pays dans lequel on n’a pas besoin de passer toute une nuit devant son poste pour apprendre le résultat des élections.”…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, elections, European Union, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes October 20, 2014

REPRISE II: Dare anyone say it? “We applaud the courage of the Ukrainian government and people in defending public order and the sovereignty and territorial independence of the Ukraine.”

October 20, 2014 Since the article below was written, Russia continued its invasion of the eastern Ukraine sending in Russian troops, tanks, artillery and other…

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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, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 8, 2014

Pacifists and appeasers in EU delay entry into force of new sanctions, undermining hard actions which produced Minsk ceasefire and peace process agreement

Latest News and Opinion See (1) “Sanktionen in der Ukraine-Krise: EU lässt Moskau noch einige Tage,” Der Spiegel, 8. September 2014 (2153 Uhr). Sie sind…

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Barack Obama, Deutschland, European Union, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 5, 2014

Terms of Minsk ceasefire agreement described; NATO decisions and new U.S. and EU sactions—if not sidelined at last moment—suggest toughening stance toward Putin

Developing Neil MacFarquhar of the New York times has provided an excellent summary of the terms of the ceasefire agreement reached in Minsk today, in…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Qatar, Russia, sanctions, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 5, 2014

Barack Obama’s phantasmagoric world, where the choice of words defines reality

phantasmagoria /ˌfæntæzməˈɡɔːrɪə/, phantasmagory /fænˈtæzməɡərɪ/ n 1. a shifting medley of real or imagined figures, as in a dream 2. a sequence of pictures made to…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, Germany, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 3, 2014

Inside Putin’s Brain: Musings on the Ukraine and what is going on inside his head — Part II

For analysis of Putin’s 7-point ceasefire proposal, EU sanctions decisions, and NATO decisions to be taken in the next few days, see “Putin seeks to…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, foreign news coverage, 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 3, 2014

Putin seeks to divide EU to avoid sanctions with Ukraine “cease-fire” proposal; Russian words should be ignored, harsh EU sanctions and hard NATO decisions adopted

Each act of apeasement dishonors those who fought for, and in many cases died for, the freedoms which we now enjoy. For late news and…

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Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 30, 2014

Putin’s War: the Russian invasion by regular troops and the West’s response—critical decisions loom (Updated August 30, 2014)

Updated August 30, 2014 Originally published on August 28, 2014 A new round of third-stage (Stage 3) sanctions must be really biting, with immediate effect….

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China, Crimea, debate over the efficacy of torture, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Russia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 29, 2014

U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on Ukraine (August 28, 2014) —- with link to video webcast

On Thursday, August 28, 2014, the United Nations Security Council meet in emergency session at the request of Ukraine to consider the Russian military invasion…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, European Union, genocide, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 28, 2014

Russian “Invasion” or Incursion” in Ukraine? Obama and the primacy of words over actions

Barack Obama, as noted here before, places the highest priority on words, and conducting foreign policy through words, not actions. See “ISIS or ISIL? A telling…