Military intervention in Ukraine – The Trenchant Observer

Barack Obama, Deutschland, Germany, International Law, Russia, sanctions, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force March 12, 2014

Washington looks to Angela Merkel for leadership on Ukraine

The U.S. welcomes Germany’s leadership on in the Ukrainian crisis, the leading German news magazine Der Spiegel reported today. See Sebastian Fischer (Washington), “Ukraine: USA…

Barack Obama, CIA, Deutschland, France, Germany, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, NSA, Russia, sanctions, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force March 7, 2014

Western diplomats stumble in the Ukraine—-Stop telephone diplomacy, let Germany lead, and publish serious international law memoranda

Updated March 7, 2014 Western leaders have made three major blunders since the Russian military takeover of the Crimea first began on or around February…

Deutschland, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, syria, U.N. Charter, United Nations Secretary General, use of force March 5, 2014

Ban Ki-Moon’s Special envoy Robert Serry manhandled, blocked, and forced to abandon mission in the Crimea; Repercussions from the Ukraine in the East China Sea and beyond

Nostalgia hit of the week: The Beetles, “Back in the USSR” (available on YouTube here) Putin’s Answer to Diplomatic Initiatives Russia’s answer to the diplomatic…

Deutschland, Germany, History, International Law, NATO, Russia, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S Foreign Relations, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force March 5, 2014

Ukraine: latest news, opinion and analysis

Developing News Reports (1) Muchael R. Gordon and Steven Ehrlanger, “U.S. Effort to Broker Russia-Ukraine Diplomacy Fails,” New York Times, March 5, 2014. (2) Somini…

Deutschland, Germany, Russia, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Nations Secretary General March 4, 2014

Steinmeier warns of extremely dangerous situation in Ukraine; Monday dinner with Lavrov yields no results; OCSE observer mission headed to Ukraine Wednesday

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva Monday night, but found no grounds for optimism to report. Steinmeier…

Barack Obama, History, International Law, Russia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force March 4, 2014

More American commentary on the Ukraine

For some of the best American commentary and opinion on the Ukraine crisis, see the following: David Ignatius, “Putin’s error in Ukraine is the kind…

U.S Foreign Relations March 4, 2014

Vladimir Putin’s March 4, 2014 press conference (transcript—partial—developing); video links to March 3, 2014 Security Council meeting on Ukraine

(Dwveloping) “Vladimir Putin answered journalists’ questions on the situation in Ukraine, Press Conference, March 4, 2014, (15:40) Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region. For a video to the…

Barack Obama, Russia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force March 2, 2014

U.N. Security Council meets at request of Ukraine—with links to press statements following meetings

At the request of Ukraine, the U.N. Security Council met on Friday evening (February 28) and Saturday afternoon (March 1) to discuss Russian military intervention…

U.S Foreign Relations March 1, 2014

Russia seizes Crimea by force, threatens larger invasion of Ukraine: Putin gambles with Russia’s future in the powder keg of Europe

Developing Latest developments For an excellent overview of the situation in the Ukraine by the New York Times, see Alison Shale and David M. herszenhorn,…

Barack Obama, History, International Law, Russia, State Department, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, Ukraine, United States, use of force February 28, 2014

Russia seizes Crimea through use of military force

While Obama and his administration appear unable to think quickly on their feet and to understand what is going on as Russia seizes control of…