Putin’s wager

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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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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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Julia Smirnova of Die Welt lays out proof that Russian regular troops are fighting in the eastern Ukraine

Despite Vladimir Putin’s blatant lies asserting that Russian troops have not entered the Ukraine, seasoned reporter Julia Mirnova of Die Welt lays out irrefutable evidence…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 26, 2014

REPRISE: Overt Russian military invasion of the Ukraine underway; West must impose harsh stage 3 sanctions immediately

Putin has challenged directly the existing international political and legal order, upon which, incidentally, the world’s economic order rests.

Either Putin and Russia win, or the West and the other civilized countries of the world win.

It is that stark and simple.

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Putin redraws the map of Europe with Russian troops, as Western leaders slumber through the summer of appeasement of 2014

Western leaders, caught in the incapacitating net of their own illusions about Russia, and their own deep-seated pacifism and appeasement, are in effect slumbering through…

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Barack Obama, China, Crimea, Czechoslovakia, 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.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 22, 2014

Overt Russian military invasion of the Ukraine underway; West must impose harsh stage 3 sanctions immediately

Developing Putin has challenged directly the existing international political and legal order, upon which, incidentally, the world’s economic order rests. Either Putin and Russia win,…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Czechoslovakia, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 21, 2014

FEAR OF THE AGGRESSOR: Merkel reported planning to push for ceasefire in Ukraine at Minsk meeting with Poroshenko, Putin

Draft (developing) Richard Balmforth of Reuters reports tonight that President Petro Petroshenko plans to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his fighters from the…

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Ukraine reports capture of two Russian tanks — providing further proof of ongoing Russian military intervention

Further evidence of the ongoing military intervention by Russia in the Ukraine was made public today when the Ukrainian government announced it had captured two…

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Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Justice Department, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 19, 2014

Why should the West help Putin “save face” in the Ukraine?

Developing The diplomats are thinking of ways to stop the fighting in the Donbass, and a way to help Vladimir Putin to “save face” in…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, France, Germany, History, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 16, 2014

Russia’s invasion of Eastern Ukraine continues; Pacifists and appeasers in the West want to “negotiate” with Putin

A telling comment by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier could stand as the epitaph of the current generation of leaders who have responded to Russian…

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Ukraine attacks Russian armored column which entered Donbass Thursday night; August 8 (2014) Security Council meeting on Ukraine — Trancript (U.N. Doc. S/PV.7239) and links to webcast

Ukrainian military forces have engaged the Russian armored column which entered the Ukraine near Luhansk Thursday evening, and according to Kiev destroyed at least part…

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Barack Obama, China, Crimea, European Union, Germany, History, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, 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 14, 2014

Russian military vehicles violate territorial integrity of Ukraine, crossing into Donbass near Luhansk; Whether invasion follows may depend on immediate response of the West

Developing A column of Russian miltary vehicles including Armored Personnel Carriers (APC’s) have crossed the border into the Donbass area of the Ukraine near Luhansk….

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Could the Russian truck convoy be a feint? Watch carefully the rest of the border, and what is coming with the convoy. After Putin, when the Maidan comes to Red Square.

Developing What will remain of Putin’s current glory, built on the invasion and “annexation” of part of a key European country and rejection of the…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 13, 2014

Russian truck convoy nears Ukraine, amid confusion; Igor Girkin (aka Igor Strelkov) reported as seriously wounded; Putin’s triumphant return to the Crimea — with link to maps of conflict zone

From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, History, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 12, 2014

What if Russian truck convoy enters into Ukraine without Kiev’s authorization?

For background, see “Putin’s Trojan Horse: Military aggressor sends military-style aid convoy to Ukraine as its irregular forces are encircled,” The Trenchant Observer, August 12,…