The pacifists and appeasers who lead the West

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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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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…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 9, 2014

Putin wins again? UE sanctions decision of September 5 appears to fall apart; Future of Minsk Protocol peace process in doubt

  See Editorial, “Making Mr. Putin feel the heat of sanctions,” Washington Post, September 9, 2014 (8:07 p.m. ET). The Achievement Represented by the Signing…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, syria, U.N. Charter, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 9, 2014

Inside Putin’s Brain—Part III: The Principle of “I make believe, you make believe”, the EU’s New Sanctions, and the Minsk Protocol — with Putin’s (imagined) annotations on full text (in English)

In warfare, as in diplomacy, it is important to try to put yourself in the shoes of your adversary, to try to understand what is…

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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…