Ukraine to Buy ‘Defensive’ Weapons in U.A.E., President Says

[jakeXT]

Source: WSJ

Ukraine said it would buy what it called defensive weapons from the United Arab Emirates, bypassing the West’s reluctance to provide arms to help Kiev’s forces against Russia-backed rebels.

President Petro Poroshenko, speaking Tuesday at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, didn’t specify what type of equipment Ukraine would buy or in what quantities, but said they would help Ukraine protect its territory from the separatists.

The U.A.E. Defense Ministry couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. It didn’t include any Ukraine-related arms deals in its daily contract update for the exposition.

Ukraine has for months requested lethal weapons from its backers in the West, but run into stiff resistance especially from Germany, France and Britain, which fear an escalation in the nearly yearlong conflict.

Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-president-meets-u-a-e-officials-to-secure-weapons-purchase-1424788248

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[MattSh]

1. The word "buy" suggests you have some money to pay for it.

Ukrainian currency is quickly obtaining the status of very colorful toilet paper. It's lost 75% of it's value since the glorious revolution. Half of that loss has been in 2015! And the local black market suggests it's about to take another 25% tumble.

So what if the US and EU doesn't send weapons? Just take their money (courtesy of US and EU taxpayers) and buy what you want elsewhere.

[Fred Sanders]

10. The glorious "revolution" has turned the country into a beggar state...congrats to the Candy King!

The nation slips into anarchy and starvation and and even more corruption if that is possible, and the solution is clearly to buy more guns.
And take selfies with merchants of death....when is America and the West going to admit these folks are NOT the partners you want to surround Russia with NATO forces, maybe wait a bit for some competent fo folks?

[uhnope]

16. wow. You're actually gloating about the damage that Russia has done to Ukraine

That's incredibly low

[DeSwiss]

13. When you're right, you're right!

- It'd make a fun wallpaper for the kids wreck-room too!

[uhnope]

17. Gloating over the pain and suffering of Ukrainians ...

Talk about taking the low road

[bemildred]

2. Yeah, Russian media was going on about that at some length.

They are both there trying to sell stuff too, Ukraine & Russia.

[jakeXT]

3. Partly symbolic for Ukraine

Ukroboronprom's presence at the show was also symbolic.

"Not being here might have been interpreted that we are scared," Stechyshyna said. "We have to show that we have the production. We have to show that we have the products that can defend ourself from threats."

http://www.defensenews.com/story/breaking-news/2015/02/24/ukraine-signs-defense-deal-with-uae/23926101/

[bemildred]

4. Well, you have to sympathize. nt

[ColesCountyDem]

6. Yes, one must. n/t

[jakeXT]

7. I still wonder whose idea it was to convince Ukraine to ship weapons to Syria

The guns of Odessa

While weapons of all kinds have cropped up throughout the Syrian conflict, from the chemical weapons that made president Bashar Al-Assad an international pariah to homemade rockets, the rebels have two main problems: Getting enough rifles and ammunition to give them a basic infantry force, and—the bigger problem—countering the regime’s vast military advantage, especially as it has aircraft and the rebels don’t.

Many weapons in the conflict hail from the former eastern bloc, according to surveys of small arms in Syria (pdf) that are admittedly unscientific. There’s a reason for this: The Soviet Union cranked up a massive arms machine, and when it collapsed, the combination of chaos, weapons stockpiles and criminal entrepreneurship gave men like Viktor Bout and Leonard Minin careers as arms dealers.

When it comes to recent arms deals to Syria, though, the C4ADS analysis sees a a new evolution in arms transit.

Using software developed by Palantir, the secretive Silicon Valley big-data firm, C4ADS tracked an interconnected network of businesses, often hidden behind shell companies, who handle most Russian arms shipments. The “Odessa network” it describes is centered on politically-connected Russian and Ukrainian businessmen and the Ukrainian seaport of Oktyabrsk, a former Soviet military base. At least 10 ships in the network visited Syria in 2012, while dozens of Syrian vessels have traveled back and forth to Oktyabrsk, according to C4ADS.

http://qz.com/211603/how-ukrainian-arms-dealing-connects-to-syrias-bloody-civil-war/

[bemildred]

8. Yep, "free enterprise" at its finest.

And amazingly difficult to keep track of, for some reason.

[newthinking]

5. Selfi at a merchants of death conference. How cute!

[Fred Sanders]

11. The two merchants of death Porshenko is with look like fine men, do they not?

What kind of leader does this? Can you imagine Obama or any leader you know of do this?

Wake up Candy King lovers, this man is an incompetent Oligarthic fool and his "government" even worse.

[uhnope]

18. not to mention certain people's favorite fascist creep and his love of posing

[Duckhunter935]

9. Good

[DeSwiss]

12. Isn't that where ISIS shops?

- I know they get their portable refineries from Turkey through Alibaba.

I'm no weapons expert, but I think they might have saved some money if their troops would have kept the weapons they already had:

[heaven05]

14. my only question

why are we and the rest of the crowd from the West backing fascists in the Ukraine? Disappointment abounds here. Geo-politics? BS.

[lanlady]

19. The only fascists in Ukraine

are the psychotics sent by Putin to drown East Ukraone in blood.

[heaven05]

20. what about

McCain's buddies the Svoboda?

[EX500rider]

21. What about them?

In the October 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election the party won a whole 6 seats, losing 30 seats of the 37 seats it had won in the 2012 parliamentary election.


Svoboda Party support (% of the votes cast) in different regions of Ukraine (in the 2014 election).


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svoboda_(political_party)

[heaven05]

22. what you say is fine and well

Last edited Fri Feb 27, 2015, 10:15 AM - Edit history (1)

yet it doesn't take away from them being openly pro-nazi. You can try to diminish them as a political force, yet cancer always starts with one cell. White supremacist banners and confederate flags(small c intended) flying from toppled Lenin statues and destroying memorials to Ukrainians who died fighting the nazis is NOT benign behavior by a few. Tyahnybok and his Goebbels quoting deputy Mykhalchyshyn. What about Svoboda being linked to an international constellation of neo-fascists through the Alliance of European National Movements? His thugs and the Euromaiden battles? McCain is an idiot along with anyone that supports this thuggish party. These thugs are just playing out the continuing story started in WWII and continued with the Reagan administration being cozy enough with UCCA as to have many in his administration. Diminish all you want, our media is ignoring the huge iceberg right under the surface while pointing to the cute little ice flow on top.