New escalation in eastern Ukraine: Our war in Europe

[Surya Gayatri]

Source: Spiegel On-Line

The Olympic road is located on the outskirts of Mariupol, in the northeast of the Ukrainian port city. The Ukrainian military has held the town since the spring. Soldiers have erected a checkpoint a few hundred meters from the apartment blocks (shown in the photo). The weekend attack with Salve Grad rockets may have been aimed at this military post, and simply have missed its target.

The shells missed the checkpoint by 400 meters and instead hit houses, a market, shops and a school. They destroyed many vehicles, some in the middle of the street. Overall, in the attack, more than 30 people were killed. OSCE observers blame the pro-Russian separatists.





Read more: http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/mariupol-krieg-in-der-ukraine-immer-brutaler-a-1015074.html

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The separatists have broken off all truce talks. They are flexing their military muscles once again, emboldened by new Russian troops and materiel. Not good...

[Blue_Tires]

1. Sadly, there's not much to be done

the military leadership in Kiev is inept, and NATO isn't coming to their rescue...

By this time next year, the country we once knew as Ukraine will be split into 4-5 states, all under Moscow's control...

[Bragi]

2. I'm fine with that

I really don't care which appalling group -- ours or theirs -- rules Ukraine.

[Blue_Tires]

3. I'm not quite sure why so many people have to die

just for Russia to tighten its grip around a territory they've owned all this time, but if you're not bothered by it, then I'm not either....

[KoKo]

4. Maybe if our Neocons hadn't stirred up trouble and those

in NATO who wanted another Cold War with Russia had been constrained along with the NeoCons and MIC supporters in the West this could have been avoided.

It's a sad situation with so much destruction and loss of life.

[ensemble]

5. I doubt western Ukraine...

will be under Russian control. The eastern part may very well split off and align with Russia.

[Blue_Tires]

6. I'm pretty sure the eastern part already had that decision made for them

when heavy armor started cruising through their neighborhoods...

The only real questions are: 1. How much does Putin want to make central Ukraine bleed before accepting surrender, and 2. Is he bold enough to directly challenge NATO by moving in on Estonia next?

[Xolodno]

7. What truce talks?

Kiev had one position (backed by other interests), all the territory (with the exception of Crimea) comes back under Kiev's control. The separatists (backed by other interests) wanted to be Federalized (due to long rooted WW2 fears)...and if not, controlled directly by Moscow.

The EU wants to be done with this as does Russia. Kiev's one weapon was time, the longer Russia suffers (as well as the EU), the more likely Russia will give in....a long shot...but the only shot they had.

[rug]

8. Whose war?

[DeSwiss]

9. K&R

[mazzarro]

10. +100% --- B-I-N-G-O! -- n/t