Breaking: U.N. Secretary-General calls for immediate de-escalation in Ukraine.

[steve2470]

Source: CNN official Twitter feed

Breaking: U.N. Secretary-General calls for "immediate de-escalation" in Ukraine. http://bit.ly/1fyNykM

Will post more from CNN website when I get it.



Read more: https://twitter.com/CNN/status/439902271657095169

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DSG: The reason we meet is that we see negative signs, serious signs, risks of escalation, both on the ground and, I would say, verbally. There has to be a de-escalation, both physically and in terms of political language. There are some positive signs. There are calls for dialogue from all quarters. There are also intentions stated by authorities in Ukraine to have inclusive government with also representatives from eastern Ukraine, so we hope, as I said, that cool heads will prevail. That is what we all need to think of now. It is a very, very important responsibility, for all concerned, both inside and outside Ukraine.

http://www.un.org/sg/offthecuff/index.asp?nid=3325

All I can find so far. DSG is Deputy Secretary-General.

[Demeter]

1. I'll bet he does

Wouldn't reflect well on his record to be Secretary-General for the start of WW3.

This is where the rubber meets the road, and all the little spy vs. spy shit that the West has been playing meets naked Russian armed response.

This is a game Russia invented. Only this time, Mother Russia and her children-ethnic groups are the offended and aggrieved party.

Too bad we have such a naif for President.

[lostincalifornia]

3. and what would you suggest our president do, since you believe he is so "naive"?

[cprise]

13. Apologize!

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/20/a_new_cold_war_ukraine_violence

Right now.

[MADem]

4. WTF? What would you have Obama do? Bomb the Kremlin?

Jesus.

[AverageJoe90]

9. Seconding that. WWIII? Seriously?

Hell, even the Chimperor didn't start WWIII over Georgia.....and the stakes were actually higher then.

[lostincalifornia]

10. Actually, Obama is doing the only thing he can, try to get all parties to the negotiation table.

This will probably be done through the UN, and will probably happen, but only after Russia insures that the Crimea is stable, at least that is what I think

[Igel]

17. Understatement.

It'll be as in Georgia and Abkhazia.

They'll take Crimea, including the non-autonomous Sevastopol in the interest of a "Greater Russia." (Yes, it echoes "Greater Serbia." Yes, it's intentional. Yes, I think they're precisely parallel, in that in both cases nationalism and desire to restore past glory is the driving force, along with wounded pride. While we slighted Milosevic, the Ukrainians aren't oppressed Muslims and Rossiya isn't Srbija.)

Then they're move into other areas. They'll claim that those areas are 50% or more Russian, or vital Russian interests. In some cases they'll include mostly Ukrainian areas, but gerrymander. In other cases the 50% or more population = Russian will result from ethnic cleansing. Nobody will dare challenge those who insist that it's not *really* ethnic cleansing. Those ethnically cleansed will get the Soviet Jew treatment: You have 24 hours and can take anything that's not valuable that fits in a suitcase. And they'll check for cash, gold, jewelry, or things that might be valuable.

Then Russia will graciously withdraw to where they intended to, but at a price. The resulting territories will become vassal states, and a de facto part of Russia. But Russia will insist that all the stuff that belonged to Ukraine actually belongs to the vassal states (but not any of the debt). The vassal state will be persistent thorns in the side of Ukraine, with never ending claims and threats. If slighted, Russian Army troops will "incurse" and say they were provoked.

Prior to withdrawing to the agreed-upon lines, something will cause Russia to say that the conditions really aren't being upheld by somebody doing something on the other side, and so they'll just hang around for a while longer to intimidate and cripple the resulting government. During this time infrastructure will magically be damaged and anything of value magically appear behind the lines that they'll eventually withdraw to. None will dare call it looting.

They may even require reparations for actually agreeing to stop the invasion and withdraw. After all, they were provoked.

[steve2470]

6. After 5 years in office, I'd hardly call him a naif nt

[Demeter]

12. Obama: How "Thou Shalt Not" Became "Thou Shalt"

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/22130-the-five-commandments-of-barack-obama

In January 2009, Barack Obama entered the Oval Office projecting idealism and proud to be the constitutional law professor devoted to turning democratic principles into action. In his first weeks in office, in a series of executive orders and public statements, the new president broadcast for all to hear the five commandments by which life in his new world of national security would be lived.

Thou shalt not torture.

Thou shalt not keep Guantanamo open.

Thou shalt not keep secrets unnecessarily.

Thou shalt not wage war without limits.

Thou shalt not live above the law.

Five years later, the question is: How have he and his administration lived up to these self-proclaimed commandments?

ACTUALLY, THE QUESTION IS: WHEN WILL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND ITS SUPPORTERS HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE?

AND IF YOU DON'T THINK OBAMA IS WAGING WAR IN UKRAINE, YOU AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION.

[Igel]

16. Mother Russia is always the aggrieved party.

Stalin in the Holodomor said Russia was the aggrieved party.

When Budyonnyi was invading Poland, it was because Russia was aggrieved.

There was incredible animosity to Eastern Europeans that rejected the USSR's interference in their states--they were showing ingratitude given all the glorious things the Russians had done for them. It was personally offensive to many Russians to be rejected. They were livid at the Baltics' exiting the USSR.

The Tatars know this. They're in the Crimea and they're afraid. They were ethnically cleansed once and had better be damned grateful for being allowed to actually return to Crimea. So while they don't want to be in Russia, they also know that they'd better be grateful for whatever crap they're handed.

If it's not 100% in control and absolutely, unequivocally on top, it's the aggrieved party and it's being actively dishonored. And when it is in charge, it's merely making up for having been previously aggrieved.

You see this reflected in the calls from the East of Ukraine: Now it's essential that the Russians' views be taken into account, that all views and opinions be heard and followed. But a mere two months ago the Russians were in charge and really had no use for any other opinion, even as the protesters made precisely the same demand: Take into account their views. The Russians' response was lead from the Berkut, those who are now in Crimea and setting up checkpoints and working with their presumed compatriots. Consideration of anothers' viewspoint wasn't important--in fact, it was a bad thing.

Now *that's* nationalism: We're important enough to ignore everybody else and insist on that right, but nobody had better dare ignore us.

[Demeter]

19. Don't mess with Russia's warm water port!

Putin is giving the financial policy wonks of the US, EU, and CORPORAT fascists, and the heirs of Rothschild, a lesson in what a hostile takeover REALLY looks like.

[okaawhatever]

21. Ha. What a joke. Putin's buddy Fmr Chancellor Schroder works for Rothschild. Maybe there's a

Russian Underground website you'd like better. This is for Democrats.

[pampango]

22. Of course, no one was or is 'messing' with it. Russia's lease on it runs for another 30 years. Even

Russia does not pretend that the existence of their base was in any danger.

Putin is giving the financial policy wonks of the US, EU, and CORPORAT fascists, and the heirs of Rothschild, a lesson in what a hostile takeover REALLY looks like.

I don't think Putin invented the concept of using military force to achieve political goals.

[cosmicone]

2. Breaking: UN Secretary General calls for him to be tall and handsome. n/t

[steve2470]

5. CNN now has the info

During a telephone call with Putin, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said he told the Russian leader that it was crucial to "restore calm and proceed to an immediate de-escalation of the situation."

"Cool heads must prevail and dialogue must be the only tool in ending this crisis," he said.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/01/world/europe/ukraine-politics/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[Mkap]

7. UN

The conservatives are already freaking out that we haven't nuked Ukraine yet and with past faliures like Iran-contra scandal we know that the conservatives are clueless in how to deal with international crisis, it would be wiser to wait it out and yet the UN deal with this rather then get into another

[jakeXT]

8. The UN is always good for gluing things... according to Nuland

´So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and to have the UN help glue it and, you know, Fuck the EU.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26079957

[adirondacker]

11. !

[Hulk]

14. Please straighten me out!

Wasn't Ukraine the country that supplied Adolf Hitler some of the most ruthless, cruel, inhumane soldiers that WWII recognizes today? Seems to me that's what I remember from history. I'm just saying, IF SO, I couldn't care less about the people of Ukraine or any other nation that has a history of such animalistic, barbaric citizens.

Just saying.

[steve2470]

15. ........

1- It's been 69 years since WW2.
2- Our history is not exactly one of perfect moral superiority either.

We agree to disagree on this one. You cannot change my mind, so don't waste your time. Wow.

[pangaia]

18. Do you feel that way about every Ukrainian human being living now?

The United States firebombed innocent people in Dresden, in Tokyo and incinerated babies in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The US Army slaughtered innocent people along the Washita River and at Wounded Knee.

I am an American citizen, Do you feel that way about me?

[Hulk]

20. Love the responses...

No, I don't feel that way about every Ukrainian citizen. I guess you can take that nonsense off the table. It was 69 years ago; right..and these are the citizens that are from those parents and grand-parents, a few generations removed. Does that mean THEY are all barbarians as MANY of their ancestors were? Probably not; but it does bring into question just how far removed they are from their ugly past.
Hardly an argument about our "righteousness." The American people didn't pick up a weapon and brutally butcher an enemy by hand. Our government and military made steps that were pretty inhumane, but my father didn't...my grand-father didn't...my ancestors didn't, and I doubt that any one on these threads has an ancestor who is DIRECTLY responsible for such acts as well. My government may have, but "we the people" individually didn't. I see a big difference. You may not.
Would I expect Ukrainians to get involved in OUR civil unrest, or OUR politics? I guess my point is I think these societies of people have a greater potential to resort to cruel, barbaric acts in their civil strife. Do I expect them ALL to put on a swastika and march...no, but I'll damn bet there are many who are quite willing to perform the same brutal acts their ancestors performed not so long ago. A few generations removed doesn't absolve them of their past. Look at many in the South today. They also bear a strong relationship to their ancestors' hatred of minorities, (as do many in the North...yeah, yeah..I get it already).

[Fumesucker]

23. We all have ancestors that did this shit, we are the descendants of winners

And for the vast majority of history and prehistory that's how winners became winners.