Moscow To Halt Military Steps In Ukraine – Only After US Guarantee Not To Post Missile Shield There

[big_dog]

As Washington and the Europeans – and especially the UK – continue to decry Russian military aggression, the US and Russians have quietly entered into intense negotiations on a compromise for resolving their dispute over Ukraine, Washington and Moscow sources report. Moscow insists on keeping in place the military forces which took control of Crimea over the weekend, but is ready to discuss terms for restraining the Russian army from advancing into the Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.The exchanges between the two powers are going through Berlin. The German government is making every effort to dispel the winds of war coming in from the east. Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Vladimir Putin conferred by phone and decided to talk again about ways of promoting the negotiations. In fact, the Russian president has couched his demands for further negotiations under four headings:
1. The Kiev government whichever form it takes must sign an obligation to abstain from any ties with NATO.
2. Neither the US, NATO or any other power will deploy X-Band or BX-1 radar stations on Ukraine territory whether on land, sea or air. This guarantee would additionally cover elements of an anti-missile missile shield and ballistic missiles placing Russia in their sights.
3. Restrictions will govern the types of weapons allowed the Ukrainian army.
4. Local military bodies will be established to protect the Russian-speaking and ethnic Russian regions of Ukraine.
Putin emphasized in his conversation with Merkel that, until those four conditions are met, Russian forces would remain where they are in Crimea and if this was deemed necesssary, advance into other parts of Ukraine. http://www.debka.com/article/23724/Moscow-will-halt-military-steps-in-Ukraine-%E2%80%93-only-after-a-US-guarantee-not-to-post-missile-shield-there-

[TwilightGardener]

1. This is really interesting, because I feel that NATO and missile defense are

truly huge issues for Putin--but it's Debka, which is not reliable, IMO.

[Tx4obama]

2. "... debka is an Israeli military-intelligence propaganda front.. "

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014211438#post2

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014587558#post6

[big_dog]

4. Mossad generally has the best intelligence on the world....

Last edited Thu Mar 6, 2014, 02:43 PM - Edit history (1)

even better than ours on the whole

[Democracyinkind]

3. While the article isn't reliable, missile defense is one if the central issues in this game.

Not just missile defense, but strategic posture. We tend to ignore the geostrategic aspects of these developments.

[arcane1]

5. Good lord, we're still trying the missile shield thing?

Talk about a cash cow!

[geek tragedy]

6. debka=crap nt

[Tx4obama]

7. Debka is the only one reporting this - no one should believe this BS. n/t

[big_dog]

8. debka also reported that Israel siezed a missile ship from Iran today

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/israel-naval-raid-seizes-gaza-bound-iranian-arms-22779803

[Tx4obama]

9. So, why haven't you posted a link that backs up the OP story?

Because there isn't one!

[big_dog]

12. because Mossad most likely got wind of secret back channel negoiations between Germany & Russia

perhaps Merkel or Putin will verify it soon

[bemildred]

10. I think the fact this is on Debka makes it more interesting.

As is why would Debka want to promote this view?

And it's more or less what I expect Putin to do. And it's detailed.

But Debka is indeed not a reliable source.

[big_dog]

13. this does seem to tell us that Putin may not be as nuts as he seems

and playing a long tern strategy to boot

[bemildred]

14. It seems clear he (Putin) was not the only one taken by surprise.

But I'm not getting into it, people will attack me, and I don't have any fantasies about what I say being important. And I could be wrong, or it could all go bad anyway. Rolling the dice, we are.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Well, I will take any thing Debka writes with an incredibly large

Grain of salt. Learned over the years they are incredibly good at creative writing. Though they are good for fiction writers every where.

No more like Crimean Parliament voting to join Russia. Now that is like not surprising.

[davidpdx]

15. So according to this article

(if you choose to believe it) Vald wants local militias of Russians in Russian speaking areas, to retain the right to occupy Crimea, and possible invade parts of Ukraine? Wow, he's cutting himself a pretty good deal there. Either way he gets part of a country he doesn't have control over.