Obama Says ‘Deeply Held Grievance’ Led Putin to Seek Crimea

[JackRiddler]

24. Sounds like he's preparing for a concordat of some kind...

Looking for a line where he can show understanding while announcing disapproval, and create an opening for deescalation. Better than WWIII, right? No one ever said the man is stupid (which is why the apologias for the Iraq war can't be parsed away, incidentally).

U.S.G. logically would be looking to settle this on the basis of the current stand. They're ahead in the imperialist game. The West gets to economically sack the Ukraine for at least a few years, while Russia keeps Crimea as consolation.

It will probably work as an arrangement, except for what may develop within Ukraine. The very likely neo-liberal/right government coming up after elections will be implementing debt slavery and austerity. They'll have nothing to offer the people, other than the divisive strategy we've seen in the coup (oh, sorry, interim) regime: stoking Ukrainian ethno-nationalism with a Russian image of the enemy. This will foster and encourage the Nazi types and keep the situation explosive.