so what to do about this whole Ukraine business

[arely staircase]

I think the goal of the US and the international community should be to prevent Russia from strong arming the whole of Ukraine back into Russian satellite status. However, I am not so sure that Russian military muscle flexing is per se unhelpful. There is in fact a majority of ethnic Russians in the Ukrainian east. Maybe the Russian presence can stop them from going Kosova Serb on the ethnic Ukrainians there. I don't know. I despise Putin but this is a complicated situation and it may be completely out of our hands (it certainly is to a large extent). But those who would rattle American sabres and those who are for us doing nothing both ignore the complexities and nuances of this situation.

[Warpy]

1. If Russia goes in, there will be some window dressing trade sanctions

but the gentlemen's agreement that said they'd stick to their own extended turf and cede ours to us will remain in effect. It's what kept the cold war from going hot when wackadoodles were in charge in either country.

[CK_John]

2. Europe 1933 all over again.

[kelly1mm]

3. Since Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for the US/UK/Russia guarantee of

their territorial integrity back in 1994, and apparently we (and the UK/Russia) have decided to not honor that agreement, they should be able to get their nuclear weapons back.

[arely staircase]

5. not going to happen nt

[JaneyVee]

4. HERE is the solution:

[Warren Stupidity]

6. nothing.

[arely staircase]

9. wrong

To suggest the United States should play no diplomatic role (promisses, threats, or expression of goals preferences, etc) is with all due respect, naive. It is not a matter of should the US n e involved but how and to what extent.

[pokerfan]

7. What does Europe want to do about it?

Which I think is really more to the point.

[arely staircase]

8. yes. many parties to this nt

[FarCenter]

10. We should let a country with experience in these matters handle it

Army Group South was one of three army groups into which the Germans organised their forces for Operation Barbarossa. Army Group South's principal objective was to capture Ukraine and its capital Kiev.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Group_South

[alittlelark]

11. NATO will decide what to do - not the US.

Ukraine is a NATO ally.

This is not all about us.