Invasion Of Ukraine Isn't Putin's Only Option

[Purveyor]

MOSCOW (AP) -- President Vladimir Putin knows there is little the West can do to get him to reverse his mobilization in Crimea, or to stop him from sending additional troops into other parts of Ukraine. But trade sanctions against Russia could be painful, and there are ways for him to get what he wants - keeping Ukraine from slipping out of his grasp - without ratcheting up the military pressure.

The plan Russia pushed Monday calls on Ukrainian politicians to return to their earlier agreement to form a government of national unity. Importantly, the presidential election under that scenario would be held in December and not in May, as the government formed by victorious protesters has planned.

This would buy the Kremlin time. In the coming months the Ukrainian economy could go into free fall, with the West helpless to stop it. There would be new pressure within Ukraine to turn to Russia. A similar thing happened when Ukrainians grew weary of the pro-Western leaders swept into power by the 2004 Orange Revolution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Ukraine to return to a Feb. 21 agreement between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his opponents just before Yanukovych fled to Russia and his opponents named a new government. Ironically, that agreement received the blessings of the West, but not Russia, at the time. Lavrov said representatives of Russia-friendly Ukrainian regions should be brought into the new government.

"Instead of a promised national unity government, a `government of the victors' has been created," he said at U.N. meetings in Geneva.

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UKRAINE_PUTINS_CHOICE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-03-03-17-22-10

[geek tragedy]

1. Russia has no business dictating those terms to Ukraine. This is imperialism nt

[Pretzel_Warrior]

2. I hope the new government tells him to fuck off. Elections are happening in May.

Putin knows if quick elections produce a unity government over which he exerts no direct control--he is largely fucked.

[Igel]

3. Russia didn't seem to like the agreement at the time.

And Yanukovich picked up and leave rather than implement it.

The original elections could be held no later than December. Not "in" December. Until then a transitional unity/consensus government was to be formed, but an outstanding member of it seems to gone missing at precisely the wrong time. Of course, that outstanding member was Putin's outstanding member.

Punnier in Russian. Vydaiushchii chlen Putina.

Meh.