White House: Obama, Vladimir Putin to speak about Ukraine

[Purveyor]

Source: Politico

By REID J. EPSTEIN | 2/21/14 1:31 PM EST Updated: 2/21/14 1:48 PM EST

President Barack Obama will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday about the situation in Ukraine, the White House said.

The conversation will come hours after the Ukrainian government reached an agreement with its political opposition for President Viktor Yanukovych to step down and hold early presidential elections in December.

“The fact of the matter is, it is in Russia’s interest for the violence to end in Ukraine as it is in the interest of the United States and our European friends,” White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters Friday. “We welcome the cessation of violence, and we welcome the agreements that have been reached.”

The United States will still consider economic sanctions against Ukraine if the violence continues.




Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/ukraine-obama-vladimir-putin-103779.html#ixzz2tzqgfYOR

[dipsydoodle]

1. Maybe Obama wants to offer to buy out debts owed to Russia by Ukraine.

[jakeXT]

2. The $5 billion or more are not enough ?

US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe, Nuland said: “Since the declaration of Ukrainian independence in 1991, the United States supported the Ukrainians in the development of democratic institutions and skills in promoting civil society and a good form of government - all that is necessary to achieve the objectives of Ukraine’s European. We have invested more than 5 billion dollars to help Ukraine to achieve these and other goals. ” Nuland said the United States will continue to “promote Ukraine to the future it deserves.”
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37599.htm

[dipsydoodle]

3. Estimated long term cost is $220 billion.

That's the projected transitional cost of accepting an EU deal and ceasing trade with Russia. Ceasing trade with Russia may not be voluntary - mention has been made of Russia sealing the border if the EU deal is accepted to help prevent unauthorised import of EU goods Russia. Probably wouldn't go that as the country would likely divide - the manufacturing east trading with Russia and the farming west with EU.

Anyway not sure if the US would go to $220 billion or not. S&P downgraded Ukraine to CCC today - likely unable to service current debt.

The EU trade talks actually broke down when the EU offered $1 billion in full knowledge of Ukraine needing about $8 billion to get them through to this Autumn.

[Berlin Expat]

5. US State Department

has confirmed that Yanukovych has fled Kyiv.

There were reports he was headed to Kharviv, but now it seems he may be headed to Russia.

No joke.

[dipsydoodle]

6. If true I don't blame him.

The general outcome of all this is likely to be that Ukraine will simply rapidly follow Greece into the mire.

[pampango]

9. "... Ukraine will simply rapidly follow Greece into the mire."

You could be right but there is no accounting for people wanting to belong to Europe.

This poll in Greece last fall showed that 80% of Greeks still want Greece to be in the EU. This after all Greece has been through. It makes most Americans shake their heads. "How can Greeks feel that way?"

And the per capita GDP (PPP adjusted) would indicate that Ukraine has a long way to go to even get close to the "mire" that Greece is in.

Ukraine $7,222 - Greece $19,200 - Poland $21,118.

Ukraine's big debt to Russia will make the transition difficult but not impossible.

[dipsydoodle]

10. However

Their current / capita income is based on the status quo. The east produces goods and machinery which generally peaking cannot be exported to the EU for a variety of reasons and as such joining the EU trade agreement could lead to most such industries closing down. With regard to the west and the farmlands the EU has given no guarantees of the amounts which would be bought by EU nations.

I only referred to Greece in financial terms - not their desire to be in or out of the EU. Greece has avoided bankruptcy solely as a result of bailout funds - roughly £220 billion in total. That level of funds are unlikely to be made available to Ukraine.

[Paula Sims]

11. This is not just an economic issue

Yes, people are angry because they can't afford food, energy, but it's more than that and deeper. Putin has always said that losing the former republics was the worst thing to happen to Russia but we Ukrainians would rather fight and die than switch (to paraphrase a 1960's cigarette commercial).

For centuries we Ukrainians have been under the Russian or whose-ever yolk, not allowing the freedom of speaking our own language, being degraded, and just treated as non-humans on our own soil. Enough. Those people fighting and dying are professionals (doctors, lawyers, priests, professors) and laborers, fighting for the right to be Ukrainian -- a basic right that has always been denied. We have tried peaceful protests but they have been dismissed, ignored, people arrested, and murdered. We have been lied to and about by the East and West. This anger runs long and deep.

However, what will happen now is anyone's guess. I pray those taking over will figure out what to do and how to get money in and how to manage it properly. I pray the country doesn't split like Germany. I fear for my family and friends. I plan on going back soon and I don't know what I will face. My family has fought for Ukrainian freedom for generations and if I must, I will also. There comes a time when there is nothing left to lose, so losing one's life becomes inconsequential if it's for an ideal strongly believed in. I never understood that, hearing my Father talk about it when I was a young girl. Now I not only understand it, I feel it.

Prayers for us -- please.

Thank you

[dipsydoodle]

12. No - its not just an economic issue

but sadly its likely to become one. You are right to not trust either the east or the west.

A division may occur into two separate states. At least in that way the relative populations would both get what they desire :

The country's western regions want to be closer to the EU and have rejected Yanukovych's authority in many cities, while eastern Ukraine - which accounts for the bulk of the nation's economic output - favors closer ties with Russia.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_UKRAINE_PROTESTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-02-22-05-17-26

Much of the output of the industrialised east cannot be exported to the EU and so the EU would not provide a substitute market - where it so then some would already be occurring.

[MMcGuire]

15. A prayer your way Sister

[dipsydoodle]

7. RT are reporting he has gone to east Ukraine.

Last edited Fri Feb 21, 2014, 08:27 PM - Edit history (1)

A presidential impeachment bill was introduced in Ukrainian parliament on Friday evening. The bill was published on parliament’s website, but no details were provided.

Soon after the bill's introduction, President Viktor Yanukovich left for Kharkov to attend a summit of south-eastern regions, according to media reports.

The new bill was authored by Nikolay Rudkovskiy, head of the Socialist Party in Ukraine, which is part of the ruling Party of Regions coalition.

Current Ukrainian legislation has an impeachment clause, though it is extremely complex and many argue it is practically impossible to enact, RIA Novosti reported.

http://rt.com/news/president-impeachment-bill-parliament-174/

[AverageJoe90]

4. I don't see this ending well, TBH.

Now, granted, I very highly doubt it will escalate into a shooting war between the U.S. and Russia as some nuts are already screaming, but the bloodshed is probably going to continue for a long while between fascist-lite Yanukovich and the hard-fascist hijackers such as Swoboda, Pravy Sektor, etc.

The Ukrainian people deserve far better than what they've got right now.

[Purveyor]

8. Obama, Putin held 'constructive' talks on Ukraine: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama held a "constructive" phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday and agreed it was important that Ukraine's peace agreement be implemented quickly and that Ukraine's economy is stabilized, a senior State Department official said on Friday.

"They agreed that the agreement reached today needed to be implemented quickly, that it was very important to encourage all sides to refrain from violence, that there was a real opportunity here for a peaceful outcome," the official told reporters on a conference call.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-ukaine-crisis-usa-20140221,0,2201851.story

[kitt6]

13. Like them or not:

Two of the most interesting personalities in this here time. They can change the world!

[kitt6]

14. Lets just call this:

Global warmness!