Obama says Russia `on the wrong side if history' on Ukraine, actions violate international law.

[steve2470]

Source: official AP twitter feed

BREAKING: Obama says Russia `on the wrong side if history' on Ukraine, actions violate international law.



Read more: https://twitter.com/AP/status/440567821807153152

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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/03/ukraine-crisis-russia-control-crimea-live


Haaretz is in the White House with prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and president Barack Obama. Obama has said that Russia’s steps in Ukraine are a violation of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty and said that he wants to see the Ukrainian people determining their own destiny, Reuters reports.

:large

[Renew Deal]

1. Great. So what is he going to do about it?

[1000words]

2. Not a damned thing ... China has given their blessing.

Checkmate.

[George II]

6. Any suggestions?

[pampango]

9. "Amateur Hour in Washington - Not Obama, but the pundits who demand that he "do soemthing" about it.

In the days since Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops into the Crimea, it has been amateur hour back in Washington.

I don’t mean Barack Obama. He’s doing pretty much everything he can, with what are a very limited set of policy options at his disposal. No, I’m talking about the people who won’t stop weighing in on Obama’s lack of “action” in the Ukraine. Indeed, the sea of foreign policy punditry – already shark-infested – has reached new lows in fear-mongering, exaggerated doom-saying and a stunning inability to place global events in any rational historical context.

But this crisis is Putin’s Waterloo, not ours. Which brings us to perhaps the most bizarre element of watching the Crimean situation unfold through a US-centric lens: the iron-clad certainty of the pundit class that Putin is winning and Obama is losing. The exact opposite is true.

Putin has initiated a conflict that will, quite obviously, result in greater diplomatic and political isolation as well as the potential for economic sanction. He’s compounded his loss of a key ally in Kiev by further enflaming Ukrainian nationalism, and his provocations could have a cascading effect in Europe by pushing countries that rely on Russia’s natural gas exports to look elsewhere for their energy needs. Putin is the leader of a country with a weak military, an under-performing economy and a host of social, environmental and health-related challenges. Seizing the Crimea will only make the problems facing Russia that much greater.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/03/obama-ukraine-russia-critics-credibility

The only "something" that he can do "now" is use the military. Nonviolent, diplomatic actions will take time and negotiation. My guess is that Bush, McCain, Palin and Romney would have been much more likely to do 'something' and most of us would not be happy about their action.

[Renew Deal]

10. I think he should stop talking if he's not going to do anything about it

Whining about history looks weak.

[pampango]

11. I disagree. Negotiations are underway with allies on nonviolent reponses to violence. Quick action

is usually violent action which usually makes a bad situation worse. The American attention span sometimes does require "do something now", so Obama runs the risk of being perceived as weak and indecisive.

He has been criticized on several occasions for not being 'decisive' and just sending the bombers in. I hope he is equally 'indecisive' now and puts together a broad, diplomatic response to Russia's action. Strong words now couple with peaceful, diplomatic actions later are preferable to 'send in the bombers'.

[George II]

12. So, what do you think about those who whine about whining about history? As I asked earlier...

.....any suggestions about what he should do?

[okaawhatever]

24. In case you haven't noticed this was all going according to Putin's timetable, until now. A delay

tactic is very smart here. Putin can only keep the phone lines cut for so long on the Crimea, ditto the TV stations and the independent paper they invaded. Putin has been knocked off his game plan. He has to hold everyone together much longer and his chances of success decrease every hour.

[steve2470]

3. AP account here

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says Russia is "on the wrong side of history" in Ukraine and its actions violate international law.

Obama told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that the United States is considering economic and diplomatic options that will isolate Russia. The president called on Congress to work on an aid package to Ukraine and make it the "first order of business."

Obama said continued military actions in Ukraine "will be a costly proposition for Russia."

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/obama-says-russia-violating-international-law

[jakeXT]

4. CORRECTS: Obama Says Russia 'On the Wrong Side of History' on Ukraine, Actions Viola

CORRECTS: Obama says Russia 'on the wrong side of history' on Ukraine, actions violate law. (Corrects APNewsAlert typo that said 'if' history)

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-russia-threat-ukraine-navy-dangerous-escalation-moscow-22754659

[steve2470]

5. yea I saw that typo too lol nt

[steve2470]

7. Obama: 'facts on the ground deeply troubling'

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/03/ukraine-crisis-russia-control-crimea-live

CNN has just broadcast video from moments ago in which US president Barack Obama addressed the situation in Ukraine in the Oval Office following a meeting with the Israeli prime minister. The vice president and secretary of state were also in the room.

Obama said the Russian presence in Crimea violates international law and Moscow is “on the wrong side of history,” according to reports moments ago. He went on to say:

If in fact [Russia’s] concern is that the rights of all Ukrainians are respected... [that] Russian speakers are not harmed... then we should be able to set up international monitors, an international effort that mediates between parties... in a way that is satisfactory to the Ukrainian people, not the United States...

Obama mentioned the previously floated idea for a mediating force under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

more at link above

[Genghis_Sean]

8. Russia could shut us up...

They could simply say they have evidence that Ukraine has weapons of mass destruction.

[amandabeech]

13. Ukraine handed over its nuclear weapons to Russia in 1994

under the Budapest Agreement.

In that agreement, the UK, US and Russia agreed to guarantee the territorial integrity of Ukraine and to refrain from influencing its internal politics through economic means.

Later, France and China agreed to follow the Budapest Agreement as well.

But I get your joke.

[pampango]

16. Most Democrats never bought that and won't now. Besides Putin is acting too much like Bush already

with his unilateral military action. How much more does he want to use the "Bush playbook"? Has anyone seen George lately? He's not in Moscow is he?

[olddad56]

14. If we are going to begin obeying international law, lets start with a war crimes trial ...

for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, etc.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. I was just thinking that - the Iraq invasion was against international law

[jtuck004]

17. Unlike taking food stamps away from hungry people, things get harder when your opponent is your

own size.

[azurnoir]

18. was the irony intended?

the photo of Obama with Netanyahu along side the actual subject is indeed ironic

[Ash_F]

19. This one reason why the USA's own illegal invasions were a bad idea

We have emboldened other world powers to act similarly.

We changed the world.

[olddad56]

21. killing or wounding, a million or so civilians was another reason.

[okaawhatever]

25. Oh, b.s. Russia invaded other countries before and after our actions in Iraq. It has had no effect

on their many, many illegal actions.

[Ash_F]

29. The US invaded countries before Iraq too.

The point is there is no moral authority right now, and if the US wants others to change, it should lead from the front.

[George II]

20. Ed Schultz just played the video of this quote:

QUESTION: "Can we trust Russia?"

PRESIDENT BUSH: "I will answer the question. I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country. And I appreciated so very much the frank dialogue."

[olddad56]

22. I guess it is possible to bullshit a bullshitter.

[George II]

23. Don't you mean "bushit a bushitter"?

[okaawhatever]

26. My favorite John McCain quote: "I looked into Putin's soul and I saw K-G-B." nt

[frwrfpos]

27. considering the strong presence of Neo Nazi and anti semitic elements

in the people who violently overthrew the government, that is a strange picture indeed.

[steve2470]

30. suspension of trade and investment talks between US and Russia

Reuters: United States suspends upcoming trade and investment talks with Russia because of events in Ukraine – U.S. trade representative spokesman

http://live.reuters.com/Event/World_News/108113064