Russian troops giving 'backbone' to Ukraine rebels: NATO commander

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Russian troops giving 'backbone' to Ukraine rebels: NATO commander

KIEV Wed Nov 26, 2014 11:24am EST

(Reuters) - Russian forces are still operating in eastern Ukraine, providing the backbone of separatist rebels fighting the Kiev government, NATO's top military commander said on Wednesday after talks with Ukrainian leaders.

U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, visiting Kiev as head of U.S. forces in Europe, said Russia's "militarization" of the Crimea peninsula it annexed from Ukraine in March meant Moscow could exert influence over almost the entire Black Sea region.

Breedlove met Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and others in the pro-Western leadership to discuss ways the United States could assist Kiev's defense potential in the conflict with Russian-backed separatists in eastern territories.

Asked for an assessment of the situation, Breedlove said Russian troops in the east were "training, equipping, giving backbone ...helping (separatist) forces in the field."

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/26/us-ukraine-crisis-nato-idUSKCN0JA17O20141126

[bemildred]

1. Every day we have to listen to this shit.

How about: "The new government in Kiev attempted military suppression of a rebellion in the East supported by Russia, despite the fact that it lacked the means to succeed. Naturally they promptly failed. Since then they have shifted their strategy to trying to attract further support in the form or cash and arms, using various provocations and this sort of daily 'The Russian are involved' stories, like that was not obvious from the regular supply caravans."

The correct question is "What are you going to do about it?" And the correct answer is "Jack Shit", which is why picking this fight was and remains stupid. It is stupid to pick fights you will lose. Putin is not an inferior, if you want to beat him, you will have to out-think him. McCain and his claque is not up to the job.