What do we do if Russia invades Ukraine?

[edhopper]

I am not sure what our response should be. On the one hand i don't think we can sit by and let Russia invade and occupy another sovereign country (yeah I know our track record is poor on this one).
But I don't think we should start WWIII. But I also think Putin fully intends to install a pro-Russian government in the Ukraine.
It is a very narrow diplomatic tightrope we walk.
What do you think Obama's response should be.

[jberryhill]

1. "i don't think we can sit by and let Russia invade and occupy"

Who is the "we" in that sentence?

They already occupy Russia. Why aren't you excited about that?

[edhopper]

3. The United States.

I am asking what people think the US or specifically Obama should do.

Who is "they" in Russia.

[jberryhill]

110. They in Russia are, I believe, Russians

But yes of course, President Obama should put an end to all this nonsense.

[L0oniX]

42. But but but ...there are WMD's in the Ukraine. We don't want to wait for the mushroom cloud.

[Adrahil]

2. Probably not much.

It's not a good place for us to try and fight a war. I would think we could cut off Russian trade. But becuase of Russian and Chinese veto power, the UN will do nothing. I suspect this will be South Ossetia 2.0. We'll be outraged, but Pootie will probably just annex the eastern part of Ukraine. To stop him, we'd have to be willing to risk a potentially catastrophic conflict. Putin knows it, and he's willing to pay a political price. He knows he won't have to pay military one.

[30cal]

92. Your post is spot on

[randome]

4. Same as we did in the last Administration: invade Iraq, of course!

Oh, wait, we don't have an idiot for a President anymore. Never mind.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[Glorfindel]

10. Best response ever, randome!

I wish I'd said that!

[libdem4life]

61. Or Afghanistan. Russians had already been there, done that, got the Go Home T-shirt.

Remember. We liberate and teach them about Western Culture. Others occupy and invade.

[no1uno]

101. Absolutely....

EPIC comment!

[Glorfindel]

5. A mild public rebuke. Let Russia get bogged down all by itself.

Ukraine is not our problem. Russia can handle its own problems just as France does in Africa. We have more than enough on our plate.

[randome]

13. Except Russia has not been handling the situation.

Putin is allowing this to happen on his doorstep and if he steps in, it will be much too late. He's actually shown how weak Russia is today.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
Leonard Cohen, Anthem (1992)[/center][/font][hr]

[Adrahil]

64. So that treaty we signed in '94 is meaningless?

"errr sorry, Ukraine. We said that just to get you to give up the nukes. We didn't mean it, but good luck!"

[Igel]

86. There will be no "bogged down."

Russia is not bogged down in Abkhazia or S. Ossetia.

If you can't own somebody, cripple them while getting what you can.

The Russians, for all the apparent similarities to what people say the US does, does it "right."

We invade Iraq and set up a government that's not particularly friendly. Same for Karzai in Afghanistan, where China will probably get most of the resources with a government mostly hostile to the US. We only *really* like US intervention when we can find no reason to accuse ourselves--Bosnia, for instance.

Russia invades and sets up puppet governments on a string. If the US did as Russia did, Karzai would have vanished by now. Al-Maliki wouldn't dare say much of what he says. We would have ignored Bosnia, except to send in Serbs to clean the place out in return for a puppet government in Serbia. Or we would have annexed Bosnia.

Some see no difference.

[Glorfindel]

103. You're right, of course...Ukraine is not Afghanistan

All I can say is, thank God we didn't annex Bosnia.

[elehhhhna]

6. Same as they did when we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan

fucking stay out of it

Ukraine's been in play politically since before the time of Ivan the Terrible (1500's). Not news.

Plus we don't like to fight white people. Bad optics.

[libdem4life]

62. Good answer.

[FarCenter]

7. We will take Venezuela

Sort of a bishop for a rook trade.

[JaneyVee]

8. No troops. Send in all of those "well regulated" militia's instead.

Perhaps Ted Nugent, Bill Kristol, and Sarah Palin.

[randome]

20. Ted Nugent and Chuck Norris should be able to handle the situation fine by themselves.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]A 90% chance of rain means the same as a 10% chance:
It might rain and it might not.[/center][/font][hr]

[earthside]

9. Blame Obama.

That's what the Repuglicans and Tea Party types will do.

Putin will be excused; Yanukovych dismissed as irrelevant; etc.

We can expect things like: "Ukraine is the consequences of Obama's weakness in Benghazi."

So, be prepared.

Seriously, there isn't much of anything we (the U.S.) can or ought to do.
How the world and our country deals with Putin's more aggressive Russia is going to have to play-out over time.

[Nevernose]

27. Oh, sweet Jesus, I hadn't even thought about that

I'm so glad I've given up everything but the local news. If it wasn't for the comments after online articles, I'd have no idea what the RW nut jobs were thinking anymore.

[Mz Pip]

96. They are doing that already.

Today I saw a post on Facebook quoting their darling, Sarah Palin saying if Obama was elected Putin would invade the Ukraine.

So all of this is Obama's fault in their narrow little minds. I doubt Putin is giving much thought to Obama right now.

[monmouth3]

11. Nothing. This is Russia's step, not ours..n/t

[MineralMan]

12. I don't know. We're going to have to leave that

to those who have the responsibility for it. It's very delicate.

However, if you know anybody who is a US citizen and is in Ukraine, I'd urge you to urge them to leave there at their earliest possible opportunity. The instability there is going to create violence.

It's not a safe place right now.

[cali]

14. Strongly worded disapproval. and that's it.

[L0oniX]

44. The Ukraine only had 1 of the 1%. Did ya see that palace he lived in?

I wonder how many Ukrainians are happy to see that greedy rip off out of power.

[tech3149]

15. Stay the F out of it!

I find it interesting that pretty much all the Western media plays it up that just Russia is imposing influence in Ukraine. Nothing much is said about the original offer by the EU that would have not just opened up Ukraine economically but also included "security" aspects that would have effectively linked them to NATO.
You don't hear much about Victoria Nulands visit to support of the opposition, except her swearing in a phone call, no real discussion about the content or meaning of the call.

[exboyfil]

79. That was why I was terrified about the proposal at the time

and still worried about our link with Poland. We really should have got out of NATO after the Cold War. We keep pushing on the bear, and the bear is going to push back. I am sorry for the people of the Ukraine, but there is not much we can do - perhaps fund an insurgent effort if things really get out of hand.

[1awake]

16. Do?

We send troops in or we don't. Since we won't, with very good reason, we will complain and make rude comments. We will try to sanction them in some way and then we will move on. Putin knows this. The best thing we can do besides.. you know, world war 3, is some form of economic sanctions.

While I don't like what Russia has done in the slightest, I cant bring myself to really blame them.

[LisaL]

17. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

No?

[Drew Richards]

18. THIS is the main reason the UN was formed...they...NOT the US should respond.

[okaawhatever]

46. Russia has a seat on the security council and will veto any measure. If anything it will probably

be left to NATO. Oddly, one of Putin's biggest concerns was having NATO on his doorstep and didn't want Ukraine to join. While there was support for Ukraine to join NATO in the past, it was pretty much decided that Ukraine wouldn't join NATO but would be given some protection legally in the case of an invasion. If Putin doesn't chill he's going to end up with what he didn't want, NATO on his doorstep.

[randome]

51. And why should he care about having NATO on his doorstep?

The Cold War is over. He should adopt the Gorbachev philosophy. Let the satellite countries to Russia decide their own fate and do what he can to mediate disputes. He has done a poor job on mediation so far.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]

[Scuba]

52. No, the UN declining to take action does not mean it's "left to NATO".

[okaawhatever]

65. Who will it be left to then? nt

[Scuba]

67. The Ukranians.

[edhopper]

19. This is just idle speculation

but do you think part of Putin's aggressiveness is to overshadow his embarrassment over Sochi?

[B2G]

21. No

He's not 'embarrassed'. They kicked our asses in the medal count and the worst thing that happened was some journalists didn't like the accomodations.

This is about port and oil access.

[edhopper]

26. He spent $50 billion to make Sochi

and international destination. All the press about the city was bad. It was embarrassing for Russia. And a failure for the city.

That is not to say you are wrong about his motivations in the Ukraine.

[malaise]

32. Clearly you didn't speak with athletes

or visitors. Sochi was a massive success outside of the US press.

[Warren Stupidity]

34. You're wrong about Sochi. Despite the initial press feeding frenzy, the games

were conducted quite well by any standard. By the second day or so, the idiocy about the hotels had stopped. There was no embarrassment outside of the initial nonsense fabricated by our media.

[alarimer]

63. He and his cronies stole most of that money.

It will NOT be an international destination, not with animals roaming the halls of hotels.

I had hoped it would be a bigger failure than it was. All the corruption was pretty much glossed over in the press.

[LisaL]

69. Animals roaming the halls of hotels?

If you are talking about the wolf, it was a hoax.
Most people don't fall for hoaxes like that.

[RedstDem]

84. the wolf in the halls was nate night TV

jimmy fallon prank

[DebJ]

93. And grain. Ukraine is the breadbasket over there; 3rd largest exporter of grain in the world.

Russians need food from Ukraine; Ukraine needs oil from Russia.

[TwilightGardener]

33. He's pretty embarrassed about the Ukraine situation, actually.

He's angry about it. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

[edhopper]

39. Okay

that's where idle speculation gets me.

[okaawhatever]

47. Putin would be invading Canada. After all, they were the ones who took the "big one"

from him (ice hockey gold medal).

[cherokeeprogressive]

81. LOL! Nnnnnnope.

[LuvNewcastle]

22. There isn't much we can do.

A military response is out of the question. Isolating Russia economically is a bad idea, too, since our allies in Europe are dependent on Russian oil. I think our military and intel agencies might try to find a way to assist Ukrainians who want to stand up to Russia, but that's also dangerous. I think telling the world we disapprove is all we should do right now.

[PFunk]

23. Nothing military but alot ecconomically and geopolitically

As in economic sanctions, cooling or Russian/US (and Russian/European) relations, and (of course) cries to increase US military spending.

In short once Russia invades the Cold War is back on (and Putin has to deal with Afghanistan 2.0).

[HappyMe]

24. Not a damn thing.

The UN should handle this.

[okaawhatever]

48. Russia has a seat on the security council. They can block just about any measures. It will

likely fall on NATO, but I understand your point.

[quinnox]

25. Well, it does give Obama an opportunity to be the worst president in U.S. history, if he

decided to take military action against Russia. Hopefully that won't happen, because I don't think Obama or his team is that dumb.

[KoKo]

107. Agree...n/t

[Lizzie Poppet]

28. We'll do two things.

One of those things is "jack."

[randome]

30. True! A good bottle of 'Jack Daniels' goes a long way toward solving any problem!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Aspire to inspire.[/center][/font][hr]

[seveneyes]

29. Not a damn thing

And any American who wants to flex their muscles, they should go join the tire burning crowd and keep the US out of it.

[MineralMan]

31. More thoughts:

Ukraine and Russia have been dealing with all of this for a very, very long time, even pre-Soviet era. Ukraine has lots of natural resources of value. Lots. It also is on the Black Sea, which has shipping and naval implications. Today, the majority population of Ukraine is ethnically and linguistically Russian.

This is a local conflict, really, and it's far from a new one. The US is not in a position of strength here, and doesn't have any particular insight into the situation, beyond what is obvious.

What we will do, no doubt, is apply some rhetoric and discuss this in the U.N. Beyond that, we'd be foolish to mess with the situation in other ways. It's not our problem to solve. Expect some violent confrontation in the area, some incursion by Russian forces, and considerable upheaval and unrest for some time to come. There's no quick or simple solution there.

We have no real business interfering in the situation, aside from diplomatically, so that's about all we will do, I'm sure.

[okaawhatever]

49. The majority are not ethnically Russian. Only 17% are ethnically Russian. More than that speak

Russian as a first language, but many are bi-lingual. In the Crimea 58.5% are ethnically Russian but that doesn't necessarily equate to a situation where they would all vote to secede and join Russia. Even in the east where the majority of the Russian speakers live, they didn't have a majority of support for the EU but they didn't have a majority for the Russia trade deal either. Russia's only majority for the Russian trade union was in the South.

[MineralMan]

54. The Crimea is part of Ukraine.

Again, the complexities of that region are not something that can be made simple. We in the US are not competent to make good judgments about what happens there. Whenever we get involved in disputes where we have no competency, it ends badly for us. This is not our dispute.

[independentpiney]

73. the Crimean penninsula was only made part of the Ukraine SSR in 1954

It has been a vital part of the Russian Empire since 1783, very close to the time the USA won it's independence. From a Russian perspective, the idea of Crimea and particularly Sevastopol, home of the Black Sea fleet, being controlled by an unfriendly government has to be unacceptable. The western Ukraine has historically aligned against Russia as a part of Lithuania ,Austro-Hungary and Poland before being absorbed by the Bolsheviks in the 1920's. And many of them jumped at the chance to join their Nazi liberators in 1941.

I agree we have no business interfering other than diplomatically, and that very cautiously. I keep remembering that it's the centennial of the start of WW1, the lead up to which involved some of the greatest diplomatic bluster and blunders in history.

[FarCenter]

85. Western Ukraine was absorbed after WW II

According to my 1924 Funk and Wagnall's atlas, the Polish border is well east of Lemberg (now Lviv). Between WW I and II, what is now western Ukraine was mainly Galicia in Poland, with the exception of Ruthenia, which is the easternmost tail of Czechoslovakia that was chopped off and attached to Ukraine in 1945.

Prior to WW I, all of the above were part of the Austro Hungarian empire.

Also, in 1924, Moldova was part of Rumania, and Transdniester was part of Ukraine. The Dniester River was the boundary between Rumania and Ukraine.

[Jenoch]

104. The areas you mention in your first two paragraphs

were always ethnically Ukrainian. My paternal grandparents were born in Austria-Hungary, but they were 100% ethnically Ukrainian.

Moldovans and Romanians are essentially the same ethnicity.

[FarCenter]

105. Rural areas and small villages may have been Ukranian

But there were a lot of rural Poles as well. And the cities were mixed ethnically. See for example the table "Population makeup by ethnicity 1900-2001" in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lviv . In '31 Lviv was half Polish and almost a third Jewish. It wasn't majority Ukrainian until after WW II and Stalin displaced the Polish population westward.

Before 1918 and also after the union of Bessarabia with Romania, it was not obvious nor universally accepted that Moldovans and the Romanians formed a single ethnic group.

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

[Jenoch]

106. I was in Moldova in 1999 and the people I worked

with told me their was not much difference between Romanians and Moldovans. They said the Romanians had Ceausescu and the Moldovans had Soviet rulers.

Of course their were Polish speaking people in Ukraine, Poland was one of the countries that dominated them.

Judaism is a religion and a culture, not an ethnicity. Ukrainians have historically been quite anti-semitic. It is a stain on their culture.

[Cleita]

35. Nothing. We are not the world police as hard as it is to

stand by and watch a sovereign nation invade another. About all we can do is join other nations in placing an embargo on Russian oil and other things it makes it's money on. Or, welcome back to the Cold War. Also, considering the nations we have invaded in the recent past, I don't think we have a high ground to stand on.

[L0oniX]

38. "Cold War" ...don't make the NSA laugh.

[Nevernose]

36. I absolutely trust Putin to do the right thing

After all, our past President looked him in the eye, saw into his soul, and found him to be trustworthy and honorable. What could possibly go wrong with Dubya's powers of searching souls through eye contact?

[L0oniX]

37. It's not up to us to do anything. Who made us the world police?

Why even think that way? Who got us to think that way?

What do we do

[jsr]

40. It's a grave threat to world peace that calls for an immediate weapons embargo or something

Maybe a press release on official letterhead

[Democracyinkind]

41. We could start by ceasing to try to push NATO to Putin's doorstep.

We could start by ceasing to use the Ukrainian people as pawns in this silly McKinderite game.

If we hadn't broken the UN during chimpy's reign, we might have used that body to find a solution for the crimea.

[randome]

43. In the long-term, however, it's in everyone's best interests to have a more united world.

Democracy has already won out over Communism. Only N. Korea keeps that corpse moving by artificial means. Even China recognized the need for change.

The end-game should be this: EVERY country belongs to NATO, which renders its original concept meaningless.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[Democracyinkind]

45. I know of about 5 billion people that strongly disagree with that.

Also, I don't get where "communism" fits into the current troubles. This is geopolitcs that is mostly independent from political ideologies, it's been the same game long before we came to think of us as the torchbearers of humanity under the mantle of democracy. By "we" I mean this elusive thing we call the "West". NATO is just the military arm thereof and has no special moral claim.

[randome]

50. Oh, I agree we have no moral claim to anything outside our borders.

But being completely objective about one's morals doesn't mean ignoring reality: the world really will be better off when -not if- we are more closely united. And that's not going to happen under any other system than the one that promises more freedom than the rest: Democracy.

I foresee the day when Russia itself will 'give up' and join NATO. At that point, NATO will cease to have any meaning. And that's a good thing.

By 'communism', I mean the last vestiges of that failed ideology, which Russia, in some respects, still clings to. Putin still sees Russia as a competitor or a counter to NATO. Why? There is no point to that.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]

[Democracyinkind]

55. I agree with your general point.

The whole world could profit from coming together and overcoming nationalism. I'm all for that as long as it isn't just a veil for the "West"'s (or anyone else's) hegemonic ambitions.

OTH, I think that Putin has a point in seeing us as his competitors. As do the Chinese. We are competing; just now we are trying to wrestle a Russian client state away from them and into our sphere of influence. It is not different from what happened in 1916 and 1941, it's just a different method.

I'd take any bet that NATO being dissolved is more likely to happen than Russia joining NATO.

The UN was supposed to be the body to accomplish what you are arguing for here. But we ruined that option for good by using it for petty geo-politics instead of the advancement and unification of humanity. (This time, the "we" stands for humanity, or at least the great powers and their client states).

Again, I agree with your general point. But we should be extremely careful with moralizing the term "democracy" though, especially in the sphere of geopolitics. I don't think that the US's hegemonic ambitions are prima facie more legit than those of Russia or the Chinese. Also, I'm not sure that the whole world is waiting to be empowered by democracy, especially if "democracy" means that peculiar sort that the US likes to practice at home and peddle outside of its borders.
What most people strive for is a life in material comfort, free from harm and oppression, I don't think they particularly care for which institutional mechanisms provide that. (That is, at least, my reading of modern Asian and Eurasian history).

[randome]

66. You may be more well-versed in the political realities than I am.

Mine is just a conceptual view and I could be missing some of the subtleties.

It just seems to me that Gorbachev was a President with much more openness and farsightedness. I'd say he had more to do with ending the Cold War than Reagan did.

And Putin is no Gorbachev, which makes the situation more complicated than it should be.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]I'm always right. When I'm wrong I admit it.
So then I'm right about being wrong.[/center][/font][hr]

[mazzarro]

78. If you idea is for the world to become more united

Then why will there be a need for NATO? It is part of the division that should be done away with in a more united world.

If the world is more united, then the UN should be strengthened and restructured to be truly democratic as well with the veto powers modified appropriately or eliminated. Don't you agree?

[randome]

91. The veto powers should be eliminated, I agree.

A truly united world would have no need of one country being able to say 'No' to the other countries. But I don't see the U.N. as being that democratic for a long time to come.

In the meantime, we have NATO, which has its uses and encourages other countries -along with the European Union- to join a more united world. Security is important to most countries and NATO offers at least a semblance of that.

If Gorbachev was President, he would be more willing to let Ukraine determine its own alliances. Putin has mismanaged or simply not managed events for too long, making things much worse.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[TheKentuckian]

77. Democracy didn't win, our version of capitalism did over their state capitalism

Not much democracy in China and it is diminishing in the west, including right here and being replaced by corporate dominance over man and government worldwide.

Our Laissez Fare leaning capitalism is not one and the same as democracy, not even close, in fact it encourages money to drown out the will of the many before the first vote is ever cast.

We live under the golden rule, those with the gold rule.

[randome]

94. But the best aspects of Democracy still inspire others.

Our 30 year experiment with loosening restrictions has not been a success. With Republicans gradually losing clout -too slowly, I agree- I think (and hope) we will see more of a return to common-sense regulations so that the monetary aspect of Capitalism will again be on par with the best aspects of Democracy.

They used to go hand in hand and I think they will again.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[gulliver]

53. Thank our lucky stars George W. Bush is out of office.

Obama and Kerry will handle it. Imagine this had happened under Bush. Cheney and Bush would be in the Oval Office formulating Cheney's response. Bush would be nodding. Rice taking notes.

[LittleBlue]

56. Nothing. Ukraine is clearly in their sphere of influence

It would be the same if China tried to move in to set up a puppet government in Mexico. Mexico is so squarely within our discomfort zone that we would stop at nothing to prevent that, no matter the consequences. We threatened a nuclear apocalypse over Cuba.

And the difference in Ukraine are the ethnic Russians who may have tolerated Yanukovych but won't tolerate an anti-Russian ultra-nationalist government.

[alarimer]

57. Withdraw all diplomatic personnel from Russia, for starters.

Isolate them economically to the extent possible by making it a crime for companies to do business there.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

58. Steal and hide Obama's comfortable cowboy boots.

[bemildred]

59. Posture, whine, and not much else is my guess.

Perhaps Ms "Fuck the EU" Nuland can lead the whining.

[elfin]

60. Probably not much now

Ukraine is deeply and historically related to Russia. The fort of Kiev was the first capital, and the Crimea is felt to be crucial to Russia's need for a warm water port.

If the EU were in better financial shape, it might work to assist Ukraine in leaving Russia's sphere of influence. But no way can the EU take care of Ukraine's huge debt----- now. Nor can we.

I think that long term, the slide to the west will be accomplished, but not now, and probably will not include the Crimea.

It is similar to Russia's interpretation of our Monroe Doctrine for themselves.

More worrisome to me is how the Monroe Doctrine is being challenged by Russia now in Venezuela and elsewhere. Putin is on the move.

[libdem4life]

76. I call it the re-purposed Manifest Destiny now Global Manifest Destiny. That might be troubling

him, as well as it does me ... my taxes to patrol the world? 1,000 foreign bases already? a quarter of a million troops around the globe? Four miles to the gallon for gasoline to run the behemoths and the nifty new war jets screaming in the sky when there is no war? No wonder we need a new pipeline. Cutting food stamps at home. No funds for wounded warriors. Certainly no jobs for them. Can't afford it, sorry.

Social events...see above..not military might brought down the Roman Empire.

[EX500rider]

82. "and the Crimea is felt to be crucial to Russia's need for a warm water port."

I have seen that rational before and wonder why Russia just can't build a deep water port on the 200 miles of Black Sea coastline they already own? And put their navy base there.. (or the 270 miles of Sea of Azov they own while leads to the Black Sea & while shallow could have channels dredged.)

[elfin]

98. The warm water port idea driving Russia

Is from the Deutscher (sp?) thesis posited after WWII.

Learned it in an International Relations class long, long ago. Such overarching ideas such as this propelled much academic thought and framed political actions, responses,and interpretations for years, ala Fremont's frontier thesis for the US.

While Fremont's thesis is now questioned, Deutscher's thesis may still be operative by analysts and their recommendations to political leaders.

Despite the outlets you mentioned, it may be embedded in the Russian historical and political psyche as it were, to be a bit paranoid as to the prospect of losing a warm water access. Their military installations at Sev(b) astopol speak to the importance of Crimea to them.

[TheKentuckian]

68. Strongly worded letter

[kenny blankenship]

70. What did we do in 2008 when Russia and Georgia fought over S. Ossetia & Abkhazia ?

Russia overran those two breakaway provinces of Georgia, occupied them, and as punishment partially invaded and bombed targets located in Georgia proper. The West did not ride to the rescue. Georgia did not retake these two regions. Russia recognized them as "independent" states, extending Russian citizenship to the Russian speaking populations of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and Russia now keeps bases and troops stationed in them under "bilateral agreements".

An underlying reason for the war was NATO's attempt to recruit Georgia into alliance against Russia. Georgia applied for NATO membership, with US sponsorship, and Russia's response (backing separatist militias, and invasion) has made that look like not such a good move for NATO. In Oct. 2013, NATO Secretary General A. F. Rasmussen announced memberships for Georgia -and Ukraine- would not be ratified. Georgia has not dropped their bid and wants in this year.

During the Russo-Georgian war over Ossetia and Abkhazia, the United States issued routine condemnations and criticisms. from Wikipedia. "U.S. president George W. Bush's statement to Russia was : "Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century." Yes, he actually said that.

And that is what "we" did during the most recent, most parallel example of conflict and invasion involving our old enemy Russia in her immediate periphery of small potato countries and regions. We issued strongly worded statements - and that is all. For the alternative is to go to war and to get many people killed, perhaps tens of millions of people killed, over some people we don't actually give a fuck about.

This is why the policy of instigating shit that "we" have been pursuing -pushing NATO's military frontier into the ring of old border states around the USSR, or into actual former USSR republics- is reckless and irresponsible. Maybe admitting Georgia to NATO will be what "we" do to retaliate against Russia over the Ukraine conflict, although it would extremely foolish of "us" to do so. When "we" succeed in inciting some Georgians and Ukrainians into a bloody conflict with their big, bad neighbor, "we" are invariably going to leave them to face the music alone.

[exboyfil]

80. My sentiments exactly

Even extending NATO to Poland is terrifying in its implications. We should have been moving the other direction since the end of the Cold War. Western Europe (like S. Korea and Japan) is rich enough to defend itself. Screw spending 2 to 3 times what our allies spend on defense.

[nilesobek]

71. What can we do?

MAD, (Mutually Assured Destruction) doctrine dictates that, as previously stated above in comments, that the US do nothing.

The top ten largest nuclear bombs in history belong to Russia. Russia is now equipped with missiles that change their attitude and trajectory in order to foil anti-missile shields.

It would be like if the US had a regional conflict that was just too risky for the Russians to get involved with.

[kiranon]

100. Give the Ukraine back its nuclear weapons that it gave up in

return for guarantees of its territorial integrity by the U.S, Britain and Russia. Maybe Russia will back down if it thinks that is a possibility. Or, ask the Ukraine if it wants to become the 51st state and invite other Eastern European states if they wish to join the U.S. also. Just thinking outside the box - invite others to do so also. There have to be more options than war vs. diplomacy.

[davidn3600]

72. Get with the other G8 members and skip summit, deny trade agreements that Russia has asked for

[Rosa Luxemburg]

74. I guess Putin is trying to get back the USSR

[bigwillq]

75. Stay out of it.

No.More.Wars.

[Jazzgirl]

83. Every time a conflict has appeared the last several years

I read thread after thread about "what should the United States' response be?" Um...why do we have to do anything? We do not have to save the world. The interesting thing is that all of them seem to use the same formula. What does that mean? I don't know but it sure seems to me the same groups or entities are manipulating all of these conflicts lately.

[AAO]

87. I plan on buying lots of beer and popcorn.

[enlightenment]

88. Start the Cold War over again?

Sometimes I think that the PTB in Russia and the US want that. It's as if they don't know what to do with themselves without it. Of course for full effect Putin would have to reestablish Communism, but I don't think he'd be bothered by that.

[treestar]

89. We get blamed for it all

No natter what we do.

[30cal]

90. If ? it's already happened

There's nothing we can do .

Obama can't do anything against a super power like Russia nor should he.

It would be the same question is what should Putin do if the U.S invades a country in the middle east.

[msanthrope]

95. Keep pushing the Swiss and other safe money states to freeze suspect accounts.

Ramp up NATO, isolate Russia in the UN, and bring the economic force of the EU to bear. Keep up the destabilization of the Russian economy. Drive the wedge further between Russia and China.

Right now we are doing the diplomatic route, as we should. But I think in the end, Putin is going to regret this.

[another_liberal]

97. Reason with both parties to the full extent of our abilities and call for a ceasefire.

Or we could attack Russia, bring on World War III and end all life on planet.

Gee, I wonder which we will pick?

[DevonRex]

99. You do know Crimea is Ukraine don't you?

The invasion happened. The Duma authorized Putin to invade the REST of Ukraine.

[bowens43]

102. Nothing. Its none of our business.

[Corruption Inc]

108. Put every Russian in a torture camp? Arrest all war protesters as "terrorists"?

Pretend like a corporate president gives a hoot about what I think should be done?

Take your pick, they're all just as serious as you are.

[postatomic]

109. Party like it's 1999

Ummmm..... nothing. That is, after we PARTY!!!