Merkel wants more observers in Ukraine, Putin agrees: German government
Source: Reuters
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Russian President Vladimir Putin more Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers should be sent to Ukraine, a plan he welcomed, Merkel's spokesman said on Sunday.
"The chancellor proposed swiftly expanding the existing OSCE presence in Ukraine and sending a bigger number of observers into hot spots, especially in East Ukraine," Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement about a phone call between the two leaders.
"The Russian president viewed this initiative positively. He promised he would instruct Foreign Minister (Sergei) Lavrov accordingly."
This should be agreed with as broad as possible support at an OSCE meeting in Vienna on Monday.
Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/merkel-wants-more-observers-ukraine-putin-agrees-german-144033118.html
JimDandy
(7,318 posts)Has the EU just given up on Crimea being part of Ukraine?
soundsgreat
(125 posts)The Russians always wanted the OSCE to investigate the background of the Kiev snipers.
2banon
(7,321 posts)A week ago Friday, Leon Panetta said as much: "We Lost Crimea" .
Did you honestly believe there was any other possible outcome, short of nuking Moscow over it?
JimDandy
(7,318 posts)With the referendum in the Crimean peninsula today and all. Ukraine itself seems to have given up on Crimea... no boots even along the Crimean line, hence the easy Russian incursion 7 miles into East Ukraine.
2banon
(7,321 posts)it's very tense situation to say the least. Hope it doesn't end in anymore bloodshed..
DallasNE
(7,403 posts)Around a fuel facility that supplies Crimea.
JimDandy
(7,318 posts)but not sure.
DallasNE
(7,403 posts)As I understand it. Apparently Russia feared that Ukraine would shut off gas supplies to Crimea and if that were to happen then this is the facility where that would take place. If that were to happen, wouldn't that have already happened? Putin is not thinking very clearly.
newthinking
(3,982 posts)It was to make sure that the power is not cut off before alternatives are available.
Not that I am justifying it, but that is the reasoning behind "the incursion".
cosmicone
(11,014 posts)promptly received by Moscow.
There you have it -- Merkel has no appetite for an armed conflict.
I suppose a lot of people will now cry rivers, start their own mercenary force to wrench crimea out of Russian hands or write even angrier posts on DU about Russia and those of us who don't want another war.
We'll celebrate the extension of the Great Russian Empire and the Triumph of the Russia Idea, forged in the fires of late 19th and early 20th century nationalism. Why, I downloaded my copy of Russkaya idea by Berdyaev just yesterday and plan on a comprehensive reading of the Scythian movement and Smenovekhovtsy poets in the very near future.
Because, well, they're just so darned good, we're just so darned bad (not us per se, but those loathsome things that we are forced to live in the same country with, without our superior understanding of international law and proper human rights under majoritarianism).
Of course, it also justifies focusing on our navel and doing nothing, while congratulating ourselves on helping to defeat the swimming dogs and fat sharks of world neo-corporatism. Swimming cats? Running sharks? All those dehumanising metaphors we so love get confusing. I know--sharks of imperialism and running dogs of capitalism, carefully trained by fat cats (which, in early Soviet propaganda, were always Jewish and accompanied by stereotypically-featured Jewish lackeys by the way ... not that anti-Semitism Russian-style is anything like anti-Semitism fascist style).
Did you hear the latest? Venice is having an independence referendum. Done it accordance with Western norms and without troops. Gotta be a sham, some way of helping to exploit the rich oil and gas results under Venice and otherwise enslave the population and their silly false consciousness.
cosmicone
(11,014 posts)Rentrant dans la chambre, toute mon âme en feu, j'entendis bientôt .... un heurt en quelque sorte plus fort qu'auparavant.
Sûrement, dis-je, sûrement c'est quelque chose à la persienne de ma fenêtre.
Voyons donc ce qu'il y a et explorons ce mystère--que mon coeur se calme
un moment et explore ce mystère; c'est le capitalisme .. le fascisme... et rien de plus!
Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)DallasNE
(7,403 posts)Putin just blinked on Ukraine (but not Crimea). The Russian economy has already taken a big hit and any official sanctions would only cause greater damage. The cost of repairing the damage already done is more observers in Ukraine, which would also make it much more difficult for Moscow to invade even eastern Ukraine. The oil barons in Russia have spoken.
elleng
(131,166 posts)they speak eachothers' language, and understand the economic/financial jeopardy to both.
edit: but France DEMANDS!!! http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/03/16/world/europe/16reuters-ukraine-crisis-france.html?hp
DallasNE
(7,403 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Post hoc ergo prompter hoc most accurately exemplified, finished off with wonderful prophecies...
elleng
(131,166 posts)Would be funny if it weren't so serious.