The US competes globally using their glamorous consumer culture, variety of geographical topographies and liberal rights to bring in customers.

Russia is a cold, foreboding country that's about 50 years behind in civil rights, specialized consumer industry and sleazy merchant swag, but when it comes to culture, suffering, militarism and pride, they've got about 500 years on the Americans.

tl;dr the Russians are better drinkers

I know that here in Canada, we are recalling our ambassador and we are not going to the G8 summit in Sochi... That might be all though. I highly doubt anything special is going to happen.

@Churchill there's a lot of talk about removing Russia from the G8 all together unless they withdraw completely.

Also, Obama is spineless, European leaders are more concerned about how they look than actually helping people, and Putin has the balls of a lion with swords for claws. This ends 2 ways: The western world wakes up and actually does something, not just "sanctions" and empty threats like in Syria and Iran, or Russia just does what it pleases and takes whatever land it wants.

for the most part having 3 branches to the US government is a brilliant idea... but when stuff like this happens you need it to just happen! but seriously Obama needs to step up his game. we need a Truman or a Roosevelt. some one who will act. but then again that is my teenage mind talking...

Are you really saying that you would like to go to War with Russia? Or do you hope they will back down, despite all the evidence they wont?

You want to go to war with Russia because they are planning to annex a part of a country they ALREADY have troops stationed in legally and with a population that atleast somewhat supports them?

The United States and United Kingdom are already stepping in. Ukraine signed a treaty called the Treaty of Budapest Memorandum in 1994. USA and UK don't have much of a choice

The treaty commits that USA and UK will protect Ukraine when they stop their nuclear program. If Russia doesn't leave Ukraine then the cold war will begin with Russia vs USA, UK, and Ukraine.

http://weaselzippers.us/177483-budapest-memorandum-treaty-signed-in-1994-may-commit-u-s-britain-to-defend-ukraine/

Edited 3/4/2014 05:20:22

UK has already said that at most they'll put in some sanctions, but it won't come to military action. US doesn't have the support it needs to take military action and China's not interested in getting involved.

Hold a referendum in Crimea for autonomy, problem solved.

Isn't Crimea already autonomous? It is called the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

SkyLimit - yeah! treaties! ever heard of France and UK helping Poland, while Germans attacked us in 1939? Yeah.. thought so, me neither..

Not much response will there be, since neither the economies nor the armies of other countries are ready to actively fight against russia. That's basically why from politicians we do hear all this "Let's act like we care" sanctions bullshit...

@ Hauptmann I think the dimension of the problem growed. Everything became mixed with each other: interior ukrainian, russian, american, european,.. politics.

A vote won't solve anything at the moment. First the whole thing has to be unmixed by russian retreat and acceptance of legitimated ukrainian borders. If not, it's not a good sign for every nation to accept crossing each other borders just because of ethnic reasons and for to get a "free" vote.

Edited 3/4/2014 15:27:02

Titron - on the other hand - from Russia's perspective - why shouldn't they? They have majority of population in Crimea, people want independence from Ukraine there, Russia's got strong army to threaten Ukraine, and it's a perfect moment because of Ukrainian internal issues, which leads to high likelyhood intimidation will be good enough way to claim and incorporate Crimea into russian borders..

Yeah.. Why not? But..

Which perspective is finally more important?

And this very question lies in the foundation of every single war this planet has ever seen..
Sometimes never asked, more often than not simply answered to late..

yeah i just wish there was something that could be done besides sanctions and war... intimidation maybe? i don't know but Russia should not be allowed to continue in there course of action... but if it is not war... what do we do?

but again i am a dumb American teenager behind a computer...

I don't think Putin will be intimidated. If we make any threats, we need to be 100% behind them and willing to take action. I don't want to go to war with Russia over the Ukraine anymore than anyone else does, but I know that if Putin continues to get what he wants, with little to no opposition, and hollow threats made by America and the Europeans (Ukraine, Syria, Georgia, etc.) then he will continue to take more and more action. IMO the other world powers (maybe not China?) should come together and make a serious declaration that if these actions continue, they will be met with force. But I highly doubt that happens any time soon, because the Western world has gone soft, and cares more about reputation than they do about actually taking action.

When all this went down, with Ukraine, US sanctions and all, Russia's stock market dropped 12-15%

@Fridge, France and Britain declared war on Germany when they invaded Poland, the invasion of Poland was Germany stepping over the line after the european powers decided to give Austria and Czechoslovakia to Germany without a fight. I don't understand your comment because it is contradictory to history unless I am missing some information and i wouldnt mind being filled in if i am.

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

You are right. They declared...


but in my dictionary it's closer to treachery than to help..

Edited 3/4/2014 22:31:56

I think he's referring to the fact that despite being "at war" with Germany, they didn't do anything to prevent Poland from being invaded, and didn't even engage Germany on the western front until long after Poland had been subjugated.

yeah - that's basically what i meant. It's somewhat similar but not quite to what might be happening...

what I meant was - don't say you should stop russia, when you don't really mean or are not ready to do it..