If I wasn't American I would be concerned about what kind of deal these two made. One secret hand shake and it's like nothing ever happened.

More like, Ok you can have the Ukraine and we will still kiss your butt.

---

[/quote]

Old James

If I wasn't American I would be concerned about what kind of deal these two made. One secret hand shake and it's like nothing ever happened.

More like, Ok you can have the Ukraine and we will still kiss your butt.

Ooh - James :) that was not a good mind picture :)

Yeah, BUTT, Sometimes you just have to wing it with politics:)

---

[/quote]

Old James

Живу в Крыму. Большинство, (на самом деле) очень рады возвращению Крыма в состав России. Считаем, что Крым был оккупирован Украиной. Теперь мы вернулись домой. В Евросоюз и не собирались. В западной Украине - возможно и есть желающие. Только такие и Европе не нужны.
Сергей.

---

I was going to write something clever here.....
But I didn't come up with anything...

Translated via babelfis:

Live in Crimea. The majority (really) are very happy to return Crimea to Russia. We believe that Crimea was occupied by Ukraine. Now we are back home. The European Union and did not intend. In the Western Ukraine-perhaps is wanting. Only such and Europe does not need.

Let's have a bit of historic perspective (Wikipedia entry):
Crimea and adjacent territories were united in the Crimean Khanate during the 15th to 18th century before falling to the Russian Empire and being organised as its Taurida Oblast in 1783. In 1954, the Soviet Crimean Oblast was transferred from Russia to Ukraine. It became the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within newly independent Ukraine in 1991, with Sevastopol having its own administration within Ukraine but outside of the Autonomous Republic.

Given that the transfer from "Russia administration" to Ukrainian administration was during the Soviet era I very much doubt that the EU had anything to do with its transfer. The 1991 establishment of its government followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, a time of great turmoil politically, and from the outside the new status appeared to be "sensible".

I have no doubt that there is probably a majority of people living in Crimea who "feel Russian", and would want to join Russia, but I do find it objectionable the manner in which it has happened, with violence from all sides against all sides.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

О каком насилии Вы говорите? Кто? Где? Я видел много лжи о Крыме на телевизионных каналах украинского ТВ. Показывают и теперь. Интересно увидеть танки и солдат где-то. А подписано - в моём городе!!! А пропоганда Путина получается супер эффектна. Действует на умы и в прошлом (Машина времени у него что ли?) Думал так же и до Путина. И повторяю- Мы рады вернуться домой без крови. Если это сделал Путин - спасибо и ему.

---

Сергей, привет.
Если ты читал эту ветку сначала, то не удивляйся. Тут отметились достаточно твердолобые товарищи. Все что наше - то пропаганда, все что их - то истина в последней инстанции. А когда носом тыкаешь в откровенную ложь их же лидеров - молчат как будто ничего и не было.
Так что я уже утомился им что-то доказывать. Кто хочет слушать, тот уже услышал. остается надеяться, что местные говоруны европейцев с американцами в массе все же не представляют.

---

SETI apps news
We're not gonna fight them. We're gonna transcend them.

From today's news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26915605

I don't care who is to blame or what/who the victim is, this is VIOLENCE being committed "in Crimea"- who said there was none - you are blind to the truth that is happening in your own land.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Rob, try to learn Ukraine geography little more before doing such comments.
It't Donetsk. City on Ukraine. It's not city in Russia (at least for now), it's not city in Crimea. It's Ukraine.
And yes, Ukraine suffers, Ukraine divided... And lucky Crimea avoided all these actions, avoided blood, avoided war. It just voted to return home and did it. Period.

---

SETI apps news
We're not gonna fight them. We're gonna transcend them.

Живу в Крыму. Большинство, (на самом деле) очень рады возвращению Крыма в состав России. Считаем, что Крым был оккупирован Украиной. Теперь мы вернулись домой. В Евросоюз и не собирались. В западной Украине - возможно и есть желающие. Только такие и Европе не нужны.
Сергей.

There were quite silly comments (Rob, sorry, but...) because of wrong translation of initial statement.

More proper translation is:

I live in Crimea. Majority (actually) very happy that Crimea returned to Russia. We think that Crimea was occupied by Ukraine. Now we returned back to home. And we never wanna go into EU. Perhaps in west Ukraine there are some willing, but EU will not take such mans by itself.

Now re-read own comments on post. Especially part where Rob speculates about EU and Hruschev's Crimea transfer connection. How that related to this post? Yeah, in no way. Sergey spoke about current debates should Ukraine go into EU or not...

---

SETI apps news
We're not gonna fight them. We're gonna transcend them.

Живу в Крыму. Большинство, (на самом деле) очень рады возвращению Крыма в состав России. Считаем, что Крым был оккупирован Украиной. Теперь мы вернулись домой. В Евросоюз и не собирались. В западной Украине - возможно и есть желающие. Только такие и Европе не нужны.
Сергей.



There were quite silly comments (Rob, sorry, but...) because of wrong translation of initial statement.

More proper translation is:

I live in Crimea. Majority (actually) very happy that Crimea returned to Russia. We think that Crimea was occupied by Ukraine. Now we returned back to home. And we never wanna go into EU. Perhaps in west Ukraine there are some willing, but EU will not take such mans by itself.

Now re-read own comments on post. Especially part where Rob speculates about EU and Hruschev's Crimea transfer connection. How that related to this post? Yeah, in no way. Sergey spoke about current debates should Ukraine go into EU or not...

Well in that case why didn't he say so?

OR are you continuing to be in total denial of the annexation of a part of another country?

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Rob, try to learn Ukraine geography little more before doing such comments.
It't Donetsk. City on Ukraine. It's not city in Russia (at least for now), it's not city in Crimea. It's Ukraine.
And yes, Ukraine suffers, Ukraine divided... And lucky Crimea avoided all these actions, avoided blood, avoided war. It just voted to return home and did it. Period.

It is really interesting to see that Russia is planning to continue its annexation of its neighbours by spreading further into the sovereign territory of Ukraine.-

Does Russia continue to deny that in 1954 it handed Crimea to Ukraine?

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Rob, try to learn Ukraine geography little more before doing such comments.
It't Donetsk. City on Ukraine. It's not city in Russia (at least for now), it's not city in Crimea. It's Ukraine.
And yes, Ukraine suffers, Ukraine divided... And lucky Crimea avoided all these actions, avoided blood, avoided war. It just voted to return home and did it. Period.

It is really interesting to see that Russia is planning to continue its annexation of its neighbours by spreading further into the sovereign territory of Ukraine.-

Does Russia continue to deny that in 1954 it handed Crimea to Ukraine?

You answered on own question by formulating it in the way you did.

I will ask you, do you plan to continue to kill peoples before dinner or maybe you plan to move this action more close to breakfast?

---

SETI apps news
We're not gonna fight them. We're gonna transcend them.

Rob, try to learn Ukraine geography little more before doing such comments.
It't Donetsk. City on Ukraine. It's not city in Russia (at least for now), it's not city in Crimea. It's Ukraine.
And yes, Ukraine suffers, Ukraine divided... And lucky Crimea avoided all these actions, avoided blood, avoided war. It just voted to return home and did it. Period.



It is really interesting to see that Russia is planning to continue its annexation of its neighbours by spreading further into the sovereign territory of Ukraine.-

Does Russia continue to deny that in 1954 it handed Crimea to Ukraine?

You answered on own question by formulating it in the way you did.

I will ask you, do you plan to continue to kill peoples before dinner or maybe you plan to move this action more close to breakfast?

I intend to kill NOBODY
I plan to kill NOBODY
and
I decry ALL those who plan and execute violence with the intent to kill or maim, no matter what country they come from, or which country or state they represent.

Sadly there is no denying that there are those on the ground in Crimea, Russia and Ukraine who appear to be intent on violence and death.

I can but assume from the aggressive tone of your responses tonight that Russia has plans, and intends to continue its annexation of the rest of the former Soviet Union, starting with Ukraine and continuing until it is once again in control of all the territory it lost in the early and mid 1990s.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I've always thought it good practise to get news from as many different sources as possible. I make sure to include RT news, alongside Aljazeera, BBC, Channel four and all the other networks I am able to access. As a mental exercise it guards against erosion of free thought and protects individual intelligence... because no government I have ever lived under can be trusted to tell its people all of the truth all of the time. Some are better than others because they are policed by a free press not tied to furthering nationalistic propaganda and agenda or covering up corruption. Some are just plain dismal.

I am curious as to how many independent news corporations get airtime in the former Soviet Union at present. I am also always curious when a lot of noise is being made at the front door... because I can't help wondering what it might be covering up at the back. Is Russia really in such a bad way that it needs to grab at another nation's land? Just a thought.

I've always thought it good practise to get news from as many different sources as possible. I make sure to include RT news, alongside Aljazeera, BBC, Channel four and all the other networks I am able to access. As a mental exercise it guards against erosion of free thought and protects individual intelligence... because no government I have ever lived under can be trusted to tell its people all of the truth all of the time. Some are better than others because they are policed by a free press not tied to furthering nationalistic propaganda and agenda or covering up corruption. Some are just plain dismal.

I am curious as to how many independent news corporations get airtime in the former Soviet Union at present. I am also always curious when a lot of noise is being made at the front door... because I can't help wondering what it might be covering up at the back. Is Russia really in such a bad way that it needs to grab at another nation's land? Just a thought.

You realize RT news is literally Russian state run propaganda? There is literally no truth to be found in whatever they claim. Hell, even Fox News is probably a more reliable news source than RT and that says something. Though I must admit, RT is kind of fun to watch, just so you can see the mental gymnastics they do in order to spin the news in a way the Russians want it.

And meh, Crimea is just plain and simple Russian opportunism. There was a nice opportunity for them to take a bit of land (which contains vital infrastructure for the Russians) and secure it once and for all and prevent it from ever falling into the hands of the EU or a pro EU government. I don't think it necessarily hides internal problems in Russia, although its relatively easy victory in Crimea does of course give Putin a boost.

Also, keep in mind that this comes from a culture which has a habit of taking insane and often extreme risks. Just look at Russian history, its littered with extremities.

Also, keep in mind that this comes from a culture which has a habit of taking insane and often extreme risks. Just look at Russian history, its littered with extremities.

...and Europe is so squeaky clean, it's making angels weep!

---

...and Europe is so squeaky clean, it's making angels weep!

I never said that Europe is clean. But I do think that Europeans generally are less inclined to take the risks that Russians do. I don't see any European youth climbing towers, cranes and bridges and then hang on the ledge with one hand. Nor does Europe's history read like it suffers from extreme mood swings.

Hi!
I wanted to tell you about the events of this week in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but... There are bad news for everyone!
Especially for You, my brothers and sisters, the news from Russia! Russian news, April 6, 2014: "Russia takes back Alaska..., Russia intends regain Alaska... and part of territory in California and the Hawaiian Islands!", look at the this beastliness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cJxTUsaNeE
Well as... still have doubts? Normal people can think about it and talk about it? I'm not sure...
But we'll be together up to our common Victory!

Alex