Crimea makes for a nice missile base to reach all of Black Sea periphery too.
OK, fine, Crimea is less than worthless. Someone tell Ukraine, they seem to think it's worth $80B+
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/28/us-urkaine-crisis-crimea-idUSBREA3R0X320140428
Which is less than the amount of foreign capital that has already left Russia since the invasion.
Most "foreign capital" in Russia is just Russians owning Russian companies through offshores like Cyprus.
so russians are dropping investments in their own country
even worse
Russia certainly "took care of" the chechens.
-snip-
I cannot see a scenario where Russia permanently 'wins' anything from their actions.
I still don't know why Russia wanted an East v West proxy war but at this point, they're seriously in the hole. Their economy is tanked and it won't get better until the sanctions are removed. Putin has gotten some short term gains in nationalistic popularity, but has alienated his closest neighbor permanently and pushed eastern Europe even further away. I just don't know what he bought with what he's spent.
The Ukrainian revolt this past spring was economically motivated. The Ukrainian economy was in the shitter and people got really tired of it. The more damage that Putin self-inflicts on Russia's economy, the more he risks of that happening in Russia as well. Any further direct involvement in the Ukraine will only strap the economy more (wars aren't cheap) and incur far deeper economic isolation. Abandoning the rebels in Eastern Ukraine puts him on track to resolve the sanctions, but the Ukrainians will eventually put down the rebels with economic help from the West. Putin will lose the pro-Russian people sympathy and affection he has gained by 'standing up' for the Russian population in the Ukraine. He won't be remembered for saving the Russians in the Ukraine but abandoning them.
All the while, Russia falls further behind the rest of the world (East and West) economically and militarily.
I cannot see a scenario where Russia permanently 'wins' anything from their actions.
has it been concluded that the initial riots were funded by America?
I kinda lost interest in this whole thing a while back, has it been concluded that the initial riots were funded by America? I mean if that true than America is the enemy of all democracies. If they are willing to pull that kind of bullshit in the Ukraine, they would try it in Canada or anywhere.
I kinda lost interest in this whole thing a while back, has it been concluded that the initial riots were funded by America? I mean if that true than America is the enemy of all democracies. If they are willing to pull that kind of bullshit in the Ukraine, they would try it in Canada or anywhere.
Of course that hasn't been concluded, because it makes zero fucking rational sense as to why America would have any interest in such a disaster.
but but but Russia said so, and Russia would never lie to it's people
You mean apart from when the Russian soldiers were Russian soldiers and Putin admitted it but a poster on here doesn't believe it still?
Or you mean when Putin for the FOURTH time has said that soon, the troops will be removed from the border where they are passing Russian weapons to terrorists in the Ukraine?
Of course that hasn't been concluded, because it makes zero fucking rational sense as to why America would have any interest in such a disaster.
The Ukraine is looking less and less capable of self-governance with each passing week and is now descending into civil war. If Russia really wants their hands stuck in this particular tar baby, have at it.