The Ukraine crisis: John Kerry and NATO must calm down and back off
The Guardian
2 Mar 2014: Jonathan Steele: The hysterical reaction to Russian military movements in Crimea won’t help. Only Kiev can stop this crisis becoming a catastrophe
This was a great analysis of the real issues in the Ukraine, and the plea to the US and others to back off is a valid one..
There is a Russian-speaking majority in the Crimea that doesn’t want it’s language and culture threatened, as it is by a new law forcing all Ukrainians to adopt the language, and this is sounding as if a form of cultural genocide is to be made a sacred deal by Ukrainian nationalists..whereas the people on both sides of the language issue have much in common, giving Putin an excuse to muscle into territory he doesn’t want to lose to the EU is no way to progress..
Still, it is the Ukraine’s fight , and they must be allowed to decide their fate without the intervention of NATO or any other body.
The protesting Opposition in the Ukraine is composed of a complicated set of groups from democrats to right-wing neo-fascists, and support should be given unconditionally for direct help in areas like medicine, but no other intervention makes any sense at all…
Left Over 
hi cityprole…I couldn’t agree with you more. Cooler heads on both sides need to prevail because a war in Ukraine would be absolutely catastrophic for all the people of that country and their neighbours.
There are many things that bind both groups of Ukrainians together, we need to let Putin know that actions have consequences, but rushing into war would be absolutely insane…
Nothing the western world can say or do will deter Putin and Russia’s aggression. Russia has money, and options.
If western Ukraine attacks eastern Ukraine, Russia immediately rolls tanks and 15,000 more soldiers into Ukraine.
If the west threatens to place armed forces into Ukraine, Russia threatens with nukes.
If the west threatens sanctions, Russia opens up further trade with China.
If the west threatens (further) sanctions on Russia’s allies such as Iran and Syria, Russia gift-wraps s-400’s for those countries, and ties the pretty bow on top, himself.
Anything the western world does to Russia, Russia will respond in a manner the west does not like.
Nothing rational will deter the West from it’s path of aggression against Russia in the form of NATO participation of Ukraine..as the article I linked to suggested, the West is licking it’
s figurative lips at the thought of an airbase on Russia’s edge..and just like Russia created the Cuban missile crisis, the West will have invented, created another world wide crisis out of its greed for dominance/capitulation of the World..
If Russia doesn’t back down (and they won’t) I’m just hoping that sanctions are as far as it goes..isn’t it fascinating the way the US picks its targets..the democratically elected president of Egypt is overthrown..but then, he was a (gasp) member of the Islamic Brotherhood, and little is said about the fact that once again, the country is reverting back to its old despotic ways..
Perhaps I’m getting senile, but don’t remember the Yanks rushing off to protect and preserve that country’s fragile new government…
I’m no fan of Putin, but the Ukrainians gave him the perfect excuse when they started pushing sanctions against Russian speech and culture..not very bright under the circumstances, and perhaps they aren’t ready yet to run their own country..either way, it is not for others to control their destiny. Nor does the West need to embroil itself in perpetual war.