Vladimir Putin Can Inflict A Costly Revenge On Ukraine -- Luke Harding, The Guardian
President Putin's latest war games do not mean Russia is planning a military intervention, but the Kremlin has plenty of other options
Events in Ukraine are accelerating fast. On Wednesday, there were skirmishes in Crimea between pro-Russian demonstrators and Muslim Tartars. Over in Moscow, meanwhile, Vladimir Putin, ordered his military to conduct exercises in Russia's western district, a region which – coincidentally or not – borders Ukraine.
The rhetoric has grown more heated, too. Russian officials have claimed the rights of Russians in Ukraine are being severely infringed. Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed opposition protesters in Kiev who turfed out president Viktor Yanukovych as ultra-nationalists and "pogromists". Prime minister Dmitry Medvedev has said Ukraine's new rulers are not legitimate.
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My Comment: Luke Harding's analysis is spot on .... Russia's economic lever on Ukraine is massive .... something that the West does not even come close to matching.
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