Russians Debate On How To Respond To The Crisis In Ukraine

Kremlin Dismisses Direct Strikes Against Ukraine, But Debate Still Rages In Russia -- Fred Weir, CSM

Russian leadership is of two minds on how to respond to the ongoing fighting in Ukraine, which crossed the border over the weekend. But 'surgical strikes' appear to be off the table.

Moscow — A day after Ukrainian forces allegedly shelled a Russian border village, killing one person, the Kremlin appears to be preparing a tough response.

But "surgical strikes" against Ukrainian military forces deemed responsible for the attacks, as claimed by an anonymous Kremlin official in the major Moscow daily Kommersant? That's "nonsense," Vladimir Putin's spokesman said on Monday.

Experts say the conflicting signals coming out of the Kremlin show just how at odds it is with itself over what to do in eastern Ukraine, as conditions deteriorate and ferocious fighting bumps up against the long and relatively open border with Russia.

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My Comment: A rather good assessment on the current situation in Ukraine and Russia's role in it. The option of Moscow just stepping back and observing the Poroshenko government muddling through what promises to be a long and bloody counter-insurgency in the country's east, even as Ukraine careens toward an economic implosion .... is the option (in my opinion) that Putin has chosen. But there is a caveat to this option ... and I have mentioned it more than once in this blog .... and that is if the Ukrainian army and it's militias continue to run amok and produce thousand of casualties .... coupled with Ukrainian artillery strikes on the Russian side of the border and Ukrainian jets violating Russian air space .... that is when all bets are off .... and the option of Russia just standing back and observing will be replaced by something far more direct and far more bloodier.

Update: The above video provides a good rundown on what is happening in Ukraine's civil war. Kudos to Sabrina Tavernise from The New York Times for actually going into the battle zone .... and pointing out Kiev's lies/disinformation about what it's military is doing in Luhansk.