Quote:nemonowan wrote:Huh... Y'know, I bet Putin is just savvy enough to do that. He was VERY quick to jump on that slip of the tongue of Kerry's in regards to Syria a few months ago in regards to allowing weapons inspectors. Made us look like fools, he did (well - more specifically showed how much of a fool Kerry was and is) and saved Bashir's ass to boot (and of course, cemented his influence in Syria as well).
There is a side to the issue that you are ignoring. The legimate democratically elected president of Ukraine was deposed in an armed coup, for following the russian rapprochement policy that he had campaigned for. The current regime in Kiev is illegitimate and backed by force of arms, not a popular national mandate. All Russia has to is put the former regime back in power, something there is a lot of support for in the east, leave some troops for security and training (sound familiar? ) and go home claiming he saved democracy. no need to annex the country.
Give him even the hint of something like that again - something that will save face, prevent war, AND get him what he wants - and I have every confidence he'll do it. He may be a freaking gangster, but he's dangerously smart. MUCH smarter than anyone in our current White House or State Dept.