There are loads of other links, but China will always support Russia and vice-versa unless it's absolutely impossible.

[...] Also, all people can see is how Putin stepped in as the 'diplomat' and statesman he is proving himself to be over the Syria threat. He's gone straight to his parliament to ask 'the people' for permission......that 'looks' like democracy [sorry no, IT IS democracy, btw, loath it or love it].....which gives him loads of brownie point from the people both at home and overseas....and he damn well knows it.......the man plays chess exceedingly well...so brains and brawn as far as I can see... [...].

‘Ukraine crisis has had its reasons’- China

"Even as German Chancellor agreed with US President Barack Obama agreed that Russia’s intervention in Crimea is a violation of the international law, China has said the escalation of the Ukraine crisis has had its reasons.

“There have been reasons for today’s situation in Ukraine,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said when responding to a question on China’s stance after Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, authorized President Vladimir Putin to use military forces to protect Russian citizens and soldiers in Ukrainian territory.

“China is deeply concerned with the current Ukraine situation,” added Gang urging all sides to seek a political solution.

Meanwhile, after a phone conversation between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his counterpart Wang Yi, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement welcomed ”the coincidence of Russia’s and China’s positions on the situation in Ukraine”.

“The foreign ministers of both countries exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. They noted the coincidence of positions on this aspect,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“This is not a threat: this is actually the declaration of war to my country,”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Sunday after Crimea confirmed Sunday that the majority of Ukrainian military units stationed on the Crimean peninsula have expressed their support of legitimately elected Pro-Russian authorities.

Crimean authorities said that most of the Ukrainian units sided on Sunday with pro-Russian forces “without a single shot fired”. [* NOTE: May I repeat? No, I know you got it, folks ;-)
But are you guys really saying it is really possible to achieve this type of stuff without killing a single innocent bystander???!???) - HOW IS THIS EVEN PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE? UH!? Because I need answers... ]

...Putin had earlier spoken to German Chancellor Merkel in which he accepted Merkel’s proposal to immediately set up a “fact finding mission” and a contact group in order to start a political dialogue.

More at the link: thebricspost.com/ukraine-crisis-has-had-...-china/#.UxWejFOwUUo"

Russia asks Ukrainian navy to surrender

Russian forces that have surrounded the military bases in Ukraine’s autonomous region of Crimea have given ultimatum to Ukrainian navy forces there to surrender, according to the headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy in Sevastopol.
A commander at the headquarters confirmed to Al Jazeera the ultimatum from Russian forces to lay down their weapons, adding that the ultimatum includes two main bases in the region and ships patrolling the bays of Kurinaya and Streletskaya.
The headquarters did not confirm if the ultimatum only includes the navy or the whole Ukrainian military forces in Crimea.
Al Jazeera correspondents in Kiev and Crimea say that the ultimatum is likely to include the shole Ukrainian army forces in Crimea.
Al Jazeera's Zeine Khodr, reporting from Crimea, said she did not get the impression that the armed forces were considering surrender.
"A commander that talked to us said they only received orders from Kiev," she said.
Russia's Interfax news agency has reported that Russia's Black Sea Fleet has told Ukrainian forces in Crimea to surrender by 3GMT on Tuesday or face a military assault. The ultimatum, Interfax said, was issued by Alexander Vitko, the fleet's commander.
"If they do not surrender before 5am [local time] tomorrow, a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea," the agency quoted the ministry source as saying.
Ukrainian border guards have said that Russia has started a build-up of armoured vehicles on the Russian side of a narrow stretch of water between Russia and Crimea.
According to Kiev’s statements, Russian troops continued to pour into Crimea on Monday and took positions outside military installations in the peninsula.
Vladislav Seleznev, Ukrainian defence ministry spokesman, told AFP news agency that Ukraine was still in control of all of its bases after defiant troops refused to hand over control.
"All of the bases in Crimea are still under Ukrainian control but are surrounded," he said, adding that despite the tensions so far no violence had erupted.

www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2014/03/ru...143315502236327.html

Didn't the Ukraine Admiral in Chief defect to the Russians rather than surrender?

Wise Haven wrote:
Yup, he did....looking for link...

Russian military issues ultimatum to Ukraine: Surrender by 5 a.m. on March 4 or face attack
www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/russias...-updates-338232.html

Russia Denies It Has Given Ukraine An Ultimatum, Calls It "Utter Nonsense"
www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-03/russia...ls-it-utter-nonsense

Russia has major investment in trade needs and desires. I think there's a unified view by all of the foreign ministers I talked with yesterday, all of the G8 and more, that they're simply going to isolate Russia. That they're not going to engage with Russia in a normal, business-as-usual manner.

Because Russia is inviting opprobrium on the international stage. There could even be ultimately asset freezes, visa bans. There could be certainly a disruption of any of the normal trade routine, and there could be business drawback on investment in the country. The ruble is already going down and feeling the impact of this.

And the reason for this, David (interviewer), is because you just don't invade another country on phony pretext in order to assert your interests. There are ways to deal with this. And President Putin knows that. President Obama yesterday offered mediation. There are plenty of ways to protect Russian-speaking people in Crimea or other parts of Ukraine. But they are really sort of a hidden pretext here, possibly trying to annex Crimea.

angelchemuel wrote:
Nope - he swore allegiance to crimea - not quite the same thing as defecting to russians.

Really? So what about US foreign policy for the last 60 years, Johnny?

What we want to see is a de-escalation rather than a continuation down the path that the Russian government has taken, violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another country.

So we shall have to bring to bear diplomatic, political, economic and other pressures in order to make this point.

IRAN 1946 Nuclear threat Soviet troops told to leave north.
YUGOSLAVIA 1946 Nuclear threat, naval Response to shoot-down of US plane.
URUGUAY 1947 Nuclear threat Bombers deployed as show of strength.
GREECE 1947-49 Command operation U.S. directs extreme-right in civil war.
GERMANY 1948 Nuclear Threat Atomic-capable bombers guard Berlin Airlift.
CHINA 1948-49 Troops/Marines evacuate Americans before Communist victory.
PHILIPPINES 1948-54 Command operation CIA directs war against Huk Rebellion.
PUERTO RICO 1950 Command operation Independence rebellion crushed in Ponce.
KOREA 1951-53 (-?) Troops, naval, bombing , nuclear threats U.S./So. Korea fights China/No. Korea to stalemate; A-bomb threat in 1950, and against China in 1953. Still have bases.
IRAN 1953 Command Operation CIA overthrows democracy, installs Shah.
VIETNAM 1954 Nuclear threat French offered bombs to use against seige.
GUATEMALA 1954 Command operation, bombing, nuclear threat CIA directs exile invasion after new gov't nationalized U.S. company lands; bombers based in Nicaragua.
EGYPT 1956 Nuclear threat, troops Soviets told to keep out of Suez crisis; Marines evacuate foreigners.
LEBANON l958 Troops, naval Army & Marine occupation against rebels.
IRAQ 1958 Nuclear threat Iraq warned against invading Kuwait.
CHINA l958 Nuclear threat China told not to move on Taiwan isles.
PANAMA 1958 Troops Flag protests erupt into confrontation.
VIETNAM l960-75 Troops, naval, bombing, nuclear threats Fought South Vietnam revolt & North Vietnam; one million killed in longest U.S. war; atomic bomb threats in l968 and l969.
CUBA l961 Command operation CIA-directed exile invasion fails.
GERMANY l961 Nuclear threat Alert during Berlin Wall crisis.
LAOS 1962 Command operation Military buildup during guerrilla war.
CUBA l962 Nuclear threat, naval Blockade during missile crisis; near-war with Soviet Union.
IRAQ 1963 Command operation CIA organizes coup that killed president, brings Ba'ath Party to power, and Saddam Hussein back from exile to be head of the secret service.
PANAMA l964 Troops Panamanians shot for urging canal's return.
INDONESIA l965 Command operation Million killed in CIA-assisted army coup.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 1965-66 Troops, bombing Army & Marines land during election campaign.
GUATEMALA l966-67 Command operation Green Berets intervene against rebels.
DETROIT l967 Troops Army battles African Americans, 43 killed.
UNITED STATES l968 Troops After King is shot; over 21,000 soldiers in cities.
CAMBODIA l969-75 Bombing, troops, naval Up to 2 million killed in decade of bombing, starvation, and political chaos.
OMAN l970 Command operation U.S. directs Iranian marine invasion.
LAOS l971-73 Command operation, bombing U.S. directs South Vietnamese invasion; "carpet-bombs" countryside.
SOUTH DAKOTA l973 Command operation Army directs Wounded Knee siege of Lakotas.
MIDEAST 1973 Nuclear threat World-wide alert during Mideast War.
CHILE 1973 Command operation CIA-backed coup ousts elected marxist president.
CAMBODIA l975 Troops, bombing Gassing of captured ship Mayagüez, 28 troops die when copter shot down.
ANGOLA l976-92 Command operation CIA assists South African-backed rebels.
IRAN l980 Troops, nuclear threat, aborted bombing Raid to rescue Embassy hostages; 8 troops die in copter-plane crash. Soviets warned not to get involved in revolution.
LIBYA l981 Naval jets Two Libyan jets shot down in maneuvers.
EL SALVADOR l981-92 Command operation, troops Advisors, overflights aid anti-rebel war, soldiers briefly involved in hostage clash.
NICARAGUA l981-90 Command operation, naval CIA directs exile (Contra) invasions, plants harbor mines against revolution.
LEBANON l982-84 Naval, bombing, troops Marines expel PLO and back Phalangists, Navy bombs and shells Muslim positions. 241 Marines killed when Shi'a rebel bombs barracks.
GRENADA l983-84 Troops, bombing Invasion four years after revolution.
HONDURAS l983-89 Troops Maneuvers help build bases near borders.
IRAN l984 Jets Two Iranian jets shot down over Persian Gulf.
LIBYA l986 Bombing, naval Air strikes to topple Qaddafi gov't.
BOLIVIA 1986 Troops Army assists raids on cocaine region.
IRAN l987-88 Naval, bombing US intervenes on side of Iraq in war, defending reflagged tankers and shooting down civilian jet.
LIBYA 1989 Naval jets Two Libyan jets shot down.
VIRGIN ISLANDS 1989 Troops St. Croix Black unrest after storm.
PHILIPPINES 1989 Jets Air cover provided for government against coup.
PANAMA 1989 (-?) Troops, bombing Nationalist government ousted by 27,000 soldiers, leaders arrested, 2000+ killed.
LIBERIA 1990 Troops Foreigners evacuated during civil war.
SAUDI ARABIA 1990-91 Troops, jets Iraq countered after invading Kuwait. 540,000 troops also stationed in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Israel.
IRAQ 1990-91 Bombing, troops, naval Blockade of Iraqi and Jordanian ports, air strikes; 200,000+ killed in invasion of Iraq and Kuwait; large-scale destruction of Iraqi military.
KUWAIT 1991 Naval, bombing, troops Kuwait royal family returned to throne.
IRAQ 1991-2003 Bombing, naval No-fly zone over Kurdish north, Shiite south; constant air strikes and naval-enforced economic sanctions
LOS ANGELES 1992 Troops Army, Marines deployed against anti-police uprising.
SOMALIA 1992-94 Troops, naval, bombing U.S.-led United Nations occupation during civil war; raids against one Mogadishu faction.
YUGOSLAVIA 1992-94 Naval NATO blockade of Serbia and Montenegro.
BOSNIA 1993-? Jets, bombing No-fly zone patrolled in civil war; downed jets, bombed Serbs.
HAITI 1994 Troops, naval Blockade against military government; troops restore President Aristide to office three years after coup.
ZAIRE (CONGO) 1996-97 Troops Troops at Rwandan Hutu refugee camps, in area where Congo revolution begins.
LIBERIA 1997 Troops Soldiers under fire during evacuation of foreigners.
ALBANIA 1997 Troops Soldiers under fire during evacuation of foreigners.
SUDAN 1998 Missiles Attack on pharmaceutical plant alleged to be "terrorist" nerve gas plant.
AFGHANISTAN 1998 Missiles Attack on former CIA training camps used by Islamic fundamentalist groups alleged to have attacked embassies.
IRAQ 1998 Bombing, Missiles Four days of intensive air strikes after weapons inspectors allege Iraqi obstructions.
YUGOSLAVIA 1999 Bombing, Missiles Heavy NATO air strikes after Serbia declines to withdraw from Kosovo. NATO occupation of Kosovo.
YEMEN 2000 Naval USS Cole, docked in Aden, bombed.
MACEDONIA 2001 Troops NATO forces deployed to move and disarm Albanian rebels.
UNITED STATES 2001 Jets, naval Reaction to hijacker attacks on New York, DC
AFGHANISTAN 2001-? Troops, bombing, missiles Massive U.S. mobilization to overthrow Taliban, hunt Al Qaeda fighters, install Karzai regime, and battle Taliban insurgency. More than 30,000 U.S. troops and numerous private security contractors carry our occupation.
YEMEN 2002 Missiles Predator drone missile attack on Al Qaeda, including a US citizen.
PHILIPPINES 2002-? Troops, naval Training mission for Philippine military fighting Abu Sayyaf rebels evolves into combat missions in Sulu Archipelago, west of Mindanao.
COLOMBIA 2003-? Troops US special forces sent to rebel zone to back up Colombian military protecting oil pipeline.
IRAQ 2003-? Troops, naval, bombing, missiles Saddam regime toppled in Baghdad. More than 250,000 U.S. personnel participate in invasion. US and UK forces occupy country and battle Sunni and Shi'ite insurgencies. More than 160,000 troops and numerous private contractors carry out occupation and build large permanent bases.
LIBERIA 2003 Troops Brief involvement in peacekeeping force as rebels drove out leader.
HAITI 2004-05 Troops, naval Marines & Army land after right-wing rebels oust elected President Aristide, who was advised to leave by Washington.
PAKISTAN 2005-? Missiles, bombing, covert operation CIA missile and air strikes and Special Forces raids on alleged Al Qaeda and Taliban refuge villages kill multiple civilians. Drone attacks also on Pakistani Mehsud network.
SOMALIA 2006-? Missiles, naval, troops, command operation Special Forces advise Ethiopian invasion that topples Islamist government; AC-130 strikes, Cruise missile attacks and helicopter raids against Islamist rebels; naval blockade against "pirates" and insurgents.
SYRIA 2008 Troops Special Forces in helicopter raid 5 miles from Iraq kill 8 Syrian civilians
YEMEN 2009-? Missiles, command operation Cruise missile attack on Al Qaeda kills 49 civilians; Yemeni military assaults on rebels
LIBYA 2011-? Bombing, missiles, command operation NATO coordinates air strikes and missile attacks against Qaddafi government during uprising by rebel army.

Quality Street wrote:
Can’t argue with video evidence, now can we?

Dr. Natalia Vitrenko, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg on February 26, 2014. Vitrenko's remarks and question at a press conference given by European Parliament President Martin Schulz and Milos Zeman, President of the Czech Republic, shocked listeners and garnered major coverage on Czech television and in a release by the Ukrainian news agency UNIAN.

At the press conference, on the occasion of Zeman's first speech at the European parliament as Czech President, Vitrenko was called on first. She said: "I am Natalia Vitrenko, the leader of a left opposition party in Ukraine. I am the leader of a party, against which the Ukrainian Nazis have already begun witchhunts, for the purpose of physically eliminating me and the members of our party. Today in Ukraine, the offices of political parties are being burned on a mass scale, and employees in these offices are being killed. The homes of politicians who are disapproved of are being set on fire. Elected deputies of our legislature and local councils are getting beaten up, in order to make them carry out the demands of the terrorists and neo-Nazis of the Euromaidan's Right Sector. In effect, the neo-Nazis have established their regime."

As Vitrenko then attempted to ask her question, there was commotion on the podium as Schulz requested translation of what she had said. Czech President Zeman, also speaking Russian, then made his first comment. He said: "I visited Ukraine several months ago. I met with President Yanukovych. He promised that Ukraine would sign the Agreement with the European Union. And promises should be fulfilled. This promise was not fulfilled. That's all."

Schulz allowed Vitrenko to ask one question, as a special exception in view of the circumstances in Ukraine today. Her question was: "Does the Right Sector represent European values, and shouldn't neo-Nazi parties be banned in Ukraine?"

Zeman replied: "On both sides, there were not only peaceful demonstrators, but also radicals. There has been an escalation of political tension. I cannot exclude the possibility that some of the demonstrators were not only radical rightists, but pro-Nazi. In particular, supporters of Stepan Bandera. But I do not think they have the upper hand."

Schulz added: "The EU will do everything in its power to have a dialogue with all sides, in order to achieve the peaceful, stable and democratic development of Ukraine. My information is that even the members of Svoboda have been included in this dialogue. I have no comment on whether or not they are neo-Nazis. I think that you have made serious statements, and I shall check them. My sense is that we should draw everybody into the process, to find a solution to the crisis."

and Justice for All wrote: Don't get your angle Justice.

Isn't swearing allegiance to the Crimea a De Facto demonstration of allegiance to the Russians?
Just putting it out there - its still isnt clear in my mind yet.

Thanks QS...yes, I got it slightly wrong there!

As to the threat...sounds like more American "watch the bastards deny it" crap.....
Ah well....we'll know who's calling who's bluff tomorrow am.....but there again, to come up with such a weird time makes me think the Amerikkans have something planned to make it look like "the Russians did it"!

Cying out loud...get your tin foil hat off Jane