With the Crimean Parliament having given a convincing vote in favor of joining Russia, and a soon to be held referendum within Crimea set for later this week, things are really picking up speed in Crimea.
Sergey Aksyonov is the new leader of Crimea and, according to one article, he is hardly the most upstanding of men to lead a region that, at least for now, is front and center with the attention of the world. Just weeks ago, his prospects looked quite bleak, and he was not a very prominent figure in Crimean politics, with a nickname of "the Goblin". But as the new Prime Minister of Crimea's regional government, he now holds a powerful and highly visible office.
In the meantime, efforts by western powers to influence Putin in this affair have thus far fallen on deaf ears, although warnings and efforts continue.
British Foreign Minister William Hague has suggested that Russia miscalculated by underestimating world (and particularly western) reactions to their role with the Crimea, and that the ramifications could be serious.
According to one article by the Associated Foreign Press, he argued that the referendum for Crimea to become a part of Russia had come "ridiculously quick"
"The world will not be able to regard that as a free or fair referendum," Hague said.
"I think they (the Russians) do care about the international reaction to what they've done. That reaction is strong," he said.
As for the White House, it announced that the Ukrainian interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk will fly into Washington to “discuss how to find a peaceful resolution to Russia’s ongoing military intervention in Crimea that would respect Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Top US officials have conceded that there are no direct military options, with the costs, literal and otherwise, of the closing of two unpopular wars still very fresh on people's minds, and with possible military involvement in Syria having been roundly unpopular here in the United States. Plus, it was recently announced that the military budget would be cut, and direct involvement in the volatile region would obviously spike defense costs.
However, many other prominent American officials are saying that an indirect military role is definitely an option.
Former Vice-President Dick Cheney argued:
“There are military options that don’t involve putting troops on the ground in Crimea. We could go back and reinstate the ballistic-missile defense program that was taken out, that was originally going to go in Poland and the Czech Republic and Obama took it out to appease Putin.”
He also suggested joint military exercises with Poland and offering military equipment and training for Ukraine.
In the meantime, nonmilitary options are the most popular and universally accepted approach, and many are insisting that they will prove effective. According to an article by Brad Knickerbocker of the Christian Science Monitor:
“In coordination with our allies, we've imposed significant sanctions on Russia, and that's already exerting a cost,” deputy national security advisor Tony Blinken said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We've seen Russian markets go down substantially, the ruble go down, and investors sitting on the fence. So Russia’s paying a price for this.”
Mr Blinken has insisted that if the referendum moves ahead, and Russia retakes the Crimea, western powers, and many others around the world, would not recognize it, and pressure and isolation would continue to mount for Russia.
So far, though, the Russian reaction can hardly be said to have been what the West has been hoping for, or possible even expecting, and the date for the referendum is just around the corner now.
I used the following articles, which were very informative, and assisted me greatly in writing this particular blog entry:
"Hague says Russia has made 'serious miscalculation' on Crimea" by the Associated Foreign Press, March 9, 2014:
http://news.yahoo.com/hague-says-russia-made-serious-miscalculation-crimea-114037635.html
"Ukraine: US, allied pressure yet to sway Vladimir Putin" by Brad Knickerbocker of the Christian Science Monitor, March 9, 2014:
http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-us-allied-pressure-yet-sway-vladimir-putin-204800895.html
"Crimea's new leader, a man with a murky past" by Tim Sullivan and Yuras Karmanau of The Associated press, March 9, 2014:
http://news.yahoo.com/crimeas-leader-man-murky-past-180811248.html
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