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How should the United States respond to Russia’s military occupation of Crimea?

 

 

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It looks to me like Putin wants to rebuild the USSR and be a player on the world stage. At some point, he needs to understand that won't be allowed to happen. If it requires military action, so be it. We could probably wait him out, his country can't afford a long stand-off either on the military side nor on the money end. Of course, thats assuming our "Leaders" in DC will even consider bold action! Something I'm sure they have forgotten how to do. Hell, I don't think even our allies believe our Commander-in-Chief anymore. He might well even offer Putin a deal to leave the contested area: Go home, say you're sorry, I'll give you a few billion dollars to make you feel better.

Submitted by Old Grunt (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 12:36pm

Sorry old grunt (I'm an old Jarhead) but it's none of our business and as soon as we start minding our own business the world and U.S. will be a better place.

Submitted by Milt (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:38pm

Agree totally we are becoming a laughing stock with our troops stationed all over the world Japan, Germany South Korea, Philippines and we have had enough of unsuccessful wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and what we caused in CIA contributing to overthrowing Democratic governments in Chile and other South American countries

Submitted by Angelo Mupo (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:58pm

I totally agree with you, why is it alright for us to put our military in places where we should be minding our own business.

Submitted by Bob M (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 4:58pm

I agree

Submitted by mackerj (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 5:36pm

Amen

Submitted by jemasoc (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 9:28pm

I'm an old jarhead too. The Ukraine wanted to join the U.E. I see this as an issue the E.U. should take the lead on. If the people of Ukraine want freedom from Russia, we should support that effort. This isn't 1814, it's 2014. There is only one world and its getting smaller every day. The U.S. is closely connected to the entire world with a global economy. We are not going to stick our heads in the sand and ignore tyrants. We are the United States of America and we support freedom.

Submitted by Lil David (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:43am

I totally agree. Do we want to go back to the "Cold War"? That is exactly what will happen if we ignore this? History repeats itself constantly. Remember Hitler in the 1930's? Now take a look at Georgia, Ukraine and whichever former Soviet state is next if they aren't stopped now. I agree that the E.U. should take a lead on this, but we definitely need to be there to back them.

Submitted by dirtsailor67 (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 8:47am

Correction, friend. Half the Ukranians want to join the EU, and half prefer to cuddle up to Russia. This is a people split down the middle and edging into civil war, as in Vietnam. Sure, the people in the western Ukraine are tempted to join the EU, just as they eagerly welcomed the Nazi invasion which they hoped would free them from Stalin. Boy, were they wrong, and they paid bitterly as the Germans ravaged them, and then again when the Russians returned for their revenge. Sanctions are not going to move Putin -- he's on a God-given mission and sees a golden opportunity to achieve his goal of gathering the Soviet lands, one by one, back into Russian control. If he doesn't succeed, he believes Mother Russia will decline even further and the Communist ideals will vanish. He's determined to see that it won't happen on his watch. The EU will be the first to shrink away from sanctions when the Russians shut off their gas lines. That's when we get painted as the bad guys. I wish we could arrange a clean election in the Ukraine and let their people decide for themselves, but that won't happen because any result would still be fought by fanatics on both sides, encouraged by the West and by Russia. Without our European Allies we don't stand a chance militarily in that region, and even then if we made any progress in a land war I wouldn't put it past Putin to escalate with nukes. I say let them have their civil war and hope that will resolve the internal strife. Russia will dominate them again. For now.

Submitted by Richard Hofacker (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 11:55pm

The US supports freedom when it is in our interest to support freedom. We didn't support freedom and democracy in Iran when we orchestrated the overthrow of the freely elected goverment in 1953 or numerous central american banana replublics when they wanted US corporations to treat them fairly and we have never really supported freedom or deomcracy in Saudi Arabia. The reality is after WWII we repeatedly supported tyrants; Pinochet in Chile, the Shah of Iran, Sadam in Iran, Ngo Dinh Diem in South Vietnam.
We all need to start acknowledging the realities of the world and get over this idyllic Disney vision of America.

Submitted by Blackbird1 (not verified) : Mar 9, 2014 11:44am

Neville Chamberlin said the same thing in the late '30's. While we don't have to begin firing missiles, a "do nothing" approach will certainly mean trouble.

Submitted by cegeyer : Mar 7, 2014 4:22pm

The free world countries are cowards. Country leaders today are traitors to their citizens. No guts, only their income counts. Putin is waiting
for them to kiss his a..

Submitted by Jim Frodeema (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 6:30pm

right on...Our president and most others in politics in all countries are crap civilians and have no idea of this Putins sickness. non
veterans in any state become passive and cowards.

Submitted by Frodeema (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 7:02pm

Let's be bold! Let's send our young troops back into an armed conflict so they can experience their seventh or eighth tour over the last 10 years. We definitely need more debt, so the prospects of reduced military benefits and retirements are enhanced. And the military contractors need more money.

Submitted by OLD Trooper (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 5:53am

Allow diplomats and the UN time to work out a solution. Failing for this to happen then impose econmic sanctions. Not worth a military committment by the US. Cold war is much better than real war.

Submitted by FOREST WEBB (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:21pm

I'm with Mr. Webb in approach except I'd focus more on European Union and NATO rather than UN where Russia and China can forestall most any action they want.

Submitted by Scott Miller (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 4:55pm

Let us mind our own business. We have many domestic problems to solve. We can not risk more innocent young American men and women as we did in Irak Afganistan and other areas of the world where we did not have any business being there. !!

Submitted by Jose A Herrera (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:29pm

I agree with you Jose.

Submitted by Milt (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:39pm

Nor a Billion dollars

Submitted by jemasoc (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 9:31pm

We had a very important reason for being in Afghanistan. Don't tell me you have forgotten Bin Laden and 9-11 already. President Bush forgot too, I guess, that's how we ended up in Iraq. The lives lost on 9-11 deserved every effort to make Bin Laden pay for his cowardly acts. The U.S.A. is on the global stage and we have always stood for freedom. If the Ukraine wants freedom for Russia, we should support that.

Submitted by Lil David (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:49am

We ended up in Iraq because Saddam threatened to assassinate George W.'s daddy.

Submitted by Ol' Sarge (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 5:50pm

IF THE PEOPLE OF CRAMIA CLAIM TO BE RUSSIANS AND TRULY WANT TO BE RUSSIAN CITIZENS THEN WHAT THE HELL BUSINESS IS IT OF OURS OR OBAMA'S. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY PUTIN EVEN TALKS TO OR ACKNOLEDGES OBAMA'S INTRUSIONS IN HIS PUTINS, POLITICALE AFFAIRS. if I WAS PUTIN I WOULD SIMPLY GIVE OUR INTERFERING USA PRESIDENT THE FINGER TELLING HIM IT'S TIME AMERICA MINDED IT,S OWN DAMNED MESS OF A HOUSE AND INFORM MR OBAMA WHAT PART OF MY BODY TO KISS. RRC

Submitted by UNIONRETIREDRRC (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 5:23pm

Obama already drew the red line. I do not think Putin fears America and will do what they can to have some control over Ukraine. Our veterans could use the money America plans on giving to Ukraine. Where is this money coming from? The government doesn't have the money for the military and our veterans. We are giving money away to countries that will never repay us, and America doesn't have it to give.

Submitted by Bill Sandlin (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:32pm

Obama drawing a red line is like Khadaffi drawing his "line of death" in the sand in Libya. Draw the line, move it back and draw another, then another, then another.

When I was in the Army, my Quartermaster unit had self contained laundry units, clothing repair section and field showers. After Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida, our equipment sat because "that was not our mission". The government "didn't have the money" to send us, so those people suffered for weeks until FEMA got off their butts and did something.
We could have started moving within 24 hours with equipment that could have made an immediate impact on those peoples' lives. There's the wasted money that could have been used to help our own citizens. The military has the training and equipment that could be used to help our own people, but we just sit because that problem belongs to another agency. The money is squandered by our own government. $200 hammers? $400 toilet seats? Don't blame everything on foreign aid. Are we giving our tax money to countries that will never repay us or to politicians that will never represent us?

Submitted by Ol' Sarge (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 6:12pm

He won't leave Crimea. He has essentially invaded and occupied the peninsula. He has imprisoned the Ukrainian military on the peninsula. The Ukraine is not our ally. If he wants to put the old Soviet Union back together, I don't care. I don't believe he can. Let him have it. Pick your battles. It's his anyway, he bought it. Let this be a shining example to the other old Soviet block countries and the world. This is the kind of guy you're dealing with. You do it his way or you get invaded and made to do it his way.

Submitted by Capone (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:38pm

I'd work behind the scenes to turn those other old block countries against him if he pushes this any further.

Submitted by Capone (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:42pm

I would work in the forefront to keep Putin from screwing with the world again.

Submitted by Lil David (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:50am

Mind our own problems, He did nothing that we wouldn't of done if the shoe was on the other foot. We are so busy finding fault with every one else we are letting our own country go to HELL.

Submitted by Ronald Nuckles (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:42pm

Our Country is in Hell, look around

Submitted by jemasoc (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 9:38pm

1st we signed a treaty in 1994 to defend the Ukraine. This was in return for them getting rid of their nukes. The Russian military is poor at best. The Navy can't even leave port and the Air Force is using 30 year old technology. We can't take a military option off the table. Need to restart the missile treaty with Poland and the Czech Republic. Send troops to the Poland/Ukraine border for military exercises and send Special Forces units in to help and to train the Ukraine Army. Finally, we need to bolster, not cut, our own military forces. Then we can start the economic and travel sanctions.

Submitted by ChuckG (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 3:59pm

Between the lines, it appears the Ukraine Parliament started marginalizing the eastern and Crimean Russian speaking population. There has not been any democratic transfer of power in Kiev but a mob induced transfer. Russia then stepped in to protect their long ago negotiated right to their ports in the Crimea and the local Crimean Russian speaking population. Someday the US has to recognize that other peoples have rights too. We in the US need to resist the Wacky Right who's sole intention is to offer more US cannon fodder to preserve their Narcissistic personalities.

Submitted by Cal Hurst (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 4:08pm

Hurst, Crimea doesn't belong to Russia. They only have a deal with the Ukraine to have a base there. Russia has absolutely no right to invade any part of Ukraine just because they don't like the way politics are working there. If you feel so strongly about rights, what about the rights of the Ukraine people? Don't they have a right to decide for their own country? You don't call someone a friend and then stand there as they get ran over by a bus.

Submitted by Lil David (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:55am

Stalin committed genocide in the Ukraine. He sent many to the gulags in siberia where they died as slave labors. He did the same to many other Soviet nations. To insure Russian dominance in these nations he sent Russian citizens to live and work there. Why doesn't Ukraine tell them to leave and go back to Russia.

Submitted by R. D'Andrea (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 4:27pm

I find it ironic that we think nothing of attacking other countries, but let someone else do it and we want to punish them,

Submitted by jodeso (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 4:29pm

A solution was offered. One half of the Ukraine is close to Russia and want to be with them. That is the side closest to Russia. The other half wants to be affiliated with the west and the ret of the European countries. The suggestion was to split the Ukraine into those two different areas. Then Putin would have his Russians and the rest of the Ukraine will be with Europe.

Submitted by Old Dog Face (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 4:51pm

Old Dog, sounds a whole lot like the mess we have on the Korean side of the world. Not trying to pick a fight, just sayin'. Truth to tell, I'm not sure we as a nation have the will to fight another regional war, nor am I sure we should. It looks to me as if the EU should take the lead on this one. Should we provide air cover/trans assets/ammo?? Not to sure about that either. It's above my pay grade;however, a solid decision needs to be made to either put up or shut up. Every time OB opens his mouth, it costs the US more money!!!

Submitted by Old Grunt (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 7:18am

Very carefully!!

Submitted by bob Ferrari (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 4:54pm

Historically the Crimea was part of Russia. Khrushchev gave it the Ukraine back in 1954 when the USSR was one big "happy" family. Though a very bitter "pill" to swallow, an option would be for the Ukraine to give the Crimea back in exchange for Russia to take back all the native Russians in the eastern part of historical Ukraine, recognize the borders and swear peace between the nations.

Submitted by RichardW (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 5:53pm

America today not become involved with any conflict, wherein our Authoritarian Fascist Government,(A government that passes laws against the will of the People. "Obamacare".) can falsely declare Marshall Law, to take over the Government by force.

Submitted by LieutenantCharlie : Mar 6, 2014 7:08pm

We need to stay out of this. We have already given or promised them 'the Ukraine' a billion $ which is going to go right into Putins pocket. They owe him for the natural gas he has allowed them to have. We do not have a strong enough leader to comit to anything. Bring ALL of our troops home from everywhere. Screw them all it's time to take care of #1. That would be our VETERANS! Not to mention our crumbling roads, bridges and power grid. We are the laughing stock of the world with bath-house barry making speeches on foreign policy in front of grade school children. Does this guy ever stop campaigning?

Submitted by BB in OKC (not verified) : Mar 6, 2014 8:01pm

If you would listen sometime you would see that President Obama stopped campaigning in 2012. By the way, he won. I would say sorry for your loss but I am really glad that some far right wing tea party freak didn't get elected.

Submitted by Lil David (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:59am

Obviously, this is not a statement from a veteran.

Submitted by Moore (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 2:14pm

Hello Everyone,

If I asked you what foreign policy lead to World War I and World War II. Most of you would not be able to provide an acceptable answer. The United States was extremely Isolationist leading up to both World Wars, and we let the conflicts escalate and devastate Europe before "conveniently" stepping in to break the deadlock. The United States and the U.N. are committed to peace. But peace without conflict allows conflict to build. We need to face the world's issues dead on and accept the burden of all nations if we really want to live in a peaceful (as can be) world.

Submitted by Public Service ... (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 1:13am

We have no responsibility to accept the burden of nations (Western Europe) who decided rely on Russia on their natural gas, piped through the Ukraine. This is why the rest of Europe is sitting on its hands.

The Europe of the Cold War era does not exist anymore.

If we are, as you suggest, to "accept the burden of all nations," they let them pay us yearly tribute for the privilege and avail their citizens to our Selective Service registration, rather than U. S. having to expend its own blood and treasure to line the pockets of a few war profiteers.

If the aforementioned course of action leaves a bad taste in your mouth, then congratulations for not being an imperialist and assuming we have a "White Man's Burden" to tend to other nations as though they were children instead of sovereign states with their own agency.

Submitted by Laura R. Standley (not verified) : Mar 8, 2014 9:11pm

Why should we care ? Our President says we are not an exceptional country, we didn't build anything, we are bullies and arrogant, so lets just fall in with the rest of the world of mediocrity.

Submitted by recon2 (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 11:17am

Who cares? The EU and the US are economic rivals, not partners. Lindbergh published his war diaries some years ago. Read them. Stay home.

Submitted by tbc343 (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:16pm

Who cares? The EU and the US are economic rivals, not partners. Lindbergh published his war diaries some years ago. Read them. Stay home.

Submitted by tbc343 (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:16pm

It makes no difference what we think. Our King Clown in chief will do whatever he wants to do. Remember he told us he has a pen and a phone and can do what whatever he wants.

Submitted by Checker (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 12:52pm

Who is going to pay for for another round of deployment's my grandkids there children ?

Submitted by Rick Bishop (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 4:08pm

Obama refers to me as a "bitter clinger" and the Gov. Cuomo of NYS , whom I now refer to as The Cleanser , stated there was no place here for pro-life , heterosexual , 2nd Amendment believers. I'd say trouble isn't scarce right here. Do none of you remember Obama whispering to Putin's hand-maiden not to worry ,he'd be more flexible after re-election.I do.
RM

Submitted by Rich Mullin (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 4:47pm

Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it. Nazi Germany absorbing Austria and Czechoslovakia because "ethnic Germans"
were being mistreated? This is a seeming repeat of Europe from 80 years ago; no one did anything then and look what happened. The United States drastically cut back our military after WW1. Congress wants another reduction of force since we are drawing down in Afghanistan. Doesn't any of this sound familiar? Are we going back to s state of isolationism? That's Europe's problem. Let's sit this one out. Wake up, people. We have treaties to back up NATO member nations in case of attack on ANY ONE of them. Or aren't those treaties worth the paper they're written on? Do our current leaders have the cojones to even get involved?
Remember the nukes we destroyed? Does anyone really belive the Russians destroyed a similar amount as called for in our treaties?
Or did they continue building new ones? (which are still aimed at us)
Do you believe what the Russian president, who was the head of the KGB, says?
Big Brother is watching. His name is Vladimir Putin!

Submitted by Ol' Sarge (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 5:42pm

Past leaders with "cojones" -- Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld -- called us to do battle in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to what purpose? How about Johnson and Nixon and all the other cojoners who were going to save Vietnam from Communism? The Congress that is cutting the Pentagon budgets is not made up of liberals; the guys doing the cutting are dyed-in-the-wool conservatives, the same crowd that called FDR a war-monger when he called for building up the armed services in the mid-1930s. Rumsfeld and Cheney sliced the military and claimed it would be easy to fight two war fronts simultaneously with fewer soldiers because the troops would be so well-trained and professional that they could fight one tour after another after yet another. Besides, there would then be fewer veterans to take care of afterwards, instead of the millions who came back from WII and 'Nam.

Submitted by Richard Hofacker (not verified) : Mar 8, 2014 12:28am

I think we need to keep our promised 1 billion in loans to the Ukraine and use it for treating those living brave veterans that have sacrificed so much for their country. If the WORLD, including the gutless EU leaders that want their cake and eat it too, will not impose harsh sanctions why should we. Short of an armed conflict, possible nuclear because Putin is unstable, he is going to take the Ukraine anyway and there is nothing the rest of the world can do about it. Lets save our 1 billion. I think we need it more than he does. While we were wasting our time in the middle east, in ground wars that were unnecessary our illustrious COMMANDERS IN CHIEF their administrations took their eyes off the ball and let Putting make the land grabs. Shame on us.

Submitted by Harold R. (not verified) : Mar 7, 2014 10:32pm

Stay out. It is Europe's problem, let Europe take the lead. We MUST stop sending our military everywhere the politicians have a problem. The military is to go in, kill people and destroy things and then leave. In the current world the military goes in, kills and destroys and then hangs around forever to nation-build. It does not work. Stay out.

Submitted by Viet Flyboy (not verified) : Mar 8, 2014 7:57am

We should partner with European Union States and our NATO partners and stage a very large military exercise as close to the Ukraine and as soon as possible. If Russia can pull this off in the Crimea what is to stop it from enhancing their border even further. A secure Europe is certainly a top National Interest of the United States!

Submitted by Rosey (not verified) : Mar 8, 2014 4:16pm

Europe, to include NATO member nations, relies on Russian natural gas piped through the Ukraine, so Europe's options for any kind of military response advserse to their supplier of energy are limited. The Europe of the Cold War era no longer exists in the sense your proposed course of action would indicate.

The conflict between the Ukraine and Russia is not simply about Crimea, which is an autonomous republic within the Ukraine comprising a large percentage of ethnic Russians. The conflict also involves whether the Ukraine will seek membership in the EU and the ouster of a Putin-backed now former President Yanukovich. With a new presidential election coming up in the Ukraine in May, Putin does not know whether the administration of Yanukovich' successor will respect the same treaties and trade agreements, especailly since the western part of the Ukraine wants to cast their lot with the EU.

Since the Cold War, there are now a number of symbiotic relationships that exist between Russia, Ukraine and the rest of Europe that didn't exist before where the U. S. has no influence, unless the U. S. wants to assume responsibility to find an alternative natural gas supplier for the rest of Europe.

Submitted by Laura R. Standley (not verified) : Mar 8, 2014 9:02pm

I think that all economic aid given to Russia should be canceled. No more aid for countries that are not true American Allies.

Submitted by W J Edwards 0538 : Mar 12, 2014 3:36pm

When we had our civil war we would have resented anyone telling us what to do amongst our own citizenry. That being said, this goes beyond a civil issue in the Ukraine. If it was just Crimea rebelling against the rest of Ukraine and wanting to "secede" and then join Russia, that would be one thing, I say let them hash it out. Putin actually putting boots on the ground is something totally different. Trying to rebuild the Soviet Union and becoming a greater threat to us goes beyond the pale and we should at least start with sanctions. If military action is ultimately required, NATO and EU should take the lead, it affects them the most and the Ukraine is an EU applicant.

Submitted by Monster 1985 (not verified) : Mar 17, 2014 9:31pm

I am a little concerned about veterans that think putting our young men and women in harms way is wise or cleaver or acceptable. Actually, to hear some talk it sounds like a sporting event.

I believe the world would be a safer place, if (1) The Defense Department was returned to its former name: Department of War; (2) the War Budget was cut by at least 50% (we would still be spending twice as much as any other country in the world and (3) the Selective Service Act was revisited requiring at least one year of public or military service of every 19 year old with at least a couple of months of humanitarian service included.

That would prevent our jingoistic forays into formerly unpronounceable parts of the world and would make the idea of humanitarianism much more palatable and universal.

Submitted by Vietnam era vet (not verified) : Apr 2, 2014 7:14pm