Host mom

From my host mom:

Hello, Misha!
We are back to normal in Kyiv. The situation is calm and traffic is running smoothly. There were some problems with the withdrawal of cash from ATMs, but now everything is fine. The situation near the borders of Ukraine and in Crimea is very tense. The fact is that Russian troops were pulled to the eastern border of Ukraine and we are at any minute expecting an attack. We announced the mobilization and many people volunteered and enlisted in the Army.

The truth today is that under the influence of the US and the EU, Putin gave the order to withdraw the troops from the eastern borders of Ukraine. It is true that the situation remains very difficult in the Crimea.

There are many Russian soldiers and they strongly provoke our soldiers. They want to make our Ukrainian soldiers use their weapons. This will give them an excuse to start a war, but our soldiers do not yield or give in to provocations. We feel strong support from the EU and especially the United States. You are the only ones who fear Putin :)

Thank you for your support, we feel that we are not alone in our fight against Russia.

PS. When the situation in Ukraine is stable, we will be waiting for a visit.

Analysis

Why Russia No Longer Fears the West

The West is blinking in disbelief – Vladimir Putin just invaded Ukraine. German diplomats, French Eurocrats and American pundits are all stunned. Why has Russia chosen to gamble its trillion-dollar ties with the West?

Western leaders are stunned because they haven’t realized Russia’s owners no longer respect Europeans the way they once did after the Cold War. Russia thinks the West is no longer a crusading alliance. Russia thinks the West is now all about the money.

Russia is confident there will be no Western economic counterattack. They believe the Europeans will not sanction the Russian oligarch money. They believe Americans will not punish the Russian oligarchs by blocking their access to banks. Russia is certain a military counterattack is out of the question. They expect America to only posture. Cancel the G-8? Who cares?

Crimea crisis: What can the West do?
A review of the diplomatic, economic, and military options available to the West.


Ukraine: The military balance of power

On paper, at least, the Ukrainian military looks credible, though it is numerically inferior to the Russian armed forces - Moscow having about four times as many active troops and twice as many tanks as Kiev.

On the face of things if Russia were to move into eastern Ukraine then the Ukrainian forces should be able to put up a better performance than tiny Georgia's armed forces did when the Russians moved onto the offensive in 2008.

But in reality Ukraine's military is dispersed; it lacks readiness; and much of its equipment is in storage.

Joke, Note, News

From Dima:
everything with me, family and friends is fine, despite all of us participated in protest. I believe the worst part is already passed, we all pray for the new country!


Russia's invasion of Ukraine (live updates)

The EuroMaidan Revolution entered its 102 day on March 2 with Russia in control of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula after an invasion that began on Feb. 28. In the meantime, Viktor Yanukovych, ousted as Ukrainian president on Feb. 22, remains in exile in Russia as Russian President Vladimir Putin asserts the right to intervene militarily in Ukraine and stay indefinitely.

NATO Needs to Move Now on Crimea

Action may provoke -- but so does doing nothing. 

Now that Vladimir Putin's Olympics are over, his gaze has turned inexorably to what he clearly regards as the premier foreign policy priority of the Russian Federation: retaining determinative influence -- if not full control -- over Ukraine.  

Many will consider any level of NATO involvement provocative and potentially inflammatory. Unfortunately, the stakes are high and the Russians are moving. Sitting idle, without at least looking at options, is a mistake for NATO and would itself constitute a signal to Putin -- one that he would welcome. 

New head of Ukraine's navy defects in Crimea

The newly appointed head of Ukraine's navy has sworn allegiance to the Crimea region, in the presence of its unrecognised pro-Russian leader.

Rear Admiral Denys Berezovsky was only made head of the navy on Saturday, as the government in Kiev reacted to the threat of Russian invasion.

Russia approves military use, Obama disapproves

Russian upper house approves use of military force in Ukraine

Russia's upper house of Parliament voted unanimously Saturday to approve sending Russian military forces into Ukraine, amid mounting tensions in the country's Crimea region and in defiance of warnings from Western powers.

The vote followed a request from Russian President Vladimir Putin for approval to send troops into Crimea to normalize the political situation there.

Putin cited the "extraordinary situation in Ukraine" in making his request, adding that the lives of Russian citizens and military personnel based in the southern Crimea region had been threatened.

Ukraine's new government condemned the move.

Amid the uncertainty, about 300 gunmen wearing Russian Special Forces uniforms attempted to take over the Sevastopol unit of the Ukrainian Coast Guard, a senior official with the Ukrainian Border Service said Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Coast Guard had moved its ships to a position away from the coast where they were approached by three motorboats and a cruiser from the Russian Black Sea Fleet...

Obama: 'There will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine'

As the situation in the autonomous republic of Crimea escalated on Feb. 28, the President of the United States Barack Obama warned that "there will be costs" for any military intervention in Ukraine.

"Together with our European allies we have urged an end to the violence and encouraged Ukrainians to pursue a course in which they stabilize their country, forge a broad-based government and move to elections this spring," he said.

The president added that he had also spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and made clear "they can be part of the international community's effort to support the stability and success of a united Ukraine going forward, which is not only in the interest of Ukriane… but also the international community.

"However we are now deeply concerned by military movements taken by the Russian federation inside of Ukraine," Obama said.

"Russia has a historic relationship with Ukraine, including a cultural and economic ties. And a military facility in Crimea. But an violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and integrity would be deeply destablizing, which is not in the interest of Ukraine, Russia or Europe," he added.

"It would be a clear violation of Russia's commitment to respect Ukraine’s independence and sovereign borders, and to Ukrainian and international laws," the president said.

Just after the Sochi Olympic games, he said, Russian intervention in Crimea "would invite international condemnation from countries around the world. 

"And indeed, the United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine," he said.

Funny and Disgusting

Funny -
Take A Moment And Appreciate This Badass Ukrainian Priest

Disgusting - [not in an 'ew' way, but in a let-them-eat-cake way]
The 25 Most Ridiculous Photos From The Homes Of Ukrainian Government Officials

Then and Now

Then...Tourists and citizens stroll by the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs building, 2 May 2011 (Author's personal collection)

Now...Protestors hold a pro-EU rally in front of the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs building, 30 November 2013 (Reuters)

---

Then...A calm day overlooks the plaza in front of St. Mikhailovsky's Golden-Domed Monastery, 2 May 2011 (Author's personal collection)

Now...Protestors retreat to a rally in front of St. Mikhailovsky's Golden-Domed Monastery after being chased from Maidan Nezalezhnosti, 30 November 2011 (AFP)

Now...A pro-EU rally is held in front of the Monastery, 30 November 2011 (Reuters)

---

Then...St. Mikhailovsky's Golden-Domed Cathedral and Monastery, 2 April 2011 (Author's personal collection)

Now...A Pro-EU protestor warms himself at a bonfire, 12 December 2013 (AP)

Now...Protestors shout 'Kyiv, wake up!' at rallies in front of St. Mikahilovsky's Golden-Domed Monastery, 1 December 2013 (AP)

---

Then...The sun shines through on a wall of religious icons at the Golden-Domed Monastery, 17 March 2011 (Author's personal collection)

Now...A clergyman visits the wounded as they rest in the makeshift hospital of the Golden-Domed Monastery, 19 February 2014 (Reuters)