Ukraine War Thread

[K. A. Pital]

Also, the pictures shown are very conclusive, showing how heavily armed the pro-russian forces are. Maidan is nothing in comparison.

Uh... pro-Russian forces are rebel police and army units. Them not being heavily armed would be nonsense.

[Mange]

I feel sorry for the Russian ambassador to the UN as he had to read that "letter" from the "former President" as that was the worst 30's Sudeten-style propaganda I've heard. The Russian minority, not only in the Crimea but in the East as well, are the victims of "terror" and "acts of violence". That Russian state television are showing events from the Maidan and purports them from being from the Crimea is one thing, but no-one else is going to fall fof it.

[K. A. Pital]

If they aren't victims of acts of violence, why do they even rebel then? According to some, it's because (the following statement mirrors what Russian TV said about the protest in Kiev): they are a minority and foreign agents are paying people in cash to make them riot.

[IronStar]

How? That is a very weak argument. And even if so that hardly justifies invasion.

The area totally dominated by EU products right at russian borders. And remember that Russia is a WTO member, so Russian measures against increased possibilities of EU goods increased expansion can possibly be limited.

You know the same media which reported that he could not be found?

There were a lot of claims by mass media that he disappeared, then his presence in Harkov was confirmed. He was "officially" claimed disappeared by Ukraine officials in connection with decision to arrest him, and it was after he was removed from position and his interview with Harkov TV- both were the same day-21 of february. Then there were various sensations about his locations. Then there was Rostov conference. In fact- there is no valid info at all where was he between his interview to Harkov TV and Rostov press conference.

"guy who defends only Putin without ever acknowledging he might be at fault here, guy who repeats Russia's propaganda word for word and guy who is of the opinion Russia can just invade other countries whenever they want to despite no provocation whatsoever."

Indeed it was trolling, now i see it clearly.

As for situation with Russian troops- there is many contradicting info about defections of Ukraine soldiers and actions of Russian troops from both sides so one must refrain from some definite conclusions.

If they aren't victims of acts of violence, why do they even rebel then? According to some, it's because (the following statement mirrors what Russian TV said about the protest in Kiev): they are a minority and foreign agents are paying people in cash to make them riot.

You dont need to go far to see such opinion.
But i still really like the fact that when Crimea and some in the east rebelled against maidan, began capturing buildings and throwing out pro-maidan officials there was very funny reaction of maidan supporters to the point of "police please stop these thugs" which is funny.

"-hey, lets go and beat them!
-and if they beat us?
-WHAT TO BEAT US FOR!!!???"

[fgalkin]

So, uh, about that whole "war" thing.

Not only were the Ukrainians lying about the ultimatum,

(Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ordered troops involved in a military exercise in western Russia back to base on Tuesday in an announcement that appeared intended to ease East-West tension over fears of war in Ukraine.

Russian financial markets rebounded after sharp falls on Monday, and the euro and dollar rose in Japan, though Moscow's forces remained in control of Ukraine's Crimea region, seized bloodlessly after Russian ally Viktor Yanukovich was ousted as Ukrainian president last month.

Russia paid a heavy financial price on Monday for its military intervention in Ukraine, with stocks, bonds and the ruble plunging as Putin's forces tightened their grip in Crimea, whose population is mainly ethnic Russian.

The Moscow stock market fell 10.8 percent on Monday, wiping nearly $60 billion off the value of Russian firms, but Russian stock indexes rose more than 4 percent early on Tuesday before slipping back again slightly, though still up on the day.

Putin declared at the weekend that he had the right to invade Ukraine to protect Russian interests and citizens after Yanukovich's downfall following months of popular unrest. Russia's Black Sea Fleet has a base in Crimea.

But the military exercises in central and western Russia, which began last week and raised fears that Russia might send forces to neighbor Russian-speaking regions of east Ukraine, were completed on schedule.

"The supreme commander of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, gave the order for the troops and units, taking part in the military exercises, to return to their bases," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

Although the end of the exercises had been planned, the announcement sent a more conciliatory message than much of the rhetoric from Russian officials, who say Moscow must defend national interests and those of compatriots in Ukraine.

Putin is dismayed that the new leadership in Ukraine, the cradle of Russian civilization, has plotted a course towards the European Union and away from what had been Moscow's sphere of influence during generations of Soviet Communist rule.

Moscow's U.N. envoy told a stormy meeting of the Security Council that Yanukovich had sent a letter to Putin requesting he use Russia's military to restore law and order in Ukraine.

WESTERN RESPONSE

The United States has begun spelling out its response to Russia's incursion, announcing a suspension of all military engagements with Russia, including military exercises and port visits, and freezing trade and investment talks with Moscow.

President Barack Obama had more than two hours of talks on Monday with his national security advisers to discuss what steps the United States and its allies could take to "further isolate" Russia, a White House official said.

"Over time this will be a costly proposition for Russia. And now is the time for them to consider whether they can serve their interests in a way that resorts to diplomacy as opposed to force," Obama told reporters.

The State Department said the United States was preparing to impose sanctions on Russia over the intervention, although no decisions had yet been made.

Members of the U.S. Congress are looking at options including sanctions on Russia's banks and freezing assets of Russian public institutions and private investors, but they said they wanted European states to step up their involvement.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will propose ways for a negotiation between Russia and Ukraine to be overseen by a multilateral organization when he visits Kiev on Tuesday, Obama said.

An International Monetary Fund mission is also in Kiev to discuss financial assistance for Ukraine to help it avoid bankruptcy. Kiev's new leaders want a financial package worth at least $15 billion, with a quick release of some of the cash.

The European Union has threatened unspecified "targeted measures" unless Russia returns its forces to their bases and opens talks with Ukraine's new government.

Western leaders have sent a barrage of warnings to Putin against armed action, threatening economic and diplomatic consequences, but are not considering a military response.

There was no immediate sign of any new movements by Russian forces in Crimea overnight although Ukraine's acting president said on Monday that Russia's military presence on the Black Sea peninsula was growing.

Ukrainian officials said Russia was building up armor on its side of the 4.5-km (2.7- mile) wide Kerch strait between the Crimean peninsula and southern Russia.

Russian forces shipped three truckloads of troops by ferry into Crimea after taking control of the border post on the Ukrainian side, Ukraine's border guards spokesman said. A Reuters news team reported no sign of more troops arriving from Russia on Tuesday and said the situation was static.

Kiev's U.N. ambassador, Yuriy Sergeyev, said Russia had deployed roughly 16,000 troops to Crimea since last week.

ECONOMIC DAMAGE

Both sides have avoided bloodshed, but the market turmoil on Monday highlighted damage the crisis could wreak on Russia's vulnerable economy, making it harder to balance the budget and potentially undermining business and public support for Putin.

Ukraine called up reservists on Sunday after Putin's action provoked what British Foreign Secretary William Hague called "the biggest crisis in Europe in the twenty-first century".

NATO allies will hold emergency talks on the crisis on Tuesday, for the second time in three days, following a request from Poland, a neighbor of Ukraine.

EU foreign ministers held out the threat of sanctions against Russia if Moscow fails to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, while offering to mediate between the two, alongside other international bodies.

EU leaders will hold an emergency summit on Thursday.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, said it was trying to convene an international contact group to help defuse the crisis after Germany said Chancellor Angela Merkel had persuaded Putin to accept such an initiative.

Switzerland, which chairs the pan-European security body, said the group could discuss sending observers to Ukraine to monitor the rights of national minorities.

"There will be very, very broad consensus for that monitoring mission. We call on Russia to join that consensus, make the right choice and pull back its forces," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland told OSCE envoys in Vienna.

The Russian central bank raised its key lending rate by 1.5 percentage points on Monday after the ruble sank to all-time lows. The ruble edged up against the dollar on Tuesday.

Tension over Ukraine also knocked 2 to 3 percent off European stock markets and 1 percent off Wall Street on Monday, and sent safe haven gold to a four-month high.

(Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets in Kiev, Andrew Osborn in Sevastopol, Shinichi Saoshiro in Tikoy, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Jeff Mason, Mark Felsenthal and Patricia Zengerle in Washington and Lou Charbonneau at the United Nations; Writing by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/ ... E820140304


In conclusion: Russia occupies an airport, the whole world shits itself.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[fgalkin]

PARIS, March 04. /ITAR-TASS/. The European Union “only facilitated the conflict in Ukraine” when it announced that “the Association Agreement is incompatible with the Customs Union agreement between Kiev and Moscow”, said former Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder in an interview with the radio station Europe-1.

Schroeder also criticized NATO, as “this alliance does not have a political purpose, and its actions do not help to build trust, but on the contrary, create more and more concerns”. Measures to solve the Ukrainian crisis “should be solely diplomatic”, he stressed.

Schroeder spoke against attempts to isolate Russia, particularly by rejecting to attend the G8 summit in Sochi. “In such critical conditions, any measures that block further discussions are wrong,” Schroeder noted.

When asked about whether Germany could take a tougher position on the issue, he emphasized that “boycotts should be used in a way that does not harm your own interests.”

http://en.itar-tass.com/world/721961

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

[Kane Starkiller]

Far be it from me not to take the criticism from Mr. Nordstream Chairman seriously. Mr. Nordstream Chairman is a person of utmost credibility and without any conflict of interests whatsoever.

[Edi]

If they aren't victims of acts of violence, why do they even rebel then? According to some, it's because (the following statement mirrors what Russian TV said about the protest in Kiev): they are a minority and foreign agents are paying people in cash to make them riot.

Might be because they are pro-Russian ethnocentrists and they don't like that they don't hold the reins of power any longer now that Yanukovich has been ousted? There have been rebellions over lesser issues in the world.

You aren't seeing anti-Russian violence in the Crimean, but the mere fact that power changed in Kiev caused an instant uprising of precisely the same kind of ethnocentrist assholes as they accuse the Ukrainians of being is telling.

[IronStar]

By the way
http://lb.ua/news/2014/03/02/257856_kol ... lavil.html
http://lb.ua/news/2014/03/02/257797_tar ... hnost.html
Kiev appointed notable maidan supporters Igor Kolomoisky as a Dnepropetrovsk governor and Sergey Taruta as a Donetsk governor.
"And what?" you will ask. Well, they are oligarchs- both in the top ten list of wealthiest men in Ukraine.
Other "notable" maidan supporters
Petr Poroshenko - notable maidan supporter, many times was speaking at the maidan scene, negotiated with Nuland ,one of rada deputies(at 28 of february went to Sevastopol to talk to local governers- people were not glad to see him). Also notorious supporter of Ushenko(provided both political and financial aid to maidan of 2004)- this is quite self explanatory.
There are also good people like Ahmetov, Pinchuk, Firtash.
No need to say that they all are in top ten list of wealthiest people of Ukraine.
And all this given that anti-oligarchy rhetorics of maidan protesters and demands not to have oligarchs in power or close to power(which is one of the things i actually like in Maidan movement despite all stuff) is interesting.

[Edi]

By the way
http://lb.ua/news/2014/03/02/257856_kol ... lavil.html
http://lb.ua/news/2014/03/02/257797_tar ... hnost.html
Kiev appointed notable maidan supporters Igor Kolomoisky as a Dnepropetrovsk governor and Sergey Taruta as a Donetsk governor.
"And what?" you will ask. Well, they are oligarchs- both in the top ten list of wealthiest men in Ukraine.
Other "notable" maidan supporters
Petr Poroshenko - notable maidan supporter, many times was speaking at the maidan scene, negotiated with Nuland ,one of rada deputies(at 28 of february went to Sevastopol to talk to local governers- people were not glad to see him). Also notorious supporter of Ushenko(provided both political and financial aid to maidan of 2004)- this is quite self explanatory.
There are also good people like Ahmetov, Pinchuk, Firtash.
No need to say that they all are in top ten list of wealthiest people of Ukraine.
And all this given that anti-oligarchy rhetorics of maidan protesters and demands not to have oligarchs in power or close to power(which is one of the things i actually like in Maidan movement despite all stuff) is interesting.

How is any of this relevant at all? Or is it just reflex anti-Ukraine shitsmearing? Yes, Ukraine is practically a failed state run by oligarchs.

Just like Russia is an authoritarian fascist dictatorship run by the Kremlin and administered by those oligarchs friendly to the powers that be (the only kind extant, since those oligarchs who oppose the Kremlin end up in prison and stripped of their property, which is redistributed to Kremlin-friendly oligarchs).

The bottom line there is that the people with the money control most of the country. The oligarchs withdrew their support from Yanukovich after he lost his marbles and resorted to unacceptable levels of violence, which led to the current shitstorm. Of course they will back the faction that has gotten on top, and they may even have a moderating influence there, because it is not in their interest to see the country disintegrate. If that happens, all hell breaks loose and they end up losing much of both their property and influence.

[Vympel]

You aren't seeing anti-Russian violence in the Crimean, but the mere fact that power changed in Kiev caused an instant uprising of precisely the same kind of ethnocentrist assholes as they accuse the Ukrainians of being is telling.

There is the matter of the opposition immediately repealed the 2012 law allowing for the use of regional languages (Russian, Tartar, Hungarian and Romanian) in areas where those languages are spoken by at least 10% of the population. That's the definition of ethnocentrism I would say. This was a tastelessly early signal to the Russian speaking population of Ukraine that the opposition would waste no time in discriminating against them.

The repeal of that law has since been vetoed, but the damage was done.

[Edi]

You aren't seeing anti-Russian violence in the Crimean, but the mere fact that power changed in Kiev caused an instant uprising of precisely the same kind of ethnocentrist assholes as they accuse the Ukrainians of being is telling.

There is the matter of the opposition immediately repealed the 2012 law allowing for the use of regional languages (Russian, Tartar, Hungarian and Romanian) in areas where those languages are spoken by at least 10% of the population. That's the definition of ethnocentrism I would say. This was a tastelessly early signal to the Russian speaking population of Ukraine that the opposition would waste no time in discriminating against them.

The repeal of that law has since been vetoed, but the damage was done.

Point.

[K. A. Pital]

Yup, many people say that if the Rada wasn't so concerned with "language matters" and instead tried to somehow legitimize the change of power in Kiev - "first things first", a lot of the current mess wouldn't have happened.

[IronStar]

How is any of this relevant at all? Or is it just reflex anti-Ukraine shitsmearing? Yes, Ukraine is practically a failed state run by oligarchs.

It is relevant because, as i said, removing oligarchy from power was(and is) one of the important premises of the whole maidan movement.
And this also means that all this is sparing one shit for another, which is not about stated democratic objectives at all.

[K. A. Pital]

Indeed. I'd believe in the Maidan a lot more if they removed the oligarchs from power. But they did not. In fact several weeks later they demanded the people in the East to stop "rebelling against legitimate government" when the very same members of the Banda (Yanukovich's oligarch circle) were ruling the Eastern regions!

Are they "Banda" or ar they legitimate rulers?

Why the West has not arrested the funds of Ukrainian or Russian oligarchs? Why it never arrests the funds of those oligarch son of a bitches? I don't know.

[Flagg]

Indeed. I'd believe in the Maidan a lot more if they removed the oligarchs from power. But they did not. In fact several weeks later they demanded the people in the East to stop "rebelling against legitimate government" when the very same members of the Banda (Yanukovich's oligarch circle) were ruling the Eastern regions!

Are they "Banda" or ar they legitimate rulers?

Why the West has not arrested the funds of Ukrainian or Russian oligarchs? Why it never arrests the funds of those oligarch son of a bitches? I don't know.

Probably so the Russian Empire won't turn off the gas taps.

[Mange]

Yup, many people say that if the Rada wasn't so concerned with "language matters" and instead tried to somehow legitimize the change of power in Kiev - "first things first", a lot of the current mess wouldn't have happened.

And the law in question hasn't been revoked yet and the interim president has, according to reports, refused to sign to revoke it until another law has replaced it.

[Mange]

Indeed. I'd believe in the Maidan a lot more if they removed the oligarchs from power. But they did not. In fact several weeks later they demanded the people in the East to stop "rebelling against legitimate government" when the very same members of the Banda (Yanukovich's oligarch circle) were ruling the Eastern regions!

Are they "Banda" or ar they legitimate rulers?

Why the West has not arrested the funds of Ukrainian or Russian oligarchs? Why it never arrests the funds of those oligarch son of a bitches? I don't know.

Perhaps because they obtained their funds legally (though perhaps not morally right, I certainly don't want to support "oligarchs" though quite many are blameless)? It's so good to have a bogeyman to put the blame on, isn't it? "Neo-Nazis", "anti-Semites", "anti-Russians", "fascists" etc. I think a huge portion of this stems from the fact that Russia, as a victor of WWII, has never had to deal with its Soviet-Imperialist era like Germany did. That's why we see such disgusting displays as the Russian communist party laying wreaths on Joseph Stalin's grave and why many (though hardly all) doesn't understand the animosity and uncertainty that exists towards Russia in former Soviet republics.

[Borgholio]

So we just promised Ukraine a 1b dollar energy aid package. Will that even come close to making a difference if the Russians turn off the tap?

[Kane Starkiller]

Aid? Or a loan? If EU and US are serious about truly helping Ukraine get through this crisis then they need to actually give Ukraine AID as in money without an interest rate.

[Borgholio]

Aid.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014 ... a/6006759/

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced $1 billion in economic and energy aid to Ukraine on Tuesday, part of its emerging response to Russian military activity in Crimea.

President Obama, aides and allies are also considering a number of economic sanctions against Russia for its incursion into the Crimea region.

The administration announced the assistance package for Ukraine as Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Kiev early Tuesday for talks with the new government.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the United States has been working with allies on a package to "help the Ukrainian government implement the reforms needed to restore financial stability and return to economic growth."

In a statement, Lew stressed the need for continuing reform in Ukraine: "The United States is prepared to work with its bilateral and multilateral partners to provide as much support as Ukraine needs ... if the new government implements the necessary reforms."

In terms of punishing Russia, Obama's options include freezing assets, visa bans, and trade and investment penalties.

The Obama administration has suspended military cooperation and bilateral trade talks with Russia, and discussed boycotting a Group of Eight nations summit that President Vladimir Putin is expected to host in June in Sochi.

MORE: Putin: No need to use force in Ukraine - yet

MORE: Ukraine tension triggers a sleepless night in Odessa

"The steps Russia has taken are a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, Ukraine's territorial integrity," Obama said Monday. "They're a violation of international law."

In televised remarks Tuesday, Putin said he reserves the right to protect Russian-speaking people in Ukraine in the wake of what he called "an anti-constitutional" coup that toppled a pro-Russia president.

Putin, who said that full military force is a "last resort," added that he would not be deterred by economic sanctions from the West.

"All threats against Russia are counterproductive and harmful," Putin said.

As a side note, what kinds of sanctions would actually work vs Russia? We're not talking about nearly the entire world sanctioning Iran or NK for instance, Russia is too big for that to happen.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

So we just promised Ukraine a 1b dollar energy aid package. Will that even come close to making a difference if the Russians turn off the tap?

The only reason the Russians might "turn off the tap" is because the United States has annoyed them into doing so with all those sanctions the current sitting President is talking about. American intervention in Libya and American "intervention" in Syria went so well that the United States thinks that wading into the Ukrainian crisis is a great idea.

(In case you couldn't tell, my view on the matter is the United States has no business intervening in Ukraine. I literally facepalmed when I heard that Kerry was going to Kiev with American loan guarantees and that the US wants to come up with tougher sanctions on Russia than its allies in the EU do ... not a smart thing to do while driving.)

[K. A. Pital]

Perhaps because they obtained their funds legally (though perhaps not morally right, I certainly don't want to support "oligarchs" though quite many are blameless)? It's so good to have a bogeyman to put the blame on, isn't it? "Neo-Nazis", "anti-Semites", "anti-Russians", "fascists" etc. I think a huge portion of this stems from the fact that Russia, as a victor of WWII, has never had to deal with its Soviet-Imperialist era like Germany did. That's why we see such disgusting displays as the Russian communist party laying wreaths on Joseph Stalin's grave and why many (though hardly all) doesn't understand the animosity and uncertainty that exists towards Russia in former Soviet republics.

Wait. So you say it is all right to riot and revolt to remove these people from power. Then once you have occupied key government buildings its allright to have these people keep their power? Only one can be true.

[Mange]

Perhaps because they obtained their funds legally (though perhaps not morally right, I certainly don't want to support "oligarchs" though quite many are blameless)? It's so good to have a bogeyman to put the blame on, isn't it? "Neo-Nazis", "anti-Semites", "anti-Russians", "fascists" etc. I think a huge portion of this stems from the fact that Russia, as a victor of WWII, has never had to deal with its Soviet-Imperialist era like Germany did. That's why we see such disgusting displays as the Russian communist party laying wreaths on Joseph Stalin's grave and why many (though hardly all) doesn't understand the animosity and uncertainty that exists towards Russia in former Soviet republics.

Wait. So you say it is all right to riot and revolt to remove these people from power. Then once you have occupied key government buildings its allright to have these people keep their power? Only one can be true.

That's a false dilemma as your reasoning is flawed. What I think is irrelevant, it's the current reality (I personally believe in the ballot box, but I can understand the Ukrainians). Those people are not to stay in power. It's an interim government which has posted days on which elections are to be held and which, I assume, are going to be monitored by international observers. Is it more right that a person, who has assumed his position in violation of the Ukrainian constitution and whose party won a whopping four percent in the last election which was held on the Crimea, is serving as Prime Minister there? And Russia has absolutely no right to put soldiers on the ground (and then not telling the truth about it).

I'm sorry if I sounded too harsh in my last post, btw.

[FaxModem1]

CNN

Kerry condemns Russian moves in Crimea while Putin stays defiant
By Laura Smith-Spark. Diana Magnay and Phil Black, CNN
updated 12:14 PM EST, Tue March 4, 2014
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, wearing a blue scarf, visits a shrine Tuesday, March 4, for the people who were killed during anti-government protests in Kiev, Ukraine, last month. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, wearing a blue scarf, visits a shrine Tuesday, March 4, for the people who were killed during anti-government protests in Kiev, Ukraine, last month.

Crisis in Ukraine

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Russia made up reasons to intervene
Russia declines invitation for diplomatic talks with Ukraine, U.S. official says
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visits shrine to protesters killed in Kiev
President Vladimir Putin says Russia has the right to "take all measures" in Ukraine

Simferopol, Ukraine (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of making up reasons for intervention in Ukraine, saying Tuesday that "not a single piece of credible evidence supports any one of these claims."

"Russia has talked about Russian-speaking citizens being under siege. They're not," he said while on a visit to Kiev.

He condemned what he called Russia's aggression in Crimea and urged the country to withdraw its troops.

"We would like to see this de-escalated. We're not looking for some major confrontation," he said, while still promising sanctions on Russia if it refuses to step back.

Kerry's comments came a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin defiantly defended his country's right to intervene in Ukraine.
Squeezing Russia economically
24 hours of tension in Ukraine
Russians are "very much in control"

Putin said what had happened in Ukraine was an "anti-constitutional coup and armed seizure of power," and insisted that ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych is the legitimate leader of the nation.

He also insisted that if Russian-speaking citizens in the east of Ukraine ask for Russia's help, Russia has the right "to take all measures to protect the rights of those people."

The parliament in Ukraine is "partly legitimate," he said, but the country's acting President is not.

Appearing at ease as he addressed a handful of reporters in Moscow, Putin said only the people of Crimea, a Russian-dominated autonomous region, could determine their future.

He also continued to deny that Russian forces were in the country, saying that the troops currently blockading Ukrainian forces in their bases and controlling key institutions were local "self-defense teams."

The troops in question -- who appeared in Crimea late last week -- are wearing uniforms without identifying insignia. But some have told CNN teams on the ground that they are indeed from Russia, and they are making use of military vehicles with Russian registration plates.

Putin said that there had been no need for the use of Russia's military so far, with not a shot fired, and that any use of military force would be the last resort. He repeatedly cast any such intervention as a humanitarian mission.

Military action, he said, would be "completely legitimate" because it was at the request of Yanukovych and in line with Russia's duty to protect people with historic ties to Russia, both cultural and economic.

"Firstly, we have a request of the legitimate President Yanukovych to protect the welfare of the local population. We have neo-Nazis and Nazis and anti-Semites in parts of Ukraine, including Kiev," Putin said.

At the same time as he appeared to use that request to justify a Russian intervention, Putin said he saw no political future for Yanukovych, who resurfaced in Russia last week after fleeing Kiev 10 days ago.

The Russian President also pointed out what he sees as a double standard by leaders in the United States and other Western countries, saying that the U.S. acted in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya without a U.N. resolution authorizing that action or by "twisting" U.N. resolutions.
Fareed Zakaria Explains Putin's Problem
'Ethnic cleansing' possible in Ukraine
How far will Putin go in Ukraine?

And he warned that any damage from sanctions imposed by the West against Russia over its actions in Ukraine would be multilateral.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday pushed back against what he said were suggestions that Russia has been strategically clever in Ukraine.

"I actually think this has not been a sign of strength, but rather is a reflection that countries near Russia have deep concerns and suspicions about this kind of meddling," he said.

A divided Ukraine? Think again

Diplomatic moves, promises of aid

Shortly after Putin's remarks, Kerry arrived in Kiev, bearing offers of much needed financial help and showing his support for the fledgling Ukrainian government.

His first stop was a somber one: Paying respects to the dozens killed in bloody clashes between security forces and protesters in Kiev at a makeshift shrine in the capital, piled high with flowers.

Next will come meetings with Ukraine's acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, President Oleksandr Turchynov and members of parliament.

A team from the International Monetary Fund is also expected in Kiev on Tuesday to begin a fact-finding mission that will look at possible financial help and necessary reforms.

The White House said the United States would give Ukraine a $1 billion loan guarantee to help insulate the Ukrainian economy from the effects of reduced energy subsidies from Russia. The loan guarantee will help Ukraine move forward with an IMF assistance package, which calls for it to raise energy prices.

The Ukrainian parliament ratified an agreement Tuesday to receive loans from the European Union worth 610 million euros, the equivalent of nearly $839 million. The parliament is based in Kiev, where many emphasize ties to the West, as opposed to people in eastern Ukraine, where loyalty to Russia runs deep.

Meanwhile, Turkey's military scrambled eight F-16 fighter jets for "control and prevention measures" after a Russian surveillance plane "flew parallel along our Black Sea coast in international airspace," according to a Turkish military website. There has been no immediate comment on this from Russia.

In Brussels, Belgium, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters Tuesday that despite repeated calls by the international community, "Russia continues to violate Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and continues to violate its international commitments."

The developments represent serious implications for the security and stability for the Euro-Atlantic area, he said.

NATO did say its representatives would meet with Russian officials Wednesday. That announcement came as NATO allies huddled in emergency talks requested by Poland, which considers itself to be under threat by the drama in neighboring Ukraine.

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said the allies were united in solidarity with Poland. "Obviously, this is a crisis which is very serious. It has an impact, not just on Ukraine, and Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also on instability in the whole region," she said.

Russia declined an invitation to hold diplomatic talks with Ukraine's government, a senior U.S. administration official told CNN on Tuesday. Russia had been invited to a Wednesday meeting in Paris of signatory countries to the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, a pact of security assurances signed by the United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine and Russia.

However, Cabinet ministers from Ukraine and Russia have started inter-government consultations, Yatsenyuk said live on Ukraine's Parliament TV on Tuesday. The talks are going "rather slowly," he said. It's not immediately clear where the talks are happening.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told CNN's "New Day" that she did not believe Putin's claims that he was protecting endangered Russian citizens.

"There is not this kind of a crisis in terms of the way that the Russian-speaking people are in some way being harmed. So this is all made up," she said.

"I think it's part of a much longer-term plan that Putin has had, which is to try to re-create some form of relationship between Ukraine and Moscow. I think that is the tragedy that's going on. Putin is in many ways, I think, delusional about it."

U.S. to offer $1 billion in loan guarantees to Ukraine, officials say

Ordered back

Earlier Tuesday, about 150,000 Russian troops taking part in military exercises near the Ukrainian border were ordered back to their bases, but thousands of others remain in control of much of Crimea.

Putin ordered the troops' return after six days of snap exercises at Ukraine's doorstep. He said the exercises, which began Wednesday, were long planned and had nothing to do with events in Ukraine.

But Ukraine's new interim authorities are far from reassured.

Andriy Parubiy, head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told parliament that Ukraine has doubled its security presence at checkpoints on the northeastern and eastern borders of the country to prevent any incursions by Russian "extremists."

At this stage, Ukraine border security officials are not seeing any cross-border activity, he said.

Sergey Astahov, assistant to the head of the Ukraine Security Border Service, earlier told CNN that Russian troops and vehicles remained near the country's eastern border with Russia.

Meanwhile, an eerie standoff continued in Crimea, with no shots fired in anger on either side but tensions high.

The crisis has divided many in the majority ethnic Russian region, which hosts a major Russian naval base in the port of Sevastopol.

At least 700 Ukrainian soldiers and officers defected Tuesday, announcing their readiness to defend the population of Crimea, RIA Novosti said, citing a spokesman for the newly installed Crimean authority.

But Ukraine's Defense Ministry dismissed the claim as "untruthful information."

Parubiy said personnel at all of Ukraine's border security points in Crimea are being subjected to "psychological attacks" by 100 armed men. He did not identify who these armed men are.

The government is sending food, water and other essentials to the military bases currently blockaded by Russian forces, he added.

Ukraine: Warning shots fired by Russians

Anxieties have been heightened by a confrontation between Ukrainian soldiers and Russian forces at Belbek Air Base, near Sevastopol.

Russian forces are seen firing shots into the air, warning unarmed Ukrainian soldiers from approaching them.

The commander of the Belbek base, Yuli Mamchur, told CNN his forces had received a demand to put down their weapons by noon local time. They refused to comply, he said, adding that it was the latest in long line of demands.

A wider ultimatum for Ukrainian forces to surrender to the Russian forces early Tuesday also passed without incident.

Earlier, Vladislav Seleznyov, head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry press office in Crimea, told CNN it had been largely quiet in Crimea overnight.

A group of pro-Russian Cossacks in civilian dress attempted to attack the Ukrainian naval headquarters in Sevastopol, Seleznyov said, but Ukrainian forces repelled the attack and no shots were fired.

On Monday evening, Russian troops also moved into the Russian side of a narrow sea channel dividing Russia and Crimea, opposite the Ukrainian city of Kerch, he added.

The military maneuvers are not just on land.

The flagship of the Ukrainian navy's Black Sea Fleet, the frigate Hetman Saraidachny, is headed back to the Black Sea via the Bosporus, the Ukrainian Consulate in Istanbul said.

Earlier Tuesday, two Russian warships steamed up the Bosporus toward the Black Sea.

'Chaos and anarchy'

At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Monday to discuss the unfolding crisis, Ukraine's envoy asked for help, saying that Russia had used planes, boats and helicopters to flood the Crimean Peninsula with 16,000 troops in the past week.

"So far, Ukrainian armed forces have exercised restraint and refrained from active resistance to the aggression, but they are in full operational readiness," Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev said.

However, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin insisted his country's aims were preserving democracy, protecting millions of Russians in Ukraine and stopping radical extremists. He read a letter from Yanukovych at the U.N. meeting, describing Ukraine as a country "on the brink of civil war," plagued by "chaos and anarchy."

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said Russia's claims about the situation in Ukraine are untrue and warned that sending military forces "could be devastating."

U.S. President Barack Obama said the United States is examining a series of economic and diplomatic steps to "isolate Russia," and he called on Congress to work with his administration on an economic assistance package for Ukraine.