Russia military moving closer to Ukraine border: "This is not a win-win for Vladimir Putin," Hayden says
Vladamir Putin is beating the war drum.
Less than a week after the Olympic games, the Russian president is mobilizing his forces and preparing to crack down on the former Soviet State of Ukraine.
Russian fighter jets were dispatched to patrol the country's borders Thursday, and nearly 150,000 troops have been mobilized into military exercises near the region.
Russian troop movements near Ukraine raise concerns, U.S. official says
Russia says it will respect the "territorial integrity of Ukraine," but there is no question the show of force is a clear message to the U.S. it has no intention of letting Ukraine go.
CNN's Erin Burnett asked former NSA and CIA director General Michael Hayden what this means to the U.S. and Russia.
Russian president Vladimir Putin "is going to play hard ball over a long period of time because a Ukraine outside of his orbit and firmly in the western camp is probably unacceptable to him," Hayden said.
It is astonishing to me to hear that all of the so called "experts" on Russia and Ukraine do not comprehend or perhaps try to avoid the fact that the majority of Ukrainians living in Russia, Ukraine and United States, myself being one of them, do not support this current revolution happening in Ukraine. Ukraine has always been divided into ultra radical Ukrainian nationalists and the rest of the Ukraine population. The radicalists have always spread hatred against all the other ethnisities, be it Russians, Jews, Tatars or anyone else. They instigated "pogroms", drove millions of Jews to flee Ukraine after the Revolution in 1917, assisted Nazis in geneside against Jews during the World War 2, and continued their mission to cleanse Ukraine in the 80's and 90's. So to me, It does not matter how corrupt the President is, it does not matter how much you disapprove the current Government, the moment you align yourself with the radicalists and pro-Nazis, you've crossed the line! This is in the country that owes its entire existence to the courage and sacrifice of man and women who have defended their sovereignty against Hitler with their bare hands, standing shoulder to shoulder, Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, Georgians, Tatars, and 30 other ethnisities. We are talking not only about historically Russian Sevastopol, that was a crown jewel of the Russian Empire, we are talking about the city that have played a crucial role in defeating Hitler and now we want people who are dancing under their flag chanting "Death to all Moscalis (its like an "n" word used to refer to anyone of Russian decent) and Jews" to be in charge of the city that our grandfathers died defending?
They want Democracy, how about following a democratic process in ousting a President, holding a legitimate elections? They forced a bunch of former Yanukovich cabinet members to the Maidan and a crowd elected a President.
Sorry for the rant, all I am trying to say, no one has a clue as to what is going on in Ukraine and aside from the interviews taken on the streets from the people supporting the opposition, you do not know what the rest of this country thinks and what is best for them. The best thing for them is to stick together as they always have, minus the separation once and for all from the western Ukraine.