What Putin's new Soviet Union might look like

[Larry1]

After his invasion of Crimea and massing tens of thousands of troops on Ukraine's border, along with moves to destabilize Eastern Ukraine, my guess was that it was likely that Putin was attempting to re-create the USSR (which might resemble Franco's Spain more than the communist Soviet Union), the demise of which he considers the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century.

The St. Petersburg Times published an article speculating on just what USSR 2.0 might look like:

WHAT PUTIN'S NEW SOVIET UNION WOULD LOOK LIKE

... President Vladimir Putin is weary of the tortured process of restoring Russia's dominance in the former Soviet Union through economic integration. Efforts to move beyond free trade are resisted by Belarus and Kazakhstan.

After Crimea, Putin has discovered the value of acting boldly in Russia's neighborhood to achieve his strategic objective: restoring an undiminished Russian state. "Polite green men" now trump economic integration.

In Crimea, Putin rejected Russia's terms of the post-Soviet settlement, openly questioning the legality of the Soviet collapse. The chairman of Russia's Constitutional Court argued recently that the Belavezha Accords, which the leaders of three Soviet republics signed in December 1991 to dissolve the Soviet Union, could be voided because of legal irregularities in the agreement.

With all post-Soviet borders up for grabs, the challenge is to determine what should be incorporated and what would be better left out...

http://www.sptimes.ru/story/39722

This is my favorite part of the article, "The chairman of Russia's Constitutional Court argued recently that the Belavezha Accords, which the leaders of three Soviet republics signed in December 1991 to dissolve the Soviet Union, could be voided because of legal irregularities in the agreement."  It reminds me of Russia's opening salvo at Ukraine several months ago.  We have learned that under the Putin regime any agreements Russia has signed have approximately the same value as equally-sized pieces of one-ply toilet paper.

The article goes on to evaluate each of the republics of the former USSR and their likelihood of being "incorporated".

Job security must not be the highest priority of the editors and publisher of The St. Petersburg Times.  They must realize that Putin could order their firing as he did the staff of the RIANovosti news service and the founder and CEO of Vkontakte.

[Photo Guy]

That's an interesting article and I hope that many Russians read it.
I'm afraid Putin is not motivated by logic or a desire to serve the people of Russia or Uktaine. I think Putin was deeply offended by the new government in Kyiv. They choose the EU over Moscow. They kicked out a leader similar to him. So I think Putin is reacting emotionally. He sees Ukraine moving away from a pseudo-democracy like he has in Moscow, to a more genuine democracy that is dedicated to fighting corruption and free trade with the West. Putin's recent past actions have said: Choose Moscow or choose the EU. The leader of Ukraine should have responded with We choose both. We choose to have free trade with the EU and with Russia. We don't want to exclude either trade group. That's the public trade policy that Yanukovych should have pursued. Instead, he betrayed his own citizens. Putin is afraid of the new leadership in Ukraine, not because they are fascist banderites, but because citizens want to follow in the footsteps of Poland, NOT Moscow. What if Putin's own citizens want to go this route?

[Maxx2]

I think Putin was deeply offended by the new government in Kyiv. They choose the EU over Moscow.

Of course they chose the EU as the EU funded their revolution. Now watch the EU suck Ukraine dry like they are doing to Greece.


I am old enough to remember the Cuban Missile crisis. We almost went to war for the same resin Putin is ready to go to war. Of course the US has a double standard when it comes to unfriendly governments on it's borders. Russia is supposed to just sit there while we encircle it with military bases.

[Photo Guy]

Funded by the EU?? That's ridiculous. If you followed the events in Kyiv, it would be obvious to you that the revolutionaries/citizens were a grass-roots movement. Get a clue about that. Take a look at all of those Sunday rallies. It had everything to do with ideology, fighting a corrupt government, and throwing out the authorities. Nothing to do with being 'paid'. These were students, veterans, young and old people.

Maxx- it is not 1950 or 1960! We are not encircling Russia. The EU and the USA do not want to attack Russia!! And we were stupid enough to think that Russia did not want to expand their territory. We were stupid enought to NOT see Putin's paranoia. You talk about Russia's interests, but what exactly are their interests? Are we going to talk about Ukraine's interests or are they just pawns? Everything I've seen shows me that Putin wants to absorb Ukraine and keep it separate from the rest of the world. Shouldn't Ukrainians have a voice in their future? The idea that Ukraine should be a 'buffer zone' is also idiotic, a cold-war mentality. Putin is stuck back in the Cold War.

[Maxx2]

The West should stay out of it period. Of course we are moving NATO bases closer to Russia. Look what is going on with US and NATO military bases in Eastern Europe.

[/size]'One Cannot Depend on American Politicians'
[/size]What the US secretary of state said on Feb. 9, 1990 in the magnificent St. Catherine's Hall at the Kremlin is beyond dispute. There would be, in Baker's words, "no extension of NATO's jurisdiction for forces of NATO one inch to the east," provided the Soviets agreed to the NATO membership of a unified Germany. Moscow would think about it, Gorbachev said, but added: "any extension of the zone of NATO is unacceptable."
[/size]

[/size]Research Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and 5 billion dollars to bring "democracy" to Ukraine

[/size]Victoria Nuland, in an interview with CNN confirmed that Washington has allocated 5 billion “to support the aspirations of the people of Ukraine to a stronger, democratic government.”[/color]

[/size]Photoguy, I am not going to waste my time trying to reason with you.
[/size]

[BillyB]

we are moving NATO bases closer to Russia.

If Russia has a problem with NATO, they should stay out of Ukraine. If they annex Ukraine, their borders will be touching more NATO countries than it is now.


Why do you have a problem with NATO countries? Russia's military personnel is almost ten times bigger than the UK's. With the exception of America, all NATO countries doesn't have a military large enough to expand their borders.

[Photo Guy]

If you see countries as a 'threat' rather than a friendly trading partner, your opinions make sense, Maxx.
Is NATO a threat to Russia? How?
If NATO is positioned close to Russia, how is that different from
Russia positioning itself close to Romania, Poland, etc. via expansion into Ukraine?
Countries that belong to NATO do it as a choice. Ukraine has no choice if Russia militarily expands into their country. Maxx, your logic is off. The problem is- Putin and people like you somehow see the EU, NATO, and the US as threats. Who cut off gas to Ukraine? Who threatens to cut off gas to the EU? 

[Maxx2]

If Russia has a problem with NATO, they should stay out of Ukraine. If they annex Ukraine, their borders will be touching more NATO countries than it is now.


Why do you have a problem with NATO countries? Russia's military personnel is almost ten times bigger than the UK's. With the exception of America, all NATO countries doesn't have a military large enough to expand their borders.

Why do I have a problem with America (NATO) crowding Russia? Because we (America) would have a problem with the same done to us on our borders as I tried to explain to the bus driver. Of course he blows off history and the famous and wise Santayana quote: "Those who cannot understand the past are condemned to repeat it." BillyB you and him have no problems with double standards. Again to you it is "My country right or wrong. My mother drunk or sober." I don't respect that sort thinking. You need to straighten up. It is dishonest and not worthy of you. America who you think is a beloved country is now only feared. The last four administrations have destroyed that. The same propganda Photoguy spouts comes from the same source that spouts Obama's lies. Wake up! 

[BillyB]

America who you think is a beloved country is now only feared.

The fear generated in the last few months are coming from Russia, North Korea and China. Numerous European countries have asked America to intervene and put troops on their land. Japan has asked America to show support with more warships patrolling their waters. South Korea has high level talks with Obama and asked for more military support. Philippines has just signed a 10 year agreement with America to have our military presence in their country in the article below. Maxx, we see the world differently. You see America as the instigators although most nations in the world trust America. How many nations have asked Russia, North Korea, and China to park their troops in their country for security reasons? None, probably because there are trust issues.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-philippines-to-sign-10-year-defense-agreement-amid-rising-tensions/2014/04/27/a04436c0-cddf-11e3-a75e-463587891b57_story.html

[Photo Guy]

The idea that NATO is crowding Russia is silly. As if NATO has a desire to conquer Russia. Ridiculous. When we objected to the Soviets sending missiles to Cuba, it was during the Cold War at a time when Kruschev said 'We will bury you.' Today's conflict happens during a time AFTER the cold war, with much greater economic and social integration worldwide. It's a much more global environment now and nobody has been plotting to conquer the world, unless you view Putin's propaganda as a throw-back to much more dangerous times, which it apparently is. So what specifically is the danger that Russia sees with an encircling NATO? Is NATO planning on invading Belarus and planting a flag there? What specific danger does Putin see? Anyone?
...Billy, you are right. Russia is generating fear and mistrust. You place thousands of troops along a country's border and you lie about the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine/Crimea.. and yes...that does NOT inspire brotherly love and confidence.

[Photo Guy]

How will this help Putin's new Soviet Union? How will it help the Russian people?
It's the result of Russian military aggression in eastern Ukraine...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/us-britain-russia-energy-idUSBREA3L0KA20140422

[Maxx2]

Maxx, we see the world differently. You see America as the instigators although most nations in the world trust America. How many nations have asked Russia, North Korea, and China to park their troops in their country for security reasons? None, probably because there are trust issues.

What did Bush say? "You are either with us or you are with the enemy." Any nation that tries to stay independent of the Western banking cartel is targeted with a bullseye for overthrow. Saddam tried and so did Qaddafi and looked what happened to them.





Just some NATO airstrikes…. excuse me "kinetic action" and back Al Qaeda "freedom fighters" and poof gone. Only to have our allies there kill the US ambassador Stevens a year later. But that's OK as we need those guys to overthrow Assad in Syria and kill all the Christians and Jews while they're at it. But what the hey! We're the good guys.


Assad of Syria is trying to stay independent of the West had invited Russia in with a Mediterranian sea port. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union many nations allied themselves with the USSR. Iran is in a similar situation. Ecuador just threw out a number of US military personnel. Several years back they kicked the US Navy out of the Manta seaport. Correa president of Ecuador said "If America allows us a military base on Long Island then I will allow them one in Manta" or words to that affect. Jullian Assange is holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy fearing extradition to America. Snowdon is in a similar situation for telling the truth about US government surveillance. Merkel of Germany is pissed that her phone and e-mails were recorded. Just last week she was turned down on her request to see her NSA file. Do you think she is all warm and fuzzy about the US? Of course Photoguy doesn't see how any of this relates but perhaps you do?