"Putin Says Those Aren't Russian Forces In Crimea"
March 04, 2014 7:05 AM
Russian soldiers have not occupied government buildings and surrounded Ukrainian military bases on the Crimean Peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Tuesday during a news conference near Moscow at which he gave an account of recent events that contradicts reports from the ground.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/04/285653335/putin-says-those-arent-russian-forces-in-crimea


PUTIN said
Fri March 28, 2014

"The recent events in Crimea were a serious test," the Russian President said at a ceremony marking military promotions, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. "They demonstrated both the completely new capabilities of our Armed Forces and the high morale of the personnel."

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/28/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/

Edited 3/29/2014 10:20:40

Edited 3/29/2014 10:20:55

Ukrainian military have pressed back Russian assault from the township Strilkove, Kherson Region, reads a statement made by the press service of the Defence Ministry of Ukraine.
"Today, on March 15, 2014, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suppressed an attempt of penetration into the territory of Kherson Region from the Arabat Spit by servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. They were rebuffed immediately. For the purpose of instant response to the provocation the Ukrainian party raised air force of the Army Component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and also an airmobile battalion force," it said.
As to the agency, Russian servicemen returned to their previous location.
As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Russian military men entered township Strilkove, Kherson Region.

http://un.ua/eng/article/498428.html

DONETSK, Ukraine — Some people are making sure their cars stay gassed up, in case their families need to flee advancing tanks. Others are stockpiling food so they can dig in if there is an invasion. A few talk about learning to shoot. Nearly everyone is worried.

Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers are massed along the Ukrainian border, U.S. officials report, with large contingents gathered near the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Russian officials say the troops are conducting routine exercises. On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow has no intention of using them against Ukraine.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/donetsk-fearful-of-russian-military-might-on-ukraines-border/2014/03/29/a61c464f-342f-4c00-a1c3-66792092e72a_story.html

NATO’s advance into Eastern Europe, the Baltic and the Caucasus – not to mention former Soviet Central Asia – that brought the US-led alliance right up to Russia’s borders. US anti- missile systems were scheduled to go into Poland, close to Russian territory. New US bases were set up in Bulgaria, Rumania and Central Asia.

American military commanders have a sizable amount of firepower at their disposal in Europe as the crisis deepens over Russia’s incursion into Ukraine — but Washington has no plans to use it.
From Air Force warplanes in Great Britain to Army brigades in Germany to a Navy aircraft carrier strike group that happens to be on its way through the Mediterranean, tens of thousands of U.S. troops and ample high-tech weaponry are available for tasking. The risks associated with a showdown with Moscow, however, mean such orders probably will never come.
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Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that “all options” were “on the table” as Washington determines how to respond to the Crimea crisis, but a senior administration official later told reporters he was describing the American “menu” of non-military options.
(Also on POLITICO: Why Russia no longer fears the West)
“We are focused on political and economic and diplomatic and economic options,” the official said. “We do have a wide range of options to include isolation, potential sanctions, relationships between Russia [and other countries]. … Our goal is to uphold the territorial integrity and government of Ukraine, not to have a military escalation. I don’t think we’re focused right now on some sort of military intervention. I don’t think that would be an effective way to deescalate the situation.”
Administration officials say the U.S. can punish Russian President Vladimir Putin effectively enough without the threat of force.
“The Russians have badly miscalculated here,” a second senior administration official said. “What we see here are distinctly 19th and 20th century decisions made by President Putin to address problems, deploying military forces rather than negotiating, rather than talking. What he needs to understand is that in terms of his economy, he lives in a 21st century world, an interdependent world. As you may have noticed, his economy is not in the greatest of shape, the ruble is taking a hit. … He depends on trade relations with the rest of us. It’s going to be very difficult to maintain that kind of relationship with the outside world while he is using his military forces to threaten and intimidate a neighbor.”


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/ukraine-military-action-104152.html#ixzz2xRWPJ5wA