Kerry, Merkel warn Russia not to annex Crimea

Is it just me or does Kerry look like Lurch? He even seems to act like him at times also.

JAPANTODAY this is humor not an attack on his character.

The E.U. and U.S. keep on talking and Putin keep on acting. We will see if there are any sticks to counter the bully Putin, thus helping Ukraine to self -determination as a sovereign state.

What a weird picture, they either having a stare off or are about to smooch.

What business have these clowns to lecture Russia?

And coming to think of it, these are the same people who happily bombed an independent bombed Serbia in order to split off Kosovo? How many ways to spell hypocrite.

WillB, what are you up to?

Russia is a strong country which will do whatever it wants to protect it's own interests. Putin doesn't care one bit what the USA might decide to think about the situation. USA will not go to war once Crimea is confirmed as part of Russia shortly. There's nothing to be done except for the useless talking tough by the "West".

"My hope is that they will come aware of the fact that the international community is really strong and united on this issue"

Don't know about the international community, but in US, according to Pew Research poll, "by a roughly two-to-one margin (56% vs. 29%), the public says it is more important for the U.S. to not get involved in the situation with Russia and Ukraine than to take a firm stand against Russian actions."

http://www.people-press.org/2014/03/11/most-say-u-s-should-not-get-too-involved-in-ukraine-situation/

(There are other polls in US that show different results though...)

@WilliB/umbrella - wonder if it was china and not russia, would you be so offensive of kerry/merkel?

In the 90s, the US and EU bombed former Yugoslavia when its Serbian majority tried to prevent Kosovo from going independent. After Serbia surrendered, the US and EU organized a referendum in Kosovo, without consent from Serbia, to go independent. The same scenario is happening again in Crimea and Ukraine. Except this time the sides are swapped. The US and EU claims its self-righteousness both times.

Hypocrisy at its most ironic!

The EUS leaders are hypocritical.

I agree with rsgz4gg7y2. There is a difference between secession and annexation. One is imposed from outside, the other is a decision taken by the territory concerned. I heard a senior UK politician yesterday describing the referendum in Crimea as illegal. Shades of Chinese views on statehood.

Under what circumstances would the west and Ukraine accept Crimea's decision to cede? What is wrong with the current decision to cede?

If Crimea cede's, then whose business is it if they decide to merge with another country?

I am no fan of Russia, but that hardly factors into this equation. Do a people have a right to chose their own destiny or no?

"Crimea, which holds a vote Sunday on whether to break off from Ukraine and perhaps join Russia."

I hear this vote doesn't include an option to stay in Ukraine.

Although a majority of the Crimean population is currently ethnic Russian, it shouldn't be forgotten that in 1944 a number of non-Russian ethnic groups were deported from the Crimea to Central Asia by Stalin; about half of the Crimean Tartars deported died of starvation and disease.

If many of the people in the Crimea are Russian, speak Russian, and want to be part of Russia, why don't they just move there? Problem solved.

CraigHicks Although a majority of the Crimean population is currently ethnic Russian, it shouldn't be forgotten that in 1944 a number of non-Russian ethnic groups were deported from the Crimea to Central Asia by Stalin

in 1944 Crimean Tatars were deported from Crimea

Tell me why ??

Almost all men from this ethnic group served to the 3th Reich

and were guilty of mass murder of civilians

So ...mass collaboration with the enemy during the war , war crimes....

What you propose - forgive and forget ?

People of Crymea DECIDED to separate from Ukraine and become part of Russia, because they do not recognize new government that was erected after coup d'etat.

Russia will not dance under the flute of whoever want to control it.

Well, that's true, the idea of Stalin forgiving anything (let alone concocting a history to support his barbarism) just doesn't seem to ring true.

And why was Crimea given to Ukraine in the first place? When Crimea was given to Ukraine was the majority ethnic Russian or ethnic Ukranian? And how long did it take for one percentage to become the majority over the other? I'd like to know the answers to those questions.

You may want to ask Nikita Khruschev about this, he is in Hell now. What he did in 1954 was illegal, transfer to Ukraine was made by mistake.