Putin calls Obama to seek diplomatic end to Ukraine crisis

American hysteria had no basis.

No basis? Except for the 30,000-80,000 Russian troops build up around the border of Ukraine, and former Baltic state NATO allies very worried about Russia. YEP NO BASIS for worry at all.

No matter which way Ukraine turns, Ukrainian people pays the price of enslavement.

Alexander Yakovenko Russia UK ambassador describes Crimea's vote (96.8%) as an act of “self determination, guaranteed by the UN Charter and cherished by Britain when it comes to Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands”, then went on to compare the proposed Scottish Vote of independence along similar lines.

The Crimean electorate had just 10 days to debate any expressions of opinion, weight up arguments or counter arguments, debating them, or amending them if necessary, and finally voting on them, 10 days, all punctuated in the presence of T90's, and underlined with heavily armed troops provided by the Kremlin, literally Putin's definition of a 'shot gun wedding'.

Einstein said 'reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”

Reality for Vladimir Putin and Alexander Yakovenko is about to jump out the toilet and take a sizable chunk out their backsides. 100 countries voted in favour of approving a UN General Assembly resolution declaring the Crimean referendum illegal and affirming Ukraine's territorial integrity, 11 voted against, with 58 abstentions. However the resolution is non-binding, so essentially symbolic. But enough to have Putin asking Obama for discussions on resolving the crisis.

Like 'The Grand Old Duke of York' ..

He had ten thousand men; He marched them up to the top of the hill, And he marched them down again.

And when they were up, they were up, And when they were down, they were down, And when they were only half-way up, They were neither up nor down.

For instead of finding an army he found International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreeing a loan deal with Ukraine worth $14-18bn with the US throwing in another $1bn, albeit peppered with punitive austerity, although the IMF should be commended for putting the package together with such speed. Now the west must stand firm and call his bluff.

Russian troops are still in Crimea, so this means nothing. Also this is from the same playbook as Georgia in 2008.

"Putin is clearly the bigger man"

Har!

Did he say something like "I've got a gun, please don't make me pull this trigger."

Heh, so now he comes calling.

Anyways, Putin shouldn't listen to the West. Same as well, Obama shouldn't listen to the East. Let them do whatever they want to do. If Putin wants Crimea, let him do it - none of the West's business. If Obama wants to bomb Syria, Lebanon, Libya, or any other meddlesome country to smithereens, let him do it - none of the East's business.

"If anything russia got what they wanted"

Russia wanted the sanctions against it and being kicked out of the G8? That's news to me.

Russia shouldn't really be in the G7/8 - they're not a first-world economy. They were only there by courtesy invitation. They belong with the BRICS.

Anyway, so much for the neo-cons and Republicans who told us repeatedly that Putin doesn't care what Obama does or thinks.

Putin does NOT CARE what Obama thinks, however, he DOES CARE about what the Oligarchs think and that is proving to become a slight problem for him. If the international community can go further and harder on the sanctions and NOT accept the Rubble anywhere, the pinch will turn into a bruise. If Obama were a tough leader, he would go all out on Putin, it would make him think twice before doing something like this again. Putin needs to keep the money flowing and the Oligarchs happy and if that means to concede a bit, he will. He's got Crimea, so that part is over, now Putin can open up his ears once again and listen to Obama. Not that he'll be persuaded in the least to give Crimea back. That's just history now.

Hmm, seems like the sanctions are working. It is also very apparent how many ethnic Russians post here how Putin is in the right while ethnic Ukranians believe exactly the opposite.

Sure, Russia got Crimea while the rest of Ukraine went to the West.

Not yet. They say, eastern and southern parts of Ukraine are strongly pro-Russian too. I doubt the West needs an unstable Ukraine on edge of civil war that much.

"If anything russia got what they wanted"

Russia wanted the sanctions against it and being kicked out of the G8? That's news to me.

Anyway, so much for the neo-cons and Republicans who told us repeatedly that Putin doesn't care what Obama does or thinks.

Obama was mildly startled when he picked up the phone and heard Putin's voice say, "Steven Seagal? Stevie, my brother! You are still America's biggest actor, yes? Any hotel at Sochi is yours for the asking is you sing my praises."

If only Obama were a judoka instead of a basketball fanatic, Putin would be eating out of his hand.

TokyoDiman: If anything russia got what they wanted

Sure, Russia got Crimea while the rest of the Ukraine went to the West. Just what Putin wanted. ;)

Here's the crux of the matter where's the governments of the EU, and when are they going to stop running and hiding under the skirt of the US?

Great Britain and France are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and should act like it.

Yes serendipitous, but try to get 28 EU countries to agree to a more flexible energy policy , when crass self interests come into play

As soon as Obama talked about increasing the US supply of gas to Europe, Putin started listening.

It's like The Twilight Zone meets the Flintstones, Barack Obama's Fred Flintstone to William Hague's Barney Rubble ....Fred: ' Barney! What the heck happened?'

His comment this week that Russia is a regional power

Good to know it. Then why he was not able to prevent an annexation of Crimea by that "regional power"? A cheap comedian without political background and power. And his drunk servicemen demonstrated it pretty well.

Pootie has no allies and all of Europe is against him.

Europe has just simulated "sanctions" by imposing a pointless measures against certain Russian politicians. In particular, Europe freezed some bank accounts of Russians. And those "accounts" turned out totally unreal, non-existant. FYI, Europe still wishes to get oil and gas from Evil Empire. That is why europeans keep playing a political game with the USA. Everyone knows that Crimea came back to Russia while the USA was technically fooled. By the way, Slovakia and Slovenia of Europe refused to impose any sort of sanctions at all.

I think this is all good except Putin called the wrong person. This should be handled by the UN. The UN should be leading the other member countries because they are the ones who were wronged. Putin did nothing to the US, other than start the spread of communism again. The UN needs to grow some gonads and speak and act on its own. What is the point of the UN if they cannot protect their own members. Quit hiding behind the American presidents skirt and stand on thier own two feet.

Seems like if itS not the American way, its the wrong way. When will America realize that America can`t always get its way all of the time!!

How did he do a good job? Crimea is part of russia now? If anything russia got what they wanted and America is left impotent. A prelude of things to come.

The Prez is doing a good job. Pootie has no allies and all of Europe is against him. He finally realized he is in a no win situation. Hence his phone call.

to discuss a U.S. proposal on resolving the crisis in Ukraine, the White House said.

What crisis? I think from a Russian point of view everything has gone swimmingly well to plan. But I do love the US lecturing about the evils of invading sovereign countries. How their spokesmen can do it with a straight face is beyond me. I'm sure there must be a Russian equivalent of " Yeah. Right. Whatever you say".

Let there be no misunderstanding - Putin has scored bountiful brownie points with Russians (and Crimean's) over this move. And sorry to say but the US and the west in general have been well outmanoeuvred and are reduced to shouting that's not right! Like Russia, France and millions around the world said about Iraq.

Good.

Putin is clearly the bigger man. Only proves one thing. American hysteria had no basis.

“President Obama suggested that Russia put a concrete response in writing” to the proposal presented by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in The Hague this week, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

Good on Obama. Contrary to all the back-stabbing he's gotten the past couple of weeks from Republicans, strictly to score political points, Obama handled this very deftly. In particular his comment this week that Russia is just a regional power, and took Crimea out of weakness and not strength sent a clear message to Putin that enough was enough.