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Putin to Ukraine: We'll Sell You Natural Gas, But Might Nuke You, Too

Break out your Scorpions records and your parachute pants, for the neo-Cold War is here. Just as your high school's star quarterback now daydreams about past glories while stocking the cereal aisle in your local supermarket, Russia's Vladimir Putin has never quite been able to let go of his KGB past. Like any member of the old Soviet elite, he's gripped the reigns of power with an iron fist and has demonstrated his nostalgia for the once-powerful Motherland by emulating its approach to politics—the political assassinations, the press intimidation, and the corrupt, old-boy political style. Now add military gamesmanship, nuclear sabre-rattling, and economic extortion to the list.

At a Kremlin press conference yesterday, Putin and Viktor Yushchenko, his Ukrainian counterpart (disfigured after being poisoned, allegedly by Russian agents, in the run-up to the Orange Revolution) unveiled a last-minute compromise that would allow Russian natural gas shipments to Ukraine to continue. Russia's state-owned gas monoply Gazprom had threatened to reduce supply by 25 percent until Ukraine agreed to pay down what the company said was a $1.5 billion debt. It was not the first time Putin had used the bitter chill of winter to wage what could literally be called a "cold war"—Russia suspended wintertime natural gas deliveries to Ukraine two years ago, only a month after Yushchenko's Western-leaning regime took power after a disputed election. This winter's threatened reduction in supply had stoked fears of a shortage and price increases in Western Europe, where 80 percent of all natural gas imports, while en route from the Russian Arctic to lucrative Western markets, must first pass through Ukraine. The compromise, reached only minutes before a Russian-imposed deadline on talks, pacified Ukraine by eliminating the participation a Swiss middleman company from natural gas deals in exchange for Russia taking a 50 percent share in the Ukrainian natural gas market. Score one for Putin.

And if that wasn't good enough, at the press conference announcing the deal, Putin pulled out the nuclear card. Asked by a reporter for his reaction to Ukraine's recent application to join the NATO alliance, a particularly touchy subject for an old Soviet, Putin said Russia might retaliate by targeting nuclear missiles at Ukraine, a former Soviet republic. "It's horrible to say and even horrible to think," he said. "Russia could target its missile systems at Ukraine. Imagine that for a second." For his part, Yuschenko made an effort to remain diplomatic and cordial, but quickly responded that the Ukraine has the right to form alliances with whomever it likes, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, also on Tuesday, Russia offered the latest installment of its nostalgic return to military prominence, imagined though it may be, when a Tu-95 long-range, nuclear-ready bomber buzzed the deck of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean, while a second bomber circled about 50 fifty miles away. Such incidents were old-hat during the Cold War, but had fallen off to zero in the years after the Soviet Union's demise. Putin, however, is trying to reinvigorate the Soviet bomber fleet and navy with a more aggressive posture. Stunts like this may play well for Russian domestic consumption (remember the Soviet midshipman in The Hunt for Red October who rejoiced, "Captain's scared them out of the water!"), but the American navy doesn't seem overly concerned. "We knew they were coming," Navy Admiral Gary Roughhead, chief of U.S. naval operations, told the Washington Post. "It was a very predictable flight, early detection, and then we just followed it in." Navy fighters quickly intercepted the bomber after its approach and escorted it away from the carrier group. So, what was the point of all this? "I think what we are seeing is a Russian military, a Russian navy that is emerging, particularly in the case of the navy, desiring to emerge as a global navy." Translation: The Russian armed forces are just trying to fulfill Putin's dream of restoring Russia's military honor. Given the state of the old Red Army, though, it will likely be a long road.

Comments

Reagans legacy destroyed by a fellow Republican.

The Horror.

Posted by: Ya Know... on 02/13/08 at 10:49 PM Respond

Obama’s efforts to connect to the Republican Party, specifically Bush, and Dick Chaney, of the Halliburton Company, dates back to the Presidents Grandfather, Prescott Bush, and indeed Chaney was once an executive officer of Halliburton.

The American military pounds Iraq with Artillary, bombs, and the like, destroying large sections of cities, and infra-structures, then Halliburton comes in to rebuild. Halliburton and Halliburton associated companies have raked in ten’s of billions.

Obama is just like the BIG HALIBURTAN. Haliburton has contracted to build detention centers in the U.S. similiar to the one in Quantanammo Bay, Cuba. Halliburton does nothing to earn the Two Dollars for each meal an American Serviceman in Iraq eats.

http://www.associatedcontent.c.....ong…

Halliburton was scheduled to take control of the Dubai Ports in The United Arab Emiirate. The deal was canceled when Bush was unable to affect the transfer of the American Ports.

Now we see what some might suspect as similiar financial escapading from the Democrats.

Two years ago, Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity gave a $50 million contract to a start-up security company - Companion- owned by now-indicted businessman (TONY REZKO) Tony Rezko and a onetime Chicago cop, Daniel T. Frawley, to train Iraqi power-plant guards in the United States. An Iraqi leadership change left the deal in limbo. Now the company, Companion Security, is working to revive its contract.
Involved along with Antoin “Tony” Rezco, long time friend and neighbor of Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, and former cop Daniel T. Frawley, is Aiham Alsammarae. Alsammarae was accused of financial corruption by Iraqi authorities and jailed in Iraq last year before escaping and returning here.

Obama should be vetted and disclose his connection to the criminal money generating underworld. Besides, his connections to the REZCO MAFIA types, his up-coming tax fraud charges — Obama needs to disclose why he is a Muslim and stop suppoting our intervention in IRAQ. It’s time to shove an introduction to this fake rip-off Obama and invite the thief pipsqueke to meet the Waukesheake Police Department.

Posted by: Janet Reno on 02/17/08 at 5:59 PM Respond