– Here Comes Crimea 2.0: Following Referendum, East Ukraine Votes To Become Part Of Russia (ZeroHedge, May 8, 2014):
Yesterday we correctly predicted that while the world is distracted by this and that, the next real short-term catalyst is the east Ukraine referendum vote on Sunday, whose results would be available as soon as May 11, indicating that, almost with 100% certainty, the Ukraine region would vote to become independent.
This was promptly followed by a skillful diplomatic gambit by Putin who, knowing full well Donetsk would just say no, suggested the referendum be postponed thus giving himself cover when the western press attacked him for using Crimean tactics for the second time in two months. This was confirmed this morning when the Donetsk “separatists” indeed politely thanked Putin for his concern, but decided to proceed with this weekend’s referendum anyway.
The irony is that as we also explained yesterday, the Crimea scenario is fully in play once more. Confirming precisely that was news from News of Donbass which reported moments ago that in the aftermath of the new certain May 11 referendum, a week later east Ukraine will formalize the Russia annexation process and on May 18 there will be a “second round of the referendum where you will be asked to support accession to the Donestk region of Russia.”
From News of Donbas:
Gathered on the square of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic, administration representatives announced a “referendum” in two rounds. As the correspondent of URA-Inform.Donbass, the first round of the referendum will be held on May 11.
In the first round resident of Donetsk will be offered to vote for recognition of the Donetsk republic and then on May 18 will be held the second round of the referendum “, where you will be asked to support accession to the Donetsk region of Russia.
The decision on such a scheme of “referendum” was made today at a meeting of deputies DNR today in Donetsk.
We note that the pro-Russian activists gathered in the square outside the administrative building reactied negatively to the assessment statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need to delay the “referendum”.
In summary: in one master stroke, Putin “distanced” himself from the Donetsk administration so he is not seen as pulling their strings, and more importantly, in 10 days, said Donetsk republic will formally join Russia.
And that is how you successfully conduct foreign policy. There is a second way: using hash tags.
No surprise for me on this one, the Ukraine has been part of Russia for many years. United, they stand, divided they remain small with no say about the world……they had been part of the USSR, a great world power, then the USSR collapsed, and they became a small nation. It has been a long time, and as Putin recognizes easily, they miss the great power they once had…..forgotten the hardships……memory is very kind. I think memory is kind because if we recalled every hardship we ever endured, we would go mad.
I will not be surprised to see all of those who were part of the USSR rejoin under Putin. He is the closest to a Napoleon I have seen in my lifetime…..and this is an era requiring such leaders.
Napoleon was an amazing figure. He was the first general to take scientists and archeologists into the field with him. When he went into Egypt, he took historians and other great scholars along with him. As a result, he found the Rosetta Stone. It ended up in British hands, but it was a Frenchman who finally was able to decipher the code, and made it possible to read hieroglyphs. We learned a lot about Egypt that way.
He was the first man to number houses on streets in an orderly fashion making it easier for people to find the home. He also had the idea of the Euro in 1800. Back then, all nations of Europe paid with gold, Enron accounting had not been invented.
He sent teachers into the countryside to ensure all schools taught the students French…..unite the nation under a single language. Many of the folks in the countryside spoke dialects, and thought Louie XVI was still king…..the revolution happened in Paris.
I could sit here all night with examples of his great intelligence and leadership, but this ought to give enough of an idea.
Pity the US has been run into the mud thanks to gaggles of fools leading us.
Putin is going to win this, Obama needs to bring the people home and stop trying to ruin governments using the CIA. It won’t work with the former leader of the KGB….he is making a bigger fool of himself than ever…….if I hear one more idiot call Obama a chess player, I will get sick. I bet he never played a game in his life. Friggin’ Manchurian Candidate.