Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien
We can't take back Crimea. Although I think Russia pretty much rigged the referendum as opponents would have been intimidated by the militia and Russians troops if they haven't left Crimea altogether already it is probably the case that the majority wish to be Russian and Ukrainian forces would meet serious resistance if they tried to retake it. Crimea is gone.
What we do need to do is send a forceful message that there are consequences to what Russia has done and they need to be serious enough so that Putin meets significant resistance within Russia should we be foolhardy enough to proceed with his new Russian union further.
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I don't see what forceful message we can realistically send that will deter Putin and his cronies from this or similar acts elsewhere when it suits. Sanctions won't affect them and the Russian people are used to suffering. They'll be carefully fed an anti western diet to assuage their hunger and they'll accept it you can be sure. The fact that Putin has done what he has indicates that he doesn't think the 'west' has the appetite to take him on over such actions.