Crimea and ex-Ukrainian/Black Sea regions integration into RF

flamming_python wrote:

GarryB wrote:Why do they keep talking in miles... are they retarded?

They don't; they're talking in kilometres.
But the english-translation mentions miles instead

Ukraine Seizes Russian Oil Tanker

Ukraine’s security services said on Thursday they had detained a Russian oil tanker that had blocked in November Ukrainian warships near Crimea, drawing reaction from Russia which vowed ‘consequences’ should Russians aboard the tanker be taken hostage.  

On Thursday, Ukraine’s security service seized Russian tanker Neyma, which Ukraine believes took part in the incident in the Kerch Strait near Crimea in November 2018.  

Russia seized at the end of November three Ukrainian ships near Crimea in an incident that risked spilling over into a wider conflict between the two countries, exacerbating the disputes between Moscow and Kiev over oil and gas resources and infrastructure.

Russia—which annexed Crimea in 2014, for which the U.S. and the EU imposed sanctions on Moscow—said at the time that three Ukrainian vessels had violated its state border in waters near Crimea.

Ukraine, for its part, said that it had informed Russia about the plans for the ship movements and said that the seizing of the vessels was “another act of armed aggression” by Russia.

The November 2018 incident was the first open conflict between Russian and Ukrainian militaries in recent years. Tensions had been rising over the access to the Kerch Strait, where the incident took place, and the Sea of Azov.

Today, Ukraine said that it believes that the Neyma was the same ship with a changed name that took part in the seizure of the Ukrainian ships in November. The investigation found that the Neyma tanker changed its name to Nika Spirit to conceal its involvement in the “illegal acts and an act of aggression that took place on November 25, 2018,” Ukraine said.

Russia, for its part, said there would be consequences soon “if Russians have been taken hostages.”

Russian lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov, who is deputy chairman of the committee on international affairs at Russia’s upper house of Parliament, said that Ukraine seizing the Russian tanker today was “absolutely illegal.”

GarryB wrote:Would be almost impossible for Russian border security to stop Ukrainians doing this... just like British border security failed to stop Iran from boarding and taking control of a British flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf.

I assume the Russian ship was seized inside the Sea of Azov at or near a Ukrainian port...

Have heard a report that they have released the crew after interrogation and are just holding the ship.

It is hard to work out what the Ukraine expects from this... perhaps they hope the Russians might release the seized Ukrainian ships and crews... but that would make little sense... they committed a crime and Russia could hardly let them go to get another ship returned otherwise the Ukraine could simply start seizing ships all over the place and demand concessions... and that isn't going to work...

Perhaps Russia should block access to Ukrainian ports in the sea of Azov until the Ukraine starts behaving like a normal international law respecting country....

ATLASCUB wrote:It's a provocation to show they mean business.

Russia has been playing from a position of weakness and thus these clowns have rightfully calculated that Russia will not try to escalate the situation. Putin has shown his hand numerous times.

If some shithole country did this to the Americans, they would blockade the whole thing, call an urgent meeting at the U.N to condemn it, and demand they be released or face the military consequences over it. The americans could give two shits about what China, Russia, Cuba, Iran or any of its enemies, including its allies who would quickly fall in line (despite whatever reservations) think or say, and how their media portrays it.

That is power, and the willingness to use it. It sends a good message to everyone else in the group of nations.

What's Putin camp rationalizing about now? Someone in the SBU, from the Poreshenko guard, before getting "replaced" is having their last hurrah - at least that is the narrative the channels will put out. You can bet on that.

The second I read such a muted response from Russia, with stale, run of the mill condemnations is the second you understand that the Ukranians were right in their calculations. Instead of trying to elevate the issue, it's downplayed - keeps exceptions low. Russia has a lot to learn about political theatrics at the world stage.

The world keeps on going. It's not a Russian lake after all - an american says with a grin in his face.

As for Garry's comments. It's not impossible to stop this from re-occurring. It all depends on what message Russia sends. Like the saying goes... give an inch....

They even release the hostages to show how benevolent they're, unlike the Russians holding "ours". Perfectly played.

Russia has, for some reason, been trying to keep the appearance that they are not at war with Ukraine. But they're, they're at war with cancerous elements in Ukraine that are holding millions of people, RUSSIANS, hostage. It can't run away from the fact, or pretend it's not.

All the countries you mentioned are fractured shit holes, sent back to the stone age as a result of Western intervention.

It's not the Americans who lose hundred of thousands, or millions of its people, it's industry, infrastructure, economy, military, stability, facing the hardships of war, and complete generations lost etc. It's the target countries. There is nothing to feel good about. You can ask them if America is weak.