Russia Recognizes Two Separatist Regions in Ukraine: Donetsk and Luhansk
Russia put more troops in the regions while Germany announced it won’t certify the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Before I start here’s a history lesson.
When World War II ended the UN formed its Security Council with five permanent members: America, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the then-Soviet Union.
All five receive a veto vote. One veto vote from a permanent member prevents the adoption of a proposal even if the proposal has the three-fifth votes needed.
This is important because the UN’s hands are tied when it comes to Russia. It doesn’t help that Russia holds the Security Council Presidency right now.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014. Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in March 2014.
Parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (equivalent to states in America) broke off after the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych exactly eight years ago today. They call themselves Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s republic.
Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts are referred to as the Donbas region. The name comes from the term Donets Coal Basin since the area is known for its coal. The Donets Coal Basin is “one of the major coal fields in the world.”
My articles at Breitbart have evidence of Russian troops in east Ukraine and separatists receiving materials from Russia since 2014.
But Putin did not officially recognize the separatist regions Donetsk and Luhansk, known as Donbas, until now after poking and prodding from the West. I guess the West hyped up the separatists into thinking war was on the horizon so they begged Putin to recognize them.
Putin now recognizes five breakaway regions: Transnistria (Moldova), South Ossetia & Abkhazia (Georgia), and Donetsk & Luhansk (Ukraine).
Don’t forget Crimea! Putin took Crimea with a sham referendum in March 2014.
We must also remember that Ukraine is important to Russia. History suggests Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is the birthplace of Russia. The Communists did not admit the USSR fell apart until it lost Ukraine.
Putin doesn’t even hide his intentions. He’s former KGB. He has always wanted Ukraine:
In his address, Putin repeatedly suggested Ukraine was essentially part of Russia.
He accused Kyiv of persecuting Russian speakers and of preparing a “blitzkrieg” against the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine’s east.
“As for those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we demand an immediate end to their military operations,” Putin said.
“Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be fully on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine.”
And he made clear the stakes were bigger than Ukraine, whose efforts to join NATO and the European Union have deeply angered Moscow.
“The use of Ukraine as an instrument of confrontation with our country poses a serious, very big threat to us,” Putin said.
Putin claimed Ukraine “is an inherent part of our own history, culture and spiritual space.”
The EU and NATO have not allowed Ukraine to join them because they know they’ll endure Putin’s wrath.
Energy
Don’t believe people when they say Putin now controls all the energy to Europe since he recognizes Donbas. Putin already has a grip on Europe because he has long provided the continent with energy.
The EU’s gas imports from Russia in 2020 sat at 44%. About 75% of Germany’s gas comes from Russia.
It’s no wonder Germany has dragged its feet the most out of European countries when it came to countering Russia. 75%!!
Germany now opposes the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would have bypassed Ukraine and delivered Russian natural gas directly to Europe:
Germany’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said that his country would not accept the recognition of the two self-proclaimed, pro-Russian separatist regions in the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine, and that Germany had to reassess the situation regarding Nord Stream 2.
“In light of the most recent developments we must reassess the situation in particular regarding Nord Stream 2,” Scholz said at a news conference.
Scholz said he’d asked the German Economy Ministry to take steps “to make sure that this pipeline cannot be certified at this point in time, and without this certification Nord Stream 2 cannot operate.”
“The appropriate departments of the economy ministry will make a new assessment of the security of our supply in light of what has changed in last few days,” he added.
So Putin has the best weapon in the world: Energy. The dude is almost untouchable.
Troops
As I said before Russia had troops and soldiers in Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014. Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted the troops existed in the region in 2014.
But now it’s in the open as Putin ordered Russian troops into the separatist regions since he recognizes their independence.
Putin claims the troops are there for “peacekeeping” in the regions.
The West replied with strongly worded letters and sanctions. The U.S. banned “new investments and financing in the separatist regions.” If a business does this then the U.S. will block their assets in the states.
However, Zelensky said he does not believe there will “be a powerful war against Ukraine and there will be no large-scale escalation by the Russian Federation.”
If it does happen then Zelensky will introduce martial law.
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Comments
The Biden* junta and their minions in the Joseph Goebbels media were likely dreaming of a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating something (anything) with Russia. They may still get the prize, but it will look as ridiculous as most of the prior ones did.
Probably the Biden* junta will have to content themselves with another round of “Trump caused this cuz he is a Putin stooge!!”
If Biden were a real president, he would say that “I recognize the Ukraine as a member of NATO.”
Then close their stinking pipeline and sanction the crap out of them.
That is a YUUGE “if” though.
Biden slapped sanctions on what is Ukraine. Not Putin nor Russia, but Ukraine. Inept, frankly stupid and will have zero net effect on Putin’s next moves. Based on Putin’s language, “Ukraine is Russia”, have to wonder what the Baltic states and Finland are thinking right now.
shouldnt the sanctions be on Ukraine since they did not surrendar fast enough?
(sarc)
Because it’s the people of that region that requested Vlad come and help them against the government condoned N@zi forces aligned against them? Google it. You’re being lied to.
Or you are. Yes, it’s complicated, and to a certain extent it’s true this time, but you know that when Russia goes after the Baltics and Finland we will hear the exact same line. Will you still support it then?
Yes, Ukranians during the German occupation supported the Germans. Why shouldn’t they have? The Germans were better to them than the Soviets had been. And morally there was nothing to pick and choose between them. Does anyone blame the Finns for allying with Germany against the USSR?! Of course not. They needed all the help they could get, and no one else was offering. The Balts and the Ukranians were not much different.
What was the ethnic makeup of the Donbas before the Holodomor? As I understand it, many Russians were settled there after famine had devastated Ukraine.
Yes, but why is that necessarily relevant? The fact is that the current population is mostly Russian. Why their grandparents settled there isn’t all that relevant.
Perhaps it might help explain the Ukrainian perspective?
And like China with Tibet, they will flood the country with their nationals to make sure the invasion, oh, excuse me, “liberation” is not reversed.
Is Hunter Biden still getting paid by that Ukrainian oil company or is that outweighed by the money from that rich lady in Moscow?
After watching to that presser from Putin – a rambling mess where he appeared almost a cognitively impaired as Biden – I think the chances that Putin stops before he gets to the Dnieper are diminishing. The smart play would for Putin would be to take what he got without firing (much of) a shot and call it a day. But, Putin may not care about what’s smart.
Everyone said the same thing after Hitler and the sudetenland
we know what happened next
Putin’s in it for the long term. Lather, rinse, repeat. He’s getting Ukraine back one bite at a time with no problems, so there’s no reason he can’t just chew off another ‘breakaway’ republic on his own schedule. Infiltrate in special intelligence units, have a few opponents ‘accidentally’ meet their end, support up any opposition, and roll in next time. Any opponents to Russian rule in these republics need to have packed up their things and fled by now. The incoming regime is not going to cut them any slack. We’re not going to hear what happens to them, either. The Western media has no interest.
Agreed. Putin has played this perfectly so far. He exploited the fissures in NATO, his actions raised oil/gas prices, he put Russia front and center on the world stage, he solidified his grip on Donbas region and as added bonus made the Biden admin appear weak, feckless and ineffective.
In reality not much has actually changed with the formal recognition of these two provinces as independent from Ukraine. They were already under Russia’s thumb. Even the State Dept acknowledges this reality by noting that they don’t consider Russian forces openly entering Donbas to constitute an invasion.
Germany didn’t cancel Nord Stream 2, they merely announced a more lengthy certificate of approval process; the pipeline has been completed for several months. IMO, this face saving on the part of NATO members re temporarily delaying Nord Stream 2 and the imposition of minimally effective ‘sanctions’ is the diplomatic off ramp. Putin will likely be satisfied with his current gains, seek to consolidate them, put up with temporary impacts and digest his gains. In the future he will use the same tactics and justification for further territorial concessions. Just as in Crimea and Georgia….it works because the west doesn’t really care and isn’t in a position to halt this if it did.
The “Big Guy” played his part perfectly as well.
If you mean Biden is the ‘big guy’ then no, not at all. Sure there’s likely some residual affection towards Ukraine on his part for past payola. The biggest issue here is timing; the SOTU speech is next Tuesday. The admin has been attempting to create positive talking points for that speech to divert attention from very real bad news.
Here, the Biden admin felt that they could get a foreign policy victory and came up way short. Recall last week Sullivan, the Nat Sec advisor, essentially told Putin to put up or shut up. Biden has a history of tough talk but no follow through. Putin recognized an empty threat and took the opportunity to humiliate Biden and further weaken NATO.
Final point the Biden admin will seek to use uncertainty/fear in financial markets from Ukraine, particularly in rising energy prices, to mask domestic policy failures of rampant inflation.
And Taiwan is China. Joe Biden pays dividends.
China has a great leverage over Brandon. And his family. Blackmail material. China can bring down his presidency, and his entire family, in the time is takes him to change his Depends.
There’s a lot of truth in what you just said, that’s for sure.
My money’s on Taiwan being invaded before Xiden’s first term ends. Dictators see Xiden’s weakness as their strength.
They see it as a welcome mat for invasion.
I am going to have to correct you on this.
Which Democrat Senator not named Manchin or maybe Sinema (so 52 senators) and which Democrat house member (any name because I am unaware of any) would turn on Biden if China released incontrovertible evidence Biden has been inviting prostitutes to the white house and murdering them in their sleep?
Even just devastating his popularity would be highly limited because MSM would refuse to air anything and social media would censor it in a way that would impress even the Chinese.
If what is already known about the Biden’s corruption hasn’t been enough to bring him down, it’s difficult to imagine what the Chinese might have that would be effective blackmail material.
Perhaps Biden’s smartest move would be to suggest to Putin that Russia should claim San Francisco too. SF is pretty much Leninland anyway. If Putin agrees, it would be a real win-win.
Biden wanted to meet with Putin. But Putin laughed and said he would prefer to meet with the leader of our country.
I think Mexico has first dibs on Californica.
I don’t believe the narrative coming from the liberals or conservatives on this one. I do, however, believe that the US promised Russia that Ukraine would NEVER join NATO, yet that is what is being offered to them. Putin is afraid of the New World Order that is encroaching on his country and I can’t blame him for that.
Nonsense. If any president ever made such a promise, they shouldn’t have, and no future president should honor it. If the Ukranians want to join NATO they have the right to do so; they are not Putin’s slaves. The idea that Russians are afraid of NATO is ridiculous; NATO is a purely defensive alliance that is no threat to anyone who has peaceful intentions.
Am I wrong to think the Israeli gas pipeline has been blocked, and German nukes decommissioned, ensuring that Russia has a stranglehold on Europe?
And Biden killing XL with US oil importation of 10% from Russia. Putin has been given leverage in US. The Big Guy must have dividend coupons in Russian.
Trump tried to save Europe from itself over Nordstrom 2, but they were too short-sighted, fat, and stupid to understand. They do now, but it’s too late.
I disagree. I think Europeans were well aware of what Putin is capable of, but saw the US – a weak semi-authoritarian country led by a figurehead installed through a corrupt election and sliding into totalitarianism and economic ruin – as no real counterweight to Russian imperialism. They decided it was less worse to cut deals with Putin than to count on a weak, feckless US.
I’m not at all surprised this is your assessment.
Ukraine is not a functioning ‘democracy’. It is a corrupt autocracy. That colluded with and enriched and shielded Brandon and his family from scrutiny before the US election.
The leadership of Ukraine could have prevented Brandon from becoming president simply by revealing the truth about him and his family’s corrupt financial involvement in Ukraine. Instead they chose to remain silent and let Trump be unjustly impeached.
They chose unwisely. And they are reaping the results.
Pretty much this. They thought the corrupt Bidens had honor, which is a stupid thing to think of someone you are paying to “be on your side.”
I have saying same thing, Ukraine got in bed with the Bidens and they lost.
Yep.
I may agree about Ukraine. But we must never forget that Russia is hardly a shining example of good government.
Sadly, with the Biden regime, they could say the same of us.
“They chose unwisely. And they are reaping the results.”
Yes they are.
Ukraine it is worth noting listened to Ukrainian American Democrats and ended up getting an American government that serves its interests a lot less than the Trump administration did.
They decided to collude with the Clintons, worked to try and get people close to Trump actually indicted with false evidence like the Black Book, and now they are reaping their reward for it.
They also failed to enforce even the most basic of laws on corruption and on bribing American officials they also decided not to speak up about it.
More Polish than Ukrainian officials spoke up about Burisma.
Yep. Ukraine bet on the most corrupt, worthless POS Democrats possible. They are reaping their rewards.
50 shades of Kosovo, with a caveat: the separatists did not attack Kiev, did not attack other Ukranians, but rather rejected Kiev’s authority following a violent, Western-backed coup and progressive failures for remediation.
FWIW, I wouldn’t trust US foreign policy more than 2 years at a time, so long term strong cooperation is not realistic, from anyone for any reason, unless there is a massive and clear upheaval in the electorate that promises to prevail for more than the next election.
True. Many people have found out the hard way that you can’t trust the USA to have any honor, or to stick around when the going gets tough. For instance, ask a South Vietnamese refugee.
If I were a dictator, or a mad mullah, now is when I would make my move.
The U.S. is paralyzed.
20 years of Afghan war and no appetite for another one.
Trump warned the Euros to beef up military spending and avoid building Nordstream pipeline.
He is looking more and more correct on everything
.
Israel offered to build a gas pipeline to Europe.
Biden did nothing to help that get built.
And don’t forget that the Germans just closed all their nuclear power plants
Not sure why the down vote for a factual statement, unless that person rejects the truth.
The US is not a reliable long term partner. That doesn’t mean the American people but our establishment/leadership class. We promised aid to S. Vietnam and didn’t deliver when the internal domestic politics became untenable. Same in Afghan and Iraq. Lots of examples.
That’s not a bad thing. Committing US forces should be based upon popular support either via Congress declaring a war; not since WWII and many lives lost since or at a minimum via electing a Congress that reflects that support by continuing to authorize increased appropriations to pay for the conflict.
Heck we don’t take great care of our own Veterans so it can hardly be upsetting to realize that the US govt is willing to shaft a temporary ‘ally’ of convenience.
It is a bad thing. The USA solemnly promised our South Vietnamese allies that if the communists violated the peace agreement and invaded them, we would resupply them and give them air support. In return, they agreed that they would do the fighting on the ground and not call on us to send troops to come to their rescue. It was on that basis that we withdrew from South Vietnam. When the invasion came, they kept their end of the bargain and fought off the invaders; we did not keep ours, and as a result they could not keep on defending themselves and they fell. Tens of millions were enslaved, millions were murdered, at least a million more died fleeing the country, and millions who survived the deadly escape languished in camps for years. All that is the fault of the USA, and in particular the Congressional Democrat Party, which refused to appropriate the necessary funds, for the express purpose of achieving that result. All that murder, slavery, and misery was not an unintended side-effect of a budgeting measure, it was what the Democrats intended and wanted, and the stain will never wash off them.