Do we have a russian community in Singapore? I'm worried if putin might try to do the same towards us. I hope our SAF is capable to suppress Russian separatists and fight off Russian conventional troops when the moment comes.
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Serious Kiev vs Moscow! Showdown! (2022)
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Do we have a russian community in Singapore? I'm worried if putin might try to do the same towards us. I hope our SAF is capable to suppress Russian separatists and fight off Russian conventional troops when the moment comes.
To be fair, the US also denied a referendum by the southern states to leave the United States back in the 1860s.
That already happened during the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russia, the principal country of USSR, recognized their independence, including that of Ukraine.
Ethnic russians want to be with mother russia.
Ukrainians had a difficult history in the 20th century under soviet rule. Most don't really want anything to do with russia.
But at the same time, Ukrainian leaders are poking and instigating for a fight with russia, urged on by the US.
Soviet union is not russia.
Some tartar areas, snd maybe chechnya may want a referendum if offered.
And Sakhalin islands may want to reunite with japan.
I am worry if China PRC here wants Singapore to be governed by China
Imposing sanctions against Russia is no use. Just look at North Korea. After years of sanctions, they are appearing even stronger with better ballistic missiles and nuclear enrichment today. Look at Iran, the sanctions made them even more demanding now when they are currently negotiating on the lifting of their sanctions.
The reason is because even with sanctions, these countries will still trade with their own peers (ie: those under similarly imposed sanctions), and especially with the commie countries. So, sanctions are not going to work as history has already proven.
The reason is because even with sanctions, these countries will still trade with their own peers (ie: those under similarly imposed sanctions), and especially with the commie countries. So, sanctions are not going to work as history has already proven.
China prc can count on the millions of sympathisers from south east asia.
poking the bear. not wise.
joe is outsmarted, outplayed, outsexecuted. let’s go brandon. fuck joe biden.
Anyone can outsmart n outplay Brandon...n he got 85million votes? C'mon Man
Putin is brilliant. He did not need to invade.
Those provinces declared independence and he recognised them immediately.
And sent in the peacekeepers.
If Ukraine continues bombarding those russian areas, then they will be invaded under self defence.
Those provinces declared independence and he recognised them immediately.
And sent in the peacekeepers.
If Ukraine continues bombarding those russian areas, then they will be invaded under self defence.
have to agree. sad for the country. one loudmouthed loopy buffoon followed by one past his use by date.
even if he pull all his troops back to Russia without occupation Joe will still look like a lily livered alarmist. Tails Putin wins. Heads Joe loses.
Invasion? Incursion? How do we describe what Putin and Russia are doing in Ukraine?
By Stan GrantPosted 5h ago5 hours ago, updated 3h ago3 hours ago
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'An extremely dangerous moment in history': Former chief foreign correspondent warns Putin won't stop.(Phil Williams)
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Has Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine? What word do we use to describe this? It is certainly a military operation; it can be called an incursion.
I'm sure that, to those caught in the crossfire, it feels like an invasion. To most of us it is obviously an invasion.
But it is not that simple.
The UK has called it an invasion. The British health secretary Sajid Javid said "you can conclude the invasion of Ukraine has begun".
US President Joe Biden says this is the "start of an invasion".
What's in a word? A lot. And when it comes to the amorphous concept of international law, what quacks like a duck and waddles like a duck can be interpreted as a dog.
Tanks were spotted in Donetsk in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian troops.(Reuters: Alexander Ermochenko)
Let's consider the definitions
The United Nations defines aggression as "the use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another state."The UN definition of war is based on actions, not words. It includes:
- Any military occupation, however temporary, resulting from such invasion or attack.
- Any annexation by the use of force of the territory of another State
- Bombardment by the armed forces of a State against the territory of another State.
- The use of weapons by a State against the territory of another State.
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Except military action can be justified on humanitarian grounds. Putin maintains he is sending in "peacekeepers" to protect ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine.
He has claimed genocide is being committed against Russian-speaking citizens of Donbas. Putin's allegations have been largely dismissed but it forms his case for calling in his troops.
He also points to the Minsk-II agreement which set out a form of political autonomy for Donetsk and Luhansk. Although the Minsk settlement to the 2014 Ukraine conflict is not fully implemented, Putin seizes on that to challenge Ukraine sovereignty.
To Putin, these are Russian people seeking to live within Russia's sphere of influence.
A grey area
Humanitarian intervention is considered legitimate alongside self-defence and UN Security Council Authorisation.Political scientist Ian Hurd argues "the practice of humanitarian intervention exists in a space between legality and illegality".
Humanitarian intervention, he says, "as a category is indeterminate".
It is a grey area, an area of ambiguity. The US made a case for humanitarian action as part of its justification for war in Iraq.
The NATO intervention in the former Yugoslavia was also justified on humanitarian grounds. That intervention led to further expansion of NATO, something Putin has used as his own pretext for military action.
In both cases the US and NATO were accused of breaches of international law.
Putin has been accused of a violation of international law. But as lawyer Constantine Petallides has put it: Is international law actually law?
As he says it balances the international order. It is built on treaties and obligations and consent. States are sovereign and act in their own interests or against perceived or real threats. They form alliances.
The United Nations sets out binding compacts such as the UN Declaration on Human Rights or the Convention Against Torture, but signatory nations flout those obligations.
The US has been accused of disregarding the Geneva Conventions in prosecuting the War on Terror.
In the case of breaches, who enforces the law?
Petallides says: "When a state seeks to achieve a goal that lies outside of what is allowed under international law, it will disregard some or all of its obligations and continue regardless."International law, it seems, matters only when it suits.
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It is shocking to many that international law is not actually law, Petallides says. But, he argues, it represents the best aspirations of humanity. It is worth pursuing stronger enforcement and holding countries to account.
But for now, Vladimir Putin, as other nations have done, can flout law and create his own pretext for military action.
Putin is showing that the world is not determined by law but too often by power. He has challenged the power of the US and NATO.
Russia analyst Alexey Muraviev, on ABC News, said simply that Putin has already won. Perhaps. He will still pay a price with severe sanctions. And it is unclear where this all ends.
Invasion, incursion, operation? Words matter less than deeds.
Here is another word: Suffering. Suffering for those caught in the crossfire. Of that we can be certain.
Stan Grant is the ABC's international affairs analyst and presents China Tonight on Monday at 9:35pm on ABC TV, and Tuesday at 8pm on the ABC News Channel.
US and Europe respond to 'beginning of a Russian invasion' with initial volley of sanctions
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What you need to know about Russia ordering troops into Ukraine.
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The crisis in Ukraine has continued to escalate, with Russia's parliament authorising President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside his country and Western leaders responding by slapping sanctions on Russian oligarchs and banks.
Key points:
- Vladimir Putin has recognised two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent
- Russian troops have entered separatist regions of Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says
- Britain and the US have announced sanctions on Russian banks and individuals
Meanwhile, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he was calling up some of his country's military reservists but added that there was no need for a full military mobilisation.
In an overnight address to the nation, Mr Zelenskyy said his decree applied only to those assigned to the so-called "operational reserve" — which is typically activated during periods of ongoing hostilities — and would cover "a special period of time", without clarifying what that meant.
Mr Zelenskyy has said he would consider breaking diplomatic ties with Russia, and has recalled Ukraine's ambassador to Moscow.
Ukraine has called on the country's reservists to defend the country against Russian aggression. (Reuters: Gleb Garanich)
Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said earlier this year that Ukraine could call on up to 2.5 million people.
Both US President Joe Biden and Mr Putin have signalled that an even bigger confrontation could lie ahead.
Mr Putin has yet to unleash the force of the estimated 150,000 troops amassed on three sides of Ukraine and, while Mr Biden held back on the toughest sanctions that could cause economic turmoil for Russia, he said they would go ahead if there was further aggression.
The measures came as some sources say Russian forces have rolled into rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Mr Putin said he was recognising the independence of the separatist region in defiance of US and European demands.
Ukrainians have been preparing for a full-scale invasion by Russia. (AP: Efrem Lukatsky)
After an urgent National Security Committee meeting, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia will join other Western nations to impose financial sanctions on Russia, as punishment for its actions in Ukraine.
Mr Morrison said targeted travel bans and financial sanctions would be imposed on eight individuals on Russia's national security council who are "aiding and abetting" the invasion, and broader sanctions will be extended to the separatist Ukrainian regions.
Speaking at the White House, Mr Biden said the Kremlin had flagrantly violated international law in what he called the "beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine".
He warned of more sanctions if Mr Putin went further.
"We are united in our support of Ukraine," Mr Biden said.
When it comes to Russian claims of a justification or pretext for an invasion, Mr Biden said: "None of us should be fooled. None of us will be fooled. There is no justification."
Tanks were seen in Donetsk after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of Russian "peacekeeping" troops.(Reuters: Alexander Ermochenko)
Sanctions replace diplomacy
Hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the threat of invasion — which US officials have for weeks portrayed as all-but-inevitable — appeared to evaporate.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelled plans for a Thursday meeting in Geneva with his Russian counterpart, saying it would not be productive and that Russia's actions indicated that Moscow was not serious about a peaceful path to resolving the crisis.
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Western nations sought to present a united front, with more than two dozen European Union members unanimously agreeing to levy their own initial set of sanctions against Russian officials.
Germany also said it was halting the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, a lucrative deal long sought by Moscow.
The US, meanwhile, moved to cut off Russia's government from Western finance, sanctioning two of its banks and blocking it from trading in its debt on American and European markets.
Mr Biden's administration's actions hit civilian leaders in Russia's leadership hierarchy and two Russian banks considered especially close to the Kremlin and Russia's military, which affect more than $US80 billion ($110 billion) in assets.
That includes freezing all of those bank's assets under US jurisdictions.
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Duration: 27 seconds27s
Joe Biden says the US is united in support of Ukraine in response to Russia escalations.
Mr Biden, though, did hold back some of the broadest and toughest of the financial penalties contemplated by the US, including:
- sanctions that would reinforce the hold that Germany put on any startup of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
- an export ban that would deny Russia US high-tech equipment for its industries and military
- sweeping bans that could cripple Russia's ability to do business with the rest of the world.
The US is sending about 800 infantry troops and 40 attack aircraft to the Baltics and NATO's eastern flank from other locations within Europe, according to a senior Defense official.
In addition, a contingent of F-35 strike fighters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will also be relocated.
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his country would also impose sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine, including prohibiting the issuance of Russian bonds in Japan and freezing the assets of certain individuals.
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, at a meeting of her National Security Council's working group on the Ukraine crisis, said all the island's security and military units "must raise their surveillance and early warning of military developments around the Taiwan Strait", a reference to China's movements in the region.
She has expressed "empathy" for Ukraine's situation because of the military threat the island faces from China.
Putin issues demands
Earlier, members of Russia's Upper House, the Federation Council, voted unanimously to allow Mr Putin to use military force outside the country, effectively formalising a Russian military deployment to the rebel regions, where an eight-year conflict has killed nearly 15,000 people.Biden has a chance to show he can lead
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Shortly afterward, Mr Putin laid out three conditions to end the crisis.
Mr Putin said the crisis could be resolved if:
- Kyiv recognises Russia's sovereignty over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014,
- renounces its bid to join NATO
- Ukraine partially demilitarises.
Asked whether he has sent any Russian troops into Ukraine and how far they could go, Mr Putin responded: "I haven't said that the troops will go there right now."
He added that it was "impossible to forecast a specific pattern of action — it will depend on a concrete situation as it takes shape on the ground".
Russia has been gathering troops and conducting drills near Ukraine's borders for months. (AP: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service )
'An invasion is an invasion'
The EU announced initial sanctions aimed at the 351 Russian lawmakers who voted for recognising separatist regions in Ukraine, as well as 27 other Russian officials and institutions from the defence and banking sectors.How the US plans to respond to Russia
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They also sought to limit Moscow's access to EU capital and financial markets.
With tensions rising and a broader conflict looking more likely, the White House began referring to the Russian deployments in the region known as the Donbas as an "invasion", after initially hesitating to use the term: a red line that Mr Biden had said would result in severe sanctions.
"We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia's latest invasion into Ukraine," US principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said on CNN.
"An invasion is an invasion, and that is what is underway."
Western leaders have long-warned Moscow would look for cover to invade — and just such a pretext appeared to come on Monday, when Mr Putin recognised as independent two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, where government troops have fought Russian-backed rebels.
The Kremlin then raised the stakes further by saying that Russia's recognition extends even to the large parts of Donbas now held by Ukrainian forces.
Mr Putin said Russia had recognised the rebel regions' independence in the borders that existed when they made their declaration in 2014, that incorporates broad territories that extend far beyond the areas now under separatist control and that include the major Azov Sea port of Mariupol.
He added, however, that the rebels should eventually negotiate with Ukraine.
A man carries bags and a bunch of tulips on a bicycle in Stanytsia Luhanska, the only open crossing point in the Luhansk region.(AP: Vadim Ghirda)
Condemnation from around the world
In Washington, lawmakers from both parties in Congress backed an independent Ukraine and vowed continued US support, even as some pushed for swifter and even more-severe sanctions on Russia.Senators had been considering a sanctions package against Putin's regime but held off as the White House pursued its strategy.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any Russian troops deployed to eastern Ukraine would not be "peacekeepers" because Moscow had backed — and the UN had rejected — President Vladimir Putin's claim that a genocide of ethnic Russians was being committed there.
Mr Guterres said he was "concerned about the perversion of the concept of peacekeeping".
"I do not think it is the case," Mr Guterres said when asked about Mr Putin's assertion last week that the treatment of ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine was genocide.
If Mr Putin pushes further into Ukraine, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg insisted the West would move in lock step.
"If Russia decides once again to use force against Ukraine, there will be even stronger sanctions, even a higher price to pay," Mr Stoltenberg said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK would slap sanctions on five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals. He warned a full-scale offensive would bring "further powerful sanctions".
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Duration: 4 minutes 13 seconds4m 13s
The Ukraine Gambit: Putin's Power Play.
ABC/AP
Posted 14h ago14 hours ago, updated 1h ago
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