I wanted to "correct" myself in this post I made earlier, highlighted in red below has been bothering me since I wrote it because I remember my father telling me something some years ago right before he died in 2009 about Putin, my father told me to never under-estimate Russia, and watch Putin closely!
What I wrote below, the first sentence, I'd like to comment further on. YES, Putin seen what was coming to the Ukraine for a long time. and YES he knew how easy the west could pull a coup there....what I am trying to say is Putin LET IT HAPPEN IMO. Putin could of easily moved his troops along the Ukraine boarder before the coup, but didn't. Instead he made a military move after the coup and then moved them back, at the same time securing Crimea.
This may sound crazy, but I think Putin allowed this coup to happen in the Ukraine in order to basically have better control of manipulating the US economy, for leverage. In hindsight, the 15 billion dollar loan Putin was giving the Ukraine right before all this happened was basically a strategic move to get the west to act and to speed this whole situation up IMO. The more I think about this the more I realize what a brilliant move Putin made. Now the west, especially the US is basically stuck in the mud with this and all they can do is implement some ridiculous sanctions that are making the Russians laugh.
All Putin has to do right now is move towards Ukraine and our markets fall, he can retreat and our markets rise.....looking a little deeper he can actually do this same thing with the European markets simply by threatening to shut off all the oil and gas supplies. Also, IMO, this "new" leverage Putin has may be causing the West to re-think a few things......as there really is no pawns right now that the West can use against Russia for a type of proxy war over this Ukraine issue, except for maybe Turkey, but the West really needs to keep Turkey available for other issues coming in the future I'd guess.
I think Putin made a major move pertaining to the Ukraine and Crimea.....he knew there was no way for the West to inject there radical Islamic freedom fighters in to this region like they have been throughout the Middle east and North Africa.
We all mostly have seen only the West having their influence and causing what has happened in the Ukraine to happen, but from another angle it very well could of been Putin who master-minded and manipulated this whole event to happen.
Something to think about.......
Posted by SilentFeathers (here)
Putin had to see what was coming to the Ukraine many months ago, if not longer, perhaps he actually did not see how easy the west could pull a coup there. Either way it seems to me that a deal was made that Russia could get Crimea out of the deal to make up for the double-cross so to speak.
There's an obvious rift either way that I see with the West and Russia. To think Putin/Russia is in bed and aligned with the West is a mistake and not wise IMO. Sure they make back door deals with each other, but I doubt very much they secretly hug and kiss each other. This is big business at the highest levels, situations like this HAVE caused huge wars and World Wars in the past.
There is a shift happening in my opinion and it's getting more vivid and verbal...and volatile. Alliances are shifting and being re-established with old friends AND enemies alike. Nations are picking sides and making huge adjustments. Certain players are being eliminated or knocked in to chaotic situations to render them useless. Some are getting stripped of everything while others are getting armed to the teeth......
Oh, by the way. is the missile shield Russia's been bitching about for years now being built?
Sooner or later it won't be all about money and oil, eventually it'll be also about identity and survival at the basic levels, that day is quickly approaching IMO. It's already arrived in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, and Syria to some extent, and several other countries.......these countries couldn't rally the support for protection, but yet were conquered and basically destroyed in the name of freedom with a promise of protection. Putin tossed a wrench in Syria's downfall, but watch, it is yet to fall....we'll likely see that happen this year or the next. (after the mid term elections).