Sec. Kerry on Ukraine (MSNBC -Andrea Mitchell)

[MBS]

16-minute interview 2-26-14
http://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/kerry-russia-doesnt-want-unstable-ukraine-171701315895

[mylye2222]

1. No, Russia wants Ukraine under its exclussive SUBMISSION!

That's different. Putin and other never accepted the need of sovereignty of their former USSR satellite republics. Thats the point.

[ProSense]

2. Thanks for posting.

It's always better to hear the actual interview than the media spin.

One thing I noticed is that everyone in the media tends to portray military action as the strongest response. No, sometimes it's the stupidest move.

[MBS]

3. Totally agree.

This is a very delicate and fraught situation. High emotions on all sides, combined with important cultural, geographical, political and economic issues, with grudges and fears (some of them even justified) that go back centuries. Even the pro-Ukraine contingent itself consists of many constituencies, including both idealistic activists who are worthy of admiration but also some antisemitic far-right nationalists . Plus political corruption on all sides. And Putin and his army right over the border, ready to come to the "rescue" of Sebastopol Russians.
In a front page story this week (yesterday? today?), the NYT implicitly criticized Obama for being "wary", with a tone that even (bizarrely, shamefully) suggested some nostalgia for the dangerously simplistic black-white warmonger approach of W. (SHAME on you, NYT). Well, Obama is right to be wary: there are a lot of serious and complex and consequential issues -- and PEOPLE -- at stake.
Sounds like a job for the Super Diplomat Sec. Kerry! : )

[Luftmensch067]

4. Thanks for the interview link!

I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Just found this http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/elections-dont-always-lead-to-democracy-john-kerry/articleshow/31086447.cms

As usual, he makes real sense in this piece (sadly, the text itself mentions that there were only a few reporters in attendance) with dead-on analysis of the situation in Ukraine and gives the broader world view as well. I love this:

"In Ukraine, you had this incredible kleptocracy going on, with no real representation, no voice for the opposition, no willingness to listen to the opposition, in fact they jailed them instead. That's not democracy," Kerry said.