Democracy Now..ROUNDTABLE Discussion on PUTIN/CRIMEA/NEW DEVELOPMENTS

[KoKo]

Fascinating Discussion with 5 Differing Opinions about what's going on in Ukraine...well worth the WEEKEND WATCH! BALANCED DISCUSSION!

------------


Roundtable: As Crimea Threatens Secession, Does East-West Split Hasten Ukraine's Polit. Divide? 1/2

&list=PL50BDB9BCCFAF09CA&feature=share&index=1


PART 2! EXCELLENT DISCUSSION:

Roundtable: As Crimea Threatens Secession, Does East-West Split Hasten Ukraine's Polit. Divide? 2/2

&feature=share&list=PL50BDB9BCCFAF09CA&index=2

FOR THOSE WITH DIAL UP...CHECK THIS OUT:

TRANSCRIPT SNIP:

Russian President Vladimir Putin is rebuffing warnings from the U.S. and European Union as the crisis in Ukraine threatens one of the worst east-west standoffs since the Cold War. The pro-Russian Crimean Parliament has voted to hold a referendum on splitting off from Ukraine and joining Russia. But the vote’s legitimacy has been called into question after the installation of a pro-Russian government in Crimea just last week. We host a roundtable discussion with three guests: Anton Shekhovtsov, a Ukrainian citizen and researcher at the University College London specializing in far-right movements; Jonathan Steele, former Moscow correspondent for The Guardian and author of "Eternal Russia: Yeltsin, Gorbachev, and the Mirage of Democracy"; and Keith Gessen, an editor at n+1 magazine who covered the 2010 Ukraine elections for The New Yorker.
Transcript

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: The pro-Russian Crimean Parliament has voted to hold a referendum on splitting off from Ukraine and joining Russia. But the vote’s legitimacy has been called into question after the installation of a pro-Russian government in Crimea just last week.

This comes as President Obama and his European allies have unveiled a coordinated set of sanctions to punish Russia for occupying Crimea. In what some are calling the worst east-west crisis since the Cold War, Obama called Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday to urge him to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis, emphasizing that Russia’s actions in Crimea were a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. During a telephone conversation between the two leaders, Putin reportedly said ties between their two countries should not suffer because of disagreements over Ukraine. Now NATO has said it will suspend cooperation with Russia, including a joint mission destroying Syria’s chemical stockpile.

Obama outlined the punitive measures being taken by his administration and said Secretary of State John Kerry will continue to hold talks with all relevant parties, including Russia and Ukraine.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This morning, I signed an executive order that authorizes sanctions on individuals and entities responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine or for stealing the assets of the Ukrainian people. According to my guidance, the State Department has also put in place restrictions on the travel of certain individuals and officials. These decisions continue our efforts to impose a cost on Russia and those responsible for the situation in Crimea, and they also give us the flexibility to adjust our response going forward based on Russia’s actions.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Meanwhile, Ukraine’s former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, has ruled out talks with Russia and urged Europe to take tough action on Crimea. Speaking on Thursday, she said the referendum is being held at "gunpoint."

YULIA TYMOSHENKO: [translated] Today, there are well-armed Russian troops in Crimea. I want to put forward to you: What type of referendum can be fair at the gunpoint of an automatic Kalashnikov? How can this referendum shed any light? Who will count the votes? Who will give a guarantee that the will of the people is not dictated by what Russia says about a territory that today is under occupation? This is why this so-called referendum is illegitimate and it violates Ukraine’s constitution. Any such referendum that affects the future of a territory must include the whole of the Ukrainian nation.

AMY GOODMAN: That’s Ukraine’s former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, speaking Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Paralympic team is set to decide whether it’s participating in the Sochi Winter Paralympics, which open in the Russian Black Sea resort later today. Many foreign dignitaries have already boycotted the games.

DIAL UPS / LOW BANDWIDTH: might want to go to LINK for TRANSCRIPT:

Show Full Transcript

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/7/roundtable_as_crimea_threatens_secession_does