[Despite angry complaints about Russia's direct military involvement in Ukraine and belligerent noises by Putin including threats of nuclear strike, the NATO it seems is rather unlikely to go beyond flexing its economic muscles, whatever it has, and making some threatening postures meant to address the concerns of its more vulnerable constituents. But the situation may nevertheless spin out of control. That could be apocalyptic. The UNSC must convene an emergency meet to ease the tensions.]
I/V. http://abcnews.go.com/International/russian-invasion-ukraine-prompts-emergency-meeting/story?id=25156827 'Russian Invasion' of Ukraine Prompts UN Emergency Meeting Aug 28, 2014, 5:29 PM ET By ABC NEWS via Good Morning America <http://abcnews.go.com/gma> 'Russian Invasion' of Ukraine Prompts UN Emergency Meeting Aug 28, 2014, 5:29 PM ET By ABC NEWS via Good Morning America PHOTO: Ukrainian soldiers ride atop an APC near the village of Sakhanka, eastern Ukraine, Aug. 27, 2014. President Obama Announces New Sanctions on Russia Next Video New Evidence About Flight 17; Bodies of Fallen Passengers Go Home Auto Start: On | Off Ukraine's president today declared that a "Russian invasion" of his country was underway and the United Nations' Security Council called an emergency session to discuss the latest crisis involving allegations of Russia's overt support for Ukrainian rebels. Rebel forces have also opened up a new front in the conflict in southern Ukraine. Heavy fighting was reported in the southeast of Ukraine near the town of Novoazovsk. The UN Security Council met today and expressed outrage, although it said it couldn't verify the reports. Russian Incursion in Ukraine 'Likely Underway,' US Says Obama Accuses Putin, Russia of Dishonesty on Ukraine Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin offered a spirited defense, saying Kiev "is waging war against its own people." U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said today, "It's clear that Russia has not only stepped up its presence in eastern Ukraine and intervened directly with combat forces, armored vehicles, artillery and surface-to-air systems." But she declined to call Russia's actions an invasion and said there were no plans for additional sanctions on Russia. "There are several different channels, all of which the United States is engaged with, that are having discussions about what the options are," Psaki said. President Obama also dodged an effort at a news conference to have him characterize Russia's actions as an invasion. "It's a continuation of what's been taking place for months now," the president said. Petro Poroshenko, who had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, canceled a visit to Turkey for the inauguration of newly elected president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and called a snap session of Ukraine's security council. "I have decided to cancel my visit to Turkey because of the sharp escalation of the situation in the Donetsk region ... as Russian forces have entered Ukraine," he said. PHOTO: Ukrainian soldiers park their hardware on the roadside as they wait for the start of the march into the town of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Aug. 27, 2014. Sergei Grits/AP Photo PHOTO: Ukrainian soldiers park their hardware on the roadside as they wait for the start of the march into the town of Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Aug. 27, 2014. Control of the area would give Russia a direct land corridor between Russia and the Crimean peninsula. The maneuver points to long-term strategic planning by Russia, a spokesman for the Ukrainian anti-terrorist command told ABC News. Colonel Konstantin Hivrenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, said Ukraine has "proof beyond any doubt" that Russian troops are now directly involved in the fighting. "There are now steady and large-scale deliveries of Russian hardware. Armored convoys are crossing the border day and night," he said. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also claims there are "uncountable" Russian tanks and artillery pieces at the Ukrainian border. Ukrainian troops have been battling against separatist rebel forces in the region since April. Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the Polish parliament that NATO had concrete proof of Russian troops operating on the territory of Ukraine. In a phone call early today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded an explanation from Russian President Vladimir Putin. French President Francois Hollande called a news conference this morning saying that Russian incursions into Ukraine were "intolerable." PHOTO: Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko makes a statement, at Boryspil airport in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. Mikhail Palinchak/AP Photo PHOTO: Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko makes a statement, at Boryspil airport in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014. The prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, told Russian TV that 3,000 to 4,000 Russian soldiers were supporting the rebels. "We have never hidden from anyone that there are many Russians amongst us," he said. "Without their help, we would have struggled and it would have been more difficult to fight." In reaction to Russia's continuing military build-up on NATO's eastern flank, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced the preparation of a Readiness Action Plan. In an interview with German Suedduetsche Zeitung, Rasmussen said NATO would form a quick reaction force to counter a possible Russian threat to countries on NATO's eastern border. Ukrainian PM Arseny Yatseniuk appealed to the United Nations to call a Security Council meeting in response to "growing military threat from Russia." *ABC News' Ali Weinberg and the Associated Press contributed to this report* "Putin started a war in Europe," he said. II/V. http://rt.com/news/183828-nato-rapid-deployment-force/ NATO planning 'rapid-deployment force' of 10,000 troops to counter Russia Published time: August 30, 2014 01:12 Edited time: August 30, 2014 10:24 German troops who are part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) (Reuters / Omar Sobhani) NATO is reportedly working towards the creation of an expeditionary force composed of 10,000 troops from seven different member states as a result of escalating tensions with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. According to the Financial Times <http://www.ft.com/home/us>, the force's creation will be spearheaded by Britain and involve contributions from Denmark, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Norway, and the Netherlands. Canada is also interested in joining the group, but it's not known what its final decision will be. Although no formal announcement has been made, British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to declare its formation at the upcoming NATO summit in Wales on September 4th. Many specifics have yet to be worked out or announced, but planners are reportedly implementing ways to increase the number of soldiers involved even more if necessary. Air and naval units will be integrated into the group, as well as ground troops led by British commanders. As noted by the Times, the creation of the force comes as a response to Russia's involvement in the ongoing Ukrainian crisis, with the ultimate goal being to *"create a fully functioning, division-sized force for rapid deployment and regular, frequent exercises."* NATO has accused Russia of deploying more than 1,000 troops into Ukraine to bolster separatists in the eastern part of the country. Russia, however, insists <http://rt.com/news/183628-lavrov-ukraine-russia-troops/> that it does not have troops operating inside of Ukraine and has dismissed NATO's assertions. Despite the fact that NATO has opted not to act militarily in Ukraine - unnamed sources told Foreign Policy <http://complex.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/08/29/no_nato_action_against_russia_or_islamic_state?utm_content=buffere8315&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer> on Friday that there are no plans to confront Russia with anything more than stronger sanctions - Jonathan Eyal of the London-based Royal United Services Institute said the group needs to demonstrate that its eastern European members are just as integral to the alliance as other states. *"We need to end the idea of different zones of security in Europe,"* he told the Financial Times. *"We need to be talking about prepositioning, regular rotation of troops and making it very clear that we do not accept that the eastern Europeans are in some different category of membership of NATO."* The revelation also arrives just a few days after NATO's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen expressed <http://rt.com/news/183064-nato-rasmussen-europe-russia/> interest in forming *"a more visible presence"* in Eastern Europe in the form of facilities capable of rapidly receiving *"response forces"* needed to counter Russia. For his part, Russia's envoy to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, said <http://rt.com/news/183268-nato-russia-border-forces/> any attempt to stretch further into the region would impact Moscow's own security planning. III/V. http://m.timesofindia.com/world/europe/Dont-mess-with-nuclear-Russia-Putin-says/articleshow/41235657.cms?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=digest_section Don't mess with nuclear Russia, Putin says Aug 30, 2014, 06.19AM IST Reuters LAKE SELIGER, Russia: President Vladimir Putin said on Friday Russia's armed forces, backed by its nuclear arsenal, were ready to meet any aggression, declaring at a pro-Kremlin youth camp that foreign states should understand: "It's best not to mess with us." Putin told the assembly, on the banks of a lake near Moscow, the Russian takeover of Crimea in March was essential to save a largely Russian-speaking population from Ukrainian government violence. He said continued fighting in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists launched an uprising in April, was the result of a refusal by Kiev to negotiate. Ukraine, and Western governments, accuse Russia of sending troops and armour to back the separatists in a conflict that has already killed over 2,000 people. Russia denies the charge. "Russia is far from being involved in any large-scale conflicts," he said at the camp on the banks of Lake Seliger. "We don't want that and don't plan on it. But naturally, we should always be ready to repel any aggression towards Russia. "Russia's partners...should understand it's best not to mess with us," said Putin, dressed casually in a grey sweater and light blue jeans. "Thank God, I think no one is thinking of unleashing a large-scale conflict with Russia. I want to remind you that Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers." Putin compared Kiev's assault on the rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Luhansk to the 900-day Nazi siege of Leningrad in which 1 million civilians died, perhaps the most powerful historical analogy it is possible to invoke in Russia. "Small villages and large cities surrounded by the Ukrainian army which is directly hitting residential areas with the aim of destroying the infrastructure," he said. "It sadly reminds me the events of the Second World War, when German fascist...occupiers surrounded our cities." Putin spoke easily with the students, many of whom looked to be asking scripted questions about demography and history. Other times he accepted gifts or, smilingly, played down their praise. When a student said that she had not heard a single negative comment about Putin's presidency from camp speakers, he responded with a grin that "objectivity" was important. His tone darkened when speaking on Ukraine, blaming the United States and the European Union for the "unconstitutional" removal of Kiev's former Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovich and replacement with a pro-European government. He said eastern Ukraine did not agree with Yanukovich's removal and was now subjected to "crude military force" from government planes, tanks and artillery. "If those are contemporary European values, then I'm simply disappointed in the highest degree," he said, comparing Ukraine's military operations in the east of the country with the Nazi siege of Leningrad in World War Two. "Small villages and large cities surrounded by the Ukrainian army which is directly hitting residential areas with the aim of destroying the infrastructure... It sadly reminds me of the events of the Second World War, when German fascist... occupiers surrounded our cities." IV/V. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28993873 30 August 2014 Last updated at 04:11 Ukraine crisis: EU leaders consider response to Russia Ukraine says Russian forces are fighting alongside rebels in the east of the country EU leaders are to meet in Brussels to consider fresh sanctions against Russia following accusations that its troops are fighting inside Ukraine. Russia denies that its regular forces are backing a rebel offensive in eastern Ukraine. But ahead of the summit, EU officials said a clear message must be sent to Russia to de-escalate the crisis. In Ukraine, a number of government troops remain encircled by the rebels in the Donetsk region. Reports say the pro-Russian fighters have issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian troops near the town of Ilovaisk to surrender by Saturday morning. Some 2,600 people have died in fighting in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The conflict there erupted in April following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula a month before. In Brussels, the leaders of the 28-member bloc are also to decide who will fill two of Europe's top jobs: president of the European Council and foreign policy chief <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28989875> to replace Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton. 'New dimension' A few hours before the summit, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is due to meet Mr Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso, the outgoing head of the Commission. Ukraine's government forces launched their "anti-terror operation" in April Residents of Mariupol are digging trenches to help Ukrainian soldiers defend the strategic port city Mr Poroshenko is expected to press for tougher action against the Kremlin and will later make a speech at the summit. On Friday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that the "already dangerous situation" in Ukraine had now entered "a whole new dimension". "The border infringements have intensified, and raised concerns that the situation is slipping out of control. "This needs to stop, especially if we want to avoid direct military confrontation between Ukrainian and Russian military forces." He was referring to claims by Ukraine that regular Russian troops had entered Ukraine, capturing the south-eastern town of Novoazovsk. Russia denies the accusation. Mr Steinmeier's sentiments were echoed by other EU foreign ministers: - France's Laurent Fabius spoke of "unacceptable" intervention by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine - Sweden's Carl Bildt said a clear message had to be sent to Russia: "We have to be aware of what we are facing: we are in the midst of the second Russian invasion of Ukraine within a year" - The Netherlands' Frans Timmermans said the presence of Russian soldiers in eastern Ukraine could not "remain unanswered" But it remains unclear if a new round of sanctions will be adopted in Brussels. The EU and the US have already imposed sanctions against dozens of senior Russian officials, separatist commanders and Russian firms accused of undermining Ukrainian sovereignty. In late July, the EU also blacklisted some key economic sectors, prompting Russia to retaliate by banning food imports. Russia's energy minister has warned that the Ukrainian crisis could lead to a disruption of gas supplies <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28979642> to European countries this winter. Nato membership On Friday, Nato held an emergency meeting after releasing satellite images it said showed columns of Russian armed forces inside Ukrainian territory. This satellite image provided by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe shows what Nato identifies as Russian self-propelled artillery in Ukraine Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called on Russia to "take immediate and verifiable steps towards de-escalation". Mr Rasmussen also indicated Nato could consider Ukraine's application to join the alliance, shortly after Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced he was putting Ukraine on course for Nato membership. [image: Grey line] War in eastern Ukraine: The human cost - At least 2,593 people killed since mid-April (not including 298 passengers and crew of Malaysian Airlines MH17, shot down in the area) - UN report on 7 August - 951 civilians killed in Donetsk region alone, official regional authorities said - 20 August - In some particularly dangerous places, such as Luhansk region, victims are said to have been buried informally, making accurate counts difficult - Rebels (and some military sources) accuse the government of concealing true numbers - 155,800 people have fled elsewhere in Ukraine while at least 188,000 have gone to Russia. V. https://twitter.com/RT_com/status/505488059631038464 Moscow warns of reprisal over Poland's 'outrageous' airspace closure for Russian Defense Minister's jet http://on.rt.com/67r0px <http://t.co/cUnHwL2xty> -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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