This has nothing whatsoever to do with Obama. If the US doesn't want to be the world's policeman, they shouldn't get involved. Let the EU deal with it, if they can and want to. After all, it's the EU that Ukraine wants to join. Moreover, Georgia in 2008 offers a useful guide for what happens when a nationalist politician gets too encouraged by the empty promises of American support and gets a little too big for his britches. If you want to mess with the Russians on what, basically, is their turf, you'd better mean it. Dick Cheney-style empty posturing ain't gonna cut it.
His approval ratings are in the toilet. His signature legislation is a train wreck. Our economy is little better off than 5 years ago. His tenure is riddled with one scandal after another. Most who help re-elect him now regret doing so. I can't think of any real strategic interest we have in the Ukraine. Obongo is just posturing in a vain effort to look presidential. He's not going to war over this and Putin knows it. Agreed, unfortunately many of our "leaders" in Washington DO want us to be the world's police.
I watched the Sunday morning shows today where there was a lot of handwringing over Putin. I have several fundamental questions. 1. The president of Ukraine who recently took refuge in Russia was democratically elected in a fair election. He was basically driven out of office by mobs in the streets of Kiev. How is this democratic? The mobs were pro-europe, anti-russian, leading to the obvious question of how much supprt were they getting from the CIA and euro spy services. 2. What would be Obama's reaction of angry Tea Party mobs descended upon Washington, camped out in Lafayette Park across from the White House and seized and burned government buildings? Would he feel the right thing to do would be to leave office immediately? How would he react to threats from Putin or China to leave the insurgents alone? 3. How would Obama react if the Russian deputy foreign minister and a former Russian presidential candidate showed up uninvited in Washington and egged on the demonstrators, like Victoria Nuland and John McCain did in Kiev? 4. Imagine that there was a Latin american country with a sizeable American presence that we regarded as strategically important and that the leader was dangerously unstable and corrupt. Would we be justified in sending troops there to maintain order and arrest him, even though it involved a violation of their sovereignty? We did it with both Granada and Panama. We also invaded iraq and deposed their leader on flimsy evidence. Why don't the Russians have the same right to protect their interests in bordering areas? 5. The Washington Post had a lead editorial demanding sanctions against Russia that resemble those employed against Iran. What vital US interests are involved in Crimeria that would justify an act of near war? And what would we do when Russia responded by seizing the assets of American firms in russia? 6. A guest from the AEI on one show observed that NATO members in eastern europe now will feel pressured by Russia. She thought that obligated us to show support , presumably by deploying military assets or otherwise. Isn't the correct lesson that this shows how foolish it was to bring these countries into NATO and obligate ourselves to go to war with a super power on their behalf?
I doubt that there will be a need for reservists in this little episode, Comrade... You gotta remember that the Russian Army numbers nearly 1 million active personnel. So my assistance will not be needed.