Winter must have begun... Happens every year like clockwork.

Russia pushes Ukraine on gas debt

Russia has demanded Ukraine repay a $2.4bn (£1.7bn; 2bn euro) gas debt, raising fears of a renewed dispute which could disrupt supplies to Europe.

Ukraine said it owed just half the amount to RosUkrEnergo, a trading firm co-owned by the Russian giant Gazprom.

"We need to clarify ourselves with Ukraine's debt and recover it on a goodwill or compulsory basis", said Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev.

Cont/...

I think we should call it a tradition.

Nothing to do with gas debt, I just couldn't find any other "Ukrainian" thread.

Ukrainian troops would be redeployed to the border with Russia. At the same time "President Viktor Yushchenko has authorized Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov to sign an agreement between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the transit of NATO forces and personnel on the territory of Ukraine" http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...OY2aamtrFNs3Tw
Also "Berlin — The United States has started an unexpected diplomatic initiative in Europe, urging NATO allies to offer Georgia and Ukraine membership in the alliance without going through a lengthy process and fulfilling a long list of requirements, NATO diplomats said." www.nytimes.com/2008/1...mp;emc=rss

Interesting developments.

Originally Posted by Domovoy

Nothing to do with gas debt, I just couldn't find any other "Ukrainian" thread.

Ukrainian troops would be redeployed to the border with Russia. At the same time "President Viktor Yushchenko has authorized Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov to sign an agreement between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on the transit of NATO forces and personnel on the territory of Ukraine" http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=e...OY2aamtrFNs3Tw
Also "Berlin — The United States has started an unexpected diplomatic initiative in Europe, urging NATO allies to offer Georgia and Ukraine membership in the alliance without going through a lengthy process and fulfilling a long list of requirements, NATO diplomats said." www.nytimes.com/2008/1...mp;emc=rss

Interesting developments.

Domovoy, this deserves its own dedicated thread. Go on, do it !!

Originally Posted by RCT(V)

Domovoy, this deserves its own dedicated thread. Go on, do it !!

Provoker

Rusins are taking the first step to end artificially created by Stalin Ukraine:

"The Congress Rusins held in the town of Mukachevo - the administrative center of the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine called the authorities to the negotiating table with Subcarpathian Ruthenians: ""If by December 1, Transcarpathian Regional Council will not declare a national autonomy Ruthenians within Ukraine, the Ruthenians are ready to proclaim their own" statehood " http://translate.google.co.uk/transl...%3Den%26sa%3DG

Rusyns have formed a provisional government, in its jurisdiction is proclamation of independence of Carpathian Ruthenia. http://translate.google.co.uk/transl...%3Den%26sa%3DG

Of course Yuschenko will do anything to stop it from happening, but Carpathian Ruthenia and Crimea are just the beginning.

You know it does occur to me that if Russia is getting ready to invade Ukriane then everything they have been doing the past few years makes sense. The constant missile launches going nuts about a defensive ABM system in Poland the constant saber ratteling even and there military actions in Georgia a small country that west wasnt willing to fight for. All those actions seem irrational and unnecessary to the west but if russia is preparing for a major war where its biggest threat is western intervention well then it all adds up.

Originally Posted by Siddar

You know it does occur to me that if Russia is getting ready to invade Ukriane then everything they have been doing the past few years makes sense. The constant missile launches going nuts about a defensive ABM system in Poland the constant saber ratteling even and there military actions in Georgia a small country that west wasnt willing to fight for. All those actions seem irrational and unnecessary to the west but if russia is preparing for a major war where its biggest threat is western intervention well then it all adds up.

Why would Russia want to invade Ukraine?

The only bit of Ukraine Russia has interest in is Sevastopol.

Russia can have Crimea yesterday, today, tomorrow, any time; as soon as it will give Crimeans indication they will be reunited with Russia. Crimean Tatars (not Mejlis though, it sees Crimea as part of Caliphate under protectorate of Turkey) already petitioned Moscow asking for protection against Ukrainian nationalism; they don't mind having same status Russian Tatars have...

Rusyns long-term plan is a reunion with the rest of the ethnos mainly in Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia...

Ukrainian Russians (there are only around 9 million of them in the whole of Ukraine) and Ukrainians (Malorussians) feel largely betraied by Russia that left them to their devices and under what they consider an ideological occupation of Galitchina...

Russia will not attack Ukraine as it didn't attack Georgia, but if Yuschenko will come up with a provocation (the majority of Ukrainians on both sides of the divide think it's going to happen) I would be surprised if by the end of the first day conflict with Russia will not turn into a civil war in Ukraine.

Originally Posted by Domovoy

Originally Posted by Siddar

You know it does occur to me that if Russia is getting ready to invade Ukriane then everything they have been doing the past few years makes sense. The constant missile launches going nuts about a defensive ABM system in Poland the constant saber ratteling even and there military actions in Georgia a small country that west wasnt willing to fight for. All those actions seem irrational and unnecessary to the west but if russia is preparing for a major war where its biggest threat is western intervention well then it all adds up.

Why would Russia want to invade Ukraine?

The only bit of Ukraine Russia has interest in is Sevastopol.

God have mercy on us all.