AFP exclusive - Ukraine won't intervene in Crimea: president

Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine will not attempt a military move to prevent the southern Crimean peninsula's breakaway in order not to expose its eastern border, Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov told AFP Tuesday in an exclusive interview.

"We cannot launch a military operation in Crimea, as we would expose the eastern border and Ukraine would not be protected," Turchynov said, as Crimea prepares to vote in a referendum Sunday on becoming part of Russia.

Crimea's upcoming referendum is a "sham" whose results will be fixed in Moscow, Turchynov told AFP.

"What they call the referendum will not happen in Crimea but in the offices of the Kremlin," Turchynov said ahead of Sunday's vote and hours after the pro-Russian authorities in Crimea voted for full independence from Ukraine.

Yahoo

Well no surprise here...Ukraine are pretty much showing their hand to Russia and Vladimir Putin, leaving themselves open to further invasion by Russian troops. I sincerely hope Ukraine aren't relying on NATO to lend a hand now they've said they aren't going to bother with military action in Crimea.

Chess move.

They absolutely love their chess over there.

He could totally be calling Putin's bluff here. This coupled with the fact that the ousted pres and Putin appear to be cooking up the return of the ousted...

Well it's just getting more complicated.

reply to post by ProfessorT


This is going down like myself and others said it would, and how it was likely organized behind the scenes with lots of parties coming to an agreement. Crimea is going to Russia, one way or another (Nikita K. gave it away in a drunken stupor or something, but Russia always was its home), and hopefully without bloodshed.

~Lucidity
Well it's just getting more complicated.

Much less complicated. You said it was a chess move, it's probably more like the end game.

Maybe they have come up with a deal? have the Crimea and leave us be.
To be honest I hope Iam right it may save bloodshed.
But what do I know eh.

See the thread about Ukraine saying it needs to go nuclear? Couple that with this. See? Complicated.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by ~Lucidity

It could have been a political move . With the new elections coming ,I would think eliminating those that would not prop up the present regime will be by default left out of the election .

reply to post by the2ofusr1

Yep. Chess moves. That's what I said in the other thread.

The game's slowed down but it's getting more interesting.

In other words they're telling the U.S. and other parties that they should do something. Who would be dumb enough to tell the enemy "Hey, we're not going to do anything about you taking our land because we don't have enough resources to. Enjoy!" and leave it that? If they really cared they'd do something about it. They don't want to shoot first, they want someone else to do it for them.

It may be right that they're signalling willingness to compromise.
But the military explanation he gave also makes sense. Looking at the map, Ukraine forces entering Crimea, and meeting local as well as Russian resistance, would be moving from north to south, and exposing their left flank to the Russians on the east.
If the military option is not realistic, admitting the fact is the sounder policy.
If they set up a defence line further west, that could be a tripwire for western intervention, and the fact might persuade the Russians not to advance further.

I can hear Putin now...

"If you like your sanctions, you can keep your sanctions"

Red Line Crossing: Ukraine Effectively Gifts Crimea To Russia, Says "Will Not Intervene Militarily"

Moscow just successfully annexed Crimea, without spilling a drop of blood. Which is what Ukraine essentially just confirmed after its acting president, who attained his position after a violent coup and remains unrecognized by Russia, told AFP in an exclusive interview saying Ukraine will not attempt a military move to prevent the southern Crimean peninsula's breakaway in order not to expose its eastern border

Op - S&F


Good catch!