Recent content by voko

This is a bunch of truisms. Obviously, neither Russia nor the other three countries can be legally responsible for whatever happened in a technically sovereign nation. That is not the reason why agreement was "witnessed" and counter-signed by Russia and the other countries.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/21/agreement-on-the-settlement-of-crisis-in-ukraine-full-text You are repeating the point which is irrelevant, as I already said.

It may be that Russia has some old-fashioned ideas of diplomacy, where a signed deal is a deal and its breach is unacceptable. No wonder, then, that the West's new diplomacy is not appreciated. And Russia sees that exactly the other way around. Russia obviously sees that differently. The...

You are fundamentally mistaken here. This distinction does not exist for Russia. As a sovereign state, it won't accept being punished by any other state for whatever reason, but especially if the other state invokes a "crime and punishment" rationalization, as you did, because that adds insult...

@nikkkom @russ_watters It looks like I won't have much time today and probably tomorrow to spend on the forum and address your questions. I will eventually, worst case over the weekend. Cheers.

It may be key for something, but not for your invocation of "hypothetical", which is what I am discussing with you here. I never debated that there was (normally) continuity and causality in politics. What logic? You and other people keep talking about invasions and ascribing to me something...

That was not my point. You said something was hypothetical, conditional on a big *IF*. While in fact the thing which you call hypothetical is pretty much in effect now. I am not suggesting anything here, not today in this thread at least. Pretty obvious, that. As Vlad said not so long a ago...

Which no sane person would not applaud to. The method, which you proposed, however, would do exactly that: antagonize them, or keep them antagonized. Because that method is what the "outlandish propaganda" is telling the Russians about the West. Yes, I find that method wholly ineffectual for...

That is false. Please stop making things up.

Quite obviously, nothing about invasions.

I never said that.

No. And you could ask a less trivial question.

This is why I said it should be addressed elsewhere. Because, you see, there are millions of Russians supporting Putin, and a handful who have told you they do not. Just mentioning the second group means it is at least as important as the other one, which implies what I wrote. You mean they...

This is a question you should address to nikkkom, and, probably, to US policy makers. It was not I who suggested a policy which defeats its own purpose. Oh, you mean there are first-class Russians, and second-class Russians, and the second-class Russians matter very little? Please do not mix...

It may be what you meant, but you said "before they a had a reason". Which implies there is a reason now. Which, given what I wrote in the previous message, may very well be the case. Regardless, I believe that you are mistaken in judging that it is Putin, and not the Russians, who is being...