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Experts Say Russia Has Re-Emerged as a Great Power While Obama has Been President

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Photo Credit: Reuters By ROBERT WILDE

Sebastian Gorka, a Professor of War and Conflict Studies at National Defense University in Washington, told Breitbart News Saturday that Russia has re-emerged as a great power while Obama has been President.

Gorka, who holds a PhD and is also an Associate fellow at the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM)’s Joint Special Operations University, asserts that Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, has reinvigorated itself due in large part to the weakness demonstrated by the United States and Europe.

Russia, with its economic stranglehold in Western Europe and the United States’ recently announced defense cuts, can pretty much do what it wants to do in the most important land mass of the 20th century. “If you think about it we got involved in two world wars because of the Eurasian Continent, and now if you just had to pick one person who can do what he likes in Eurasia it’s not going to be the US President, it’s not going to be the Chancellor of Germany or even the British Prime Minister. It is a former Colonel in the KGB who is shaping the future of Europe.”

Read more from this story HERE.

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Crimeans vote in referendum on whether to break away from Ukraine, join Russia

By Carol Morello, Pamela Constable and Anthony Faiola.

Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and join Russia, election officials said Sunday, capping a heavy-handed campaign that blocked most voters from hearing a vision for any alternative to unification with Moscow.

Mikhail Malyshev, a senior election commission spokesman in the Crimean capital of Simferopol, announced that with a little more than 50 percent of the ballots counted, about 93 percent had voted in favor of joining Russia.

The White House and Western governments rejected the referendum, conducted as thousands of Russian troops occupied the peninsula, and are eyeing sanctions. Ukraine’s interim prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, dismissed the vote as a “circus” under the “stage direction” of Moscow. Russia has staunchly defended it.

A vote in favor of seceding from Ukraine was widely expected; ethnic Russians make up 60 percent of Crimea’s population, and the region has deep historical ties to Russia. But the vote may only complicate the biggest standoff between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War and increase security fears in the rest of Ukraine and in other former Soviet states.

Tensions rose elsewhere in Ukraine on Sunday. In the eastern city of Donetsk, thousands of pro-Russian demonstrators rallied in support of following Crimea’s lead and holding a referendum on joining Russia. Clusters of protesters stormed two government offices. Pro-Russian activists in Kharkiv, another troubled city in Ukraine’s east, charged into a cultural center and burned Ukrainian-language books while several thousand Moscow sympathizers marched in the southern city of Odessa, according to the Reuters news agency.

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Photo Credit: Fox News Crimea referendum: Wide condemnation after region votes to split from Ukraine

By Fox News.

Crimean voters on Sunday overwhelmingly backed a referendum to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, in an election denounced by the United States, Europe and the Ukrainian government as illegal and destabilizing.

Fireworks exploded and Russian flags fluttered above jubilant crowds after the vote, which election officials said stood at 95 percent with more than half of the ballots counted.

The vote, the final results of which were not expected until Monday, offered voters on the strategic Black Sea peninsula the choice of seeking annexation by Russia or remaining in Ukraine with greater autonomy.

Opponents of secession appeared to largely stay away Sunday, denouncing the vote as a cynical power play/land grab by Russia. But turnout was reported to be well above the 50 percent that would make the referendum binding — and secession was expected to be approved overwhelmingly.

“We want to go back home, and today we are going back home,” said Viktoria Chernyshova, a 38-year-old businesswoman. “We needed to save ourselves from those unprincipled clowns who have taken power in Kiev.”

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Russia says Intercepted US Drone Over Crimea

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Photo Credit: AFP Photo/John MooreA United States surveillance drone has been intercepted above the Ukranian region of Crimea, a Russian state arms and technology group said Friday.

“The drone was flying at about 4,000 metres (12,000 feet) and was virtually invisible from the ground. It was possible to break the link with US operators with complex radio-electronic” technology, said Rostec in a statement.

The drone fell “almost intact into the hands of self-defence forces” added Rostec, which said it had manufactured the equipment used to down the aircraft, but did not specify who was operating it.

Read more from this story HERE.

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Russia, China Expanding Their Militaries As U.S. Shrinks

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Photo Credit: APAs the United States prepares to draw down its military to, if President Barack Obama gets his way, pre-World War II levels, countries around the world that do not exactly share our interests are building up their militaries.

First up on the build-up list – Russia. Even as Russia continues to occupy Crimea, and even as France is hosting talks to defuse that crisis, France began sea trials of the first of two Mistral-class amphibious assault/helicopter carrier ships the Russian Navy bought in 2011 for $1.6 billion, the Vladivostok. The Vladivostok is still on track for a fall 2014 delivery to the Pacific Fleet, with its sister ship, the Sevastopol (yes, it’s named after that Sevastopol in Crimea), due for delivery to the Black Sea Fleet in 2015.

The Mistral-class ships can accomodate 900 troops on a short-term basis along with a normal compliment of 16 helicopters. Ominously, when the Russians ordered the ships, GlobalSecurity.org noted Russian media quoted a Russian naval commander as saying the Mistral would have done in under one hour some of the tasks it took the existing Black Sea Fleet over a day to do during the Russian incursion into Georgia.

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‘Delusional’: Krauthammer Slams Obama Admin’s Belief that Putin has ‘Blinked’ on Ukraine

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Photo Credit: Screenshot By Brendan Bordelon.

Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer dismissed as “delusional” the Obama administration’s belief that Vladimir Putin has halted his advance in Ukraine, claiming the Russian president is “lying through his teeth.”

Krauthammer spoke with Fox News’ Bret Baier to discuss the Russian invasion of Crimean region in southern Ukraine. Many assumed Putin would follow up this action with a full-scale invasion of eastern Ukraine. But in a rambling press conference Tuesday, the Russian president indicated there may be no reason to further escalate the situation.

President Obama seized on the comments, saying he hopes Putin may at least take a “pause.” But not everybody is buying it.

Read more this story HERE.

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Photo Credit: Dmitry Lovetsky/AP PhotoJohn McCain’s Advice to Obama on Russia: Wake Up! Get Real!

By Arlette Saenz.

Sen. John McCain blasted President Obama today for his handling of Russia, saying the crisis in Ukraine should serve as a wake-up call for the president about the Russian president’s intentions.

“It’s time we woke up about Vladimir Putin. It’s time this administration got real,” McCain, R-Ariz., said on the Senate floor. “We are on the verge of possibly of seeing a move to re-assert the old Russian empire, which is Mr. Putin’s lifelong ambition.”

Read more this story HERE.

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Russia test-fires ICBM amid tension over Ukraine

By Reuters.

Russia said it had successfully test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Tuesday, with tensions running high over its military intervention in Ukraine’s Crimea region.

A U.S. official said the United States had received proper notification from Russia ahead of the test and that the initial notification pre-dated the crisis in Crimea. The Russian Defence Ministry could not be reached for comment.

The Strategic Rocket Forces launched an RS-12M Topol missile from the southerly Astrakhan region and the dummy warhead hit its target at a proving ground in Kazakhstan, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Yegorov told state-run news agency RIA.

The launch site, Kapustin Yar, is near the Volga River about 450 km (280 miles) east of the Ukrainian border. Kazakhstan, a Russian ally in a post-Soviet security grouping, is further to the east.

Russia conducts test launches of its ICBMs fairly frequently and often announces the results, a practice seen as intended to remind the West of Moscow’s nuclear might and reassure Russians that President Vladimir Putin will protect them.

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Russia Ignores U.S. Threats of Isolation (+video)

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Photo Credit: AP / Pablo Martinez MonsivaisBy Dave Boyer and Ashish Kumar Sen.

President Obama warned Russia on Monday of possible U.S. sanctions over its military land grab in Ukraine, but Moscow brushed aside international threats, tightening its stranglehold on Crimea and calling audaciously for a national unity government in Kiev.

In Washington, Mr. Obama said the world is “largely united” against Russia’s military action and he is considering economic and diplomatic steps that would gradually isolate Russia. He criticized the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin for being “on the wrong side of history.”

“What cannot be done is for Russia with impunity to put its soldiers on the ground and violate basic principles that are recognized around the world,” Mr. Obama said. “Over time, this will be a costly proposition for Russia.”

But the U.S. and European Union floundered for solutions — while global markets panicked over the prospect of violent upheaval in the heart of Europe. Fears grew that the Kremlin might carry out more land grabs in pro-Russian eastern Ukraine, or elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, adding urgency to Western efforts to defuse the crisis.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry was heading to Kiev in an expression of support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, and the EU threatened a raft of punitive measures as it called an emergency summit on Ukraine for Thursday. In Congress, lawmakers prepared to move on an aid package for Ukraine.

Read more this story HERE.

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US says it is suspending trade talks and all military-to-military engagements with Russia over Ukraine

By Fox News.

The U.S. announced late Monday it was suspending trade and investment talks with Russia as well as all “military-to-military engagements” as penalties for its actions in Ukraine.

The twin measures were announced only hours after America’s U.N. ambassador blasted Russia for its “dangerous military intervention” in Ukraine, calling it a violation of international law and saying: “It must stop.”

A spokesperson for the office of the U.S. Trade Representative confirmed to Fox News “due to recent events in Ukraine, we have suspended upcoming bilateral trade and investment engagement with the government of Russia that were part of a move toward deeper commercial and trade ties.”

Earlier, the Pentagon said the U.S. was putting on hold “all military-to military engagements” with Russia, including exercises, bilateral meetings, port visits and planning conferences.

President Obama also met with his National Security Council Monday to discuss the situation. A spokeswoman said Obama and his team discussed what actions the U.S. and its foreign counterparts could do to further isolate Russia, and reinforce the fact that Moscow faces more repercussions if it does not take steps to de-escalate the situation.

Read more this story HERE.

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Sen. Inhofe on Russia: ‘I Warned This Day Was Coming and It Is Here’

By Craig Bannister.

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee, today criticized President Obama’s response to Russia and policies that have weakened the current state of the United States military.

Inhofe said that he had warned that trouble with Russia was coming due to Pres. Obama’s efforts to disarm the U.S. military – and now that trouble is here…

The arrogant actions of President Putin and Russia in recent days is a direct result of President Obama’s disarming of America since the beginning of his Administration.

Five years ago, I went to Afghanistan to respond to President Obama’s first budget knowing he was going to disarm America. In that first budget, he canceled our only fifth generation fighter, the F-22; he cancelled our C-17; and he cancelled our FCS. That was just the first year. Since then he has taken $487 billion out of our national security. His disarming of America over the past five years limits our options in Ukraine today. I just returned from Georgia in January, and they fear Russia will further invade their territory next.

Throughout this Administration, I have also warned that if the United States does not maintain a ready and capable military, we would surrender our global influence and leave a vacuum that will be filled by Russia. I warned this day was coming, and it is here. President Obama’s attempt to seek peace through apologetic diplomacy while defunding and dismantling our military has failed. Today our enemies don’t fear us and our allies no longer respect us.

Read more this story HERE.

Marco Rubio: Russia is a Government of ‘Liars’

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Photo Credit: AP Photo/Ivan SekretarevSen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Russia cannot be trusted to fulfill its international commitments because their government lies on a regular basis and is “increasingly behaving like an enemy of international peace and international norms.”

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubio reacted to Russia’s Friday invasion of the Crimea region of Ukraine by calling the Russian government “liars” that the U.S. cannot trust.

“Let’s call it what it is,” Rubio said. “They are lying – this government is a government of liars, the Russian government. You see what’s happening now in Crimea. I mean, they’re claiming they’re not there. You’ve got these individuals showing up in unmarked uniforms, wearing masks, but clearly they’re Russian troops, even if they refuse to acknowledge it.”

He also said Secretary of State John Kerry has given the Russian government too much credit for cooperating in recent years on international agreements.

Read more this story HERE.

‘What the Heck Are You Talking About?’: See How Obama Responds to Heckler at DNC Event

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Photo Credit: YouTube President Barack Obama was heckled over his “plan for nuclear war with Russia” during a speech at the Democratic National Committee on Friday. He responded to the bizarre question in about the only way he could.

After slamming Republicans for getting “all stirred up” over his plan to unilaterally act to “help middle class families,” Obama was interrupted.

“Mr. Obama, tell us about your plan for nuclear war with Russia!” an unidentified man can be heard yelling during the president’s speech.

Read more this story HERE.

Obama Could Pull Russia Trip Amid Ukraine Tumult

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Photo Credit: AP Photo/Charles DharapakBy Julie Pace and Matthew Lee.

U.S. officials said Friday that President Barack Obama may scrap plans to attend an international summit in Russia this summer and could also halt discussions on deepening trade ties with Moscow, raising specific possible consequences if Russia should intervene in Ukraine. Obama himself bluntly warned of unspecified “costs” for Russia.

“Any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing,” Obama declared. Such action by Russia would represent a “profound interference” in matters that must be decided by the Ukrainian people, he said.

While the president spoke only of “reports” of military movements inside Ukraine, the officials said the U.S does believe that Russia is intervening.

Separately, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he would not address specific U.S. options, “but this could be a very dangerous situation if this continues in a provocative way.” Asked about options in a CBS News interview, he said that “we’re trying to deal with a diplomatic focus, that’s the appropriate, responsible approach.”

As Obama prepared to speak late Friday, a spokesman for the Ukrainian border service said eight Russian transport planes had landed with unknown cargo in Crimea. Serhiy Astakhov told The Associated Press that the Il-76 planes arrived unexpectedly and were given permission to land, one after the other, at Gvardeiskoye air base. The State Department urged U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel plans in the country because of “the potential for instability.”

Read more this story HERE.

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Photo Credit: CNS News Russia Seeks Access to Bases in Eight Countries for Its Ships and Bombers

By Patrick Goodenough.

At a time of escalated tensions with the West over Ukraine, Russia says it is negotiating with eight governments around the world for access to military facilities, to enable it to extend its long-range naval and strategic bomber capabilities.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday the military was engaged in talks with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Algeria, Cyprus, the Seychelles, Vietnam and Singapore.

“We need bases for refueling near the equator, and in other places,” ITAR-Tass quoted him as saying.

Russia is not looking to establish bases in those locations, but to reach agreement to use facilities there when required.

The countries are all strategically located – in three leftist-ruled countries close to the U.S.; towards either end of the Mediterranean; in the Indian Ocean south of the Gulf of Aden; and near some of the world’s most important shipping lanes in the Malacca Strait and South China Sea.

Read more this story HERE.

Russian Moves Raise Stakes in Ukraine Conflict

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Photo Credit: AP/Emilio MorenattiMasked gunmen stormed the parliament of Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region as Russian fighter jets screamed above the border, while Ukraine’s newly formed government pledged to prevent a national breakup with the strong backing of the West – the stirrings of a potentially dangerous confrontation reminiscent of Cold War brinksmanship.

Moscow reportedly granted shelter to Ukraine’s fugitive president, Viktor Yanukovych, who was said to be holed up in a luxury government retreat and to have scheduled a news conference Friday near the Ukrainian border. As gunmen wearing unmarked camouflage uniforms erected a sign reading “Crimea is Russia” in the provincial capital, Ukraine’s interim prime minister declared that the Black Sea territory “has been and will be a part of Ukraine.”

The escalating conflict sent Ukraine’s finances plummeting further, prompting Western leaders to prepare an emergency financial package.

Yanukovych, whose approach to Moscow set off three months of pro-Europe protests, finally fled by helicopter last weekend as his allies deserted him. The humiliating exit was a severe blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been celebrating his signature Olympics even as Ukraine’s drama came to a head. The Russian leader has long dreamt of pulling Ukraine – a huge country of 46 million people considered the cradle of Russian civilization – closer into Moscow’s orbit.

For Ukraine’s neighbors, the specter of Ukraine breaking up evoked memories of centuries of bloody conflict.

Read more this story HERE.

Russian Spy Ship Docked in Havana; No Reason Given

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Photo Credit: ReutersA Russian warship was docked in Havana Wednesday, without explanation from Communist Cuba or its state media.

The Viktor Leonov CCB-175 boat, measuring 91.5 meters (300 feet) long and 14.5 meters wide, was docked at the port of Havana’s cruise ship area, near the Russian Orthodox Cathedral.

The Vishnya, or Meridian-class intelligence ship, which has a crew of around 200, went into service in the Black Sea in 1988 before it was transferred seven years later to the northern fleet, Russian media sources said.

Neither Cuban authorities nor state media have mentioned the ship’s visit, unlike on previous tours by Russian warships.

Read more this story HERE.