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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Russia rules out handing back Crimea, expands war games
2015-03-18
[REUTERS] Russia ruled out handing Crimea back to Ukraine on Tuesday and a Defence Ministry official said nuclear-capable long-range bombers were being sent to the Black Sea peninsula as part of war games.

The huge military exercises, in which the Northern Fleet was put on full alert on Monday and will range from the Arctic to the Black Sea, appear to be a show of force and defiance on the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea.

Russia's parliament approved the annexation on March 21 last year after Russian forces took control of the peninsula, which is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, and residents backed joining the Russian Federation in a referendum.
Posted by:Fred

#3  On the other hand, haven't the sneaky Han pretty much taken over vaste swathes of the empty lands beyond their border? Russia has probably lost more than Putin has gained, if so.
Posted by: trailing wife   2015-03-18 19:01  

#2  Anyone else feel that sanctions have reached their sell by date?

This feels like sanctions are prescribed for whatever ails the world in the same way that penicillin used to be. That resulted in resistant strains of Strep, Staph, etc..

What will the over use of sanctions breed, aside from smug, sanctimonious politicians?
Posted by: AlanC   2015-03-18 08:30  

#1  There's a shocker. Ask the Japanese about the southern Kuril Islands.
Posted by: ed in texas   2015-03-18 07:53  

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