The Guardian reports that at the request of the UK, there will be an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine at 2:00 Eastern Time. The following information is taken from the Guardian's feed.
The Guardian quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying that Putin had "not decided" on whether or not to send troops to Ukraine. However, two hours before this comment, CNN footage showed Russian tanks already in Crimea.
In the meantime, the Far Right, part of the coalition that overthrew Yanukovich, had this to say:
According to Ukrainian Pravda, Sector Right called on all its units to mobilise.
This is their statement:
“Being aware of all the dangers that are looming over the Ukrainian state, the headquarters of the Right Sector orderall its units to mobilise and arm, and depending on the specific situation to coordinate with the armed forces.
We remind all citizens of Ukraine regardless of nationality (including Russians ) that our struggle is anti-imperial , not Russophobe . Russian empire will be destroyed. Urge Resistance Movement Caucasus and all liberation movements in Russia to step up their activities.”
This crisis unfolded right as the US is preparing to engage in defense cuts, including lowering its Army levels to the lowest since World War II. The right wing noise machine here is already swinging into action, ridiculing Obama's defense cuts on Twitter at a time when the Russians are on the move. This is an obvious attempt to stoke Cold War imagery in an attempt to turn back the proposed defense cuts.
In the meantime, according to the Guardian's feed, the BBC is reporting:
According to the BBC, Refat Chubarov, the head of the Crimean Tatar Majlis (assembly) says he is calling on Tatars to stay at home and not form resistance units. “Literally hours remain until catastrophe,” he said to the Gazprom-owned Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy. Tatars make up about 12 percent of Crimea’s population and have sided with the anti-Yanukovych protesters - now government - in Kiev.
Let's hope not.
2:38 PM PT: Be sure to recommend Richard Lyons' diary here:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
2:39 PM PT: For more on right wing reactions to this crisis, check this diary out:
http://www.dailykos.com/...