Two Ukrainian gunboats and tugboat were fired on and intercepted by the Russian navy today in the Sea of Azov, exacerbating an already tense situation near the Crimean Peninsula. Russian President Vladimir Putin seized Crimea from the Ukraine March 1, 2014. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has resisted Putin’s attempt to make the Crimea seizure permanent, pressuring the United States and European Union get Putin to back down. Poroshenko has been pushing Putin for some time with military exercises in international waters around the Crimean Peninsula. Today’s attack on two Ukraninian gunboats and a tug, injuring at least six, suggests that Poroshenko wants protection from NATO and the United Nations. Condemning Russia’s actions, NATO and the EU called for restraint, when Ukraine has already incurred military losses. Poroshenko’s been pushing the limits with Moscow, especially in Crimea and the Donbass region of Southeastern Ukraine.
Poroshenko wanted NATO membership before Putin decided March 1, 2018 to seize the Crimean Peninsula due to a an unlawful coup Feb. 22, 2018 led by Kiev Major Vitali Klitschko, who joined U.S. and EU forces to drive Ukrainian President Viktor Yankovych from Kiev. Putin was hosting the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics when the coup took place. Putin has showed no signs of returning Crimea to Ukraine citing a 2014 referendum in which Russian-speaking residents requested Russia intervene. What makes the recent incident so dangerous is that Ukraine seeks NATO and U.S. help to resist Russian aggression. Putin wants no part of Poroshenko’s attempt to use NATO or the U.N. to pressure him to back down when it comes to controlling Ukraine’s military moves. Putin ordered the scrambling of Ukrainian jets and helicopters attempting to provide air support to the Ukrainian navy. Poroshenko’s going to have trouble getting NATO and U.N. backing.
` Before Ukraine’s Feb. 22, 2014 coup in Kiev, Ukrainian rebels asked for NATO support, despite the fact that no NATO country was willing to defend Ukrainej against the Russian Federation. Now Petrochenko expects NATO and the U.S. to defend Ukraine when the Ukrainian people have misgivings about the Kiev government. Groups on Ukrainians in Crimea and Southeastern Ukraine want Russia to control the government . Whether admitted to or not, sizable number of Ukrainians don’t trust Poroshenko’s government. Poroshenko, who took office June 7, 2014, hasn’t done much with the Ukrainian economy to reassure various groups leaning toward Russia. Poroshenko acts like he has the complete support of Ukrainians, when many are disappointed with his leadership. Expecting NATO or the U.S. to get into a shooting war with the Russian Federation. Today’s skirmish with Russia comes from Poroshenko pushing the military limits.
Pushing the Russian navy in the Kerch Strait, Poroshenko has scheduled an urgent meeting of his security Cabinet, pleading with NATO to intervene. Poroshenko’s going to find out the hard way that while there’s sympathy in NATO, there’s no willingness to give Ukraine any military support. Poroshenko hasn’t come to grips with his failed leadership, leading to the current crisis. Ukraine’s sluggish economy hasn’t made much progress since taking office in 2014, failing to convince world markets to invest in Ukraine’s economy. Ukrainian voters hoped the chocolate baron could translate some of his business savvy to the economy. Poroshenko’s been frustrated since Putin seized Crimea in 2014, leaving him look weak. Every time he tries to assert himself militarily, Russia pushes back, making him look weak and ineffectual. His attempt to get NATO or U.S. support haven’t looked any better, with no country willing to come to Ukraine’s rescue.
President Donald Trump needs to talk with Putin determine Ukraine’s best way to deescalate the crisis. Ukraine lacks the resources needed to confront the Russian military, only creating problems for most Ukrainians. Russia recently finished the long-promised Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea with Russia, further cementing its control of the strategic peninsula. Whatever hope Poroshenko had of getting back Crimea, it’s long vanished with Putin showing no signs of giving back the land. Home to Russia’s warm-water fleet at Sebastapol, Putin has no plans for bowing to international pressure to give back Crimea. Former Soviet satellites, like Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have been on heightened alert since Putin seized Crimea in 2014. Putin’s showed no signs of making incursions in any other former Soviet republic since taking over Crimea in 2014.
U.S. and U.N. officials need to put Poroshenko on notice that they have no intention of lending more lethal military support to Ukraine. Neither the U.N. nor NATO needs to fight Ukraine’s failed battles over Putin’s annexation of Crimea. Unless there’s another Russian attempt to seize a NATO country, don’t expect the U.S to rush to Ukraine’s defense, even where Ukraine’s not at fault. Sending Ukrainian gunboats into the Sea of Azov provoked the Russian navy to take action against Ukraine. Provoking Russian forces in the Strait of Kerch or the Donbass region hasn’t panned out well for Poroshenko. While the Ukrainian President wants to assert himself with Putin, he lacks the resources, much like former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in 2006, had no answer for the Russian military. U.S. officials should work with Putin to defuse the crisis, before Poroshenko gets too big for his bridges and tries to lash out at the Russian military.
