Russia Declares Right To Deploy Nukes In Crimea (And Maybe Has Already)

Via the Independent:

Russia has said that it has the right to deploy nuclear weapons to Crimea, a year after Vladimir Putin seized the territory from Ukraine following a referendum. Home to the strategic Black Sea port city of Sevastopol, which already housed Russia’s fleet before the Ukrainian crisis erupted at the start of 2014, Crimea is significantly nearer central Europe than any nuclear base Russia is thought to control. “I don't know if there are nuclear weapons there now,” a Russian foreign ministry official told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday.

“I don't know about any plans, but in principle Russia can do it,” said Mikhail Ulyanov, who is the head of the ministry's department on arms control. The comments come at a highly sensitive time for international relations around the Black Sea, after Nato members Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey joined four other alliance states in a multinational naval exercise there on Tuesday. The US, Canada, Germany and Italy also took part in the military drills, including an American flagship, the guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg. And it comes as Russia becomes increasingly bold in stating the details of how it took Crimea, an act still deemed illegal by most international bodies.

Not at all scary.

RUSSIA: Top Official Pledges That Country Will "Eat Less" For Vladimir Putin

Via the Associated Press:

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, on Friday warned the West against trying to topple President Vladimir Putin and said that Russians are ready to sacrifice their wealth in Putin's support. Russia has for the past year been sliding into recession amid a slump in its energy export prices as well as Western sanctions against Moscow's role in the conflict in Ukraine that has claimed more than 5,000 lives. Questions have been raised in Russia and abroad whether the price that ordinary Russians are having to pay for the annexation of Crimea is too high.

Shuvalov, who is believed to be one of the richest men in the government, said that what he considers the West's attempts to oust Putin will only unite the nation further. "When a Russian feels any foreign pressure, he will never give up his leader," Shuvalov said. "Never. We will survive any hardship in the country — eat less food, use less electricity.  Shuvalov's comments triggered pithy remarks on Russia social media including an opposition activist who posted photos of Shuvalov's Moscow, London and Austria homes to illustrate where the deputy prime minister would experience the hardships he described.

The image above comes via Copyranter, who notes that the font is called "Hunger Games." Hit his link for two more suggested billboards.

Top Pol: Gays Have No Chance In Crimea

Crimea's top politician today said that gay people "have no chance" now that Russia has taken over the region. Via the Guardian:

Speaking about gay people during a Crimean government session on Tuesday, the region’s de facto leader Sergei Aksyonov said “we in Crimea do not need such people.” In comments reported by the Russian news agencies Interfax and Itar-Tass, Aksyonov said that if the LGBT community tried to hold public gatherings, “our police and self-defence forces will react immediately and in three minutes will explain to them what kind of sexual orientation they should stick to.” He added that Crimean children should be brought up with a “positive attitude to family and traditional values.” Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum that was deemed to be illegal by the United States and European Union.

Askyonov is believed to have ties to the Russian mafia. He has twice been investigated for murder (1997 and 2004) but has evaded prosecution. (Tipped by JMG reader Bob)

Twitter War: Canada Vs Russia

Geography can be tough. Here’s a guide for Russian soldiers who keep getting lost & ‘accidentally’ entering #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/RF3H4IXGSp

— Canada at NATO (@CanadaNATO) August 27, 2014

Helping our Canadian colleagues to catch up with contemporary geography of #Europe @CanadaNATO pic.twitter.com/MjzRxpFFfN

— Russians at NATO (@natomission_ru) August 28, 2014

Eurovision: Russia Booed At Semi-Finals But Advances To Finals With Ukraine

Via the Voice Of Russia:

Copenhagen saw the first semi-finals of the Eurovision-2014 Song Contest on May 6. Anastasia and Maria Tolmachevy, who represent Russia, made it to the final round that will be held on May 10. Besides Russia, nine other countries including Montenegro, Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, San Marino, Sweden, the Netherlands and Iceland reached the finals. Singers from Latvia, Estonia, Albania, Belgium, Portugal and Moldavia didn't succeed.

The BBC reports on what was left out of the above story.

Russia's Tolmachevy Sisters were booed in Copenhagen as they qualified for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The 17-year-old twins initially received a warm reception for their song, Shine, at Tuesday's semi-final. But when they progressed to the final, some sections of the 10,000-strong audience expressed apparent disapproval of the Russian artists. Experts have said Russia could suffer at Eurovision over the crisis in Ukraine and its stance on gay rights.

The Washington Post notes that the lyrics of Russia's entry could be interpreted as a reference to the seizing of Crimea: "Living on the edge/ Closer to the crime/ Cross the line a step at a time/ Maybe there's a place/  Maybe there's a time/  Maybe there's a day you'll be mine."

The booing didn't come across very loudly on the broadcast but Twitter feuds erupted after it happened. Organizers claim 180 million television viewers in dozens of nations. In the second clip below, tomorrow's semi-finalists are shown backstage where a prominently displayed rainbow flag poster greets the contestants at the stage door: "It Takes All Kinds To Make A World." The press is mostly focused on the drama between Russia and Ukraine and, of course, the continuing complaints about Conchita Wurst.

Hate Coalition World Congress Of Families Suspends Russian Convention Over Crimea

The virulently anti-gay World Congress of Families, an international coalition of hate groups that includes NOM and C-FAM, whose head Austin Ruse has endorsed the gay death penalty, has suspended their plans to hold this year's convention in Moscow. They love love love Russia's crackdown on LGBT people, but this Crimea thing has them worried. Via press release:

Planning on World Congress of Families VIII - the Moscow Congress (scheduled for September 10-12, 2014) -- has been suspended for the time being. The situation in the Ukraine and Crimea (and the resulting U.S. and European sanctions) has raised questions about the travel, logistics, and other matters necessary to plan WCF VIII. The foregoing is not meant to reflect negatively on the Russian people, churches or individuals who have taken a leadership role in the fight to preserve life, marriage, and the natural family at home and as part of the international pro-family movement. We are proud of the accomplishments of our Russian Partners, and applaud the moves of the Russian people, through their elected representatives, to protect life, the family and the innocence of children. At a time when Western governments are moving backward to a pagan worldview, Russia has taken a leadership role to advance the natural family. The World Congress of Families takes no position on foreign affairs, except as they affect the natural family.

Crimea Is Now Officially Part Of Russia

Via Reuters:

Russian President Vladimir Putin, defying Ukrainian protests and Western sanctions, on Tuesday signed a treaty making Crimea part Russia but said he did not plan to seize any other regions of Ukraine. In a fiercely patriotic address to a joint session of the Russian parliament in the Kremlin, punctuated by standing ovations, cheering and tears, Putin lambasted the West for what he called hypocrisy. Western nations had endorsed Kosovo's independence from Serbia but now denied Crimeans the same right, he said. "You cannot call the same thing black today and white tomorrow," he declared to stormy applause, saying Western partners had "crossed the line" over Ukraine and behaved "irresponsibly". He said Ukraine's new leaders, in power since the overthrow of pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovich last month, included "neo-Nazis, Russophobes and anti-Semites".

Crimea is about the size of Massachusetts.

Russia Test-Fires ICBM

Via Reuters:

Russia said it had successfully test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Tuesday, with tensions high over its seizure of control in the Crimea and its threat to send more forces to its neighbour Ukraine. The Strategic Rocket Forces launched an RS-12M Topol missile from the southerly Astrakhan region near the Caspian Sea and the dummy warhead hit its target at a proving ground in Kazakhstan, the state-run news agency RIA cited Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Yegorov as saying.

CNN is reporting that Russia had previously alerted US defense forces that the test-firing would take place today. Both the US and Russia routinely advise each other about missile tests, but keeping to the firing schedule in light of how things have been the last few days is certain to rattle many nerves. Mine included.

Russia Issues Ultimatum To Ukraine Military: Leave Crimea By 10PM Tonight

Russia today issued an ultimatum to Ukraine, saying that if the Ukraine military is not withdrawn from Crimea by 10PM tonight (NYC time), there will be a "military storm."

Aleksandr Vitko, Russia's Black Sea fleet commander, said that "ff they won't surrender by 5 a.m. tomorrow (10 p.m. ET Monday) there will be a military storm on all UA (Ukraine Armed) military forces all over Crimea," Interfax reported, citing a source in Ukraine's Defense Ministry. A Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman, Vladislav Seleznyov, told CNN that members of the Russian military are going to Ukrainian military bases in Crimea and demanding surrender. The Russian troops are threatening "harsh reaction" if the Ukrainians don't comply, Seleznyov said.

John Kerry will hold a press conference shortly and I'll add that video to this post. This is all reminding me of the opening scenario in the nuclear war classic, Threads.