WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says the United States has decided not to send a presidential delegation to the Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia. The move is in retaliation for Russia’s military advances in Ukraine.

White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden says President Barack Obama still supports the U.S. athletes participating and wishes them success.

The U.S. and its allies are weighing sanctions and other potential consequences to persuade Russia to reverse course in Ukraine. Britain has also decided not to send ministers to the Paralympic Games, which start Friday. (more…)

Important notes:  •The deadline for force surrender is 10:00pm tonight.  •Secretary Kerry arrives in Ukraine tomorrow.  •Russia has declared  a new state: “The Autonomous Republic of Crimea“.

(Via NBC)  The Russian military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until 5 a.m. Tuesday (10 p.m. ET Monday) to surrender or face a “storm,” Interfax news agency reported.

“If they do not surrender by 5 a.m. tomorrow, we will start a real storm in Ukrainian bases in Crimea,” according to the statement sent by the Russians to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, a ministry source told Interfax. NBC News could not immediately confirm the report.

The ultimatum was attributed to Alexandr Vitko, chief commander of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. (more…)

The New York times deposits a story today titled “Pressure Rising as Obama Works to Rein In Russia“.   The generally sympathetic article toward Obama is being cited by numerous politicos while the left-leaning media are circling an almost bizarre wagon to prop up the perception of Obama as strong.

MSNBC’s Mark Halperin is winning so far in the over-the-top water carrying category by stating that Ronald Reagan never faced a Russian adversary as strong as Russia’s President Putin:

The political analyst and author also cited a New York Times report published Sunday that said in her call with President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised doubts about Putin being in touch with reality, saying he is “in another world.”  Halperin called it “the scariest thing I’ve seen in the last 24 hours.”

“President [Ronald] Reagan never faced a Soviet leader like this. This guy is ruthless,” Halperin added.  (link)

{ Slobber – DRINK – Slobber }

However, what Mark Halperin, and the rest of the media, fail to see in the Times article is the evidence it holds for the ineptitude of the White House.  (more…)

I will be headed to Kyiv, Ukraine tomorrow night for discussions there Tuesday.

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) March 2, 2014

On the positive side at least the Obama administration is using the “I” word now (Invasion).

But seriously, you must watch this video of Kerry on Meet The Press. He seems genuinely stunned.   This is incredulous, unbelievable….. this is just… incredulous, abhorrent, cannot be happening.

With mindset of incredulity Kerry says:

…. “you just don’t invade other countries”..

On March 6th 2009 then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton famously used a prop, “a reset button“, to announce a new approach toward relationships between the United States and Russia.   Clinton presented the button to her counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In an attempt to break the ice with Lavrov, Clinton handed him a makeshift “reset” button wrapped in a ribbon at the start of their meeting. Laughing, she told the foreign minister that “we want to reset our relationship” and “we will do it together.”

Lavrov promised to keep the button on his desk, but pointed out that the Russian word written on it, “peregruzka,” meant “overload” — not “reset.”  (link)

At the time many people forewarned the Obama Administration was taking a very naïve position if they collectively thought the Russians would in any way align with U.S. interests.

The reasoning for the caution was simple. For two decades the general Russian political class had felt “the West” in a general sense, and the U.S. in particular, had been dancing in the end zone about the collapse of the Soviet Union. Regardless of whether or not the Obama administration wanted to admit there was a resentment in place, it factually existed. (more…)

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Associated Press journalists say hundreds of unidentified gunmen have just arrived outside Ukraine’s infantry base in Privolnoye in its Crimea region.

Russian soldiers and 20+ vehicles. Surrounding Ukrainian base at Perevalne in Crimea. Reported demanding surrender pic.twitter.com/Dnnji2czhL

— James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) March 2, 2014

The convoy includes at least 13 troop vehicles each containing 30 soldiers and four armored vehicles with mounted machine guns. The vehicles — which have Russian license plates — have surrounded the base and are blocking Ukrainian soldiers from entering or leaving it.

Squad of Russian reinforcements arrive at Perevalne base where #Ukraine troops surrounded. No sign of them moving in. pic.twitter.com/vFypJnw8dy

— James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) March 2, 2014

(more…)

For those not paying too close attention.   

Day #1 – A limp-wristed commentary from the White House;  Stompy then went directly to a DNC fundraiser to kick off “Happy Hour” – Russia moves troops into Crimea, secures airport, takes Ukraine parliamentary building and sends in dozens of helicopters and fighter jets.

Day #2 – Obama skips National Security briefing, Samantha Power delivers U.S. comments at emergency U.N. Security Council Meeting, Susan Rice gives Stompy the cliff notes. – Russia’s Parliament votes to allow full military engagement and moves approximately 50,000 troops into Ukraine.

And now comes the proverbial strongly worded White House letter where Stompy outlines that Putin has broken the rules:

WHITE HOUSE – President Obama spoke for 90 minutes this afternoon with President Putin of Russia about the situation in Ukraine. President Obama expressed his deep concern over Russia’s clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is a breach of international law, including Russia’s obligations under the UN Charter, and of its 1997 military basing agreement with Ukraine, and which is inconsistent with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and the Helsinki Final Act. The United States condemns Russia’s military intervention into Ukrainian territory. (more…)

https://twitter.com/SalenaZitoTrib/statuses/439526062390001664

UPDATE:  Less than an hour after delivering a mortally flaccid and limp wristed denouncement of Russia invading Ukraine’s Crimea, Dear Leader shows up at DNC fundraiser to announce HAPPY HOUR.

(more…)

RT @NoahCRothman: CNN: U.S. confirms that Russian troops are present in Ukrainian Crimea.

— Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) February 28, 2014

Putin: rolling into Ukraine. Obama: running in circles through the White House with Biden.

— John Hayward (@Cobretata) February 28, 2014

YESTERDAY – CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, informed network anchor Wolf Blitzer on Thursday that there was no indication that Russian forces were planning to intervene militarily in Ukraine. Less than 24-hours later, Russian forces militarily intervened in Ukraine.

“Some are concerned we might be on the eve of another Cold War,” Blitzer fretted. “What, if anything, would stop Vladimir Putin from getting involved?”

“There doesn’t seem to be any notion that he is actually going to do so,” Amanpour insisted.

“The U.S. right now says it only sees Russia’s military exercises ‘within the normal range,’” she continued. “It does not see any of the kind of massive planning that Russia would have to do in terms of planning, and logistics, and securing air, and land, and rail, and road corridors to incur into Ukraine.”

TODAY –  Reports indicate that Russian paramilitary forces under Moscow’s control occupied airports in the autonomous Ukrainian Republic of Crimea overnight on Friday, less than 12 hours after Amanpour made this declaration. This preliminary occupation turned out to be a prelude to Russian forces exploding out of the Russian naval base at Sevastopol and taking control of the regional capital just 80 kilometers to the Northeast. (more…)

(AP) – Ukraine’s fugitive president surfaced on Thursday in Moscow, where he was said to have been seen at an opulent five-star hotel and a Kremlin country retreat once favored by the late Boris Yeltsin.

Viktor Yanukovych reportedly was granted protection in Russia, but he has not received a warm reception. Although Russia still considers him the legitimate president of Ukraine, the Kremlin has treated him cautiously and portrayed him as a coward who betrayed those who stood by him. (more…)