What?

You need to stop being picky when your English skills are low enough to misunderstand things. I quoted the guy using previous US aggression as an excuse. I threw you in to get your attention on the subject. End of story.

For a respond to a short answer, like your's above, it is commen sense to also post what that poster was answering to. It's done because of context.

It took already almost the whole page, you can easily track it. Making the useless pyramide post from every iteration of his trying to elude is simply disruptive for the forum. I kept it in initial posts, but dropped later for continuity sake, or it would took 3 pages instead.

And of course they would. With no option to stay as it is, the secession was practically inbuilt. From tomorrow on there will be this controversy how much the vote will really be worth. And of course it won't be solved because noone want's it too be solved. The Russian side cannot admit how fishy the whole thing is without losing face. I think I have already written as much about it as is possible, so I don't need to continue.
It sounds too much if you compare population of Russia with population of the rest of the world. This site says it's 3% (http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/germany/export-import.html).

But nevertheless surely there would be an effect. You cannot deny it.

Transparent boxes actually are the anti-fraud measure. But im really curious about your version what else Russia should do to achieve that "lose face" status. Trust us, we will surely try to fix this under-working then, just tell, sorry for inconvenience.

LOL, yeah. The vote should be anonymous and private. Any vote, not just particular one. Transparent boxes obviously don't guarantee that.

Are you really from Ukraine, or you're using some VPN to get a regional discount?

I'm still hoping that humankind will start learning from their past mistakes...and yeah, there is a saying that states that pacts are being made only to be broken later.

But this issue is a very grave one and reaching a balance is of utmost importance. And the relationship between the West and Russia will be strained for along time from now, yet again.

Way more simple. Just recall what was final result of one other pact between friendly countries-predecessors of modern FRG and RF about sharing some other country, its consequences for the countries involved, and what country had reaped the rewards.

Nice try, troll.

I have the feeling it's incredibly hard next to impossible for the Russian side and for the supporters of Putin to ever admit there has been done anything wrong. One can see this here clearly I think. To be blunt: I think it's not okay to send troops, to hasten a vote, to intimidate people living there, to threat by force. Even if you don't like the current political developments in your neighbour country it's still wrong and it shows a willingsness to use force that is so strong that is also poses an international risk.

And because appeasement just doesn't work my fear of what else Putin might do once he sees he can get away with it is stronger than my fear of losing personal wealth now and I'm not alone.

I guess sanctions will come and we all will have to pay the price and if others get hit hard we will have to support them because having partners in the world is a good thing.

I could ask the same: Russians which get hid by economical hardships could as well make their government responsible. I already said that I think democracy in Russia is quite dysfunctional, so unhappiness might just get ignored, but still Putin needs some kind of support for sure. And all that for a bit of land which wasn't in immediate danger and where Russians can go anyway for holiday even if it is not part of the country right now, even if the constitution of 1992 is not reinstated and where you can be sure that taking it by force is not something others are going to like.

The problem is simply that Russian politics is now unpredictable. We cannot make business if the future is so insecure. And I believe that giving in completely to current developments isn't doing the trick either.

From a power play perspective it might work: Russia is small, not geographical but by population and economics. The rest of the world probably needs it less than it needing the rest of the world. So economic sanctions might effect a change, although with dysfunctional democracies I don't have much hope. I guess it will be meant as retribution putting a price on such actions so next time Putins thinks a bit more carefully. I don't have much hope there either. A diplomatic solution would always be better. But there I have actually even less hope. Doesn't sound too good, eh.

It probably has become clear that I don't have a very high opinion of the current (and long time) Russian government and his leader. Unfortunately the relations between Russia and the West seems to be in a downward spirale with no good options for a positive exit.

So to summarize: I fear Putin. I'm convinced he is not doing justice here, just taking what he can and by using force he is a threat, because of the size of Russia, an international threat. I rather chosenot to appease than to appease him this time, but of course anything can go wrong in the future. So I'm frightened even more. All in all economical sanctions seem like the more safe strategy. It will create clear sides, which of course is nonsense because there are never clear sides. But it tells Putin that this game is not only played by himself. Maybe this is enough to make him stop playing and search for possible agreements. I hope for that.

My ideal diplomatic solution would have been: A real vote on Crimea within a fixed time frame and no more Russian invasions. Already now this is as unrealistic as it gets.

History has it's own laws. But it's really not nice to experience history first-hand.
Are you serious? I just find this a bit hard to believe.

Why you want to fall into the same pithole as he did? Im essentially felt offended, as its quite sensitive topic now, and he accused me for words i hadnt wrote, tied my position to that Rodor, and after i politely proposed him to somehow fix it, and even supposed what its my own fault due to language barrier, instead of it i got another explanation of his position about global politics, another quotation of other guy as "proof", and eventually accusing me for the bad English, and total refusing to show my words, what he "answered to" such way. Maybe you wanna try better? I would be pleased when you will copy\paste my exact words what are justifying your declared "feeling". Just dont act so lame as he did, please.

Man, I already said sorry if you never mentioned Iraq and such. What else do you want me to do? I included you in my response to Rogor because I was also debating you and wanted you to be included, that's all.

Let it go.

Man, it took one minute to google http://unami.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=2joomNLlj00%3D&tabid=2790&language=en-US (use the search for "transparent" in .pdf) - just the first result for "transparent ballot boxes antifraud" in this search engine. I got what most people here are simply kids who cant read or think at all, but you lookd ok enough for me to do at least some research on your own.