Obama says Ukraine's Poroshenko a 'wise selection'

[jakeXT]

Source: BBC


US President Barack Obama has called Ukraine President-elect Petro Poroshenko a "wise selection" to lead the country.

The two men have met in Warsaw to discuss Mr Poroshenko's plan to restore peace, and how the US can give support.

Mr Obama said Ukraine could become a vibrant, thriving democracy if the world community stood behind it.

Mr Obama is in Poland for celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the end of communism there.



Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27691607

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Obama tells Poroshenko US 'absolutely committed' to Ukraine's future

WARSAW (AFP) - President Barack Obama told Ukraine's president-elect Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday that the US was committed to his country in the long term, as pro-Russia separatists continued to battle Ukrainian troops in the country's east.

"The United States is absolutely committed to standing behind the Ukrainian people not just in the coming days, weeks, but in the coming years," Obama told reporters after talks with Poroshenko in his Warsaw hotel, adding that he had "been deeply impressed" by Poroshenko's vision.

Obama also announced the US would be increasing non lethal military aid to Ukraine, including night vision goggles.

Poroshenko, speaking English, thanked Obama for "continuous" support, which he said was "crucially important."

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/world/europe/story/obama-tells-poroshenko-us-absolutely-committed-ukraines-future-20140604

[SamKnause]

1. Can a billionaire really

know, or care about the needs of the people ????

Their lifestyle is akin to living on another planet. The planet of plenty.

The people on this planet need less wealthy politicians and leaders, not more. We live on the planet of scarcity.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Compared with who else ?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Well, so long as he doesn't shoot protesters, he'd be an improvement over the last guy.

I'm just going to take a wait and see approach. Not thrilled that it's another oligarch, but if the country moves in a better direction regardless of the fact, it will be a good thing.

[nyabingi]

3. Hmph...

"The United States is absolutely committed to standing behind the Ukrainian people not just in the coming days, weeks, but in the coming years," Obama told reporters after talks with Poroshenko in his Warsaw hotel, adding that he had "been deeply impressed" by Poroshenko's vision.

Obama should've said the US is willing to stand behind some of the Ukrainian people - the ones who want more autonomy need to be killed.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. You do know the armed militants in the east don't consider themselves Ukrainian, correct?

Hence why they are fighting to separate from Ukraine and seeking to join Russia.

[nyabingi]

8. They had no problem considering themselves Ukrainian

until some very anti-Russian folks were put in charge of the country.

They have every right to feel their rights won't be protected, especially now that the government in Kiev has made it clear they'd prefer violence to talking about their differences.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

9. Nonsense.

First and foremost, the majority of the people in that region do consider themselves Ukrainian because they are ethnically Ukrainian. And those are not the people who want to split from Ukraine and join Russia.

Unfortunately for those folks, the ones who do want to split are the ones holding the guns and they're the ones--along with Vladimir "Novorossiya" Putin--who created this whole mess.

Following Yanukovych's departure, there was no crackdown on ethnic Russians. None. The worst thing that happened was a failed bill that would have made Ukrainian the sole official language of Ukraine. That dissipated quickly.

After Crimea, the ethnic Russians began to protest in Eastern Ukraine to demand secession and annexation by Russia. The Ukrainian government did not crack down violently on these protests. These protests quickly changed into armed militants seizing Ukrainian government buildings and declaring themselves a sovereign state. Still, the Ukrainian government did not immediately crack down; instead they offered amnesty for these militants and stated they were open to further decentralization. Then the armed militants began kidnapping and murdering people, including journalists. Still, the Ukrainian government did not immediately respond militarily.

It probably was a month to a month and a half from when secession demands began in East Ukraine before any military campaign started against these armed militants. That the situation has devolved into a combat scenario is only because these armed militants wanted it that way.

[nyabingi]

10. What you are calling the "Ukrainian government"

was not a collective elected and voted upon by all the people in Ukraine - it wasn't legitimate and the newly-elected government isn't either. The "Ukrainian government" has no legitimacy or authority to "crackdown" on anyone. What is so hard to understand about that? A government imposed through violence and intimidation has no legitimacy, and the one that took over in Kiev is just as illegitimate as the Donestk and Lugansk People's Republics.

Just because Obama chose to side with anti-democratic, fascist forces in Kiev, you are going to bat for them. That's truly sad and it shows that you aren't willing to look at the situation with an unbiased eye.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. Actually, all members of the new government were elected members of parliament.

In terms of the presidency, the former president under his own free willpower flew off in his fleet of helicopters for Russia after taking three whole days to pack up multiple moving trucks containing his most valuable possessions. All of this was documented for the world via security camera footage.

Given that he had essentially abdicated his position, an interim president was appointed until elections could be held. Those elections--recognized as free and fair by international monitors (something one can't say about the votes in Crimea, Lugansk and Donetsk)--produced a democratically elected president who will be inaugurated this Saturday.

But thanks for playing, anyways. And double points for the gratuitous "fascist" name drop.

[ballyhoo]

4. Very fitting for Obama to have said that. Talk

about an open book.

[pampango]

5. It would have been more newsworthy if Obama had met with him then said "Who elected this bozo?"

I think presidents and prime ministers tend to say nice things in public about each other as these meetings. What they say behind closed doors is sometimes a different matter.

Obama also announced the US would be increasing non lethal military aid to Ukraine, including night vision goggles.

I keep telling presidents and dictators that is is better to have Russia as your weapons supplier. You can count on delivery of the weapons you want to fight "terrorists". Russia never says "Well, we might supply you with night vision goggles but that is about all. We are concerned with what you might do with more lethal weaponry."