What do you think about Russia and the Crimea. Interested in your opinion.

[yougojay]

BEEF said it all pretty much. Give 'em an inch and they want/take a mile -
It's the principle of it all. Will Putin lose it & become another Hitler? Probably not, but look what happened with that situation. People say he/Russia wants a warm water port? Isn't there land in Russia already bordering the Black Sea? (from memory here...) This is all beyond the average citizen, in ANY country right now.
Politicians in the US are peeved because of this, and how many countries have we invaded or occupied lately?
Russia has been of interest to me lately over the years.
The Moscow Skyline is looking pretty awesome.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by yougojay

BEEF said it all pretty much. Give 'em an inch and they want/take a mile -
It's the principle of it all. Will Putin lose it & become another Hitler? Probably not, but look what happened with that situation. People say he/Russia wants a warm water port? Isn't there land in Russia already bordering the Black Sea? (from memory here...) This is all beyond the average citizen, in ANY country right now.
Politicians in the US are peeved because of this, and how many countries have we invaded or occupied lately?
Russia has been of interest to me lately over the years.
The Moscow Skyline is looking pretty awesome.

One of my best friends was married to a Russian woman for a few years. I attended the wedding. They were married in a Russian Orthodox church in the United States. I found the whole process quite interesting. We were both members of a folk dancing group. My friend (and some others, but not I) was also a member of a Russian folk dancing group. Another friend of mine (a native Korean who was raised in the U.S.) works for the U.S. Department of State, and has had multiple assignments there during his career (including Vladivostok and Moscow). My folk dancing friend's ex mother-in-law used to work for the Russian equivalent. I was having a conversation with her (in the U.S.) and mentioned my other friend. I stated his height (unusual), his country of birth/original nationality, and that he worked for the U.S. Department of State. Before I could say his name, SHE DID! She had had dealings with him. Small world.

Needless to say, I share your interest. I want to visit (I've been to some former Eastern Bloc countries), but I'll wait. If I could convince my friend the folk dancing nut to go with me I'd go whenever allowed and when he'd want to go (he speaks Russian pretty well).