COUP IN KYIV?

And the distance to Moscow ... see the map

Dilemma for the West
The initial statements issued by the US and the EU show their outrage at the developments in Crimea. But harsh words will have little impact. Putin is indifferent to what the West says or thinks about him. In addition to that, he constantly highlights the alleged demands of the ethnic Russian population of Crimea, whose safety he claims to want to ensure.
As a result, the West finds itself in an uncomfortable predicament. It could retaliate with rigorous sanctions against Russia (trade restrictions, travel restrictions, account closures, eviction from the G8), which could lead to a new Cold War with negative consequences for the West's energy supply and huge investments into helping maintain the new "frontier state of Ukraine." It's hard to imagine that the residents of western democracies would support this kind of solution.
Or the West can grit its teeth for some time and silently accept Moscow's new role in Crimea, coercing the politicians in Kyiv into negotiating with Russia, which they are reluctant to do. In this way, Putin would - in a brutal way and in breach of international law - attain what the anti-Yanukovych opposition and western politicians didn't want to grant him in recent months: a strong voice in the negotiations on Ukraine's political and economic future

what would they use for fuel? Do you really think russia will be selling? Do you really think that Russia would continue to sell fuel to any Eastern European nation which voted to allow Ukraine into NATO, letting it transit through Ukraine? Sure they need the money, but fuel can move South, and China would buy it.

Me thinks that Europeans might have gotten snookered into following an incompetent Obama in an unnecessary and potentially ruinous Ukrainian games.

Well, this is one time I hope we and the west don't give in to Putin brutal tactics and let the chips fall where they may.

The main problem is that the Russian population in Russia as well as the Russian population on the Crimean peninsula has been agitated against the protesters in Maidan Square by Russian state television over the last few months. On state television, the events have been portrayed as a fascist overthrow orchestrated by the West. That's why fears are arising now, in Russia as well as in Crimea.

The widespread protests in Ukraine are a replay of the 2004 “Orange Revolution” that ousted Yanukovich and brought Victor Yushenko to power. The Orange Revolution was also about turning Ukraine west to Europe, but Yushenko’s rule was a disaster, and, with Ukraine in shambles, the European Union (EU) didn’t want to adopt a nearly-bankrupt state.

There's a threat today to the lives and safety of our fellow citizens, of Russian speakers, of ethnic Russians," Valentina Matvienko, speaker of the upper house of parliament, told reporters after the vote. "We can't remain indifferent."

Asked about possible western counter-intervention, she said there was no ground for it. "With all due respect to the United States, where is the U.S. located and where is Russia?

Ukraine has asked NATO to look at all ways to protect its territorial integrity. Foreign Minister Sergei Deshchiritsya said he had held talks with officials from the United States and the European Union and then asked NATO for help after what Ukraine’s prime minister described as Russian aggression.
A request had been made to NATO to “look at using all possibilities for protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and nuclear facilities on Ukrainian territory,” he said.

Reuters

A $15 billion loan offer from Russia, extended in November after Yanukovych dropped the EU deal, is on hold.
Russia also promised to slash natural gas prices. However, Russian energy giant Gazprom said Saturday that Ukraine is $1.55 billion in arrears on payments for natural gas deliveries, which may force the firm to cancel the discount it agreed to last year, Russian state-run RIA Novosti news agency said.
Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said that Russia has issued a $3 billion line of credit to Ukraine to help it cover its gas debts -- but that payment obligations must be respected.