Russia in the Ukraine: 90 day eviction notice

Dear Mr. Putin:

In the next 30 days, unless your military forces now in the Ukraine and Crimea return to the status quo ante, the United States of America will do everything it can to shut off all aspects of your economic activity with the rest of the world.

Starting in 7 days, all assets of Russian citizens in the U.S. will be frozen pending some indication of Russian intentions.

U.S. citizens and businesses doing business or living in Russia are being asked to leave Russia or get to the American embassy as soon as is possible.

Starting in 5 days, any Russian flagged or owned merchant ships will be refused entry into U.S. ports.

The U.S. will recommend to the countries through which Russian natural gas pipelines
are routed that those pipelines be closed for "safety inspections" as soon as is practicable.

As this letter is being written, I am communicating with U.S. and allied natural gas companies about their ability to:

1. Export LNG to Europe and other areas now served by Russian gas pipeline.
2. Export fracking technology teams to promising areas of development in Europe, especially Poland.
3. Establish emergency natural gas pipelines from those fracking areas into the main distribution systems of Europe.

Pursuant to standing NATO commitments, I am ordering various elements of the U.S. military to be ready to deploy to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, or Lithuania should any their governments request security assistance (see here).  Air elements, including airborne troops and U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy amphibious units are on notice to prepare for rapid deployment. U.S. naval units will also be dispatched to the eastern Mediterranean.

If U.S. forces are deployed, there should be no doubt in your mind that assistance will be provided to the people of the Ukraine should it be necessary.

We remain in consultation with our allies throughout the world.


The next step is up to you.

With all due respect,

xxxxx

North Korea: Malum in se

AFP reports "Japan seizes nuclear-related materials from N. Korea cargo":

Japan has seized aluminium alloy rods which can be used to make nuclear centrifuges from a Singapore-flagged ship which was carrying cargo from North Korea, a government spokesman said Monday.
***
The rods had been stored at a private warehouse and the Japanese government ordered the firm Monday to hand them over.

It was the first such handover under a special law passed in 2010 to enable Tokyo to inspect North Korea-related ships suspected of carrying materials that could be used in nuclear and missile programmes.

According to media reports, the ship was on its way to Myanmar when it arrived in Tokyo via the Chinese port of Dalian.
***
United Nations sanctions resolutions require member states to inspect cargo suspected to be linked to the North's nuclear development.

Myanmar was suspected of pursuing military and nuclear cooperation with North Korea during long years of junta rule which ended in 2011 in the Southeast Asian state.

Nice chaps, those North Koreans, except for all the evil their rotten government spreads or attempts to abet. . .

Years ago we had some sort of program in which we were attempting to bribe the NORKS into giving up their nuclear program by offering them food and nice words. Deep in my archives I have some posts I'll link to when I have more time. Right now, here's a "golden oldie" from 2008 North Korea talking "Preemptive strikes" and updates "Sea of Fire":

“Our military will not sit idle until warmongers launch a pre-emptive strike,” an unidentified military commentator said in a statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency. “Everything will be in ashes, not just a sea of fire, once our advanced pre-emptive strike begins.”

Yep, an "advanced pre-emptive strike."

It's not like they have been bashful about warning us, which brings me back to a more recent post Reality Bites: "Obama's Missile-Defense Reversal" in which is considered the sudden administration decision to bolster our Pacific missile defense systems . . .

On the other hand, someone in high places in having fun sending a warning of our own to Kim Jong Unpleaant, as set out in U.S. Flies B-52 Bombers Over South Korea:

The United States said it was flying training missions of nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea, in a clear signal to North Korea at a time of escalating military tensions.

The flights — part of annual joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises — should be seen as underscoring U.S. commitment and capacity to defend Seoul against an attack from the North, Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

In response to U.N. sanctions imposed after its third nuclear test last month, North Korea has warned of a “second Korean war” and threatened preemptive nuclear strikes on the South and the United States.
***
“The B-52 Stratofortress can perform a variety of missions including carrying precision-guided conventional or nuclear ordnance,” he said Monday.
***

“We’re drawing attention to the fact that we have extended deterrence capabilities that we believe are important to demonstrate in the wake of recent North Korean rhetoric,” he said.

Get the hint, there, Un? Let me be less subtle:

Of course, deterrence of this sort only works if the other side believes that they can't survive whatever is delivered to their doorstep or deep, deep bunkers. Still, worth a shot, so to speak.

Oh, "malum in se?" A little lawyer speak for a thing that is "evil in itself.".