Putin - and Russia - Had a stellar week in Geo-Politics

[Reality Check]

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Russia had a stellar week in it's Geo-Political maneuvering in Europe.
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Russia was given credit for a great diplomatic victory without having to agree to give up anything.
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Economy - Russian Economy re-bounded from future sanction related jitters.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-0 ... ine-accord
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Military - Russia's Ukrainian military allies retained, fully or partially, all ten cities in Eastern Ukraine, they had entered over the last two weekends.
Russia's Ukrainian military allies did this with out killing a single person, even though they did caputure many sodiers and vehicles sent by the Kiev government to attack them.
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Political - Russia had many victories here.

Russia's military allies within Ukraine negotiated with the leaders of one of the Kiev government's elite military units, this unit, the 25th Airborne Brigade, from the key province of D'nipropetrovsk, and reached a non-violent accommodation with them. The D'nipropetrovsk Ablost (province ) is very important for many reason's. It is the traditional homeland of the Russian Cossacks who have a tradition of producing excellent soldiers. This province is in eastern, southern, and central Ukraine all at the same time and controls bridges over the largest river in Ukraine. It is one of the largest industrial provinces.

The Kiev government, in a politically foolish move, branded this elite military unit as cowards, offending the militaristic Cossack community within Ukraine, offending the people of a key province for which the military unit was named ( and where it is based ), and offending the leaders of an elite military unit, who the Kiev government threatened to court martial.

It would now appear that a province which had attempted to stay neutral in the conflict between eastern Ukraine and western Ukraine may now be up for grabs.

The Kiev government announced that it was establishing an anti-terrorist armed force to travel to eastern Ukraine and "destroy the terrorists that refused to surrender". This threat was viewed by many residents of eastern Ukraine as applying to anyone in eastern Ukraine who did not agree with the interim government in Kiev.

Diplomatic Wins for Russia - The Kiev government accepted written responsibility for solving many problems in Ukraine while at the same time giving up it's sovereign right to use violence in it's own country.

The Kiev government agreed, in writing, that Russian military officers could move about the country of Ukraine as part of an OSCE monitoring force which will monitor the movements and actions of the Ukrainian armed forces within Ukraine.

The Kiev government agreed in writing to disarm "all illegally armed groups" inside Ukraine.

The Kiev government agreed in writing to remove all those "illegally occupying buildings" and to return the buildings to their rightful owners.

The Kiev government agreed in writing to remove all those illegally occupying squares and public spaces and to return the squares and public spaces to their intended purposes.

The Kiev government agreed in writing to reform the Ukrainian Constitution in a process that "will be inclusive, transparent and accountable. It will include the immediate establishment of a broad national dialogue, with outreach to all of Ukraine’s regions and political constituencies, and allow for the consideration of public comments and proposed amendments."

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry also stated verbally after the Geneva meeting that the Kiev government had promised the Russians that they would allow the broadest autonomy for the regions of Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Kerry also stated verbally there would be no new economic sanctions placed on Russia for now.

The Kiev government agreed in writing that they would accomplish all the above without using violence, an extraordinary promise, since the very definition of a sovereign government is that it has an exclusive right to use violence within the territory it is sovereign over.

The Russian government DID NOT agree, neither in writing nor verbally, that they had military members within Eastern Ukraine.

The Russian government DID NOT agree, neither in writing nor verbally, that they would remove the massive Russian invasion force on the borders of Ukraine.

The Russian government DID NOT agree, neither in writing nor verbally, that they had any influence what so ever, on the anti-Kiev Ukrainian separatists under arms in eastern Ukraine, and in open revolt against Kiev.

The Russian government DID NOT agree, neither in writing nor verbally, that the Kiev government was a legitimate government.

The Russian government DID NOT agree, neither in writing nor verbally, that they would return Crimea to Ukraine.

Public Relations Wins for Russia - The Kiev government was the Russian public relation gift horse that kept on giving.

The Kiev government kept referring to the eastern Ukrainian militias as terrorists. This was an unfortunate choice of words. Many of the citizens of eastern Ukraine interpreted the term terrorist to mean any Ukrainian in eastern Ukraine who disagreed with the Kiev government.

The Kiev government also kept announcing they were sending a military anti-terror force that was going to destroy all terrorist who did not surrender. Again a very poor choice of words.

Western media kept showing pictures of a unarmed farmer in eastern Ukraine who had helped peacefully block an armored vehicle. This older gentlemen kept asking the western media do I look like a terrorist? I was just planting onions. Kiev soldiers should just go home and leave us alone, he said.

Western media kept showing pictures of armored vehicles, surrendered by armed forces the Kiev government sent to destroy the terrorists, being driven around by eastern Ukrainian militias.

Western media kept showing pictures of the commander of a large convey of armored vehicles turning over his men's firing pins, from the their rifles, to eastern Ukrainians who had blocked their convoy.

The Kiev government kept setting deadlines for the surrender of Ukrainians who have taken up arms against them, then failing to keep their own deadlines.

The Kiev government, yet again today, set another deadline, it has very little chance of enforcing.