Read: William Taylor's Opening Statement About Trump-Ukraine

MSG Stan Hutchison - Wait a minute. The Russians took back what was traditionally a Russian territory. They aren't sitting on the West German border any more and some of their territorial disputes with the Ukraine and Belorussia aren't nearly as clear cut as the US press likes to believe.
We draw the line when it is in the best National Interest to draw the line. The Cold War is over and we won. However, we have went out of our way to do things to antagonize Russia that we really didn't need to push. The expansion of NATO after the threat that created it was gone being the big one.

CPT Lawrence Cable - Do you honestly believe there is no threat from Russia?

CPT Lawrence Cable - As to your comment "The Russians took back what was traditionally a Russian territory." That is not really true. It became Russian only in 1783, after the Ottoman Empire was defeated by Catherine the Great. After that, in 1921 the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created. This republic was dissolved in 1945, and the Crimea became an oblast first of the Russian SSR (1945–1954) and then the Ukrainian SSR (1954–1991). From 1991 the territory was covered by the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol City within independent Ukraine.

The recorded history of the Crimean Peninsula, historically known as Tauris (Greek: Ταυρική), Taurica, and the Tauric Chersonese (Greek: Χερσόνησος Ταυρική, "Tauric Peninsula"), begins around the 5th century BC when several Greek colonies were established along its coast. The southern coast remained Greek in culture for almost two thousand years as part of the Roman Empire (47 BC – 330 AD), and its successor states, the Byzantine Empire (330 AD – 1204 AD), the Empire of Trebizond (1204 AD – 1461 AD), and the independent Principality of Theodoro (ended 1475 AD). In the 13th century, some port cities were controlled by the Venetians and by the Genovese. The Crimean interior was much less stable, enduring a long series of conquests and invasions; by the early medieval period it had been settled by Scythians (Scytho-Cimmerians), Tauri, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Huns, Bulgars, Kipchaks and Khazars. In the medieval period, it was acquired partly by Kievan Rus', but fell to the Mongol invasions as part of the Golden Horde. They were followed by the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire, which conquered the coastal areas as well, in the 15th to 18th centuries.

So, far less of it's history is tied to Russia than to other nations.

MSG Stan Hutchison I think China is a much more creditable threat. Putin will do what is in his best interest, as should we. I don't ever think we will be buddy's, but a lot of the actions of the US and NATO have been antogonistic since the Balkan wars and not for any good national interest except kissing up to the EU. And I am aware of the history of the Crimea. Still doesn't change the that the population is largely Russians. We supported break away republics in the Balkans to go their own way in spite of the wishes of their minority populations, they voted for annexation. Explain why that is different.

SPC Kevin Ford - Oh, it was just coincidence? Oh, ahd the fired prosecutor claims he was told that he was fired because he didn't back off on Burisma. That sounds pretty credible to me.
Our European allies already sold out to the Russian in exchange of a gas pipeline. Which is what they were hoping to get from the Ukraine.

CPT Lawrence Cable - Looks swampy, no doubt.

The testimony of the ex-prosecutor was given in Russia where he is now residing, so be cautious of what this represents and who's interest he is supporting. Prior to this, Shokin's deputy (Kasko) provided statements that the investigation was dormant, which seems pretty consistent with the international community's problems with Shokin, that he wasn't investigating anything. If he was really investigating Burisma, it would have been an unusual event for him and it would have been much easier and safer for Burisma to buy him off than trying to remove him based on his general level of corruption.

https://www.rferl.org/a/why-was-ukraine-top-prosecutor-fired-viktor-shokin/30181445.html

SPC Kevin Ford - The agency ran by an Obama appointee that fired 8 of it's journalist for running Anti Soro's stories? Doesn't sound particularly free to me. Good source.

CPT Lawrence Cable - Soros? really. OK, we've gone over into tin foil hat land.