NEWSLINK: No more little green men? Putin takes military option in Ukraine off table.

[“No more little green men? Putin takes military option in Ukraine off table” – Christian Science Monitor –  Fred Weir- June 24, 2014]

The Christian Science Monitor covers Russia’s legislative move to formerly rescind an authorization for additional military intervention in Ukraine.

Almost four months after Russia’s upper house of parliament granted Vladimir Putin blanket permission to use military force in Ukraine, Mr. Putin on Tuesday appealed to lawmakers to rescind that resolution.

The Kremlin typically goes to great lengths to clad everything it does in an outward appearance of strict legality. Analysts agree it is signalling that despite months of tension over its military buildup, and many false alarms, the Russian army will probably not be marching into Ukraine.

Russia, of course, already is occupying Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.

Putin did use his military powers once, to seize control of the Russian-majority Crimean peninsula, which was annexed to Russia after a hasty referendum.

Russia has indicated that the legislative move is intended to show support for talks between Ukraine, armed pro-Russia rebels in the Ukraine east and Russia-backed mediators, in the context of a peace plan pushed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.  Poroshenko reportedly welcomed the move as a tangible first step.

Pro-Russia rebels in Ukraine responded by agreeing to follow a ceasefire ordered by Poroshenko last Friday.  Previously they had refused to do so in the absence of Ukraine meeting various demands.  The ceasefire, unless extended, already is set to expire this Friday.

Some commentators have argued that, with the rebels serving as proxies helping to achieve Russian objectives, Russia might not need to take further military action on its own.

‘Putin has plenty of options to destabilize Ukraine. It’s clear now that [Putin] doesn’t need to face the wrath of the West, and ramped up sanctions, in order to get what he wants,’ says Sergei Strokan, foreign affairs columnist with the Moscow daily Kommersant. ‘It’s very unlikely that peace will take hold in eastern Ukraine. These insurgents have already done the job of making sure Russia will have lots of leverage there, so why would Putin need to use the Russian army?’

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