How dare Ukraine “Ukrainianize” (his term) the east of Ukraine!
Funny how Putin first had to invent a crisis in Crimea and then in eastern Ukraine before he found it necessary to send in his goons and start killing.
The author of this article has created a post facto justification for Putin’s acts of mass murder in Ukraine. The worst of it is that he has a position teaching U.S. college students in neo-Soviet logic.
Western Ukraine is part of Ukraine only since after WWII. That's the problem. You can not impose the will of minority to the majority and still have democracy. People who do not speak Ukrainian language are forced to use it.
IMHO, Western Ukraine taken from Poland should be returned to Poland and much of the trouble would be resolved. The rest of Ukraine (Orhodox Christians) would find a way to cooperate and arrange workable state.