[WhiskeyX]

“not nearly the Russian majority there as in Crimea”

Ethnic Russians are a small minoity in the Donetsk Oblast. More ethnic Russians voted to go with the Ukraine than voted to go with Russia in the last voting referendum in 1991. This is a clearcut case of Putin’s Russian regime recruiting a millitant minority of fifth columnists or agents to foment violence and to overthrow the government majority of the population in Donetsk.

Donetsk Oblast
Ethnic Russian 38.2%;
Voted against Ukraine independence from Russia 12%

[dfwgator]

If Kiev doesn’t counter this, the situation will deteriorate rapidly.

[goldstategop]

All of this strengthens the case for a federal solution.

Its better Ukrainians reach an accord on one and soon. Or the May elections will rendered meaningless.

Of course, this depends on whether the authorities in Kiev are willing to respond to protesters’ demands or let events take their course. Blaming Russia will be of no help.

[dangus]

Russians and Ukranians are both Eastern Slavs. By “ethnic Russians,” what is meant is “people moved (or whose ancestors moved) to the Ukraine since 1920.” 75% of Donestk residents speak Russian, and not Ukrainian.

In 1991, Russia was still a dictatorship, and the Ukraine represented freedom. If you asked Muscovites would they rather Moscow be separated from the Soviet Union, I’m sure you’d get near 90%. But since then, the Soviet Union has fallen, and the Ukrainian government has been replaced by an anti-Democratic mob. (Yanukovich could have been replaced by May during the regularly scheduled election.)

[VeniVidiVici]

This is a clearcut case of Putin’s Russian regime recruiting a millitant minority of fifth columnists or agents to foment violence and to overthrow the government majority of the population in Donetsk.

Exactly.

[tcrlaf]

“This is a clearcut case of Putin’s Russian regime recruiting a millitant minority of fifth columnists or agents to foment violence and to overthrow the government majority of the population in Donetsk.”

To a point, I disagree. Yes, Putin is taking advantage of already existing animosities. Really, he would be stupid not to. he is a student of Machiavelli, after all.

But, this was predicted to happen 2 months ago, and the only people who seem surprised by it are the Ukrainians. That the new government cannot seem to project much influence outside of Kiev says a lot, as well.

Remember, this a country near anarchy, on the verge of a civil war, that has been a corruption haven on the brink of economic collapse for quite a while.

Losing the Donetsk region, the most industrialized part of Ukraine, would be a body blow to the new government.