1. Israel holds democratic elections on a regular basis. Belarus is the last dictatorship in Europe.
2. How does the fact that Ukraine holds a democratic election in which the Kremlin-backed candidate loses constitute a betrayal of Russia?
Russia wants to punish countries that exercise democratic choice and reward some of the world's most repressive regimes. How do you justify Putin's encouragement of Karimov post Andijan (quite apart from the fact that Putin also encouraged Karimov to crack down on protestors in the first place)?
Why does Russia fear coloured revolutions so? Why can't it adopt a mature attitude, accept that the people in former Soviet countries have made their choice and then work with them to build a new relationship instead of bullying, hectoring and threatening them?
1. Israel holds democratic elections on a regular basis. Belarus is the last dictatorship in Europe. ===
Is it so important? Accually it is all just words.
Russia wants to punish countries that exercise democratic choice and reward some of the world's most repressive regimes. How do you justify Putin's encouragement of Karimov post Andijan (quite apart from the fact that Putin also encouraged Karimov to crack down on protestors in the first place)? ==
United States cooperates with Pakistan. Is this regime much better then Uzbekistan's? Same -stan same mentality same kind of "democracy".
Why does Russia fear coloured revolutions so?==
Russia worries revolutions inspired on foreign money. Russia had one in 1917 don't want more. Russian proverb says: "Who is paying then order the musics".
Why can't it adopt a mature attitude, accept that the people in former Soviet countries have made their choice and then work with them to build a new relationship instead of bullying, hectoring and threatening them?==
Just pragmatic approach. Russia doesn't want to subsidize no post soviet countries. But wants to charge market prices for her product. "Let them pay in full" -nothing else Russia wants from them.