[wildandcrazyrussian]

Not to mention that there are millions of people inside Ukraine who strongly deny that they ARE "Ukrainians" as a separate group from "Russians". Especially the Crimea (originally in Russia, handed over to Ukraine in 1954 by the Ukrainian Khrushchev); the eastern half of Ukraine, which had been in the Russian Empire and where they have always thought of themselves as Russian; the Black Sea coast including Odessa; and the Carpathian region, stolen by Stalin in 1945 from Czechoslovakia.

This last region (Carpatho-Russia) is a land of about a million people who have resisted the separatist movement of political Ukrainianism since it started in the aftermath of the 1848 revolutionary times. Even now, bordering Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine, they would prefer to be part of Russia proper, even if it were an outpost like Kaliningrad. They have been loyal to a sense of Russianness and Orthodoxy for centuries under foreign domination.

The current events are of one faction of many in the country, and are seemingly not aware that they are being used by Germany and other Western powers.

[1rudeboy]

Oh, please. There are Mexicans in Texas, too.

[Honorary Serb]

See my post #34, on the origin of the “Ukrainian” identity:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3099596/posts?page=34#34

Besides all the Russian-speaking Ukrainians in our (OCA) parish, there are also many Carpatho-Russin-Americans.

On Friday, we shall celebrate the feast of St. Herman, patron saint of America. Holy Father Herman, pray to God for our poor country!!!

[Grzegorz 246]

Crimea (a tiny part of the country) is actually the only region, where people are openly pro-Russian. East/West division is not as strong as you say, just check support for EU by region.

Don't you guys find it strange that your religion dictates you what you should think about international relations ? If RCC was expecting from me a blind support for let's say Italian or Mexican authorities, I would leave it immediately.

[Verginius Rufus]

Khrushchev was an ethnic Russian, born to Russian parents in a Russian village near the border with Ukraine.