[SpaceBar]

I had the situation explained to me thusly: During the Soviet years, ethnic Ukrainians were replaced by ethnic Russians through disease and starvation brought about by Stalin. These ethnic Russians now constitute a large chunk of the Ukrainiand population and want allegience to Moscow, while the remaining ethnic Ukrainians want to look westward (The EU). That is the basis of the demonstrations.

[Churchillspirit]

Thanks for a very succinct explanation.

[Straight Vermonter]

I had the situation explained to me thusly: During the Soviet years, ethnic Ukrainians were replaced by ethnic Russians through disease and starvation brought about by Stalin. These ethnic Russians now constitute a large chunk of the Ukrainiand population and want allegience to Moscow, while the remaining ethnic Ukrainians want to look westward (The EU). That is the basis of the demonstrations.

yes, as you can see from the maps below the division of the country is essentially along ethnic lines. Russia took parts of Georgia by force a few years back. They are trying to take Georgia by other means. I think an apt comparison is to the different ways that Hitler took the Sudetenland and Austria.

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[Jimmy Valentine]

A little short Ukrainians whether from the east or the west of the country self identify as Ukrainians. This protest has moved from a trade agreement issue to a protest about the corruption of the Yanukovich government and personal freedom generally

Yanukovich may wind up being “Ceaucescued”