There was never a question of Ukraine merging/joining with the EU. What was on the table was a trade agreement. Russia, as well as its cheerleaders, created a false choice by demanding that EU membership was on the table. The real issue was the fact that Yanukovich, from the time he came to power until he abandoned his country, had been steadily eroding Ukraine’s freedoms. In the great communist tradition, he was working to make sure that his election would be the last democratic election in Ukraine.
All this talk of EU, Soros, Nazis, Muslims, Neocons, socialists, rightwing extremists, fascists or whatever is nonsense stirred up by Putin and repeated by his dishonest and/or credulous followers.
Russia is not threatened in any way by Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, or Lithuania, yet we are supposed to believe that Putin has a legitimate right to violate the sovereignty of other countries because his tender sensibilities may be violated. Absurd.
I wish ... Lord how I wish.
Look even Putin didn’t like Yanukovich nor the way he was governing Ukraine....that’s just an established fact. At best he tolerated him.
Ynaukovich choice for “euroasia” over “the EU” proposal was there were no strings on Ukraine’s governing going with Russia as well as other considerations. Even after Yanukovich agreed to the Maidens terms, including early elections, they refused and tore into the Government building as a coup.
The whole thing broke open .....with both sides using thugs...which is also an established fact.
I understand why Putin zoomed in on Crimea......and pushed for the referendum to happen quickly....we would have done the same thing and have in the past.
This is going to end up with Ukraine being neutral once again....doing business with Eu and Russia....but there will be no entry into the EU economically nor Nato any time soon at all. The best they can get they got...Economical Agreement with the EU......and least we forgot the down payment for their gold being shipped out to the USA for any funding that comes into their nation.
Agreed and well said.