“Polls have indicated that most residents of eastern Ukraine would prefer to remain part of the country.”
Not that there is much stock in a poll like that, but Western Journos did note that as many people in the voting lines were voting against the coup regime, but wanted to stay Ukrainian, as there were that wanted independence.
The Odessa and Mauriupol Massacres totally changed the calculus. You will have that when someone is killing “your people”.
“Not that there is much stock in a poll like that”
Much more stock in a poll than an anecdotal comment from a journalist to prove your point. That dog don’t hunt.
The proof is in the pudding. The subversives won’t come out to vote and say they will attempt to ban the election in their regions....the jig is up...quit flailing.
Pew is perfectly credible. Who did they project the winner as being in the Bush years? Your world view requires us to believe that everybody who offers something contrary for the narrative put out by Moscow is part of a conspiracy theory.