Posted on 09/15/2019 8:10:21 AM PDT by NorseViking
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian president's envoy for peace talks with Russia-backed separatists expressed concern Friday that the leaders of France and Germany will push Ukraine to make unacceptable concessions to Russia.
Ukraine and Russia have been locked in a bitter standoff since 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and threw its weight behind separatists in eastern Ukraine. Hopes for a solution to the separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed more than 13,000 lives, were revived after political novice Volodymyr Zelenskiy was elected Ukrainian president in April.
But his envoy, Leonid Kuchma, told The Associated Press he is concerned that France and Germany, who are mediating the talks, will push President Zelenskiy to make trade-offs, such as approving a plan for the separatists to hold local elections in the areas they control without any oversight by the Ukrainian government.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
When Ukraine gave the USSR nuclear weapons that they had control of after the USSR collapse to Russia that decided it’s fate! Eventually it will re-absorbed back into Russia. Oh yeah the USA & UK guaranteed Ukrainian sovereignty if Ukraine gave up the weapons! Oh yes like we & UK would fight a nuclear war over Ukrainian independence!
I think it is a gross misconception. To bring things into perspective Ukraine inherited from USSR a military loosely equal to modern US military in terms of manpower and the number of assets, not counting warships. Its economy was about 30% of USSR which was only second to US and that alone made Ukraine in top ten nations economically.
The problem is that the looting started immediately after independence and it began to shrink at unprecedented scale reducing to about African status in just a few years.
Looting involved military assets and technology leading to proliferation of very sensitive tech which went to Iran, China and North Korea.
To think whatever ends justify allowing such country to maintain control over 4000 nukes and delivery systems is a pure insanity.
Good argument for Russia reabsorbing Ukraine - not responsible enough to be independent!
We are talking about nukes. I am all for their independence but unfortunately it won’t wanna happen. They would be an EU colony for now.
If they indeed maintained nuclear status chances that you would already have been nuked by some Arab terrorists getting themselves a Ukrainian nuke somewhere at garage sale over there.
Ukraine leadership needs to learn concessions are part of dealing just as they learned in trading of prisoners. Their new President appears to understand this.....regardless of how media wants to affect the outcome of negotiations according to their own bias.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSFW9YZlnkw&t=607s
Interesting take if you understand Ukrainian and Russian.
The Ukrainians hate the Russians and they will not be absorbed into Russia.
Think Russia in Afghan x 50.
In fact, during WWII, Hitler made a strategic error when he enslaved the Ukrainians instead of turning them on the Russian Soviets.
The guy on YouTube compares rhetoric, early policies and early public perception of Poroshenko and Zelensky.
The conclusion is there are a lot of similarities and the difference is that Poroshenko mostly delivered everything he promised (which didn’t prevent him from being the least popular leader including Stalin by the and of his term) and Zelensky is mostly engaged in PR show instead of real politics.
Another conclusion is that every their next president is worse and by the end of the term is less popular than predecessor. And every next elections work under principle: ‘anyone but the old guy!’.
Ukrainians know that game all to well....unfortunately they don’t have a way to stop it repeating because pretty much corruption, bribes etc.etc is a way of life in their country....and not just in the political arena.
Zelensky knows that Pr only goes so far, however he has yet to really sink his teeth into his job as I see it. he’s still in a learning curve of how to get around the powers that be and get done what he wants.
Ukrainians know that game all to well....unfortunately they don’t have a way to stop it repeating because pretty much corruption, bribes etc.etc is a way of life in their country....and not just in the political arena.
Zelensky knows that Pr only goes so far, however he has yet to really sink his teeth into his job as I see it. he’s still in a learning curve of how to get around the powers that be and get done what he wants.
“” “” The Ukrainians hate the Russians “” “”
Dated opinion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTzAiPM89-k
Another video with a comment of a reformed Ukrainian Nazi blogger. Formerly Russia-hating but currently back to senses and pro-Russian although still anti-Putin.
If you don’t understand Ukrainian an idea is simple and visible from the video itself.
A bunch of guys appear at public gathering with a placard: ‘Death to Russia!’ in Ukraine.
Five year ago there would be cheers but now they have crap kicked out of them by the crowd. Guess why?
Complete RussiaTimes propaganda.
Do you have any real evidence that Ukrainians like Russia?
NO.
In fact Ukraine wishes to be in NATO, because of Russia, lol.
I know they claim they do.
The original Rus is Ukraine.
Ukraine will absorbed by Russia again. There’s nothing to stop it. They threw away their only chit. (and oh yes they had very good reasons to do it! I don’t buy that, but ok!) As far as the Afghan comparison goes, you think the Baltic states, Poland, & others bordering Russia & Ukraine are going to act as safe havens for guerillas as Pakistan did. I don’t, without ‘safe havens” guerilla movements die if their enemy is willing to pay the price.
Ever read the book “Red Famine”? Give it a try. Ukrainian memories are not short!
Who said they like? Let’s say they are questioning their geopolitical orientation.
The United STATES never did any such thing.
2/3 of the representatives of those States united must, sitting in the Senate, ratify ANY such "guarantee" to make it binding, and that never happened.
Are Japanese or Afro-American memories short? Nuclear bombing and slavery weren’t jokes! Although as far back in time or farther. Long enough to overcome and move on.
The voice of sanity finally.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.