2014 Ukrainian Maidan Revolt: News, Views, Photos & Videos

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Dizasta1

Senior Member
In my view, the situation in Ukraine has many complex historical issues that were ignited by the West.

First of all, there has been a general resentment by the Ukrainians against Russia. This due to the treatment of the Ukrainian people by the Soviet regime. However, the Ukrainian ultra-nationalist have used this sentiment of the Ukrainian people to incite violent, criminal and racist rebellion against the democratically elected Ukrainian government, headed by Yanukovych. What a lot of people may or may not know is that both Russians and Ukrainians suffered at the hands of the former Soviet regime. So when the ultra-nationalist incite this hatred against the Russians, it is wrong and sadistic in nature. It can also be deduced that this ploy was used to further the cause of establishing a Pro-European/Pro-Western government in Ukraine.

Such a move is not only undemocratic, but also breeches the international human-rights law.

Another thing. Navy Base in Crimea, has been under lease by Russia from Ukraine. It has been so, since the latter country became independent after the dissolution of Soviet Union. Home to Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet, means that Russia's military has a sizable presence in Crimea already. So when the utterly absurd claims eminate from the Western media that Russia has deployed 16,000 troops in Crimea, post the Ukrainian ultra-nationalist takeover. Then the rest of the world thinks that probably the reporters of FOX, CNN, BBC & Sky or smoking Marajuana or something!

Also, there is a sizable indigenous ethnic Russian population in Ukraine's South-East, Odessa and Crimea. Which suggests that any antagonistic, provocative behavior or policies that the ultra-nationalists will attempt to enforce upon the ethnic Russians, will have damning reprecussions for Ukraine. The likes of which we're already witnessing in Crimea, Odessa and South-East Ukraine.

The people of Ukraine ought come together and establish a constructive understanding on how go forward in bringing the country back on track. The first thing that both ethnic Russians of Ukraine and the ethnic Ukrainians need to is to create an understanding that both ethnicities had suffered at the hands of the former Soviet regime. That neither should have hatred for one another. This will bring harmony to the people of Ukraine and spawn a progressive, positive thinking to take the country out of it's current turmoil.

Another thing that the people of Ukraine should recognize, is that it is themselves who would stand to benefit from having good relations with both the Russian Federation and the European Union. And this they (Ukrainians) must approach in a way which most intelligent countries ought approach. Where Ukraine's policy in dealing with both the Russian Federation and European Union, is Ukraine will respond positively to all deals with both countries, SO LONG AS ONE DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH THE OTHER.

This is the sort of approach any country ought to have, in order to maintain a firm grip over it's policies. In particular, when it is wedged between two powerful neighbors.

It ain't somethin that the western media would like to say or suggest.

Remember, someone who is forcing their views upon others or claiming things which contradict the reality on the ground. These are people who inherently have no interest the country they're reporting or talking about. As, someone who is genuinely concerned for the betterment of that country, would always report in an unbiased, unvarnished way.
 

SampanViking

The Capitalist
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Here from Global Times, an article that spells it out, just in case anyone was not sure

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Backing Russia is in China’s interests

The US announced Monday it would put trade and investment talks with Russia on hold. It also suspended military ties with Russia. US President Barack Obama condemned Russia's violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, and said Russia is "on the wrong side of history," warning that the US and its allies are examining steps to "isolate" the country.

Russia's diplomacy is facing more challenges than in 2008 when it sent troops into Georgia over the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This time the burning point is Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe. The rivalry will determine the strategic layout of Europe. The US and Europe will not give up easily.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sufficient means to ensure his country's advantage in its military actions in Ukraine, but Russia will face long-term pressure from the West. It will feel the effect of isolation by the West. The grand holding of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games shows that Russia still needs the acceptance of the international community.

When the Chinese government needs to practice its diplomatic balance in the situation in Ukraine, Chinese public opinion should firmly stand by Russia and support its resistance to pressure from the West. Such resistance is the real picture of the Ukraine crisis. Russia has no choice when faced with Western pressure.

Some think China's policy of non-interference will be tested in this matter, and that if China supports Russia, it will become ensnared in a diplomatic trap. This is the mentality of the weak. The West has interfered in the internal affairs of many countries, but never admitted it.

We prefer to agree with voices supporting Russia. Russia has been resisting the eastward trend of Western forces in Ukraine, which is important not only to its own fate but also to China's strategic interests. Russia and China are strategic buffer zones for each other. If Russia led by Putin is defeated by the West, it will deal a heavy blow to China's geopolitical interests.

Russia is the comprehensive strategic partner that China can most rely on. In the next two or three decades, no country will be able to replace Russia.

Therefore, China should offer support to Russia. Diplomatically, China can stick to its neutral policy but slightly favor Russia, which can be accepted by many countries and will pave the way for China to play a mediating role.

Meanwhile, China's public opinion can condemn the West's interference in the Ukraine crisis. The world should see Russia's resistance as the dissatisfaction of many countries toward Western powers.

We would like to see the West and Russia compromise. But if the West really sanctions Russia, Chinese society should provide more assistance to Russia, especially economic help. The West has underestimated Moscow's endurance.

Russia's resistance against the West has global significance. Supporting Russia consolidates China's major strategy. As long as this strategy is solid, China's bilateral relations with other countries will not become troubled.

We shouldn't disappoint Russia when it finds itself in a time of need. China should become a reliable strategic partner. This way, we will make more friends.

Another worthwhile read from GT

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TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Exactly as I said, China will back Russia's play. Now whether or not that play will leave the Ukraine a nation of a new conquest is yet to be seen.
As to "The wrong side of History" that's a overused tripe from Obama. He uses that on the Republicans every Tuesday. Basicly he can't do anything. He has worked himself into a corner and all he will be able to do is economic revenge. Basicly cut off the Russia oligarchy from there vacations. Russia and the US have little in trade in fact their more competition these days with the US moving to NG exports. About the only thing the Russians have a taste for from the US is cars. As to China messing with the US they already have as much as they feel free to but Beijing is not going to mess up its economic activity for Russia.
so what happens now? Will the US sanction Russia? Likely but its a slap on the wrist and not a hard one either. the EU won't back it as Germany is the number one trade partner and the top dog these days in the European hierarchy. And Putin has European by the boilers in terms of fuel.
so Putin will politically get a free pass again even if he carves up the Ukraine and takes half the country.
but economy he is going to take a hit. His big partnerships will leave him be but smaller ones are going to bail. Longer term this is likely to bite both east and west.
East as Putin is likely to be kicked out of the G8 that's going to hit him in the economics and in the political spectrum. It's also likely to push the Obama and his eventual replacement to take a harder edge to Russia.
West because those actions are going to push Russia east, and make Russia more bold in thumbing the west. Already there is a report of Russia looking to open military bases in Latin America. A easy deed for Cuba and Venezuela. This would farther break the American states that has been particularly ugly of late with violence in Venezuela and Iranians poking around.
 

thunderchief

Senior Member
In a current situation, everyone would get something except EU(Germany) :

- US will further isolate Europe from Russia , and gain potential bigger market share of oil & natural gas in Europe
- Russia will get Crimea and possibly parts of eastern Ukraine
- Current government in Kiev will gain freedom to do as they please, no longer having to make concession to pro-Russian part of the country .
- China will benefit from US again focusing more on Europe, Air-Sea Battle concept could be scrapped .

Biggest loser is Germany . They could except rising prices of energy for their industry, sour relations with Russia and another poor country they will have to give aid . It was utterly foolish of them to support toppling Yanukovych and especially not abiding to power-share agreement .
 

delft

Brigadier
An article from our old friend Ambassador Bhadrakumar on how, each in its different way, both India and China support Russia:
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India extends hand of friendship to Russia

The National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon’s remark to the effect that Russia has “legitimate interests” in the Ukraine developments, as much as other interests are involved, is a statement of fact at its most obvious level.

Russia’s interests in a stable, friendly Ukraine are no less than what India would have with regard to, say, Nepal or Bhutan. Delhi simply cannot afford to have an unfriendly government in Kathmandu or Thimpu, and it is hard to overlook the gravity of Russian concerns that ultra-nationalists staged a violent coup in Kiev.
But Menon’s statement inevitably becomes a big statement, not only because he is a profoundly experienced and thoughtful scholar-diplomat but also given the high position he holds and his key role as an architect of India’s foreign policy in the recent years. Simply put, he is India’s voice on the world stage.
To be sure, what Menon said will reverberate far and wide and would have been the content of many coded cables relayed by the antennae atop the chancelleries in Chanakyapuri to the world capitals yesterday.
The point is, what Menon said is one of the most significant statements made by Delhi in a long while regarding the contemporary international situation. No doubt, the Ukraine is a defining moment in the post-cold era world politics and by reflecting on its templates, Menon voiced India’s concern over the dangerous drift in world politics.
Menon’s remark draws comparison with the stance taken by China over the Ukraine crisis. With its trademark pragmatism — despite its much-vaunted ’strategic partnership of coordination’ with Russia — China underscores that the Ukraine is a complex issue where Beijing needs to coolly prioritize its self-interests. (See my earlier blog “China steers pragmatic course on Ukraine“)
What is going to be the impact of the Ukraine crisis on the US’ strategy of ‘pivot’ to Asia? This will be the question uppermost on the Chinese mind. The point is, the US cannot take on Russia and China at the same time. It simply lacks the capacity to do that.
In fact, China’s State Councilor Yang Jiechi held a phone conversation on Thursday with US National Security Advisor Susan Rice where he “expounded China’s principled position” on the Ukraine situation (read sanctity of sovereignty and territorial integrity), called on all parties (including Moscow) to “exercise restraint and strive to settle the crisis through political and diplomatic means so as to prevent the situation from being aggravated.” (here).
Quite obviously, China estimates that the fire that has been lit in Ukraine cannot be easily doused and a protracted confrontation between the West and Russia would work to China’s advantage. Put differently, China is indulging in doublespeak.
Its propaganda apparatus queers the pitch for the West’s confrontation with Russia and, in fact, blatantly admits that Moscow is also fighting China’s cause by resisting western hegemony, while at the same time, Beijing’s diplomacy marks a careful distance from the Russian stance and takes to the high ground of ‘principles’.
Never once Beijing’s official statements came anywhere near taking note of Russia’s “legitimate interests”. The irony is that even Washington recognizes that Russia has interests in Ukraine and this was explicitly acknowledged by none other than President Barack Obama himself in yet another hour-long phone conversation with President Vladimir Putin yesterday. (White House readout). In fact, US-Russia consultations are under way and Putin has been constantly discussing Ukraine with his counterparts in ‘Old Europe’.
Be that as it may, can it be a coincidence that even as Obama was announcing limited US sanctions against Russia, Beijing got some brilliant news from the Americans?
It came in the way of a remark by the US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy who said publicly in Tokyo on Thursday that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine a couple of months ago (which upset Beijing to no end) was not a “constructive” move, after all, “because we really need to keep looking forward.” (China Daily).
Pray what took Ambassador Kennedy so long to sing the pleasing tune — and, she did it on a day China announced yet another big hike in defence expenditure. It will be worthwhile to see how Washington reacts to the hike in China’s military budget, which used to be upfront. The initial remark by the US state department has been noticeably mild.
All things taken into account, therefore, Menon’s statement yesterday needs to be carefully understood and put in its full perspective. What stands out ultimately is that India and Russia continue to enjoy a special trust on core issues of concern. Does India enjoy this level of mutual trust with any other big power? To my mind, the answer is a resounding ‘No’.
Trust, when genuine and mature, need not be worn on the sleeve or bandied about in sugar-coated rhetoric and purple prose. The fact that Menon made a suo moto statement rather than a solicited one — and that he was not called upon to supplement a high-level phone conversation that the two leaderships at the highest level just had regarding Ukraine — would enhance its meaning all the more for the Kremlin.

I point especially at this:
The point is, what Menon said is one of the most significant statements made by Delhi in a long while regarding the contemporary international situation. No doubt, the Ukraine is a defining moment in the post-cold era world politics and by reflecting on its templates, Menon voiced India’s concern over the dangerous drift in world politics.
Over the last half year played the case of the Indian consul in New York. In this context Ambassador Bhadrakumar and others pointed to the indulgence of the Indian foreign service towards US misbehavior. We also saw India become the largest buyer of US weapons. This might well lead India to change course and let Russia help solve the problems between itself and China.
 

Miragedriver

Brigadier
Last Saturday I speculated on this thread that we would probably have a de facto annexation of Crimea within a week. This article from the Daily Telegraph reports that steps are being taken in that direction. These are very troubling times we are living in.

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delft

Brigadier
As a Pakistani, I can say with utmost certainty, that the stance which India has taken on Russia, vis-a-vis Ukraine, is one of the most sensible things India has done. Good call, old foe!!
POLITICAL
When Russia helps India and China to solve their problems that should also open the way to solving the problems between India and Pakistan. But such a development will be against the interests of the US and Saudi Arabia.
 

kwaigonegin

Colonel
China's position is clear, back who can be the most advantageous for China, And that would be Putin. The buddie buddie for China and Ukraine was during the old regime. But with the new leaders in Kiev, Ukraine is on the Outs as Beijing will side with Moscow.

as the saying goes war makes strange bedfellows.
 
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