Acting Ukrainian President: We Won’t Stop Crimean Secession
The Acting President of the Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, has stated that the Ukraine will not use military force to block Crimean secession. The ostensible reason? Doing so “would expose the eastern border and Ukraine would not be protected.”
Well, duh. Ya think?
As one might expect, Turchynov also cast aspersions on the upcoming Crimean referendum, stating: “What they call the referendum will not happen in Crimea but in the offices of the Kremlin.”
Dunno about that, Mr. Acting President. Since the majority of the Crimea’s population (58+%) is ethnically Russian and less than 25% is ethnically Ukrainian, I kinda think a completely fair referendum in the Crimea on reuniting with Russia has a damn good chance of passing – and likely by a fairly large margin.
Still, it’s nice to see that someone involved recognizes reality when they see it. In this case, I’m not convinced the current US Administration yet does.
Category: Foreign Policy, Military issues
A Russian speaking friend of mine has told me that the political party that Putin has appointed in Crimea as the government got 3% of the Crimea vote last election.
y’know, that is suspiciously close to declaring all Cubans voter Republican because of the Bay of Pigs or blacks should all vote Republican because of Lincoln. Hell, I’m a good chunk Irish but I’m not voting that we need a taoiseach… bad enough we have the asshole we do as President. I suspect a truly objective vote that included the option “given a choice, would you rather neither Russia nor Ukrine govern Crimea?” would get a HUGE plurality.
David: in the US, you’d be correct. But in parts of the world where ethnicity matters much more than in the US – like, well, most of the rest of the world – and where ethnic conflicts go back centuries? Um, I dunno about that.
I think you’ll have about a 60/40 split if it’s a fair election in Crimea. And I’m thinkin’ that split would be largely along ethnic lines.
The rest of the world ain’t a proverbial “melting pot” like the US.
It doesn’t sound like They’re stopping at Crimea……….color me shocked (I predicted this at the beginning)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/world/europe/ukraine.html?_r=0
Sounds to me more like Russia is sending a message to the Ukraine to “but out” re: the Crimean referendum, Old Trooper. I guess I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am.
I’ll worry if/when Russian forces cross the Ukrainian border in the East.
A man who obviously knows what’s going down and unlike some we know is not willing to draw a red line when he has no plan to back it up.
Realist.
Wish the author of this article actually did their homework! Poor excuse for journalism and you obviously know nothing of the topic.
Ukrainian citizen
Wish the author of this article actually did their homework! Poor excuse for journalism and you obviously know nothing of the topic.
Ukrainian citizen
We heard you the first time, Arkaduisz.
Ukrainian citizen, perhaps. But not commenting from the Ukraine. How long have you been absent from the Ukraine, and physically present in Australia? Oh, and are you from the Crimea or a different part of the Ukraine?
If you have a problem with the statements by the Ukraine’s acting president, take that issue up with him – or AFP, which originally reported his statements.
If you have a problem with the demographic data I presented, you have a problem with the truth. I can’t help you there.
If you have a problem with my opinions – e.g., that the majority of Crimeans would vote for reunification with Russia in a fair election, and that the acting Ukrainian president is showing that he recognizes reality, we can talk.