Solving the Russia Problem

New York Times 21/04/2014

QUOTATION OF THE DAY

"If you just stand there, be confident and raise the cost gradually and increasingly to Russia, that doesn't solve your Crimea problem and it probably doesn't solve your eastern Ukraine problem. But it may solve your Russia problem."

IVO H. DAALDER, a former American ambassador to NATO, on one potential approach President Obama could take with President Vladimir V. Putin. 

The East Rises Up Against Separatism

Last month, this quote caught my attention in the NY Times. I had written in my blog prior to this that the only chance Ukraine had was if the businessmen in Russia and Eastern Ukraine felt the pain of sanctions and took up positions against Putin's actions.

The eastern referendum

Today the separatist  people in the East are choosing to hold a referendum on secession from Ukraine. Last week Putin asked these separatists to hold off on the referendum until after the elections. They chose to proceed. So who do we believe this time?  Did Putin make a public statement that he reversed in private orders?  Did the people truly go off on their own?  Who will count the votes? And who will be allowed to vote?  What will a vote mean?  Those counting will claim huge turnout and clear results. If no one but Putin believes it, will he still step in?

The events of the past few days which resulted in violent clashes in Odessa and the East were truly worrisome. People killing their own. Propaganda dividing those that have been living side by side for generations. Why did Putin have to butt in?  Look what he has created now?  Total instability is not good for anyone, not even for Russia.

God help us all.

Russian and Ukrainian are the same language, aren't they?

The politics of language and culture

My sister, Oksana, at Plast camp in NY - a typical Ukrainian American

When I was growing up in America, we did not yet have a television but we did manage to get a phone with a party line. Those old enough to remember will understand this strange phenomenon of sharing phone lines with neighbors and being able to listen in on their conversations. Except it didn't do us much good as we didn't understand a word of English.