What Is All the Fuss about Ukraine and Crimea?

🔊 Listen to Post

Much has been written about Russia’s involvement in Crimea and causing separation of Crimea from the rest of Ukraine.

Among all these written reports, interviews with so called experts, and analysts very little if any has been mentioned about United States involvement in Ukraine’s political turmoil

Back couple of months before overthrow of the former president, Viktor Yanukovych, when the Ukrainians were demonstrating against the government for not allowing Ukraine to join European Union, one of the high official from the US embassy joined the demonstrators and gave them food and drinks, basically supporting the demonstrators. This is absolutely uncalled for as it is direct interference with internal affairs of the host country by the representative of the guest country. One does not take such bold actions, unless there are ulterior motives.

It is well established that Ukraine used to be part of Russia and back in 1950’s Ukraine got its independence by Premier Khrushchev, which some argue he did not know what he was doing at that time.

In 1990 or thereabout when Soviet Union broke up, the new Russia and the United States entered into an agreement in which United Stated would refrain from inviting the old Soviet Blocks to join NATO. This is very much understandable, as Russia did not feel comfortable to have forces allied with the USA to be right next to her borders. The same way that USA was not comfortable to have Soviet forces in Cuba or other South American countries back in 1960’s.

United States broke this agreement by having gradually many of the old Soviet bloc countries to join NATO. Ukraine would have been another one. The Western media have tried to portrait President Vladimir Putin as a dictator, an autocrat, and a crazy man whose lost it and does not know what he is doing. There is no question that President Putin has his own faults and is not a perfect leader by any stretch of imagination, but the same could be said about many other world leaders in particular about some of the US presidents.

As the President of Russia, Mr. Putin is taking actions whether right or wrong to secure the interests of his country, just like all the presidents in the USA have done and in particular one could mention President George W. Bush who started a futile war by invading Iraq which had done nothing to either cause harm or threat of harm to the USA. Under the banner of USA must protect her interests, US forces invaded Iraq and devastated the country and its people. In the process over 4,500 US soldiers were killed and 30,000 US military personnel injured of whom many of them maimed for life requiring medical care for the rest of their lives.

In the process over 4,500 US soldiers were killed and 30,000 US military personnel injured…

In the scheme of world politics, neither Ukraine nor Crimea plays any noticeable role that requires such attention by the US and Western Europe attention and expenditure of scares resources. Further, it would not be politically nor economically wise to create a riff with Russia, given the recent globalization. Besides it is not like Russia has invaded Ukraine and engaging in mass killing of Ukrainians.

Most of Crimea is populated by Russian speaking people and through democratic process they overwhelmingly voted to join mother Russia. The West may not like this move, but should respect it and take any and all steps to maintain a cordial and a cooperative relationship with Russia. Let’s not start another cold war which no one benefitted from it, except certain defense industries at the expenses of tax payers.