Ukraine-Russia Tensions Rise In Crimea

A World War II monument overlooks Sevastopol Bay.
Many in Crimea consider themselves Russian.

From The L.A. Times:

Residents of Sevastopol and the rest of the Crimean Peninsula have close ties to Moscow, and analysts say Ukraine could break apart if leaders push Russia away.

SEVASTOPOL, UKRAINE -- Skimming the Black Sea aboard a military motorboat, Russian navy spokesman Igor Dygalo turned to an entourage of television cameras. "The dirty ones, those are the Ukrainian ships," he said with a light smirk. "The clean ones are Russian."

Against a backdrop of simmering tensions, Dygalo led journalists on an unusual wide-ranging visit to Russia's Black Sea Fleet this month, complete with unprecedented access to the flagship Moskva, a guided missile cruiser.

The public relations tour came just as the strategically crucial Russian base here finds itself at the epicenter of an escalating political clash.

Alarmed by Russia's recent war in Georgia, the Ukrainian government has imposed new restrictions on the Russian ships' movements, and suggested raising the rent for the fleet.

The Ukrainian president has called the surrounding Crimean Peninsula -- historically a part of Russia and still home to a majority Russian population -- the most dangerous spot in the country because of separatist sentiment.

Russia has responded with icy vows to beef up its military forces in the Black Sea, eagerly showing off to reporters the firepower aboard vessels that were used to blockade Georgia -- and to remind the world of the deep Russian roots in this restive Ukrainian region.

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My Comment: My father was born in the eastern part of the Ukraine. I still have many relatives, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc... living there. The attachment to Russia in this part of the country is very strong, and is getting stronger as discrimination and anti-Russian policies from the Ukraine Government on Russian nationals continues.

I can easily predict that separatist efforts to join Russia will increase with time .... and there is very little that the Ukraine Government can do. The ramifications of a break-up of the Ukraine and its geopolitical implications has yet to be analyzed .... someone in a think tank or main stream media outlet should take the time to figure this out because it will "the news" in a few years.