A boy sits on an armored personnel carrier as he poses for a picture during a parade in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, September 14, 2014. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
Alexander J. Motyl, World Affairs: Ukraine's Orange Blues. Dying for the Donbas?
Just about every day, soldiers die. Sometimes, it’s as many as three or four. Sometimes, it’s two or three. Usually, it’s only one.
Only one young life snuffed out—for what?
For the Russian-occupied Donbas enclave. That is to say, for nothing.
I can understand, intellectually, at least, dying for your family or friends, for your country or city or community, for democracy or peace or your nation.
But dying for a piece of crummy land populated by 3 million inhabitants, the vast majority of whom hate Ukraine and everything it stands for? That makes no sense.
Most Ukrainian policymakers and most Ukrainian people appear determined to win back the Donbas territory occupied by Vladimir Putin’s troops and proxies. At the same time, they appear to be equally determined to lead normal lives, as if the war—and make no mistake, it is a war—were taking place in some distant land.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I have mentioned more than once in this blog that the people in the Dobass region are stubborn, hard headed, independent, fiercely pro-Russian, and impossible to subdue. When The Germans invaded in the Second World War .... this part of the Soviet Union was a hornets nest of partisan activity. The first strikes in the Soviet Union that eventually led to its downfall first started in the coal mines of the Donbas .... that even an army of KGB thugs could not suppress. And now this war .... sighhhh .... it took the Irish years to kick out the British .... I can say the same about this conflict. But all is not loss .... there is a political solution to this conflict .... give the people in the Donbas what they want .... autonomy. Unfortunately ....in Kiev this is the last thing that they want to do, and until its their own sons and daughters going to fight in this useless war .... there is going to be no accommodation from Kiev to reach the political settlement that this conflict so desperately needs.
14 comments:
This type of BS is what baffles me about you, you seem somewhat conservative, yet you come up with this BS story about the Donbas are fiercely pro-Russian yet before the fighting, there was more Ukrainian speakers than Russian ones. Its sounds like you want to reward Russia for its hostile takeover by just giving them the donbas, they earned it...lol...I do not understand your logic here, its flawed. I get that you are from Russia but then again if you are so pro-Russian why do you live in Canada? Russia is at fault here not the Ukrainians and if I were the Ukrainians I wouldn't give them shit either.
Stephen. It would say both Russia and the U.S. are guilty of using Ukraine as a vassal state. Most recently the U.S. by spending billions of dollars nurturing a coup and then having Ukraine install U.S. friendly foreigners in positions of power. Such as Saakashvili (former Georgian President) being made Governor of Odessa region. Or Joe Biden's cocaine nosed son being on the board of Ukraines largest gas company. Or assistant secretary of state Nuland picking Ukraine's leadership and monitoring sessios of their congress. I can understand Russia's concern with U.S. activity at its border. I think you would see crazy U.S. operations taking place if Russia was controlling Mexico or Canada. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fWkfpGCAAuw
Dont think either side really cares anything about the actual people. A Ukrainian government where everyone is represented couldn't work? I dont take to either side but if i was calling shots in Ukraine i wouldnt give up anything else, you already lost Crimea with no chance to get it back why would you just give up more willingly.
The SOBs used a bunch of Nazi thugs to pull off a coup with the support of foreign powers. They then made it their first order of business to threaten and attack those who disagree or are of a different ethnicity. The current government of Ukraine has no legitimacy other than in the eyes of its gangster backers. Russia didn't start this, but if they keep playing she just may end it.
Regardless, the Editor's position is really the only one that makes sense in terms of salvaging something out of the situation. And it is looking more pie in the sky by the day. Frankly, I don't think there is anyone to talk to in Kiev or in the capitals of its backers.
Eastern Ukraine has been "Russian" since 1654.
Western Ukraine was divided between Poland and AustroHungary until after WWI, and became part of Ukraine in 1939 (Poland) and 1945,.
To self identify as "Russian", one can be a Russian First speaker, ( 17%), or a Russian Orthodox Worshipper, ( 39%), of Russian lineage, ( 62%), prefer "Russian" borscht, ( 23%), or employed in a sector of the economy reliant on Russian trade, (84%).
Ukrainian Oblasts, ( equivalent to States or Provinces), while they have elected Duma's, ( legislatures), are governed by an appointed Governor and Administration from Kiev. In many cases, this situation devolves to the Munincipal level.
Yup, in some places in the Ukraine, your local "Official" Dogcatcher is not the guy you elected to the job, but instead the inbred nephew of some mucky muck in Kiev.
The "Federalization" policy, long agitated for in the Ukraine, that is now part of the Minsk II Agreement, ( that Kiev is refusing to implement), would devolve Munincipal, City and Oblast powers to locally elected Officials, rather than the Federal Government in Kiev.
Yep, but the Cookie Monster and gang keep insisting it's Russia that is dragging her feet on Minsk. The Ukrops continue to marshall forces for another go at the republics while sending a songbird to Eurovision to tweet some bullshit histrionics to cover other bullshit...just when you thought the bearded transvestite was the basement for so called "Euro-culture".
Like I said, there's no point in talking when there is no one to talk to. Least of all someone sane.
Jay .... you hit it on the nose on how nice government jobs are doled out in Ukraine (including contracts, government loans, and and other forms of assistance). This is a huge beef .... especially for the eastern part of the country.
On a side note ... hmmm ...
I am a Russian First speaker
Orthodox
Russian lineage
I love borscht
And I was once employed by the Soviet/Russian government doing trade.
BUT .... I am now living in Quebec, Canada.
Sighhh .... I am so doomed.
Which borscht?
Russian borscht? Ukrainian borscht? Polish borscht? Armenian borscht? Georgian borscht?
Every little Slav and Slav influenced pocket in Europe has it's own "borscht", some don't even have beets or cabbages in them, and wars have been fought over "which borscht is real borscht", let alone the question of sour cream.
Technically, it was a cheap dig at the concept of a "national" self identity in a country that is as artificial a construct as any of the Sikes-Picot nations in the ME, that has spent most of it's time since independence exploiting the 27 different "national" self identities to "divide and rule".
I make Russian Borscht. But .... my Ukrainian cousin's borscht .... I do not know what she does .... and she is not telling me her secrets .... but it is better.
And you have to put sour cream in the borscht .... and in this department Canada has the best sour cream in the world (Sealtest .... not Beatrice).
You are flat out wrong, Olympic Organic is the best sour cream, and my Mother in Law's Russian Mennonite borscht made with the organic heritage strain beets we send her, is the best borscht ever.
You are dead to me and we will now prepare to invade Quebec and drive all of you out of the country.
Olympic Organic .... we do not have that here .... and I would not be surprised if it is better sour cream than Sealtest.
Damn!!!! I knew I took the wrong province to settle in.
Russian Mennonite borscht .... the chef in me is now very very curious.
On invading Quebec .... would not recommend it .... the occupation costs would bankrupt Canada.
Russian Mennonite borscht starts with a "clear" vegetable broth,( carrots, beets, celerac, caramelized onions, garlic), takes two days to make, then shredded onions, sage, savory, dill, sorrel, carrots, parsnips and beets are added in three stages, ( blend, soft, texture) with salt, pepper, shredded cabbage and shredded boiling potatoes added at the "texture" stage. It's fairly thick, with sweet notes, peppery notes, a salty note, a sour note and a good "mouth feel" and with some crunch.
As for invading Quebec, it will be cheap, our Armies will live off the land, (poutine, terrines and meat pies), strategically seize all your stores of soft, runny, unpasturized cheese and the whole resistence will quickly collapse.
I use a meat broth .... boil the meat, strain it, etc.. I like your use of sage, savory, sorrel .... I have never tried that before .... it is something that I am going to add (As for dill .... well ... you know as well as I do that Russians use dill on everything).
As for cheese .... I only discovered a few years ago on how incredibly good the cheese is in Quebec .... and the selection is massive. And they have also now elevated poutine into some incredibly delicious meals. No more cheap gravy, cheese cruds, and sauce .... no way. This is my favourite poutine restaurant (check the menu) http://www.poutineville.com/
Hmmmm ....
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