The great beauty of Ukraine
What’s next after Russian military deployment in Crimea
Candles in the street. Many candle lights shining at dusk. St. Barbara’s orthodox church, downtown Vienna. Plenty of little flames enlighten a gravestone. The names of those who lost their lives during the clashes in Ukraine are carved on that stone. A memorial for the departed ones, for those killed in Kiev.
You can read the names of ordinary, decent people. Scientists, engineers, teachers, software programmers, painters, college students, journalists. Many people lost their lives during the Euromaidan protest, at the end of February. Is this the price for democracy, the price for self-determination?
It has been a fratricide war in an heterogeneous country. A country where there are 73% of Ukrainian, and 22% of Russians, in Crimea and in the eastern part of the border. An heterogeneous country perhaps more than any other post soviet country. In Ukraine there’re also minorities of Byelorussians, Jewish, Romanian-Moldavians, Bulgars, Poles and Tatars, of Turkish origins, in Crimea.
Loosing Crimea, already an autonomous republic, is more than a possibility for Ukraine. Perhaps it might be unavoidable. A war against Russia is more than a threat. Are peace, democracy and self-determination worth the Crimea sacrifice?
Vitaly Klitschko, UDAR party -by Dima Frolov
Vitaly Klitschko, leader of UDAR party, in an interview to the CNN said that the Russian troops deployed in Crimea have to be considered as an aggression against Ukrainian sovereignty and that Crimea is part of Ukraine. This is what a leader should say in such a dramatic situation, but how realistically Ukraine can even think to face a war against Russia?
The Euromaidan revolution was the result of the strong will of being free and having a government and politicians that care about the country interests and not only of their personal profit. But seems that what really lacks is the big picture. People wanted to fight against the government but there’s no clue of what might happen after the revolution.
At this stage the opposition is quite confused. Yulia Tymoshenko, was a charismatic leader, but now has not a great appeal to the crowd as it was just few years ago. Yulia is a controversial and ambiguous figure, loved by western countries but not so much in her homeland.
Like in the mid 800's Crimea is again at the core of European interest, while the Ukrainian crisis is the worse conflict between US and Russia since the Cold War. EU is just watching, playing the faded part of a supporting actor.
Can EU step back, loosing the chance of playing a leading role? Can diplomacy have an effective result when Russia is showing off his army?
Great dissent is growing as days pass by.
Perhaps it’s not too late for diplomacy, good politics and practicality.
St. Barbara’s church, Vienna
