Are you aware of what is happening in the Ukraine? The media is not really covering the story, so most people probably have no idea of the events in that country.
Let's start with a little background. The Ukraine is a large country in eastern Europe. It has just under fifty million people. The Ukraine was the second most important republic in the old Soviet Union after the Russian federation. When the USSR dissolved in 1991, the Ukraine became independent and established its capital city in Kiev.
Since the Ukraine was dominated by Russia for many centuries, the Ukrainian people realized quickly after their independence that they needed to develop ties with the rest of Europe quickly if they were to stave off attempts by Russia to re-establish control. The Ukraine went so far as to ask for membership in NATO, a step which would assure the country's military security against the Russians. The Ukraine also negotiated economic deals with the European Union intended to bolster the economy of the country.
In the last five years, however, the Russians have tried to take back control of the country. Russian president Putin at one time cut off energy deliveries to the Ukraine, and then raised the prices when deliveries resumed. Russia supplies the overwhelming bulk of the natural gas and oil used in the Ukraine, and the cutoff made clear to Kiev that Russia had control of the Ukrainian economy. Russia also forced the Ukraine to give up on its request to join NATO. Most recently, Russia forced the Ukrainian government to stop negotiations with the EU and to reject the proposals for economic cooperation with the rest of Europe.
Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of Ukrainians marched in Kiev and other cities in protest of this latest action. The Ukrainians know that giving up on ties with the EU is a major step towards reintegration with Russia, and that such reintegration is just another name for accepting subservience to Moscow once again.
The government used force against the protesters and many casualties resulted. Right now, there are hundreds of thousands who are still protesting in Kiev. There was also an attempt in the Ukrainian parliament today to bring down the government. That attempt failed, but the prime minister apologized today for the acts by the government.
So why is this important and how does it affect the USA? The answer is a simple one. The Russian leader Putin is trying to put back together the influence and power that Russia had when it was the second super power in the world, the Soviet Union. Putin well knows that without the Ukraine, Russia cannot reproduce that power. The Ukraine had just under one fifth of all the people in the USSR. The Ukraine has the most fertile farmland in all of the old Soviet Union. The Ukraine provides the outlet to the Black Sea, the only warm warm water ports in the old Soviet Union that gave access to the Atlantic.
It is clearly in the interests of the USA to keep the Russians from re-assembling the Soviet Union. The Russians already make enough trouble around the globe with just the shrunken remnant of Soviet power that they possess. Allowing the reconstruction of the USSR means the creation of a major rival for America. Even worse, the people of the Ukraine and the other old Soviet republics do not want to go back under the control of Moscow.
But what can America do to stop this? After all, the withdrawal from negotiations with the EU was a step taken by the president of the Ukraine. It is here that the real problem becomes clearest. For two decades, the Ukraine has relied on support from America and western Europe to offset the pressure coming from Russia. In the last five years, however, president Obama has basically abandoned that support in order to court the Russians. In 2009, Obama pulled out the anti-missile defenses that the USA was supposed to build in Poland and the Czech Republic when Putin applied pressure. When Putin cut off the Ukraine's gas and oil supplies, Obama was silent and did nothing. As Putin has taken measure after measure to pressure the Ukrainian government, Obama has said and done nothing. America did nothing to encourage the EU to conclude the negotiations with the Ukraine. Most recently, the Ukrainians watched as Obama backed away from his Syrian red line on chemical weapons and negotiated away the sanctions against Iran in exchange for an unenforceable promise to delay Iran's nuclear weapons program. All of this has forced the Ukrainian government to conclude that their country is really on its own when it comes to dealing with Moscow. The Ukraine is a large and populous nation, but it is no match for Russia. So the Ukraine is capitulating. It is becoming a vassal state for Russia.
Some day the historians will look back on recent events as the rebirth of the greater Russian state. No one knows exactly how that will go. One thing is certain, though; it is not a good thing.
Let's start with a little background. The Ukraine is a large country in eastern Europe. It has just under fifty million people. The Ukraine was the second most important republic in the old Soviet Union after the Russian federation. When the USSR dissolved in 1991, the Ukraine became independent and established its capital city in Kiev.
Since the Ukraine was dominated by Russia for many centuries, the Ukrainian people realized quickly after their independence that they needed to develop ties with the rest of Europe quickly if they were to stave off attempts by Russia to re-establish control. The Ukraine went so far as to ask for membership in NATO, a step which would assure the country's military security against the Russians. The Ukraine also negotiated economic deals with the European Union intended to bolster the economy of the country.
In the last five years, however, the Russians have tried to take back control of the country. Russian president Putin at one time cut off energy deliveries to the Ukraine, and then raised the prices when deliveries resumed. Russia supplies the overwhelming bulk of the natural gas and oil used in the Ukraine, and the cutoff made clear to Kiev that Russia had control of the Ukrainian economy. Russia also forced the Ukraine to give up on its request to join NATO. Most recently, Russia forced the Ukrainian government to stop negotiations with the EU and to reject the proposals for economic cooperation with the rest of Europe.
Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of Ukrainians marched in Kiev and other cities in protest of this latest action. The Ukrainians know that giving up on ties with the EU is a major step towards reintegration with Russia, and that such reintegration is just another name for accepting subservience to Moscow once again.
The government used force against the protesters and many casualties resulted. Right now, there are hundreds of thousands who are still protesting in Kiev. There was also an attempt in the Ukrainian parliament today to bring down the government. That attempt failed, but the prime minister apologized today for the acts by the government.
So why is this important and how does it affect the USA? The answer is a simple one. The Russian leader Putin is trying to put back together the influence and power that Russia had when it was the second super power in the world, the Soviet Union. Putin well knows that without the Ukraine, Russia cannot reproduce that power. The Ukraine had just under one fifth of all the people in the USSR. The Ukraine has the most fertile farmland in all of the old Soviet Union. The Ukraine provides the outlet to the Black Sea, the only warm warm water ports in the old Soviet Union that gave access to the Atlantic.
It is clearly in the interests of the USA to keep the Russians from re-assembling the Soviet Union. The Russians already make enough trouble around the globe with just the shrunken remnant of Soviet power that they possess. Allowing the reconstruction of the USSR means the creation of a major rival for America. Even worse, the people of the Ukraine and the other old Soviet republics do not want to go back under the control of Moscow.
But what can America do to stop this? After all, the withdrawal from negotiations with the EU was a step taken by the president of the Ukraine. It is here that the real problem becomes clearest. For two decades, the Ukraine has relied on support from America and western Europe to offset the pressure coming from Russia. In the last five years, however, president Obama has basically abandoned that support in order to court the Russians. In 2009, Obama pulled out the anti-missile defenses that the USA was supposed to build in Poland and the Czech Republic when Putin applied pressure. When Putin cut off the Ukraine's gas and oil supplies, Obama was silent and did nothing. As Putin has taken measure after measure to pressure the Ukrainian government, Obama has said and done nothing. America did nothing to encourage the EU to conclude the negotiations with the Ukraine. Most recently, the Ukrainians watched as Obama backed away from his Syrian red line on chemical weapons and negotiated away the sanctions against Iran in exchange for an unenforceable promise to delay Iran's nuclear weapons program. All of this has forced the Ukrainian government to conclude that their country is really on its own when it comes to dealing with Moscow. The Ukraine is a large and populous nation, but it is no match for Russia. So the Ukraine is capitulating. It is becoming a vassal state for Russia.
Some day the historians will look back on recent events as the rebirth of the greater Russian state. No one knows exactly how that will go. One thing is certain, though; it is not a good thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment