Little-Acorn
Gold Member
As we have been hearing for weeks now, Ukraine is a country with many ethnic Russian people. Partly for that reason, many things that go on are more or less Russia-friendly. Gas and oil pipelines cross the country, bringing Russian fossil fuels to large markets in Europe, etc. And now we hear that Crimea (a region of Ukraine that sticks out into the Black Sea as a peninsula) has voted overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and become a part of Russia.
Surely Russian leader Vladimir Putin must be happy over that. But might it be a mistake?
From Wikipedia:
Many Ukrainians are of Russian ancestry, speaking Russian, loyal (somewhat) to the Motherland. But they are NOT a majority in any part of Ukraine... except in Crimea.
Now, whenever issues come up that Putin would like to see swinging in Russia's favor, he can usually count on the heavy influence of ethnic Russians to make things go the way he wants.
But if Crimea leaves Ukraine, the most heavily Russian influence will no longer have a voice in the country's affairs. In the rest of the country, ethnic Russians are only a minority. And in much of it, they are a SMALL minority.
Having Crimea leave the country of Ukraine, might be the worst thing that could happen to the country, from Russia's point of view. If vital votes come up about the economic effects of the pipelines, Putin can no longer count on such heavy Russian influence.
But surely Putin knows that, and has been well aware of it for years. Yet here he is pushing for annexing Crimea into Russia, seemingly with little concern for the outcomes of future votes in the Ukrainian government.
Could that mean that Putin has already decided on "other methods" to make sure those future votes come out the way he wants?
News reports this morning show that 60,000 Russian troops are already massing along the border betyween Ukraine and Russia. And they're not there to force Crimea to join Russia - the Crimeans just voted by better than 90%, to join voluntarily (for what that's worth)... it's apparently already a done deal.
So those masses of Russian troops, must have a different desination in mind. And it isn't the Crimean part of Ukraine.
Crimeans Choose to Join Russia in Vote, Exit Poll Shows - Bloomberg
Are we seeing the first steps toward the intended rebuilding of the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)?
Surely Russian leader Vladimir Putin must be happy over that. But might it be a mistake?
From Wikipedia:
Many Ukrainians are of Russian ancestry, speaking Russian, loyal (somewhat) to the Motherland. But they are NOT a majority in any part of Ukraine... except in Crimea.
Now, whenever issues come up that Putin would like to see swinging in Russia's favor, he can usually count on the heavy influence of ethnic Russians to make things go the way he wants.
But if Crimea leaves Ukraine, the most heavily Russian influence will no longer have a voice in the country's affairs. In the rest of the country, ethnic Russians are only a minority. And in much of it, they are a SMALL minority.
Having Crimea leave the country of Ukraine, might be the worst thing that could happen to the country, from Russia's point of view. If vital votes come up about the economic effects of the pipelines, Putin can no longer count on such heavy Russian influence.
But surely Putin knows that, and has been well aware of it for years. Yet here he is pushing for annexing Crimea into Russia, seemingly with little concern for the outcomes of future votes in the Ukrainian government.
Could that mean that Putin has already decided on "other methods" to make sure those future votes come out the way he wants?
News reports this morning show that 60,000 Russian troops are already massing along the border betyween Ukraine and Russia. And they're not there to force Crimea to join Russia - the Crimeans just voted by better than 90%, to join voluntarily (for what that's worth)... it's apparently already a done deal.
So those masses of Russian troops, must have a different desination in mind. And it isn't the Crimean part of Ukraine.
Crimeans Choose to Join Russia in Vote, Exit Poll Shows - Bloomberg
Are we seeing the first steps toward the intended rebuilding of the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)?
