Smoke rises above burning barricades at Independence Square
Smoke rises above burning barricades at Independence Square

Kiev burns.  Over 70 civilians killed yesterday.  The video footage reminds us of Hungary and Czechoslovakia  back in the 50’s.  Kiev is a modern, fairly western city.  What do these protestors want? For starters, they don’t want to be killed by their government.
They want their monetary system to be more westernized.  What’s the problem?  Putin’s puppet,  Viktor Yanukovych,  wants to hold the Ukrainians  down and under the yoke of the thug Putin.  Fuel is expensive.  Food is expensive.  Housing is expensive.

Many countries who were under former Soviet rule have been plagues by high inflation and an unstable economic system.  The bottom line is, many are willing to die for economic freedom for their country.

At least one Ukrainian athlete has left the Olympics in protest.  She has said she wants to join her countrymen in their efforts to free her country.  Others have elected to stay.  The Ukrainian athletes have been denied to right to wear black armbands in support of those who have died or been wounded in the protests.  Is there anything they can do to show their political beliefs?  Does their presences glorify Putin’s ego?

Disclosure:  I don’t have a good understanding of the full problem.  Probably most Americans don’t.  We do have extended family involved.  My grandchildren and son in law have a close cousin living in Kiev with his Ukrainian wife.  He says the situation is extremely dire.

The question is, what should the United States, as a world leader, do?  Do we side with the protestors? The existing government of Ukrainia? How vocal should Obama be? Is there any reason to get involved militarily?

12 Thoughts to “A line in the sand in the Ukraine?”

  1. From the NY Times:

    The embattled president of Ukraine and leaders of the opposition signed a political deal on Friday aimed at ending a spiral of lethal violence with early elections and a reduction in presidential powers, but Russia declined to endorse the accord, and many protesters said nothing short of the president’s resignation would get them off the street.

    In a further sign of President Viktor F. Yanukovych’s diminished influence, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to allow the release of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been imprisoned for more than two years. In a 310-54 vote, lawmakers decriminalized the count for which she was incarcerated.

    It was not immediately clear when Ms. Tymoshenko might be released from a penitentiary in the eastern city of Kharkiv where she has been serving her sentence. But she is still considered one of Mr. Yanukovych’s most potent adversaries.

  2. Not Bernie Madoff

    I visited Kiev some years ago – enjoyed it very much. What’s happening there now is awful. However, I don’t see what we can do. Getting involved militarily in Ukraine means we’re going to war with Russia. That’s not an option. Diplomacy is the only route we have.

    I oppose US military action in Syria and Iran also, and anywhere that direct US security interests are not threatened. The world has changed and countries like Russia need to grow up. We’ve got to start settling disputes by diplomatic means. The US can no longer act unilaterally as the world’s policeman.

    1. Not Bernie, I agree with you. I have to continue to keep telling myself to push the off button though when it comes to human rights.

      Bottom line, I don’t know what the answer is. It is truly awful and Russia does need to grow up and realize it is no longer in charge of world domination.

  3. Not Bernie Madoff

    I don’t think you need to push the off button regarding human rights. It’s important that we are aware of violations in Ukraine, North Korea and other places. We do need to keep a healthy perspective on what the US can and can’t do, however. Invading Ukraine, North Korea, Iran and other such places would cause more problems than it would solve. Being aware and pressing for diplomatic measures is the best route.

  4. Starryflights

    I love Kiev. Beautiful country and people. Hate to see this happening. The people deserve freedom. Seems to have calmed down now.

  5. Starryflights

    News just in, the Ukrainian president has vanished.

    You know, this really is a fight between east and west. All this happened during the week Russia lost its hockey game. This wad a bad week for Putin. The stakes are enormous.

  6. punchak

    @Moon-howler
    Who is gone? Putin is not going to give up his power over Ukraine without a fight.
    The western part of the country wants to be part of EU; the eastern not. Putin
    has the power of MONEY. Ukraine, from what I read, needs money, and Putin has
    promised to aid them but under certain conditions.

    It’s amazing what the people are willing to endure for what they believe in.
    Let’s hope Ukraine will not be another Hungary!

  7. https://medium.com/war-is-boring/a292fc7a40c2

    Passion is good. Courage is good.
    Organization and coordination is needed.

    Good luck to the good guys.

    1. It looks like the yoke of oppression has been overthrown.

  8. Not Bernie Madoff

    When people want freedom they will fight for it. The claim is always made that the French saved the American Revolution. Their aid was extremely helpful. You can argue that the Americans would have won without it; albeit taking longer than they needed to with French help. In any event, the French did not commit until the Patriots had won Yorktown and shown their own resolve and determination to win their freedom. In addition, we invited the French and requested their assistance. Franklin and Adams had been working for years to forge an alliance with France.

    Compare French aid during the American Revolution to the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. The people in those countries were neither prepared nor committed to fight for themselves. The time was not right. Now that the U.S. is withdrawing both are reverting back to the way they were prior to U.S. intervention.

    Ukraine is a positive story. U.S. intervention would have made the situation far worse. We would not have helped. The good guys won because the Ukrainians themselves wanted freedom and were willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get it. I’m very happy to see the Ukrainian situation developing as it has.

    1. I am happy it is working out for them also. It’s a situation where I don’t think we left a paw print either. (In other words our spook world didn’t go in and SUS) The Iraqis and Afghanis didn’t ask for liberation. Freedom was foisted on them.

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