Thread: Что произойдет в восточной Украине? (Eastern Ukraine?)

Rossiya 24 showed the attacks of Ukrainian army against Slovyansk. It looked extremely disturbing.

I think it's time to do a civilised referendum about this.

With ALL the options, i.e. on everything from everything from complete governance from Kiev, via federalism, autonomy, independence or annexation to Russia.

If Scotland can have a referendum, why not these people?

Let the local people cast their votes and stop this madness.

I think that if I lived there, I would want complete independence for the area. Yes, I am probably naive and don't know enough about it - but I tried to find out and the story really engages me.

Seems to me the area is big enough and has enough resources to go it alone. It's larger than Benelux and has more people than lots of EU countries. They could form alliances with whoever they want - trade agreements, custom unions or whatever.

In that way they can land on their feet, run their area in accordance with the wishes of the majority and decide in peace and quiet what they want for the future, whether it's reverting to Ukraine, remaining independent, going with Russia, trying for EU membership or whatever appeals to the population.

But right now they seem to be 2nd class citizens in their own country and having war waged on them by an illegal government. They may or may not be exploited by Russia in whatever games or agenda Russia may or may not have, and they are certainly blackpainted in an unfair way in Western media.
Nobody is treating them very well, really, and they are stuck in a country that doesn't respect them and neighbouring another country that may not necessarily offer the solution to their problem either.

If I lived there, I would day "sod 'em all - we can do better". I think the area and people seem cool and interesting. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they can achieve something more appealing than both Russia and certainly Kiev/Ukraine.

Originally Posted by Hanna

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Seems to me the area is big enough and has enough resources to go it alone. It's larger than Benelux and has more people than lots of EU countries. They could form alliances with whoever they want - trade agreements, custom unions or whatever. ...

imho that can never work - not because they are not capable or do not have the resources - but because of the historical context of Ukraine within the Soviet Union and its geographical location as a buffer zone to Russia's west (or south west). The bottom line is Russia does not want a Ukraine (in particular East-ukraine) that aligns itself with Nato/Europe. Now imagine this little independent 'go-it-alone' East Ukraine in 15 years decides to align trade agreements and allegiances etc with the West. Do you think Russia will be happy and alow it to happen? The answer is no. Equally so trouble would arise is Minsk one day decides to orientate itself towards Europe. And I am not blaming Russia. Fact is they do not want Nato in what they perceive to be their own backyard (and partly have some - at least emotional - claim to what they perceive was originally theirs). Hence, it is quite clear that any independent little state (such as an independent east-ukraine) would constantly be bullied by both east and west to conform to their respective whims.