South-East Ukraine Looks to Russia for Protection
http://russia-insider.com/en/2014/12/13/1723reprint from (so the standard Western propaganda warning apply)
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/opinion/driving-ukrainians-into-putins-arms.html?_r=0The fact that families run from a war zone is heartbreaking but hardly unexpected. The disturbing part lies in the details — of the roughly 454,000 people who had fled Ukraine by the end of October, more than 387,000 went to Russia.
Most of those who fled were Russian speakers from the east, but this still raises a sobering question: If this is a conflict between Ukraine and Russia, why did so many Ukrainians choose to cast their lot with the enemy?
...
Last month the Ukrainian president, Petro O. Poroshenko, decided to freeze government pensions and cut off funding for schools and hospitals in the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. Unfortunately, the separatist thugs fighting there don’t rely on food stamps to buy weapons — they get them from Russia.
All that Mr. Poroshenko accomplished was giving Mr. Putin the “proof” to tell the starving pensioners of the region: “See — the West doesn’t care if you die.” This is a sentiment that is growing stronger and stronger, according to reports coming out of the region.
Equally awful is Kiev’s decision to maintain a relationship with the Azov battalion, an ultranationalist paramilitary group of around 400 men that uses Nazi salutes and insignia.
To anyone familiar with eastern Ukraine’s bloody history during World War II, allowing the Azov battalion to fight in the region is a bit like sponsoring a Timothy McVeigh Appreciation Night in Oklahoma City.
...
Eastern Ukrainians today, especially the older generations, respond to swastikas and wolfsangel runes — Nazi symbols now used by Ukrainian ultranationalists — about as well as African-Americans respond to burning crosses.
Oh, and the following, as a light relief after the above sobering article:
Funny and Touching: A Russian Grandma's Advice to Obama (viral video)
http://russia-insider.com/en/politics_ukraine_opinion_christianity_society/2014/11/04/02-09-55pm/funny_and_touching_russianThis video is wildly popular on the Russian internet.
A Russian babushka (grandma), gives Obama advice, in rhyme!, in the best Russian tradition.
She calls him Obamashka, an affectionate rendering of his name in Russian.
She offers to pray for him, to cook him blinis (pancakes), to take him to church to meet her priest so that they can all pray for America together, and advises against cozying up to Nazis, explaining that this always ends up badly.
She explains that Crimea is Russian, and always fought on Russia's side.
Finally she urges him to make friends with Volodya (affectionate name for Vladimir), and wishes him well.
We are Russia experts, and we can assure you, there is no force on earth that can withstand the charm and goodness of the Russian babushka.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a7S8tCZm8E