'new member looking to expand my understanding of issues. Why are the pro-Russian separatist so determined to escape the current Ukrainian government? What is their grievance? Why do they think being part of Russian will be better for them? I've watched and read lots of coverage but have never heard anything about why they want to separate from the Ukraine.
1)Current goverment is largely run by neo-nazi thugs and corrupt crooks. These people are stuck between Scylla and Charybdis. 2)There are some economical reasons too. These regions generate most of income and are the most developed, but they are forced to share with the people who want exterminate them either physically or culturally. 3)They do not nessesary support joining Russia.
Pro Russians won the last election. Their government was ousted and it never called out the military against the "demonstrators". Pro Russians won that election against the Pro West who they lost to previously. That's democracy. If you were a democracy loving person, wouldn't you be upset your majority win is subject to a putsch? Really, Don't YOU smell a rat here? Moi No
Ukrainian situation ist not als simple as "russian" ans "fascist". To understand the hearts of the people a view to history may be usefull. But not only to the well known history of the 20th century. So let me bother you with a short walk to the middle ages and following (As I am german you might excuse my horrible english) In the 13 th century the Mongolians came over complete eastern and parts of middle europe and destroyed the many existing slavonian states in the area. After their withdrawal in the 14 th century the States of Poland and Lithuania grew up, liberated the territories of todays Central Poland, Lituania, Belarus and western Ukraine (western up to Kiev). Under Lithuanian Government they built a state, with an Lithuanian upperclass, a polish and (in meaning of those times) well doing jewish population in the towns and a free rural ruthenian population. This State "Kingdom of Poland and Great Duchestry of Lithuania" was - in meanings of that times an pro western, sligtly democratic, liberate and wealthy state. Their greatest help for Europe was, when their troops saved Vienna from the Turkish in 1683. In the 14 th centruy the Moscow area also was liberated from the Mongolians and took over the europan parts of the todays RF and eastern ukraine. Since the 15 th century Moscow led war against P-L and part after part they were successfull. So - with the help of Prussia (Germany) in the 18th century Russia occupied Lithuania, Belarus, western Ukraina and big parts of Poland. But they not just occupied - the prohibited all national symbols and language of the former citicens and called the area "small russia". Some centuries and wars later the area looks simmilar - though the former jewisch, polish and german people do only marginaly exist there. The ruthenian (now ukrainian) and russian people stand against one another with the hate of centuries an along the "borders" of 1500. Ukrainian people can't live under domination of the russians (as seen on two revolutions against Janukowic) and russians not under ukrainian. So perhaps a democratic and peacefull division like in Czechoslowakia 1993 may be the solution - but the ukrainian simply have no Vaclav Havel ... I didn't mention the Krimea because their situation is historically totally different. With regards from Europe
