[Akula]

(01-22-2014 11:53 AM)jimukr104 Wrote:  

Actually its funny that the west is condemning the cops there. In America folks wouldn't throw Molotov cocktail because the cops would be legally able to respond by shooting dead the protesters who throw them.American cops can open fire when ever they feel threatened about their life, serious injury or possible disfigurement. The Ukrainian cops are being VERY soft if you ask me!

Yes..most of the protesters are from the West of Ukraine.....Most folks in Ukraine's biggest cities are wanting to be closer to Russia. Come to think about it after Kiev the next 4 largest cities are Russain cities(Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odessa, and Donetsk). They are Russian leaning and most folks over 30 think of themselves as Russian regardless if they are ethnic Ukrainians. Its only those born after independence that might think otherwise. The country should just break into 2. The West has the most uneducated folks of Ukraine and lack of resources. They would be poor. Its the Russians that made Ukraine an industrial powerhouse!

Yeah that's pretty much what I've heard/read. Obviously the western press are making this out to be some kind of validation of the EU by saying 'Ukrainians' want to join the EU (and are thus rejecting Putin/Russia). But the reality is probably more like you/we're saying - the Western (ethnic Ukranian) half of the country are increasingly afraid of getting too much closer to Russia and wanted a counterbalance - but it's not working out all that well. Plus, let's be honest, Europe is less able to given them $$s than Russia is actually at this point given all the crap going on in the EU with potential defaults and their issues on the home front. And the "Russian" part of the country could care less and want to maintain close ties with Moscow and keep the gas flowing cheaply.

Everyone's also just sick of the corruption as well - the oligarchs have way more power in Ukraine than in Russia and in a way its almost like crime syndicates run a lot of the businesses and enterprises. But hell they've lived with it for a long time, including all through the Soviet Union days, so I have to think it's so ingrained and people are so used to it that a lot of this stuff is never going to change or the change will be glacial - and everyone knows it more or less. But in any case, all the wealthy Ukrainians/Russians have another passport in case things get too hot....