Ukraine sets European course after ouster of Yanukovich

Reuters ^ | 02/23/2014 | By Natalia Zinets and Alessandra Prentice

[Carbonsteel]

Reuters) - Ukraine's interim leadership pledged to put the country back on course for European integration now Moscow-backed Viktor Yanukovich had been ousted from the presidency, while the United States warned Russia against sending in its forces.

As rival neighbors east and west of the former Soviet republic said a power vacuum in Kiev must not lead to the country breaking apart, acting president Oleksander Turchinov said late on Sunday that Ukraine's new leaders wanted relations with Russia on a "new, equal and good-neighborly footing that recognizes and takes into account Ukraine's European choice".

[Paladin2]

Seems like the Ukraine could use all of the real help it could muster.

Unfortunately both sides want to use it as a pawn.

[Graewoulf]

” - - - while the United States warned Russia against sending in its forces. - - - - “

THIS time Obama, as CIC, needs to be very specific about his fearsome “warnings.”

Obama’s major problem with his warnings to Syria was that he did not specify what kind of “Red Line” he was going to use.

Thus with Obama’s warnings to Russia, Obama should specify one of the following:
* A thick Red Line;
* A thin Red Line;
* A dashed thick Red Line;
* A dashed thin Red Line;
* Multiple solid and dashed thick and thin Red Lines.

Obama makes Foreign Policy look so easy that any kid from Kindergarten could be just as successful at it as Obama!

[Tailgunner Joe]

It’s easy for Americans to say that Ukraine should be split down the middle and half of it given to Russia. The Ukrainians themselves may have other ideas.

[Grzegorz 246]

It's not that easy, vast majority of people in western and central regions would not be happy with eastern part leaving, what's more even majority of people in the east do not really want independence or becoming a part of Russia (otherwise the country would have split long time ago) they are “pro-Russian” culturally and economically, the problem is that vast majority of people in western and central regions want to keep the country in one piece and want it all to be closely associated with the west, while majority of people in the east also want to keep country in one piece but would like it to maintain close ties to Russia. The only major exception are southern regions, mainly Crimea, where people are openly pro-Russian. If Kremlin could be trusted, they could trade Crime for long-term economic aid but with these people in charge, they may flush any agreement down the closet a few months later and having Crimea they might create more problems like blocking naval transport etc.