Who's freedom is ending? Who's freedom are we talking about here anyways?
The western backed Ukrainian governemt/people or the others who seem to really want to go back into the fold of Mother Russia?
Freedom and Democracy & all that warm feely good stuff......
The logical and most simple solution in all of this is to let democracy do its thing. This whole problem began when one section of Ukraine decided to riot and use violence to oust the country's leader, avoiding a democratic process, which led to another government being installed without the democratic say of others in the country, specifically the eastern part of the country. They didn't get to vote for this new government but are expected to accept this new government installed by mob rule.
The other issue is that they wanted to have their own referendum on whether they stay with Ukraine or become a part of Russia once again.... But are told that isn't democratic and they can't simply do that without the say of the rest of Ukraine, which would no doubt vote to keep them a part of the nation anyways.
And nobody sees any hypocrisy with any of this?
They didn't vote for this government yet are expected to be ruled by it and at the same time they're not supposed to be able to vote to leave the country because they're supposed to involve the rest of the country in such a vote which would nullify that vote, keep them a part of the country and continue to be ruled by a government they never had the chance to vote for in the first place.
They are slapped in the face saying that by Ukrainian law and all that, they can't pull this stunt and consider invalid without involving the rest of the country in the vote, yet the same thing isn't applied to these other people who revolted and ousted the previous government through violence and death, ignoring the country's lawful process. The referendum was deemed void by this new government and the west, yet the new government isn't deemed void by the west using the same logic.
Again, hypocrisy.
The West glorifies this new government as some sort of beacon of Democracy when it's the farthest thing from the truth, yet villainize these people who want to be a part of a nation that is far more stable, has closer ties to and protected.... Who held their referendum anyways and voted in favor of joining Russia.
Some say it was at gun point which is why they voted in favor and because Russian troops were influencing the vote, yet if that was the case, why wasn't there a huge swath of people fleeing the area towards the west and pleading to be saved from the evil Russians?
Putin said he put troops on the ground in order to maintain security and protection of the Russian speaking populace.... That seems to have been the case and when the east voted in favor to be a part of Russia, Ukrainian forces were pushed out and without any bloodshed or a shot fired.
Sorry, but that's pretty effective work in my opinion.
It's only now that deaths and bloodshed is happening where the Ukrainian government is deciding to use force.
What needs to be done is what i mentioned earlier.... If we all believe in Democracy, then let it happen. Let each area of Ukraine vote democratically if they support the new government or want to leave and either become part of Russia or become their own little state, or whatever.
^ I'm pretty sure this is what Putin said a while back that should happen and he supports.
Hold a meeting between Russia, the EU, NATO and this Ukrainian Farce of a Government, agree on a hand picked team to go in and observe all the votes to ensure no interference and are neutral or come from a neutral country, count the ballots and see what happens when the dust settles.
Yeah, it all sounds like a big pain in the azz, but that's democracy for ya and it's the most logical solution at this time without the need to have other nations talking about war.
Again, this all started with the ousting of the previous Ukrainian government by a not-so democratic process and through violence..... Look at the mess created when violence was used and democracy wasn't.
Do people seriously think more violence will solve this issue? (war)
If people think war and conflict is the only answer and a democratic process like the above wouldn't work, then those people don't have any faith in democracy in the first place and only use the term for their own selfish arguments for their own gain.
Yes, let's all go to war in the name of democracy, yet don't allow democracy to actually solve the problem you're going to war for...... The definition of brilliance right there.
Well said. Choice for everyone except our "adversaries" is democracy turned on its head. Force and rhetoric will not solve the impasse. Listening to the people in the western and eastern Ukraine about their aspirations and desires is the only answer. If those in the east feel marginalized and alienated from the putsch in Kiev, let them vote on independence or reintegration wirh Russia. Let them decide.
The hasty recognition by us in the West of the overthrow of government in Kiev was counterproductive to put it mildly.