1,000 or 10,000 or 100,000 false ballots, who cares. The whole referendum process is so irregular, that these are mere details. But writing off the referendum as illegal misses the point . The fact is that there are a lot of people in Eastern Ukraine who are unhappy with the state of affairs in Ukraine. They mostly don’t know what they voted for, federalism, autonomy, independence, joining Russia or what? But they know they don’t like the way they have been governed, and they don’t like the present government, thanks in good measure to Russian propaganda.
The Kiev government needs to sit down with these people and talk, even with those carrying automatic weapons whom they call separatists and terrorists and bandits. Most Ukrainian politicians that I have seen on television just talk and don’t listen. I think the government needs to listen and find some common ground.
One symbolic step would be to make Russian an official language. I have said from the beginning that the Ukrainian speakers cannot impose their language on the Russian speakers as the only legitimate representative national language. Ukraine is mostly a bilingual and therefore bicultural country, Ukrainian and Russian. This should be source of pride and advantage for all Ukrainians.
It is obvious that the country is moving towards more regional self-government. Everyone talks about it. They just need to find the right formula.
The less Russia is involved in this process, cajoling and prodding from the sidelines, or vilifying the Kiev government, the more likely that the Ukrainians will find some opportunity for compromise. Whether Russia wants them to find this common ground is another question.
@Steve: “…The Kiev government needs to sit down with these people and talk, even with those carrying automatic weapons whom they call separatists and terrorists and bandits…”
I agree. There is a certain hutzpah, in my opinion, on the part of the Kiev “government” in calling people “terrorists” and “bandits”. They themselves came to power in a wholly illegal way, mostly through extreme violence and disorder.
Nevertheless, as the late Bob Hoskins used to say in BT ads: “it’s good to talk”. These folks need to negotiate.
@Steve: “…It is obvious that the country is moving towards more regional self-government. Everyone talks about it. They just need to find the right formula…”
Yes. In other words, what they need to do is what Putin called for in the first place: regional autonomy in the East of Ukraine.
The article says that is was about 30% citizens of Crimea who came to the referendum, a half of them has voted to be a part of Russia.
Of course, nobody knows the real results. As we know in Belarus, it’s not important how we vote, it’s more important how they calculate the votes. The Belarusian methods of “calculating the results” are used in Russia, too.
According to the memorandum, Russia, the U.S., and the UK confirmed, in recognition of Ukraine becoming party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and in effect abandoning its nuclear arsenal to Russia, that they would:
Respect Ukrainian independence and sovereignty within its existing borders.
…
One of the obstacles that has prevented the Ukraine government from moving in the direction of federalization or official status for Russian is precisely the fact that these policies are championed by Russia.
Russia has positioned itself as an aggressor against the Ukrainian state, seizing territory and lying about the participation of its own troops, fanning false hopes and dissension amongst Russian speakers with a hate campaign against the Kiev government, and encouraging, or at the very least not discouraging Russian nationalist adventurers and weapons from flowing into Ukraine to destabilize the situation. The less Russia and Russians are involved in the Ukrainian situation, the more likely a peaceful resolution.
For sure it would be better if the Ukrainians could sort out the situation entirely amongst themselves. But I believe it was the West (specifically the EU) which started external interference and meddling in Ukrainian affairs. The reaction from the Russians should have been entirely predictable. From their point of view it is entirely rational to assert their position, if the West is going to start fomenting violent disorder and regime-change in Kiev.
What is good for the goose is good for the gander, in my opinion.
how many topics will be opened on the same theme? I would prefer that there would be a place for language learning, rather than some propaganda spread place.
Those lessons from evgueny40, with screaming headlines, with the view of only one point sounds like propaganda that there should not be.
how many topics will be opened on the same theme? I would prefer that there would be a place for language learning, rather than some propaganda spread place.
Those lessons from evgueny40, with screaming headlines, with the view of only one point sounds like propaganda that there should not be."
It is propaganda, don’t think that all Russians believe in ‘bad Ukrainian nationalists’ and Russian-speaking Ukrainian citizens who want to be liberated. It’s all Putin’s scheming, typical KGB methods. And I’m ashamed that so many educated and respected Russian people believe in that kind of disgusting propaganda.
@Saulikos
I’m now in my holiday in Israel, so it’s difficult for me to react all my opponents.
But I have only to say: you have one opinion, I have another. It doesn’t mean that my or your opinion is right and another is
propaganda’ - everyone can have differerent opinions. and there are different opinions also among the Russians.
The vivid polemic shows that there is a big interest among the Lingq members to this topic.
But of course not all people are intersted in politics,for example -my wife has no interest,so she just doesn’t read or listen to the political news.
BTW, among my donations to Lingq the political aricles take maybe 10% of all, and 90% are devoted to the language study and to the cultural issues.