The Ukraine might want to think about dividing along these lines.

[reformist2]

A red/blue division seems pretty obvious, and it would make for a reasonable border between the New Ukraine and Russia. Most importantly, it would allow more people to see their interests realized - culturally, linguistically, politically.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. But I thought Putin had no interest in East Ukraine?

[dipsydoodle]

5. Is it a matter of what Putin wants

or what different regions of Ukraine may want ?

[AngryAmish]

2. Why do you call it The Ukraine?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. Because it's nothing but Little Russia, of course.

[joeybee12]

4. So when 90% of the Ukranian people voted to remain independent of Russia...

on a referendum in 1991 when they broke off from the crumbling Soviet Union, we should just ignore what they want...your map is shit...the red parts are people who are happy with closer ties to Russia, but even they don't want to be part of Russia.

[Nye Bevan]

6. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. People using lingusitic differences as a dividing mark are overplaying their hand.

The thing about East Ukraine is that while there are a lot of Russian speakers in that region, many still consider themselves ethnically Ukrainian and have no desire to join up with Russia. A lot of them speak Russian by default because it was the only language taught to them when they were growing up.

[BeyondGeography]

8. Stop doing this piecemeal

Just give us your whole vision for Mother Russia already.

[CFLDem]

9. I don't think they'd want to become landlocked.

[laundry_queen]

11. No kidding. nt

[geek tragedy]

10. Yanukovych doesn't even favor annexation by Russia. dumb post nt

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. Yeah, really.

So what happens if Yanukovych returns to Ukraine? Does he now preside over a diminished nation or will Russia give back Crimea?

[Igel]

14. He's impeached.

He won't preside over much of anything. Even most of his own party in the legislature voted against him and counted him an embarrassment for the way he treated them.

[moondust]

13. Better yet...

why not ask the Russians living in other countries to move back to Russia if they don't like it where they are?

Should Americans living abroad expect the U.S. government to "annex" the land they have chosen to occupy there? Parts of Mexico maybe? Deploy troops if necessary?

[cthulu2016]

15. I have no words for this, in any language

I am shocked by the post... but too stunned to really comment sensibly