Opinion: No way out of the Crimea crisis
From Deutsche Welle:
Opinion: No way out of the Crimea crisis
It is rare that a government statement is anticipated with as much deep concern as Chancellor Angela Merkel's address to parliament on the situation in Ukraine. For weeks and months, a drama that has shocked the continent has been unfolding right at the gates of the European Union. It's about democracy and self-determination on the one hand, and power and geopolitical interests on the other. The crisis is headed for another fever pitch with the weekend's referendum in Crimea. But the West is at a loss as to how to prevent the secession of the peninsula from Ukraine and its annexation by Russia.
Merkel addressed her preference to defuse the conflict with diplomacy, adding that military action is not an option. Instead, she said, the West is banking on a mix of negotiations, financial assistance for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. Should Moscow hold fast to its confrontational course, current sanctions would be tightened, she said. The clock can't be set back, Merkel added, saying that conflicts of interest in Europe can't be solved by resorting to methods dating from the 20th century.
The West made mistakes
But that is exactly what the West - the United States and the European Union -has done. After the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Soviet Union, the West acted like the victor, and increased its sphere of influence right up to Russia's borders. The West broke its promise not to expand NATO into Eastern Europe and further curtail Moscow's sphere of influence. NATO and the EU took no considerations of Russian sensibilities during their expansions into Eastern Europe.
Despite Moscow's wishes, the West intervened in Yugoslavia and recognized Kosovo's independence. With the help of Western allies and in violation of international law, the US went to war in Iraq, and intervened in Libya. As of late, the West has had an unabashed eye on Africa - or rather, the natural resources on the African continent.
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Turbineguy
(37,312 posts)keep a watchful eye to weather and see what develops.
babylonsister
(171,049 posts)overreact.
jsr
(7,712 posts)to show the Soviets that we mean business.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)The goal is not to get Putin to cough up Crimea, but rather to demonstrate to him that the cost of invading the rest of Ukraine is too high for him and his nation to bear.