Human Interest

good reading for political geography

Other countries are breaking the agreement about the Ukrainian war and are getting involved and choosing sides. Could this lead to WWIII?

This article is about the rising tension in the Crimean region of Ukraine. There is a strong pro-Russian sentiment among many in this region and the recent ousting of Russia-friendly Viktor Yanukovych has caused unrest in Crimea. The former president of Ukraine was removed due to protest of his refusal to partner with European Union. These events highlight the lasting effects of the Soviet Union on Ukraine and the division it has caused in the country.

I've been watching this inernest. I doubt that Russia will invade any further.

Russia's has attempted to justify their recent aggression as an effort to reincorporate areas with a Russian majority, and at the request of the locals. This article shows all the other areas that are requesting a return to Russia, and shows the opposite side with all the areas under Russia that are requesting independence. It offers a counter to the Russian argument and outlines the hypocrisy of their actions.

This article shows the effects of imperialism and the effect it had on surrounding nations. When the USSR took over new lands and eventually became the Soviet Union, thousands of people were displaced from their homelands which is what happened in Ukraine. It makes sense why there is a population in Ukraine who is United and wants to remain Pro-Ukraine, but that means siding with west values. And there is a strong Pro-Russian population who wouldn't mind being apart of the east, the values and ideas placed by Russia.

Ukraine has been a country of interest for many supporters in the past decade. Even though its division amongst it is very Russian vs. European, there are definitely some ways to help their national identity work for the better.

Although there was tons of violence from government forces on the protesters, the will power of the protesters to get the freedom they want prevailed, just as they had done in the past with the "Orange Revolution." They did not give up on their country as they fought for what they thought was the right thing and a fight for a positive and bright future, one that did not include Russia. As of now in 2015 with a new President in office, Petro Poroshenko, things have cooled down significantly. With this new Ukrainian government an EU agreement was signed and one of the major players in the fight agains the protesters is now permanently disbanded, this group was called the Berkut.  

Besides the very intense cultural and political split that exists in Ukraine and the conflict as a whole, one of the key factors in this situation is gas.  This infographic shows that both Ukraine and the EU gets their gas from Russia, and Ukraine is the area which the gas lines flow through.  As soon as many people in Ukraine showed interest in joining the EU, Russia reminded Ukrainians and the world of this fact

The tug-of-war over Ukraine's gas lines not only creates political and cultural divides but also a lot of tension. Ukraine has power in its gas lines because it has a resource that is valuable and others need.

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I cant believe the cease fire lasted all but 40 minutes!  Putin and Russia are a bunch of scumbags that are just looking for conflict.  As if Russia is not large enough that they have to scrap for these small areas of Ukraine.  Its going to be because of assholes like this that get other countries involved and many lives end up getting lost.  

Unit 4 :

Russia beginning to take violent actions against the Ukraine. It is interesting to view the military strategies that countries take, and to see the outcomes of these schemes. 

Russian-American Relations are always an interesting thing to talk about because of the nations' histories in relation to one another.  It is interesting how Putin views America, in the fact that he thinks that we function like Russia without a strong legislative branch and no freedom of the press.  Putin also seeks to, in a way, rebuild the USSR of old by taking his neighbors over (or having them "join" the Eurasian Economic Region).  The article does point out that tensions from the Russian incursions into the Ukraine won't result in Cold War Era tensions because Putin welcomes American investment, and also Russia is more of a regional power than a world power.  While Russia is a regional power, they are still a very strong and threatening force, and as the article points out, they are not afraid of using their strength to get their way.  Russia, although not as strong as the old USSR, is still a concern for the NATO nations of Europe, as it shows a revived Russian spirit, and Putin is not afraid of using force to get what he wants for the country.

Its interesting reading an article written June 5, 2014 about Russia and the Ukraine. There has been an escalation of events since the article. This article was neat in how it gives the reader a more sound perception of Putin. Mind you though, the source was an American Ambassador to Russia, so he may be a bit biased, although he does a good job covering it throughout the interview. If he had a disagreement or judgment about Putin he said it. Its likely McFaul's ideologies would differ no matter what due to being of Western Influence and Putin... well Putin being Russia. None the less McFaul gave a professional and well-rounded/structured interview in answering the questions in detail. 

I believe Putin truly does believe in a Russia of old coming back under his regime. The past few years have certainly made a good case for that argument. A major country just taking territory from another seems outlandish. Since this article has come out there have been more advancements made into the Ukraine thus spilling bloodshed. Russian backed rebels have been slowly taking important towns and transport hubs in Eastern Ukraine. A ridiculous part of this is Putin claiming Russia is not backing the Rebels/Separatists by providing military and intelligence. Of course he is. Its clear he and his government are more than involved. 

As Russia moves more eastward it does raise the question; what exactly is there endgame? Its scary reading McFaul's opinion being Putin not truly knowing what he wants/how to proceed. Putin is usually very blunt about what he wants, yet in this case no one knows what Putin wants, probably not even Putin. Perhaps since the writing of the article Putin has formed more of a general idea/goal... In any case it is interesting to watch the events unfold. 

There was a conference of some sort just a week or two ago. The President of France, Prime Minister of Germany and Putin negotiated a seize fire and troops from both sides of the battle to pull back. There was still bloodshed after the specified seized arms agreement. This was a reminder of the first agreement made in September and just ignored by the rebels.

Personally I believe Putin to not care about what the west thinks. Rather he wants to keep pushing the limits. Putin wants to become a dominant powerhouse economic force. He also seems to wish for more physical land, like the Russia of old. The more he can have the better. As stated Putin seems to be testing the Western countries. He had no problem ignoring peace deals. He kept moving westward and in the end there are still no Western Military, just Ukrainian troops. The U.S. was not strong in opinion and neither was the U.K.

Sanctions have hurt Russia's economy but they are still finding there way around it. With that being said, Western countries such as Germany for instance have also been hurt economically by the sanctions. Some countries export a lot of goods to Russia, they now can't. This shows what happens when Russia doesn't play nice. They get cut off and other suffer from the consequences as well. But from Russia's perspective they are still claiming more land from the Ukraine. Also, with all this being said Russia is reaching out to week countries whom are criticized within the EU. For example Greece and Hungary, and the island country Cyprus. Russia is working with Cyprus on the debt situation and in return docking naval ships off the coast of Cyprus. No matter the reasoning its the same outcome...Russia is moving westward.

As of now (as in me writing this scoop) there has been 24 hours of non-violence in the Eastern Ukraine. That has not happened in a very long time. But no one truly knows what the Russian backed Separatists/Putin are thinking. They've been winning so far so why stop. All I have to say is don't sleep on Russia.   

"The Bear of the East Strikes Again." It feels like news of Russian military intervention in Ukraine should be a news story of the 80's, and yet it continues to hit headlines as information is leaked of continued aggression in Eastern Ukraine. Why this sudden aggression? Geography of course! The Crimea is a vital seaport, allowing a large, international port in the Mediterranean- something that Russia has craved since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Eastern Ukraine is one of the richest areas in the world in terms of raw materials and industrial centers, which could prove to be vital additions to the Russian economy (if Western sanctions don't inflate the ruble any more than they already have). Despite this authoritarian approach to his foreign affairs, it is Putin accuses the Ukrainian government of fascist tendencies- and of attacking ethnic Russians currently residing in Ukraine. Not only is this laughable in the sense that Ukraine is not only a democracy, but there has been no history of violence between ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the country, but also when one considers the attacks on Russian homosexuals within Putin's own borders. Putin has disregarded international law for his own purposes, the first time a major power has done so since the world was a lot "colder," and it will be interesting (and terrifying) to see how he proceeds. My heart goes out to the Ukrainians still engaging in guerrilla warfare along their Eastern border.

This says so much about ignorance and aggression... Do they even know that they'd have to come up with a catchy name because the Crimea has already got a war names after it?

This close up view of Kiev shows how the geographic location of its independence square was placed serves as a great place to protest. It represents the center, the circle of the city, close to the places of power; the government house, parliament. Its long streets lead to the capital's independence square the center for the country, but what started to be peaceful protests where an important monument stands, is now where violence takes place.

This article does a good job of explaining some of the many aspects of the current crisis in the Ukraine. While the media has been covering this conflict it has done little to provide background information on the Ukraine and precisely why Russia has invaded. This article goes into enough detail to flesh out the conflict without becoming in accessible to the average reader.

Ukrainians have been protesting since Nov. 21, when President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a deal for closer integration with the European Union, instead drawing the country closer to Russia. They are still in the streets in huge numbers and have seized regional government buildings in several parts of the country. In the capital, clashes between protesters and security forces have become violent, killing several people. Recently, the prime minister resigned. No one is quite sure what will happen next. What's happening in Ukraine is really important, but it can also be confusing and difficult to follow for outsiders who don't know the history that led up to. Here are some basic questions that have basic answers for people who are still confused. What is Ukraine? Why are so many people protesting? How did Ukraine get so divided? What role does Russia play and why do they care so much? Why haven't the United States or Europe helped? But most important, the question we all want to know the answer to is what is going to happen next?

Such a helpful article, especially for people like me who don't like to look like an idiot.  This was so informative in a way that condensed the big issue into one short article that covered every aspect and made it easy to understand.  I knew there was something going on in Ukraine but didn't really know what it was, so this was awesome.  However, this is a real issue that people need to be aware of, especially when thinking, "well why doesn't the west just step in?" because that seems to be what we do everywhere else.  However, I think we've pretty much proven that stepping in can sometimes do more harm than good.  And honestly, it is not our problem to solve.