Ukraine: Another Yugoslavia, as Milosevic predicted?

When the Soviet Union was falling apart, Ukraine, represented by its government, did not care about the fact that 70 percent of the population voted in a referendum for the preservation of the Soviet Union. Even more indifferent, if not malicious, was the position of the West. Why in today's climate, when everything Russian is trampled in Ukraine, Russia should stand up for its integrity and care what will happen to Ukraine?

Photo: AP photo

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The question should be formulated differently: what will happen to the Crimea? So far it seems that the Russian leadership is not concerned about it. Russian officials keep repeating the mantra of Obama and Hollande about the need to preserve the integrity of the country, probably hoping that they will be able to have their cake and eat it too. However, today we are talking about the Russian people standing up for an alliance with Russia, who have relatives in Russia, who work in Russia, and who are linked to it by the blood shed in the struggle against the Nazis. Now they are being hunted, humiliated, threatened, and soon they will be killed.

The new Bandera Kiev government abolished a law that could give the Russian language the official status in the regions, it is shutting down the Russian broadcast channels, it is attacking veterans, Russian monuments, and those who support integration with Russia. In the last address of Slobodan Milosevic he appealed to the Russians and residents of Ukraine and Belarus who are also considered Russian in the Balkans to look at Yugoslavia and remember that the same will be done to them if they are not united and weak. He said that the West would grab their throat like a mad chain dog. He urged not to let it happen.

His words were prophetic. The jaws have already closed on the throat of the Russian people (some do not remember that there is such people). Is there any hope to survive? There are two urgent issues. This is the position of the Russian leadership and the position of people in the field, especially in the Crimea that has the autonomy status. There is much discussion whether it is sufficient or insufficient for a legislative initiative, but there is a revolution, and everything is possible. The autonomy allows holding a referendum on recording the independence of the Republic of Crimea in the Constitution, by analogy with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Then there will be no question about what will happen to the Crimea.

It seems that the Crimea residents are starting to worry about it. In Simferopol and Kerch a flag of the Russian Federation was placed on the city hall, and rallies were held in Nikolaev and Odessa. Residents are picketing the parliament demanding the return of the Constitution of the autonomy of 1992, a referendum on the status of Crimea and protection for the Crimean "Berkut."  

Protesters brought flags of the Crimea, Russia and St. George's flag and chanted "Russia!" and "Berkut." The speaker of the autonomy parliament Vladimir Konstantinov told the people that he did not intend to leave the Crimea and would stay with the residents. He also said: "Today, Kyiv does not want to solve our problems, so we must unite and act decisively. The forces in the Crimean autonomy are sufficient. Neo-Nazism will not work in the Crimea. We will not betray the Crimea."

As for the position of the Russian Federation, on Tuesday at a meeting of the State Duma the leader of "Just Russia" Sergei Mironov said the following: "Under no circumstances we should forget that we are responsible for our citizens, and we cannot allow anyone to disrespect our holy places, and even more so to threaten the lives of the citizens of the Russian Federation, and Russian people living in Ukraine." Communists and the Liberal Democrats shared this position. "United Russia" as the ruling party is still cautious, but it supported the accelerated issuance of Russian passports to Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine and employment of "Berkut" employees by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Duma must request from the Government of the Russian Federation to come up with a clear position on the support of the Russian population in Ukraine and Crimea, and warn the new authorities about the inadmissibility of military pressure on the people's representatives in the Crimea and other regions. It seems necessary to financially support adequate and sensible people such as Alexei Chaly, and do everything to ensure that there are more such people. There is a need to make it clear to all Russian in Ukraine that they are not alone and that they have support in Russia.

There is a need for official contacts on the ground in Russia. Merkel met with illegitimate Klitschko and Yatsenyuk, why wouldn't Putin bring Chaly for a consultation? Russia should not be afraid of consequences, because if it keeps silent, they can be quite different, with many victims. A parliamentary delegation headed by the Chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs Leonid Slutsky (LDPR) was in the Crimea. On Wednesday, the delegation of the Federation Council has arrived. Are they questioning what will happen to the Crimea?

"Russia has repeatedly talked about the integrity of Ukraine, what else can I say ... it is up to Russia," Sergey Tsekov, a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Crimea from the faction "Russian unity" told Pravda.Ru. So far this is the right path, said the MP. "But the situation could deteriorate if the Kyiv government, although we do not recognize it, continues to show a complete disregard for the Crimea and adopt anti-Russian laws. This causes a lot of resentment among the Crimea residents. If the laws on desovietization, the abolition of the status of the Russian language are not eliminated, the trend in favor of separation of the Crimea from Ukraine will be present. The issue of territorial integrity in this case would be in serious doubt. Different decisions may be made, including the decision on the status of the Crimea," said Sergey Tsekov. He said that, according to surveys, about 70 percent of the Crimea residents think that they would be better off with Russia. The MP said that he was present at a meeting with Slutsky. "Slutsky promised us that in case of arrival of "right sector" forces and attacks on Russian Crimea we will be protected," said Sergey Tsekov.

In conclusion, remember the words of Slobodan Milosevic who questioned why Europe needed Russian. He said it was hard to find a more self-sufficient people than Russians. He said that Europe needed Russia, not vice versa. There are three countries and no unity. These countries have everything, including land, energy, fuel, water, science, industry, and culture. When Yugoslavia was united, its people felt like a great power capable of moving mountains. Now, because of their own stupidity, nationalism and unwillingness to hear each other, Yugoslavia no longer exists, and what is left are just pimples on the political map of Europe, new markets for their expensive junk and American democracy.

Are we going to be pimples, too, or should we ask ourselves what will happen to the Crimea?

Lyuba Lulko

Pravda.Ru

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