No one can blame the Ukraine War on the Ukraine. Their
democratic decision to oust Victor Yanukovich was a messy part of a growing democracy;
the world watched protests that tested civil militia and asserted people’s
power over a corrupt regime. It was not a predicate for a Russian Invasion that
has already involved the loss of Crimea as well
as insurgency in the Eastern Border. With Russia assistance and training,
separatists have deployed sophisticated heavy missiles. The separatists became international
terrorists by destroying a civilian passenger plane, and killing 298 innocent
travelers and crew.
Vladimir Putin as head of state bears responsibility for his
decision to send surface to air missiles to the rebels that immediately created
a zone of danger to civilian air travel. That zone of danger delivered a
tragedy with devastating impact on Central Europe. No longer ambivalent, they speak openly of
the war crimes committed by Putin and his rebel allies. One must remember the
paths followed by Saddam and Kaddafi, they too got rich from governing energy
rich nations, and Kaddafi sponsored a terror attack on an airliner. Putin now fights to avoid entering this realm
of public opinion, as a war criminal.
Putin is a billionaire, by all accounts, profiting personally
from Russia’s
primary businesses in oil and gas. The U.S. enacted sanctions to punish the Russian oil sector, and cut-off
financing; although without European backing, the sanctions forced Russia to
ever more reliance on China for money. In the wake of MH-17, the EU may act and
sacrifice economic benefits to punish Russia’s economy. The IMF had previously
declared a Russian recession and with additional restrictions on banking and
new business, the Russian economy may begin to shed jobs and lose economic
momentum.
Russia
has boosted the rebel forces, currently in retreat, by direct Russian artillery
and rocket support. Russia
has delivered a temporary battle-shifting impetus to the insurgents. It appears
Russia
has determined not to allow defeat and has massed some 10,000 troops, highly
mobile units, to the Doneysk border area. Despite Russian bombardment, the Ukrainian
army has advanced and tightened control of several key towns in the area previously
held by the rebels. The Ukrainian army
has acquitted itself with bravery and determination. Ukraine has entered another phase of
democratic growth - fighting to preserve its sovereignty; they fight to survive
as a nation.
Sources:
IMF: Russia
in Recession
MH-17 War Crime
U.S.
Proof of Russian Bombardment
Satellite Proof
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