I have been doing some homework. Crimea has only been part of Ukraine since 1954 where they had been USSR since the Soviet Revolution of 1917. I did not know that Khrushchev was from Ukraine and what a coincidence that Crimea was transferred to Ukraine shortly after he became party leader. I remember him. Remember the fist pounding? He gets a bad rap sometimes... well, when compared to his predecessor, Stalin, who orchestrated a man-made famine in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1932 and 1933 that killed up to 7.5 million Ukrainians.
The politics are becoming clearer in history's regard, but what of now?
Is this another episode of: "A Pipeline Runs Through It"?
Is this another episode of: "A Pipeline Runs Through It"?
Gazprom seems like the Russian equivalent of USA based multi-national energy conglomerates and ancillary operations like Halliburton whose interests our military defends in the middle east, Africa, and wherever energy supplies might be threatened. The war toys sales are a bonus!
I believe Crimea and Ukraine are separate issues, but like Bush's 9/11, Putin needed a "gimme" before launching into Ukraine. Crimea is over 50% Russian. Russia provides approximately a quarter of the natural gas consumed in the European Union; approximately 80% of those exports travel through pipelines across Ukrainian soil prior to arriving in the EU. If Ukraine gets into the EU; prices, ownership, and advantage would change, ja? So,Putin takes the "gimme", everyone gets used to it and next he asserts Russian dominance in Ukraine to protect his assets. Isn't it always about the money these days? Just MHO.
What say you?
