Ukraine chaos impacts Europe-Russia balance
Remi Piet, Al Jazeera: “The Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, has fled the capital, leaving behind him a power vacuum that will potentially reshape the balance of power in the region between Russia and the European Union. ... If the future of Ukraine remains uncertain both in terms of the sustainability of its political transition and its capacity to remain united, what this crisis has demonstrated is that when united, the European Union is able to be an effective foreign policy actor and stand in front of Russia.”
Timothy Garton Ash, Los Angeles Times: “The geopolitical issue here is not whether Ukraine joins Europe or Russia. It is whether Ukraine becomes increasingly integrated into the political and economic community of Europe, as well as having a very close relationship with Russia. It is also whether the EU will stand up for basic European values on its own front doorstep.”
Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, Reuters: “Now is the time to step back ... and let Europeans test their ability to defend their own turf and discipline their own citizens. ... The most stable system is one all nations want, and most are prepared to defend. Placing the responsibility squarely on Europe and Russia to guide Ukraine toward peace is not a matter of cowardice. It’s a measure of courage.”
Peter Schwarz,
World So
cialist Web Site: “Recent events in Ukraine are a warning to the working class. They make clear that political leaders in Washington, Berlin and Brussels are prepared to split the country, drive it into civil war and risk a conflagration across the entire region to achieve their geopolitical goals.”
Jill Dougherty,
CNN: “America’s obsession with Russian President Vladimir Putin ... does not explain the complex realities fueling the uprising in Ukraine, or the uneasy relationship between Putin and Yanukovych. Long before the uprising began, if Yanukovych had carried out real economic and political reform, he would not have been caught between a long-term promise of a closer relationship with Europe and an immediate handout from Moscow.”