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the Ukrainian problem goes back to hollow promises

Reader comment on item: Obama's Hollow Promises Abroad
in response to reader comment: Why are we surprised ?

Submitted by myth (Germany), Mar 2, 2014 at 13:52

Stephen, I believe the Ukrainian problem goes back to 1939 when Ribbentrop and Molotow signed and sealed the partition of Poland after a very hollow promise that Hitler made to Britain. When Germany invaded Poland Britain made another hollow promise declaring war with little forces to fight it. Those events would place Ukraine on the frontline between East and West in the summer of 1941. When WW2 came to an end Poland remained within the Soviet Empire. At the time the Soviets were the smaller evil compared to the Nazis. In any event Britain could not keep its promise to Poland.

1955 West-Germany joined NATO. As an implicit consequence West-Germany accepted partition from East-Germany and resigned all claims to former Eastern-European territories. 1999 Poland decidedly joined NATO and thereby resigned all claims to former Eastern-European territories it lost 60 years earlier with the Ribbentrop Molotow accord.

Ukraine rejected NATO membership 2010. This is where Poland's and Ukraine's fates part. The significant Russian polulation accounts for that fact. It is a remainder of the SU's Russian-nationalist face. I have talked to many people from former SU republics. They all remember the Russian-nationalist burden more than they remember the communist outlook.

The West certainly defeated the Soviet Union as a communist empire. The West never defeated Russian nationalism. Today the EU's economic power cannot accomplish what the Wehrmacht couldn't by force and NATO does not intend to. NATO's alliance is and should be with Poland.

Ukraine could follow the example of West-Germany and Poland. That is for Western Ukrainian to accept partition as the price for a NATO membership. Western civilization is based on shared values rather than territory of ethnicity. Ukraine does not need Charkov any more than I need Kaliningrad ( former Königsberg ).

Putin did the right thing making no hollow promises. He sent in massive forces to deter anti-Russian protesters from attacking Russians at the cost of lives. He prevented a civil war.

Ukraine is quite lucky to have Klitschko. He enjoys great popularity and credibility here in Germany. Facing Putin he does not even need to boast his alpha-male qualities.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (27) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
the EU's hollow promises, Ukraine's hollow promises [191 words]mythFeb 20, 2014 14:08213313
Why are we surprised ? [81 words]Stephen H. ChopekFeb 24, 2014 15:00213313
the Ukrainian problem goes back to hollow promises [353 words]mythMar 2, 2014 13:52213313
¡NO PASARAN! [5 words]Charlie Wilson IIMar 10, 2014 22:07213313
Iran [21 words]Mark DFeb 17, 2014 20:23213262
China [60 words]Mark DFeb 17, 2014 20:21213261
public perception [122 words]mythFeb 20, 2014 14:17213261
1Russia: Sealing the New Quality of Its Foreign Policy [82 words]mythFeb 14, 2014 11:29213203
2It is not only Obama [763 words]AlexandrosFeb 14, 2014 11:02213201
1a Falklands moment [109 words]mythFeb 13, 2014 17:08213187
Obama s an irritant and nauseating. [54 words]NuritGFeb 13, 2014 01:08213173
Obama's Hollow Promises Abroad [59 words]steven LFeb 12, 2014 22:25213170
Iran Sticks Their Fleet In Our Eye [88 words]DaveFeb 12, 2014 21:58213168
2Limited american power [136 words]Lars NielsenFeb 12, 2014 19:23213164
Depends what's next [111 words]MikeFeb 13, 2014 16:37213164
Thank You Mike [156 words]Lars NielsenFeb 14, 2014 09:05213164
Limited American power [162 words]Mike melcherFeb 17, 2014 07:41213164
Hi Mike Points taken [173 words]Lars NielsenFeb 19, 2014 19:17213164
Limited American power [164 words]Mike MelcherFeb 24, 2014 14:38213164
Hi Mike [274 words]Lars NielsenMar 1, 2014 10:39213164
2Bipartisan faliure [370 words]Ron ThompsonFeb 12, 2014 17:32213162
The Phony-in-Chief [96 words]A.T. HalmayFeb 12, 2014 09:21213154
2So when was the USA a reliable partner? [28 words]Mark WerfelFeb 12, 2014 21:11213154
3It's Simply About Oil [211 words]George PattonFeb 12, 2014 08:50213153
1Regarding "Obama's Hollow Promises Abroad" [597 words]Allen Z. HertzFeb 12, 2014 04:46213152
Intrigued and impressed [258 words]Ron ThompsonFeb 13, 2014 14:01213152
2Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the US government. [195 words]Robin RosenblattFeb 12, 2014 02:32213151

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