UKRAINA

UKRAINA 

Myth and Reality

The political meltdown in Ukraina has been long expected since the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. Who in their right mind thought that Crimea, the access to the Black Sea and a crowded network of Russian oilpipes on Ukrainian territory would be respected as an autnomous nation whith unlimited freedom to govern the central statal bodies and persue an independant foreign policy? It is not only a question of mr Putin. The historical and actual situation of Ukraina does not rest on a Putin but on a millenium and more of Russian dominance for obvious strategical reasons apart from the massive influx of Russian residents since the 14th century or even further aback.

 The traces of Aryan tribes residing in the area and heading north and west when the Slavs invaded the region are almost pre-historical. There were no such things as Russians but a network of tribal ethnically interrelated or alien tribes once originating in the Caucasus in the early times of modern man.

Russia was first founded by Swedish vikings from Roslagen hence the name Rossia /Russia, who built up and organized the first known Russian kingdom in Novgorod (The New Town), stayed in power for two generations until the Viking kings were chased away by the Slavs and other ethnical groups of which we know very little. The Vikings, however, were delighted by the Ukrainian and Georgian territories, the Black Sea coastal landscape, the access to the Levante and Turkey, the wonderful climate and rich natural resources and soon mingeled their blood with the Aryans and other peoples of the regions and disappeared for ever in the historical annuals.

The legendary and highly feared Tartars are not a reliable Ukrainian nationalistic force to be counted on like the Chetniks in Serbia and have fought for Potemkin and Catherine the Great, to name a few,  only to join forces with Ottoman armies and ally with the Turks and in reality never respected any autocrat or specific political system unless they were highly rewarded and benefitting from the socio polical order. The Tartars are still organized in clan and tribelike extended families which never adapted to any political system at all.

Ukraina may be, together with Georgia, two of the most attractive territories boarding on or having been annected to Russia or the Soviet Union. I do not believe in any speedy political solution that can uphold and represent a total national integrity and independence. As long as Ukraina is on the map, Russians will, one way or another, find ways to control the territory, legally or illegally. and there is nothing the former super powers, the USA or the lesser European France, Germany or Britain, can do to change the fact. Embargos are meaningsless since Europe have no finance or other force behind the threats and are in dire need of Russian oil. The US cannot afford to pay for it´s own domestic affairs and is not relevant.

The intervined history, culture and development of the territories known to become Russia and Ukraina is hardly a Gordian knot to be solved in an instant, if ever. The polarization by alleged ethnic Ukrainians strong wish to become closely linked and politically free to join the European Union is a long shot since the EU does not have a consensus foreign policy and is weaker than ever in it´s short history. It is hardly realistic that, no matter the motive, any federation or nation is strong enough to chase Russian historical influence and dominance away unless we can convince Russia to voluntarily commit political suicide. It is not a Putin affair. It is a question of territories that have lived in symbiosis with shorter periods of alienation, whether we like it , or not.

The situation will not lead to a major war ! Who´s is going to fight it ? What did all the nationalist efforts in Chetnia and other former Soviet federal nations lead to? Who hurried to their aid? The Ukrainians are left to their fate. I can see no possible redeemer on their behalf who can do anything more than agree on toothless UN resolutions without any force to back them up.

I am sorry to say, that in my book and experience, the international society has never been such a sorry, miserable lot, noisy and cocky but almost drowning in the contaminated left overs of consumism. The paradox, however, becomes absurd when we realize that all former or comtemporary superpowers have arms that can exterminate us all innumerable times but to what avail? There is no such thing as a swift, elegant military intervention to save or protect nations in dire conditions. To be replaced with what ? Wishful thinking? 

The deforestation of Europe and Northern America to enable the publications of  myriads of resolutions and other agreements which never can be implemented for legal as well as the lacking means to empower the politics shows an impotence of incredulos proportions. 

We do react. We feel deeply with the Ukrainians and can only begin to understand the complexity of the matter if we soberly analyze the difference of interests between the ethnic Ukrainians and the Russian Ukrainians who may have resided in the territory for hundreds of years. This polarization is being being used by Russia and the Occident respectively. Putin has created a "Putin Doctrine", a copy of the infamous American Monroe Doctrine, which allows for Russia and the US respectively to intervene with force, if necessary, if the nations ´interests are being threatened in foreign, sovereign nations. Need I say that neither "doctrine" is accepted by International Law.

I am sad to say that I see no speedy solution. The interdependency of Russia and Ukraina, to and fro, has been going on for over a millenium and I doubt that Occidental pressure will change that fact,

Douglas