As I've said in past blogs, my views on Ukrainian politics and foreign policy is balanced in no way that would make sense to any Ukrainian. I'm for a middle way for Ukraine, one that is both pro-European Union and pro-CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), but I do object to Ukraine joining the EU on that the EU has put the union's economically struggling members in a vunerable position. Greece has no right being in the Eurozone. The Greek economic problems are those that no man could fix.
I wouldn't be surprised why Ukrainians are protesting: they live in an OVERWHELMINGLY corrupt society. When you can pay a traffic ticket right on the spot (for instance, speeding), something's not right about that. That's how I woke up in Donetsk while catching an early morning flight. What's even more sickening is how even the good guys are messed up: Yulia Tymoshenko, who looks like a saint these days, isn't really a stellar person herself. What Ukraine needs is a true reformer, a president who is willing to clean up corruption and make doing business in Ukraine more competitive, and safer. As much as Tymoshenko should be freed, it just will not happen in this environment.
According to Nicolai Petro, the EU hasn't done much to help the situation either, turning Ukraine's joining the EU into a "loyalty test". Right there I would have walked away and found some way to sign a lesser deal. And Ukraine does NOT need the Euro, which is so highly pegged (for instance one US dollar is about $1.37 in euros. And the hryvnia? As I've constantly mentioned, as much as the European Union might have a little to do with why there hasn't been massive bloodshed in Europe since World War II (excluding the Yugoslav wars), I'm not a fan either. The euro is an elitist currency in my eyes (although I might be over exaggerating on that one, but the idea of a multinational currency is an oxymoron in my eyes).
Right now, if I were an EU minister, I'd move to table Ukraine's entry into the EU for the time being until the political situation has died down. Or how about this one? A nationwide vote on Ukraine joining the union? Most Ukrainians support the move, to my surprise. And Russia? I don't think that even with Ukraine joining the Union, I don't see Ukraine being one of the more reliable members of the Union on policy matters, probably voting whatever way Russia feels. Groupthink, after all, can be dangerous.
Vladimir Putin, regardless, does not have many friends these days. Although he has kept Russia stable, something that just didn't exist under Boris Yeltsin's term as Russian leader, he isn't really fond of democracy. Until Russians my age come to power, democracy in Russia will be just a dream.
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