Sasha's commentary for March 1, 2014: Thought I'd Get An Early Start

As many of you know, I've been following the situation in Ukraine very closely. Sadly, the situation there is beyond volatile.

A couple things have hit the news recently, and some is old news. Hayden Panettiere is engaged to Wladimir Klitschko, whose brother might be the next president of Ukraine. America has close ties to Ukraine (former president Viktor Yushchenko's current wife is from Chicago).

Ukraine, to retain itself as a nation will need to do some things: make Ukrainian and Russian the official LANGUAGES (not ONE official language) of the country. It's one of the things in Canada that keeps the peace. Also, the Crimea needs to go. Sure, I love that Ukraine has a resort region (and the visa free travel for Americans), but Crimea feels truly Russian, and even the Donetsk Oblast, which is quite pro-Russian and while facing its own turmoil, isn't in the same state that the Crimea is currently in. There's protests, yes, but there's currently no heavy military occupation, but a move to join Russia. My god uncle (if there's such a thing) Phil is right: Ukrainian nationalism is an abstract concept (not his words, but mine), as Ukraine has been in the past part of Russia and Poland. But Ukraine will need to retain intact. There's no way that Western Ukraine will be able to survive without the eastern half. And Kiev itself is in a tough state: it's also Russian speaking. There are some encouraging signs, at least one: Tymoshenko, as incompetent as she is, is a native Russian speaker from Dnepropetrovsk who is seen as a member of the opposition.

Regardless, the thought of having to get a visa and travel to Russia to visit my Ukrainian relatives is EERY. But I'll say this: I'll take the visa over a Ukraine controlled by Svoboda. Mila Kunis being called a "dirty Jew"? You're sure its not that she speaks Russian? She's from Chernivtsi, one of the hotspots of the Euromaidan. Bashing one of America's most well-loved Ukrainian natives is

This is my message to Putin: ease on your hard-line status, allow Americans to travel to Russia visa-free and MAYBE I'll be comfortable with Eastern Ukraine joining Russia. But as of last week, Putin was in favor of Ukraine staying Ukraine. Regardless, it's not going to end well and

There's some comfort in ways: all and all, Ukrainian youth are in favor of EU integration.

And since I can't have things I like work right (the state of New York as a whole? Ukraine? Stewart Airport in Newburgh, which can't have nice airline service) one of the presidents of the Buffalo Sabres, Pat LaFontaine is leaving the Buffalo Sabres. With star player Ryan Miller leaving the team, there is a sense of sadness in the Sabres camp.

NOTE: This was written on March 1st. Some of this is a little out of date.