- Joined
- Jul 24, 2011
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From what I know of the Ukraine, its a mistake to assume just because someone speaks Russian they are more allied with Russia than with an independent Ukraine. The nation really isnt a typical one divided by language and ethnic identification... Ukrainians identify as Ukranians despite the fact they may primarily speak Russian. Ukranian and Russian are similar languages, and I would guess that most Ukrainian speakers understand Russian quite well. (not sure about the reverse, as Russian is much more common than Ukrainian in all sorts of areas).
I agree that mere cultural or language division should not be grounds for splitting a country. If we were to follow that logic to its natural conclusion, the the whole world would be reduced to independent tribes--until, of course, another conqueror came along and gobbled them up.
But the situation is much more dire than that. Western Ukrainians apparently feel that they have just ousted a corrupt ruler and given themselves a better chance at allying with the West, whereas Eastern Ukrainians seem to be highly dissatisfied with this move. Plus, it appears to me that the main parts that Russia wants to control lie in Eastern Ukraine anyway.
In crises such as these, dividing a country into two separate parts can significantly relieve the growing instability.