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> It's Russia vs. the Europe/United States. So that's one way to look at it. Here's another. It's Ukraine vs Russia. Ukraine has a culture, a history, a langua
by maratd 13y ago
> It's Russia vs. the Europe/United States.
So that's one way to look at it. Here's another. It's Ukraine vs Russia. Ukraine has a culture, a history, a language. That culture, history, and language is UKRAINIAN. Not Russian.
During the USSR, Ukrainian was essentially taught as a second language. Russian was more cosmopolitan. That's like having English taught as a primary language in Paris.
After the fall of the USSR, Ukraine started clawing back its own heritage and of course, there is friction. You're witnessing that friction.
- malkung 13y ago> Ukraine has a culture, a history, a language. That culture, history, and language is UKRAINIAN. Not Russian. > After the fall of the USSR, Ukraine started clawing back its own heritage and of course, there is friction. You're witnessing that friction. <irony>So Russians don't want Ukrainians to speak the Ukrainian language and to have their own culture, now? That's really evil. I didn't know that.</irony>
- austenallred 13y agoI agree with you. My comment was from the point of view of a Russian who was posting anti-protestor comments. They would see Ukraine as one of the former Soviet republics trying to westernize itself, not as a country trying to return to autonomy. And to be fair, there is some truth in framing the debate as Russia vs. Europe/US (as opposed to Russia vs. Ukraine). Despite the fact that signing a trade agreement with the EU is hardly "joining the west," Ukraine will go bankrupt if they're not bailed out or supported by either the West or Russia. Selecting one or the other implies alliance and political (if not economic) debt.