Вінніпеґ Український № 17 (41) (July 2018)

OPINION. ДУМКА
IT HAS BEEN
FOUR YEARS
“SINCE” 2014
Peter J. Manastyrsky
On August 24th, 1991 Ukraine become an independent country portraying itself
as a democrat state by existing in a benign geopolitical environment. Ukraine
is a nation that has inherited a rich history and distinct cultural heritage.
t has been four years since the ousting of Viktor
I
Yanukowych, the annexation of the strategically important
Black Sea peninsula of Crimea by Putin’s Russia, the
election and inauguration of president Petro Poroshenko, the
downing of Malaysia Airline by pro-Russian rebels, and the
invasion and control of eastern Ukraine.by Russia. These events
have played an important role in Ukraine’s struggle to defend its
sovereignty. Also, not to forget the Orange Revolution of 2004,
the mass protest which forced the rerun of a fraud presidential
election. This period was an opportunity for Ukraine to sign a
historical deal with the European Union that would have allowed
Ukraine to engage and conduct a free economic condition within
its border; that never materialized for the Ukrainian people.
To reflect, look at November 28, 2013. Ukraine missed its last
chance to sign a historic long in the making integration deal with
the European Union, because of that, thousands of protesters
gathered in Kyiv to demand that Yanukowych accept the deal.
On the other hand, under immense pressure from Putin, it
was decided instead to pursue closer ties with Moscow. The
outcome of this, angry protesters erected barricades in Kyiv’s
Independence Square, start of a revolution; peaceful protests
developed into a ferocious cycle of violence. On January 28,
2014, Viktor Yanukowych accepted the resignation of his entire
government and stepped down to appease the protesters. The toll
of that upheaval had more than 100 dead, over 1800 wounded and
the president fleeing the country, abdicating his responsibilities,
an interim government was formed.
As this transition and unrest was taking place in Ukraine after
Yanukovych’s flight, Vladimir Putin steps into the picture, pulling
off a bold power play reminiscent of 20th century politics
grabbing Ukraine’s wealthy geographically province of Crimea,
including Sevastopol. This city port, large naval base has been
a strategically significant maritime gateway for Russia since the
late 18th century, the focal point of the takeover. The strategic
peninsula of Ukraine was taken over on February 27, 2014 by
imperialistic Russia. Next day, Vladimir Putin started sending
Russian troops into Crimea, and by March 18, 2014, it was clear,
Russia’s empire started to be restored.
Crimea in the hands of Putin wasted no time during the first
week of April. He sent in pro-Russian separatists to destabilize
and seized Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Seizure
of government buildings, declaration of allegiance to Moscow,
Putin’s rebels soon controlled large swaths of Ukraine’s eastern
provinces. On May 11, 2014 Crimea voted overwhelmingly in
favor of union with Russia, under the observance of Moscow.
The situation in Ukraine throughout that month was tense
even with the election of Petro Poroshenko on May 25th as
the new president.
Then on July 17, 2014, anther crisis erupted, a Malaysia
Airlines Boeing, 777 had been blown out of the sky in the
Russian occupied area of eastern Ukraine by a Russian -made
missile. Vladimir Putin stuck to his claim that Ukraine was
to blame for the incident, since it occurred over Ukraine’s
airspace. To date no nation significantly challenged Putin
about the horrific tragic incident.
By the end of October of 2014, the situation in general
and particularly in eastern Ukraine remained fraught with
uncertainty in many facets. Before the end of 2014, western
nations tried to help stabilize Ukraine’s new government,
trying to quell Vladimir Putin’s aggression by imposing some
sanctions. Europeans relying on Russia’s oil and gas became
hesitant to secure Ukraine’s integrity, came up with the Minsk
agreement.
Present day Ukraine has been divided between a degree
of national consciousness and a sense of identity erased by
genocide. It seems that Ukraine wishes to preserve its native
heritage and implement many democratic values but at the
same time not to be pressured by Russia’s medieval imperialist
abyss. Perhaps the future will bring a diplomatic solution or
perhaps it will not, time will tell.
The present Ukrainian government is interested in putting
an end to the violence in eastern Ukraine. Probably it is time
for Ukraine to step up to the plate and restore confidence by
bringing the country back into one sovereign nation. This
“since” has played out to a global audience, back to 2014. УВ
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