Even in Crimea, the government recently put in place by local "self-defense forces" has asked only for a referendum, citing the need to guarantee its autonomy "under any changes in central authority or the Constitution of Ukraine." The referendum question in fact stipulates that Crimea "is part of Ukraine on the basis of agreements and accords." In this context being "pro-Russian" does not mean joining Russia. It means speaking, worshiping, and going to school in your own language, in your own country--Ukraine.
There is little that any external power can do for Ukraine until it resolves this fundamental internal dilemma. And it will not be resolved by any discussion that takes place in New York, Brussels or Moscow. The partners that need to resolve their differences are all inside Ukraine, and the issue they need to address is full equality between the two major cultural components of Ukrainian identity, Ukrainian and Russian. Only this can provide the basis for a common vision for the future shared across the entire land.
Ironically, in Crimea the Ukrainian parliament now faces the same choice that president Yanukovych faced before his ouster: to use force against those whom it considers criminals and separatists, or to enter into negotiations to cede some amount of political authority to the protestors. God willing, the current situation can be resolved with less bloodshed.
But unless the country embraces the ideal of cultural pluralism within one nation, similar political crises will continue to erupt periodically, until the day that each side despises the other so much that they can no longer stand to be together.
There is little that any external power can do for Ukraine until it resolves this fundamental internal dilemma. And it will not be resolved by any discussion that takes place in New York, Brussels or Moscow. The partners that need to resolve their differences are all inside Ukraine, and the issue they need to address is full equality between the two major cultural components of Ukrainian identity, Ukrainian and Russian. Only this can provide the basis for a common vision for the future shared across the entire land.
Ironically, in Crimea the Ukrainian parliament now faces the same choice that president Yanukovych faced before his ouster: to use force against those whom it considers criminals and separatists, or to enter into negotiations to cede some amount of political authority to the protestors. God willing, the current situation can be resolved with less bloodshed.
But unless the country embraces the ideal of cultural pluralism within one nation, similar political crises will continue to erupt periodically, until the day that each side despises the other so much that they can no longer stand to be together.
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