The post-american ukraine

[leonidas]

This week shows that USA gives up on Ukraine. NATO gives up on Ukraine as well. The Obama administration decided to abandon a controversial missile-defense system that the Bush administration planned to build in the Czech Republic and Poland. The infamous air-defense system always rattled Mr. Putin and Mr. Medvedev. Now they can sleep well. No defense system in Eastern Europe, no threat to Russia. But can Ukraine sleep well now? No. Ukrainian politicians just woke up in a new world to them – the post-American Ukraine. Since Ukraine's breakaway from the former Soviet Union a main objective of the Ukrainian foreign policy was to distance itself from Russia and get closer to Europe. Not anymore! Nobody needs Ukrainian democracy in EU. Nobody welcomes Ukraine to NATO. Whoever will become the next president of Ukraine, he or she will have to come up with a new foreign policy if Russia gives him or her freedom of choice.

Now let's get back to Russia. If Mr. Medvedev believes in a tit-for-tat strategy in his foreign policy, then Russia must express a gratitude to the friendly Obama administration. So what does Russia do? According to the Economist, Hugo Chavez said that Venezuela would buy 92 tanks and a missile system from Russia with a $2.2 billion loan given by Russia. Wait a sec. Russia thanks USA by selling guns to anti-American Venezuela. What does the US do? The United States expresses concern over an arms race in the South America.

What else has Russia recently done? Mr. Medvedev has sent an aggressive and insulting letter to Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's president. Russia's district of attorney says that it has enough evidence to prove that several Ukrainians fought on the Georgina side against the Russian troops in the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Russia's state-owned energy company GAZPROM has already told Ukrainians that they'll have heat and electricity in their homes only if their next president is pro-Russian politician. I am also afraid that Mr. Putin hasn't forgiven his biggest political embarrassment yet. Five year ago the Orange Revolutionaries, Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Yushchenko, brushed Mr. Putin off after he rushed prematurely to congratulate Viktor Yanukovich as winner of the rigged presidential election. The upcoming presidential election offers Mr. Putin to get back on both Yushchenko and Tymoshenko. January's presidential election in Ukraine will become the key event in Russia's new political season.

So which presidential candidate does Russia want to see as Ukraine's next president? The first choice must be Viktor Yanukovich. However, president Yushchenko's party OUNS speculates that Mrs. Tymoshenko has already made a deal with Russia.

[73wanab]

Not all of us here in the USA agree with Obama"s decision concerning the missile defense system. Obama is a typical liberal politician. Hates anything and everything military. Reminds me of the Jimmy Carter era. We disarm while everyone else arms themselves to the teeth.

[leonidas]

73wanab,

I don't actually say that it was a bad idea. The missile defense system was originally bad idea. It just brought more instability to the region and it really pissed off Russia. I don't think that use of guns helps foreign policy. I think you can do much more through free markets and international trade agreements.
Btw, I hope that president Medvedev will stick to the tit-for-tat strategy with the Obama administration. Instead of selling guns to Venezuela, Russia could do some nice thing. However, selling guns is a good business. And Russia is one of the major exporters of tanks, missiles, etc. So what can you do?

[OstBerlin]

I am a little puzzled over what you mean by "Post-American Ukraine"!

Should this be referenced to Obama "giving up" on Ukraine then I would like to know at which stage you believe the U.S. had so much influence in Ukrainian politics that you can now call it "Post-American Ukraine"

[Max_the_Highlander]

Originally Posted by leonidas

it really pissed off Russia

Huh, Leo Krasnozhon, this is your biggest problem obviously. I see at the moment Obama is really pissed off by those two Russian co-presidents.

It seems you are an American scientist. Why do you think it touches Ukrainians so much? Your virtual model of Ukraine is too Russia centric which is far not true.

Really, Ukraine never was American so it can’t be post-American by definition. There was certain level of cooperation and it will remain regardless the results of next presidential elections. Because in Ukrainian politics shift of the summands doesn’t affect the sum.

[Lvivske]

You have to understand politics in this matter. Do you think that Obama and the government dropped this plan out of laziness? No, they obviously came to an agreement with the Kremlin that benefited both sides.

[prime8]

iam for post russia ukraine (post american ukrain? )something of the news to me.
and re: missile defense system in poland
there is something for you to read
link: Poland ponders own anti-missile shield / English News / News / Today / Start - Euranet
i await (with interest )reaction of russia and putin now?