The rebels in Eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts today have announced that they are planning to hold a referendum within their territory with an eye toward declaring themselves a new, independent state called Malorossiya, or “Little Russia.”
Malorossiya is not a new term, and ironically initially referred to an area further to the west, encompassing much of the rest of the Ukraine, but not the breakaway regions. This Malorossiya was such a pervasive concept that until the late 19th century, Ukrainians were generally referred to as Malorossiyans.
In this new context, the term appears to reflect the eastern Ukrainian region’s status as largely ethnic Russian, and seeing their interests prominently aligned with their much larger neighbor, a vital trading partner they don’t want to lose to the rest of Ukraine’s increasingly overtures to the West.
Ukrainian officials rejected the referendum, and insisted that the announcement could derail the negotiations that have been ongoing trying to resolve the war of secession, which has been in a state of mostly ceasefire for the past couple of years.
Ukraine accused the effort of being a Russian plot, but Kremlin officials denied this, saying they’d only heard about the referendum initiative in the media, after it had already been announced.
I wonder just how the US Congress/President are going to insert themselves into this “internal” affair…because you know they will.
Canada’s military is is supporting the Ukraine Army against this province which like Quebec has autonomist aims.
What choice do they have? How could they ever return to US backed fascist Kiev?
Silly rabbits.. self-determination, freedom of assembly, government of, by and for the people; those are ideals of the past… they don’t apply today.
Let the East Ukraine rebels have their referendum, they want a separate state anyway .. plus, it’s their right to do so. The current regime in Kiev isn’t legitimate, having staged a violent, bloody coup d’etat against the legitimate gov’t. back in February, 2014, with $5 billion in funding from the US State Dept. (Victoria Nudelman aka Nuland).
The US Congress/President mustn’t interfere with this internal affair, since it’s NOT their business anyway. A referendum’s a legal vote conducted by a region’s electorate who want total secession from the illegal Junta in Kiev .. After all, Crimea did just that three years ago, and then rejoined Russia.
The two Donbas Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk joined together and made this announcement to form one state (Malorossiya) via a referendum. They don’t want to be a part of Oligarch-run Ukraine any more, not even as autonomous provinces .. They don’t trust the illegitimate coup gov’t. They’re not voting to join Russia, but to be a totally independent state.
The key point bring Ukraine’s refusal to implement Minsk, and the collective West is
picking their noses or sucking thumbs, pretending they do not see it. On the contrary, collective West is in unison repeating a brain dead mantra that — Russia needs to implement Minsk!. For starters, Russia and Germany are merely guarantors, and Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk are signatories. After ceasefire and the implementstion of zone of separation with no heavy artillery, it was Kiev’s turn to bring key legislation. One on regional autonomy, another on amnesty of fighters, and the last one to allow for the autonomous regional elections. Following the election of regional bodies, relations are normalized and Ukraine takes over the management of borders. Naturally, Kiev wants none f it — except to take over the border with Russia, starve rebellion, and end it on its terms. At present, collective West knows Kiev is doing nothing to move the process, as it is entirely in their court. This suits collective West splendidly — as it costs them nothing to pretend dumb, but it costs Ukraine dearly. Everything worth grabbing has been almost all grabbed, but what remains in the sphere of gas transit is up for grabs. Bankers are salivating, as loans are given left and right, and Western taxpayers are on the hook if Ukraine does not pay. As for the people, they are having their cost of living skyrocket. So, what is everyone waiting for? The waiting game must somehow end. Since one entity declared intentions, but not another — here is the opportunity for Kiev to implenent Minsk with the “good” one, and force another to come back into compliance. But I cannot see it. Kiev’s only plan is to do nothing, Europe’s only plan is to pretend they see nothing, Kiev’s elite is firmly in the pocket of anti-Russian mob on bith sidesvif Atlantic — and everybody hopes they will stretch it long enough to get aUkraine in NATO, sucking up various economic morsels along the way. This move forces them all to move, to at leastb”recalculate” what is happening on the road to mythical Minsk.