Under these circumstances, we must assume that Ukraine's president has got the maximum he possibly could amid these dark prospects. But this result is very disappointing," says Alexei Kolomiets, president of the independent Center for European and Transatlantic Studies in Kiev. "I have no doubt that Ukraine's political crisis is being organized from outside, and the team that's directing this turmoil is sitting in the Kremlin," he added.
Ukraine's location between Russia and Poland and its 45-million-strong population, 1 in 6 of whom are Russian, gives it terrific value to Moscow. Yet after Georgia, the EU is opting for an exchange with Ukraine and Georgia through economic aid and outreach. For example, a Polish-Swedish initiative to create an eastern European neighborhood policy has been revitalized, with an underlying assumption that the best way to confront Moscow is by helping Ukraine develop. Similar efforts are being worked on assiduously in Poland, the Baltics, and Sweden with the support of France and Britain.
Russia's venture into Georgia has solidified the European view that Moscow no longer wishes to be a "transitional" power aiming to integrate with Western systems and norms. But Ukraine does see itself as a transitional power, says Anne de Tinguy, a Russian-Ukrainian expert at Sciences Po in Paris.
http://ukraineanalysis.wordpress.com/2007/07/25/ukrainians-shun-nato-support-ties-with-russia/Well for starters, by joining NATO they could stand independent from Russia and would be safe from invasion. It would also certainly solidify their move toward joining the EU as it would bring a political stability they just don't have at this time.
Joining the EU would crack their economy wide open -- as would kicking the Russians out of their ports within the decade.
As for your poll figures:
On 24 July, Interfax Ukraine cited the results of the most recent survey conducted by the Yaremenko Ukrainian Institute of Social Research and the “Social Monitoring†Center between 10 and 18 July. It is based on 2,014 respondents over the age of 18, residing in 132 cities and villages in all regions of Ukraine, and has a margin of error of 1.34-2.24%.
In a country of 45 million, they pick 15 people from 132 villages and that is supposed to be accurate? Every article written on this topic points to this particular survey, which makes no sense given the age of it.
Russia goes after Georgia, the Ukranians are fearful they will be next, yet we are supposed to believe they support the Kremlin's position on their joining NATO?
Save for a few Russian loyalists, are you kidding me right now?
