Ukraine Another Over The Line?

     Kiev has become a very unsettling place to be with civilians and police being shot down and the Ukraine on a possible civil war between those Ukrainians wanting the country to strengthen ties with the EU and those Ukrainians wanting to move closer to Putin's resurging Russia looking like it is coming out of the prolonger hibernation of the breakup of the Soviet Union. The government, perhaps swayed by the aid of 15 billion dollars from Putin, has rejected overtures to the EU. Not sure at this stage on how this will play out, only that fortunately we are not dealing with a country that in 1991 had the third largest strategic nuclear arsenal in the world on its soil. All the missiles and warheads were returned to Russia for dismantling.
    Any crisis of a potential civil war or repression by a government in the Ukraine of its citizens will take place under the shadow of a co-equal nuclear power-Russia. This is not the case of a genocidal Assad or an Iranian nuclear wanna-be. Lines in the sand or steppes or wherever or sanctions by the U.S. or Europe will be most likely ineffective and antagonize both the Ukrainian government and Russia. Obama's domestic problems have shredded his only effective tool--his teleprompter rhetoric and with the fear of losing control of the Senate to cook his lame duck goose, one would not expect much leadership that would be believable by the Russians.
    What is amazing to this poet is that Ukraine welcomed the Germans with flowers, bread and salt for "freeing them from the yoke of Stalin" and actually fought the Soviets in a guerilla war until 1953. Why the government is turning its back to the EU and instead with palms up hands turning to the Russians is somewhat surprising to say the least, unless it can read the handwriting on the wall and believe that Obama's rhetoric if any push comes to shove will be worthless. Hope the muse comment provokes some thought.

Ukraine Another Over The Line?

Ironic that the Ukrainians in world war II the Soviets so despised they welcomed the Germans with flowers, salt and bread

Today the government turns away from the EU and looks to Putin’s Russia instead

In seems like only yesterday the UIA was killing Soviet soldiers a faster rate
Than the those in the wilds of Afghanistan meeting a similar fate
To welcome Russia would seem like forgiving the Japanese and welcoming them to Nanking
Purging all memories of what terror and killing with them they had sought to bring
Maybe it is too hard to live under the shadow of Putin’s Bear
Who is now showing growing signs of coming out of its lair
While an American president is seen as  weak and losing support
All fluster and bluster crossing lines in the past to quickly abort
Hungry for power, hungry to dominate the Soviet’s dismembered parts
A dangerous part of the world, not for leaders without fearless and courageous hearts
The killing of civilians by the Ukrainian Army brings out Obama to protest
His words and geography, worse than Syria, will not do much to killings arrest
Syria, Iran, he’s batting O for two, will it be O for three very soon?
Not another line on the steppes, with Biden playing the role of the buffoon
One would hope he saves his line warnings breath
Save what little foreign policy credibility we may have left
Concentrate on how to keep Canadian oil in the Keystone game skin
Before our ally gets tired of the kicking by the Greens on its pipeline shins
Patience gone, with tacit Obama support, no end to Green blocking attempts in sight
Enough, enough, we’ll send our oil west to fuel China’s growing economic muscle and might

© February 19, 2014 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet