Wednesday, March 5, 2014

The Nation Ed's. preach impossible compromise on Ukraine

It's not clear what The Nation's advice amounts to in operational, negotiating terms for the U.S vis-a-vis Ukraine and Russia; but nevertheless, here you go: the opinion of the non-radical, capitulating American Left in response to Russia's invasion and occupation of Crimea:

Frustrated cold warriors filling armchairs in Washington’s outdated “strategic” think tanks will continue to howl at the moon, but US policy should be run by the sober. The president should work with the EU and Russia to preserve Ukraine’s territorial unity, support free elections and allow Ukraine to be part of both the EU and the Russian customs union, while pledging that NATO will not extend itself into Ukraine. It is time to reduce tensions, not draw red lines, flex rhetorical muscles and fan the flames of folly.

This is the "D. All of the Above" option. The only problem is, nobody is offering this option, or willing to take it.  The EU or the Eurasian Customs Union is an either/or proposition. Ukraine can't straddle that fence.  Ukraine's ex-President Yanukovych vacillated for years and finally...chose Russia.  The rest was history.


The Editors
March 3, 2014 | The Nation

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