Ukraine crisis calls for calm, not sabre-rattling
With pro-Russia forces taking control of Ukraine's eastern region, only weeks after Kiev lost its Crimean peninsula in the south to the Kremlin, the crisis in Ukraine has again taken on worrying proportions. leaders from Russia, Europe, Ukraine and the US are scheduled to meet in Geneva on Thursday to resolve the confrontation which has been developing since November last year and has brought back fears of another Cold War. However, few expect a breakthrough in Geneva, and with good reason. There is nothing to suggest that any of the stakeholders shares common ground. It is possible that the talks may fall through even before they begin — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei lavrov has threatened not to attend the meeting if his counterpart from Kiev does not make the right kind of conciliatory noises. This latest round of escalation began on April 6 with the capture of the regional Government building in Donetsk city by well-armed, fully-organised men dressed in similar uniforms but without any military insignia. The city has been declared as the Donetsk People's Republic, and in the days since then, the unrest has spread to include the industrial hub of lugansk as well. Several towns and cities in this region, commonly known as Ukraine's Rust Belt, have been taken over by pro-Russia ‘irregulars'. In most cases, there has been little resistance, which is not surprising given that ethnically and culturally these parts of Ukraine are essentially Russian. However, it remains unclear if that translates into people wanting to split from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation — which is what Crimea supposedly voted to do in a controversial referendum last month. Besides, there have also been some instances of stiff local resistance, such as in the towns of Sloviansk and Kharkiv, where violent clashes between pro- and anti-Russian forces have led to fatalities.
According to the leaders in Kiev, the occupying forces have been sent by Russia, but the Kremlin has hotly denied the charge. Instead, it has argued that the men are locals, dissatisfied with the Government in Kiev and looking to Russia for help. It has also warned Kiev against taking military action against ‘peaceful protesters'. The situation in Donetsk has put the new and inexperienced Government in Kiev, which came to power in February following the Euromaidan protests, in a dilemma. For now, it has sanctioned the use of force to take back Donetsk, but a crushing military response from Russia is almost guaranteed. President Vladimir Putin has already made it clear that he will ‘protect' ethnic Russians and maintain stability in his neighbourhood. However, had Kiev done nothing, it risked losing yet another part of the country. Besides, the industrial hubs of Donetsk and lugansk are crucial to the Ukrainian economy.
With gun-toting men roaming the streets and armoured tanks now rolling into different cities in the east, Ukraine is one small step away from an outright civil war. The international community must work in earnest to resolve the situation. The European Union and the US especially need to take responsibility for the mess. It's easy for them to blame Russia for its aggressive posturing, but neither power can deny its role in stirring the pot in Ukraine.