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| Europe | |
| Putin ally suggests that Ukraine be divided | |
| 2014-03-25 | |
| A little background: Vladimir Zhirinovsky is Russia's clown prince of international politics, and has been saying these things since Yelstin was president. He said back in the 1990s that NATO and the US should leave Russia alone in her sphere of influence and that includes Afghanistan and the north central Asian mobocracies for the FSU. No one took him seriously then, but now he is identified as Putin's BFF. Vladimir Zhirinovsky should be careful when and where he dines, since once the A prominent political ally and advisor to Vladimir Putin has proposed splitting up Ukraine along the lines of an historical pact agreed between the Nazis and Soviet Union. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, widely regarded as a mouthpiece for the Russian president, proposed a redrawing of the borders of western Ukraine - which would involve regions being incorporated into the territories of Poland, Romania and Hungary. He appeared to have written the letter in the days after Russia itself annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine last week, and suggested further referendums could be held to see further territory break away from Kiev. Zhirinovsky wrote: "It's never too late to correct historical errors." The politician is the deputy speaker of the Duma, and his nationalist Liberal Democratic party largely backs President Vladimir Putin in the Russian parliament. Sergei Sobolev, head of Ukraine's largest parliamentary faction, the Fatherland party, called him a "provocateur". "But Zhirinovsky often is the voice of Putin," he added.
It was not clear whether the letter was serious or a publicity stunt. But it follows a crisis in relations between Moscow and Kiev since the Moscow-backed Viktor Yanukovich was ousted as Ukraine's president last month. Zhirinovsky proposed Ukraine's Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia, Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Rovensky regions, together with Poland, Romania and Hungary hold referendums on whether the regions should break away from Ukraine. Romania might wish to have Chernivtsi, Hungary the Zakarpattia region, and Poland the rest, he said. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Make a crazy claim first and your unacceptable claim (just what Russia gave away in 30s) suddenly becomes acceptable to a lot of folks. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2014-03-25 15:14 |
| #2 It all sounds like what Hitler wanted at the beginning of World War 2 ie Gradual takeover of countries. Putin and the hardliners want the USSR back and the Berlin wall rebuilt imho. |
| Posted by: Paul D 2014-03-25 07:04 |
| #1 The court jester floats a trial balloon. If there's outrage the ruler can dismiss the idea without losing face. If not, he can proceed. |
| Posted by: Elmerert Hupens2660 2014-03-25 03:59 |