Ukraine: A Crucible of Imperial Muzzle Flexing

Addressing a rally held in Russia on March 18, President Vladimir Putin made it clear that Ukraine belonged to Russia. He was delivering a speech in the first anniversary of Russia’s takeover of Crimea from Ukraine. He said that Crimea is the source of Russia’s “historical origins”, its “spirituality and statehood”. He had said one year ago that Russians showed “amazing patriotism in support of the people of Crimea and Sevastopol”. He has expressed his readiness in flourishing the country’s relation with Ukraine and maintained that in near future, the latter would acknowledge its being governed by his country.

Meanwhile, resistance from Crimeans against the Russian colonialism has become a headache for Kremlin as it continues to perpetuate ruthless tortures against those Crimeans who raised the voice of dissent. Meanwhile exiles from Crimea like Schekun have stood firmly against the assimilation of Crimea into the Russian state as well as forming various campaigns to express their dissent. Ukranian officials has it that 20,000 people, including Schekun and his family, have left Crimea since Russia seized the region. With a strong urge to join their homeland, the exiles feel that the Ukranian government has failed in its attempt to resolve the existential issues of the Schekuns.

Alexei Navalny, a hardcore critic of Russia’s foreign policy and an anti-corruption blogger, who was in the forefront of struggles against the rule of Putin that lasted 15 years, told the media that the diplomatic move by the US to supply weapons would not change the situation, and that a military victory of Ukraine over Russia is impossible. The US Sending out weaponries to topple any kind of political experiments is not new to those who know the colonial invasions being carried out by the US government over the years. The recent attempt by the Obama administration echoes the imperial aspirations of the US to perpetuate power on their subjects.

The BBC has it that with another big show of force now underway by the Russian Military, the sanctions imposed on the key sectors of Russian economy by the European Union has ordinary people to feel the pain. The sanctions are adding to the economic downturn in which prices have shot up and the currency has fallen dramatically against the dollar.