UKRAINE (3)

One word has been surprisingly absent from so-called informed discussion of Ukraine and the possible secession of the Crimea to Russia. That word is Kosovo.

When the Yugoslav Federation broke up in the early 1990's, Kosovo was part of what became the new country of Serbia. However, being ethnically Albanian, Kosovo wanted to break away from Serbia, and become independent. When it duly (and unilaterally) declared independence, that independence was supported by nearly all E.U. countries and the U.S., even though Serbia (and Russia) objected vehemently.

Swap the Soviet Union for the Yugoslav Federation, Ukraine for Serbia and the Crimea for Kosovo and it seems to me to be pretty much the same situation. Their populations are roughly the same, around 2 million. True, Kosovo was roughly 90% ethnic Albanian, whereas the Crimea is "only" about 60% ethnic Russian. But apart from that, what's different other than it is the West that is objecting and Russia supporting?

Walter Blotscher