Biden defends Ukraine's border, but not the US border.
There has been a lot of talk about Ukraine and Russia lately, but many talkers don't know what they're talking about.
I've been to Ukraine, maybe a half a dozen times. Have friends and acquaintances in Kiev (pronounced "Keev" in Russian), Kharkov and Yalta, down in Crimea. My ex wife is from Lugansk, which is just a few miles from the Russian border. She is fluent in both Russian and Ukrainian, as well as English. Her parents still currently live there. Her younger brother is working and living in Moscow.
Ukraine is a split country, geographically, ethnically and linguistically. Ukrainian in the west and Russian in the east, with a minority of Muslim Tatars in Crimea. The capital, Kiev, is pretty much in the middle of it.
While a civil war or further Russian incursions can hopefully be avoided, there are a large number of ethnic Russians in Eastern Ukraine who would favor Russia taking over that part of the country.
I have no dog in the hunt, either way, but I do think that the US and EU should just stay out of the conflict and let those involved deal with it. It's a messy situation, but it's not our situation, IMO.. |
