Tensions Continue to Mount Between Russia and the West

As Reagan might have said during the days when the Cold War between Americans and Russians was still active, "There they go again...."

Pro-Russian demonstrators in eastern Ukraine are growing far more active and militant in the last few days, demanding a referendum to join Russia similar to the one that took place in Crimea last month. A vast majority of people in that referendum voted to join Russia, and it has since been annexed.

There were fears that Russia was not done in the region, shortly after taking over (illegally, many Western nations would point out) Crimea. Putin and the Russians promised that Crimea would be it, that they would not compromise the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

But these latest news headlines from pro-Russian agitators who have grown increasingly militant in the last few weeks are definitely not a good sign.

Both the West and Russia accuse one another of foul play. The West has refused to recognize Russian authority in the Crimea, and maintains that the peninsula rightfully belongs to Ukraine.

In the meantime, Russian officials are claiming that it is Western interference that has fueled the so-called Maidan movement in Ukraine, named after the public square in which the pro-Western popular uprising began to fan the flames of tensions in Ukraine, ousting then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. He has since taken refuge in Russia, but has expressed regret over his role in Russia's takeover of Crimea.

Russian officials have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the present Ukrainian government, claiming that these are favorable to neo-Nazi and anti-Russian policies.

The standoff continues, and President Obama announced a third level of sanctions placed against the Russians.

In the meantime, Russian officials are concerned about growing anti-Russian sentiment spreading across Europe as a result of this crisis concerning Ukraine.

"The current inflaming of anti-Russian sentiments takes place against the background of a spike of racism and xenophobia in many European countries, an increase in the number of ultra-radical groups and turning a blind eye to neo-Nazi phenomena, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.


"Rising anti-Russia sentiment threatens Europe stability: Moscow" by the Associated Foreign Press, April 11, 2014:

http://news.yahoo.com/rising-anti-russia-sentiment-threatens-europe-stability-moscow-103248152.html