Russia Suprises Ukraine--Maybe

Neil MacFARQUHAR, "Putin Hits Pause in Ukraine Crisis Amid Skepticism, Intentions are Murky, A pledge to Draw Troops Back, and a Message to Separatists."

http://www.nytimes.com/images/2014/05/08/nytfrontpage/scannat.pdf

I suspect MacFARQUHAR understates the Ukraine crisis at times and on occasion eludes me, but never fails to teach.   A few examples follow from the article above revealing the beauty of the written word... and yes, analogies which can replace a thousand thoughts...

"... if this was just another of his [Putin's] judo-inspired feints."

"... heaving with violence..."

"..."black swans" refer to random, unexpected events with unforeseeable consequences."

"...stick Russia with a failed state..."

"Mr. Putin is known to loathe chaos..."

"...long, bloody and expensive slog, bruising the reputation he gained from annexing Crimea with virtually no blood shed."

"In Slovyansk, the ground zero of some of the toughest, most militarily experienced opposition to Kiev..."
  
Last Note:
 
MacFARQUHAR wrote, "First, there has been an increasing sense here, as elsewhere, that conditions in  Ukraine were rapidly approaching the situation in Yugoslavia in 1991, where the former Soviet satellite broke into pieces.  The violence among various factions was creating facts on the ground, they said, that nobody could predict or manage."

My brother-in-law emigrated from Ljubljana, Yugoslavia to the U.S. in the seventies.  Part of Yugoslavia became Slovenia in '89 to '91, during the breakup of the country.  Ciril has often told us at family gatherings, Slovenia had a bloodless revolution unlike the Serbs, Croats and Bosninaks.  A few people, he said, were thrown in jail in Slovenia and then released the next day.  The trouble makers were told to quit causing trouble with Slovenia, now a new country, and he claims, they behaved. I wish I had the time to research this more.  I do believe Ciril is knowledgeable and has integrity. 

Ukraine is a scary place for those living there now.  And Putin has tried to force a referendum--he claims he has withdrawn this recommendation--eastern Ukrainian leaders say, east Ukraine is not ready to align itself with Russia and wants to separate.

Putin says Russian troops are moving away from the border, but evidence does not support this--one battalion, it's reported by MacFARQUHAR, moved off, but not significantly from the Ukrainian border.

I was finally able to document through travel.state.gov, May 1st, Elana's statements two weeks before were true.  The U.S. Department of State is referring people who want to go home with their Ukrainian passport to verify Russia's new regulations.  A Russian visa is required to enter Crimea "by land, by air and sea."  Those holding Ukrainian passports will need to apply to return to their homeland.