Obama Broods Over Brewing Borscht Battle Spreading Beyond Crimea
Before jumping into the Battle for the Borscht, it'd be a good idea to identify and evaluate Ukraine's opposition to ousted president Viktor Yanukovych. With a history of corruption cronyism and oligarchical rule, the huge numbers of protestors occupying Kiev's Independent Square could be cloaking some real creeps.
Having a new crew taking power by baseball bats and molotov cocktails, it might be difficult for a majority of Ukrainians to accept them as a legitimate option. If Vladimir Putin is willing to invest Russian resources into one of the most dysfunctional governments in the region, so be it. He'll soon find the cost far outweighs the gains.
Ukraine is a headache the U.S. and Europe can ill afford now or anytime in the near future. Barack Obama will be consumer with the ever-needy Israelis, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives this week to outline U.S. foreign policy priorities.
Since Syria, Iran and the Palestinian issues remain open wounds, Netanyahu's energies will be focused on returning U.S. attention back toward Israeli security. Angela Merkel of Germany has her hands full trying to keep the UK and other E.U. members from bolting or seeking too many special opt-outs. If every E.U. member started looking for special deals, the whole Union could start to unravel.
Under current circumstances, the West can't afford to help militarily or monetarily without major assurances. Ukraine must demonstrate it has the ability to unite under one banner, is prepared to announce elections sooner than later and able to propose a budget the IMF can review without laughing out loud.
Bottom line: Any nation claiming two presidents can't be taken seriously by anybody. Going forward, the U.S. and Europe would be wise to continue looking strong and talking tough but making no promises or commitments until Ukraine's political stability and economic competency can be confirmed.
BTW, the release of Crime Does Pay; the Handbook for the Long-term Unemployed has been delayed due to Creep Week. As mentioned above, Israeli Prime Minister is visiting the United States this week and his presence always requires added attention. Stay tuned it'll be available soon.