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Originally Posted by mapuc
To understand the Ukrainians I think we have go further back then to the year where the Maidan revolution toke place. That's not enough we have to go even further back before 1991 referendum.
What I have learned is that Ukraine since they voted for independens was their wish to be West European a member of EU and later NATO.
If I remember correctly it wasn't so far in time from the People in Kyiv manage to throw the elected leader out of office, until groups in Donbass and Luhansk claimed independens from Ukraine.
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Yanukovich told them he would lead Ukaine further to the West, but when he had been elected, he suddenly let his mask fall and tried to shift Ukraine towards russia. That was not what the peope, the vast majority of the total population, had elected him for. He betrayed them. No wonder they kicked him out.
Even the oblasten Donetzk and Luhansk had a minority only of Russia-friendly people durign last known census in Ukraine from early in the 00-years. I posted that data over one year ago, it is somewhere. I remember that the numbers were in the range of 30-35% I think. The only oblast where they really had a majority was Crimea, only here more than 50% of the people wanted a stronger association to Russia, 56% is on my mind, but dont call me out for it. How many of these still want to turn to Russia in all three oblasten now that they have seen what Russia is doing to them as well, can only be estimated. I assume it is less, but the remaining one have become even more detemrined and bitter. Odessa was before the war very Russia-friendly, but the Russian deeds have turned even the pro-Russians very anti-Russian, they said in a docu on Odessa form last year. 90% they said in that film of those who were pro-Russian, now willingly fight against Russia.
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It was around this time Russia came to their aid and occupied Crimea
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Russia did not come to their help. Russia came to plunder what it had always wanted in the first : Crimea, and Ukraine becoming Russian prey. Clinton told media that Putin once told him he did not accept the treaties and guarantees for Ukraine and that he did not felt bound by them and would not respect them. Clinton said that since then it was clear to him that the Russians sooner or later would come down on Ukraine.
If you want to know why the Ukrainians are so resolute to defend their freedom and independence, you have to go back into the medieval. While in Europe the feudal system prevailed and the farmers/peasants "an die Scholle gebunden waren" (sorry, I fail to find a correct English translation here), and also in Russia the peasants were serfs (Leibeigene), the Ukrainian farmers/peasants were independent and willing to fight in defence, they were so-called "Wehrbauern". This bad habit of not wanting to be enslaved has brought them several times into the pleasure of Russian subjugation attempts - and now also. Its probably also explains why many ukrainians feel a so deep connection to their land, less the political dimension I mean, but the love for the farmland, the landscape, the natural, real ground.