The Patriot Post® · Ukraine Unrest Spreads East

Russia appears to be positioning itself to take over parts of eastern Ukraine, just as we feared. Prior to Crimea’s annexation, Russia sent in its military and instigated pro-Russian factions to seize government buildings while calling for “independence,” by which they meant a return to Russia. That scenario seems to be playing out all over again in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine. According to Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, “The plan is to destabilize the situation. The plan is for foreign troops to cross the border and seize the country’s territory, which we will not allow.” But what is he going to do? If he uses military force to put down a rebellion, Vladimir Putin then has cause to save “oppressed Russians.” If he does nothing, Putin will almost surely sweep in anyway. And so the game continues.