10 March 2014

Massive media campaigns spreading fear and antagonism are powerful. People are scared. On all levels, in the streets, in Maidan, and in Parliament: in the words of Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Deshchytsya, “we have to cope with an aggression [from Russia] that we do not understand.”

International diplomatic discussions continue. Ukrainians fear Russian take-over, but also fear being taken over by a less overtly violent, but nevertheless restrictive and long-term damaging economic restructuring plan from the IMF. Such is the fate of our global economically interconnected world? Perhaps. But, as many writers and journalists are saying, what is not inevitable is for the ‘rest of the world’ to ignore and forget the voices – diverse, yet persistent – of Ukrainian people.

Maidan is not pro-IMF. It is not fighting for a new economic restructuring plan. Maidan continues to struggle for a paradigm shift, like people throughout the world who rise up, who fight and die, in revolt against the geopolitics. Geopolitics has no time for people as anything but economic producers and consumers. But the people, the spirit, do not go away and must not be denied.

A pro-Russian government has taken over Crimea. The EU, USA and the interim Ukrainian government have deemed the referendum, scheduled to take place in Crimea on 16 March, illegitimate. Undeniably, this so-called referendum will not be one where free and informed residents of the Crimean Peninsula will voice their opinion.

The deputy prime minister of the region, Rustam Temirgaliev, has said that March 16 will only be a ratification of a decision that had already been taken: the go-ahead to the territory to begin preparations to join Russia, "comes into effect from the current moment". The referendum would be held "only to confirm" the decision. In spite of opposition from the Crimean Tatar population to Russian take-over and the clear restriction on news and information that has characterized the region for decades, the pro-Russian parliament voted by 78 votes to 0, with eight abstentions, to hold the referendum on 16 March.

Temirgaliev said that as of Thursday, the only legal troops on Crimean soil were the Russian army and Crimea has closed its airspace to commercial flights.

Meanwhile, Russian opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky spoke to students today in Kyiv Polytechnic University. He spoke of how Russia is ruining its longstanding friendship with Ukraine by its aggressive and pro-separatist actions in Crimea.