After months of protests Ukrainian president Yanukovych was forced to flee and a new government was sworn in. Now pro-Russian groups in Crimea are fighting for supremacy and Russia has mobilised troops to secure its interests in Crimea.
Neelam Deo, Director, Gateway House analyses the situation.
The situation in Ukraine is fraught with complexities and many non EU countries including India have preferred to not take sides in the crisis. The Crimean region has very strong ethnic and historical links to Russia and is crucial to Moscow’s strategic interests.
Western backed protests have brought to power a radical, anti-Russian government in Ukraine which has led Russia to mobilising its troops in order to protect its interests in Crimea.
Outlook for the coming months:
A large number of issues that Russia was working alongside the other memebers of UN secirty council will now be in question. This includes the Iranian nuclear programme, the developments in Syria.
Equally important is the issue of what happens to the Ukranian economy which is in dire need of financial support and would get even worse if Russia stops supplying highly subsidised gas to Ukraine.
The situation is beginning to sound more and more like fighting cold war battles but at the expense of other people, whether it was Hungary in the 50’s or the Kurds in the first invasion of Iraq or even of Georgia in 2008.