Viktor Yanukovych is the best russian ass kisser Eastern Ukraine can provide. I really hope Ukraine can muster the balls to shut-off the gas pipelines to Europe. It would sure give the Europeans a wake-up call and perhaps make them think again about the Russia as their economy sinks. Georgia reacted to military activities being conducted by the russians in S. Ossetia, and the European press, when they got their heads out of Putin\'s ass, decided to blame Georgia for starting the conflict. Yahukovych should be removed from the public eyes. Stand up and do the right thing Ukraine. The pro-russian side did not think twice when Chornobil was removed. What happen to the spirit of the OUN!!!

PEOPLE SEEM TO FORGET THAT YANUKOVYCH WAS A CONVICTED FELON + SPENT HARD TIME IN PRISON. ONLY BRAINWASHED \\\"USEFUL IDIOTS\\\" WOULD VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO RAPES AND ASSAULTS AND IS BACKED BY THE KREMLIN!

to The Nameless Victims commenter. I do not doubt that the former soviet union committed some disgraceful atrocities in the Ukraine and the rest of its empire, but it is 2008 and that empire no longer exists. We dont keep getting the Germans to apologise for the Nazi empire do we? Look im not suggesting that Russia is an example of freedom and democracy, but the soviet Union it is not. All this talk of it expanding to reclaim its former empire is nonsense. It has not the means or power. Russia is part of the interconnected multi-national financial world, hence the reason its economy is feeling the effects of the world financial crisis.

It has genuine concerns about a military alliance that was created for the sole purpose to counter the soviet union expanding on its doorstep. Why would Russia risk ww3 to reclaim parts of eastern Europe. It is fantasy.

Whetehr one agrees with My Yuschenko or not, everyone should agree that the unwarranted invasion of a soverign country is indefensible. Those actions in the 21st century cannot be tolerated. If Russia has a bigger plan to regain control of its previous empire, there was no better way to test the world\'s reaction than to invade a small and defenseless nation. Putin got the response he wanted. The world babbled on for a few days and Putin laughed in relief. The notion Russia took such action to defend is citizens anywhere on earth is preposterous. What if the Brits o Americans took a hardline stand on all of their illegal Russina immigrants and rounded them up for prosecution. Would Putin try to invade them? Of course not. He flexed his powerful muscle on a small, defenseless country just like the Soviet union in the days of old. Ynaukovych is a Putin tool. Yuschenko and Tymoshenko better open their eyes before they align themselves with this man for their own political gain.

Ron you must have been chewing on mushrooms, boy..Easy up, think a bit and do not just regurgitate some crapy \'independent\' Institute propaganda spiel.

Ron, I think you may be watching a bit too much fox news or reading way too much neoconservative propogana.
Georgia should have thought about possible reprucussions before they launched an attack on innocent civillians with cluster bombs. President Bush has called Georgia a beacon of democracy, which fits in with his version as he to likes to attack civillions for unjust reasons e.g Iraq.
Look Im not Russian, I am a liberal from London but find it disgracefull that so many people believe the mainstream propoganda in the news, even when it clearly makes no sense. I agree Russia acted dissproportiantely but what did people expect it to do. We should retain a more balanced view in such events rather than just nod to US opinion, as their moral standing in the world has been disgraceful during the Bush years.

Lets pray Obama turns into the saviour people predict

It\'s unsurprising that the \"enlightened\" are going ostrich and sticking their heads in the ground to avoid reality. It\'s no different than what happened in the 1930s. No one saw it coming. My family comes from europe. My wife comes from eastern europe. We have family yet there. Russia is not a big cuddly bear you can play with. They have strong motivators driving them. Left unchallenged, they will advance and overwhelm the countries around them. Ukraine is next on the list. Using whatever means possible, they will weaken it to more easily take it. This scene has played before. It\'s 1939 all over again. Will another Lord Chamberlain deliver another useless peace treaty while the fascists conquer and kill in europe again? Will Obama stand up to the bear or will he offer them free reign like he did in Georgia?

\"balanced view\"? This translates as the west is evil and must play by the highest moral rules while others can perpetrate savagery upon our brothers without criticism, comment or retaliation to their crimes against humanity. We must be moral and consistant. We must also demand the universality of human rights. The artificial famine of 1932-33 in Ukraine killed 10 million. It was no great secret, but there was no press coverage about it. Look at the shameful inactivity of europe in the early 90s to the ethnic cleansing of the baltics. Your reasoning is flawed. Shall we turn our backs to the coming storm and ignore that, too?

Russia played their game to a provocation that they engineered in Georgia. They will move westward against Ukraine, Poland, Estonia etc. Open your eyes. Stop the madness.

Why would we listen to a rapist, thug and common bandit like Yanukovych? More over a paid Russian lackey.