Originally Posted by deltav

Yeah, just part of the East vs West tug of war that's been going on forever. I think when Yushchenko & Tymoshenko flamed out, Putin realized he was holding all the cards and hence you get this more aggressive policy that looks like it'll be successful in pulling Ukraine away from the EU.

Funny thing though - you hear all this pro-Ukraine protester rhetoric from many Americans, yet if there were a similar movement in Washington DC (the Occupy stuff doesn't hold a candle) where the protesters actively lobbied for regime change and actively fought back (and were partly supported by far-right ultranationalists like in Ukraine) - they'd be labelled terrorists and the Nat'l Guard would come down on them like holy hell and wipe them off the streets. And many of those Americans who support a "peaceful revolution" in Ukraine would be 100% behind that crackdown. We apply our standards where convenient.