What Are the US Goals In Ukraine?

[ScreamingEagle]

It appears one of the Administration's goals is to use the Ukraine crisis to reform the IMF rules....maybe someone here can explain what this is really all about....it seems Republicans are against it because it may affect taxpayers....Boehner says it has nothing to do with Ukraine...

Secretary of State John Kerry urged Congress to approve reforms to the International Monetary Fund that the administration says is a critical component of aid to Ukraine but is running into opposition from some Republicans.

“We must have IMF reform, we must have the quota,” Kerry told a Senate appropriations subcommittee Thursday. “It would be a terrible message to Ukraine for everybody to be standing up talking, appropriately, about what’s at stake and not to be able to follow through.”

A bill heading to the Senate floor gives congressional approval to a 2010 IMF decision that reconfigures the amount of money the United States and other countries contribute to the organization. But many Republicans worry the move could expose taxpayers to risk and say it’s unrelated to the crisis in Ukraine. The GOP-controlled House passed a Ukraine measure last week that didn’t include the IMF provision.

“The IMF money has nothing to do with Ukraine,” Speaker John Boehner said Thursday. “I understand the administration wants the IMF money but it has nothing at all to do with Ukraine. So let’s just understand what the facts are here.”



Read more: John Kerry: Include IMF changes in Ukraine package - Seung Min Kim - POLITICO.com

"Some congressional Republicans are concerned that taxpayer dollars could be at a greater risk under the changes, however. Some Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee tried to get rid of the provision during a Wednesday markup, but were defeated by Democrats and a few Republicans."

John Kerry: Include IMF changes in Ukraine package - Seung Min Kim - POLITICO.com

It's always possible that "loan guarantees" from the IMF which are structured to increase the wealth of oligarchs in the US, EU, and Ukraine will ultimately fall on taxpayers in the US and elsewhere while cutting pensions in Ukraine from about $160/month to $80.

That's how IMF/Washington Consensus "structural adjustments" have performed over the past 70 years.

A question more westerners should be asking is how many Ukraines are there?

The following is a short (1-2 page) interview with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on Ukraine reprinted from a 1994 issue of Forbes Magazine:

"I myself am nearly half Ukrainian. I grew up with the sounds of Ukrainian speech. I love her culture and genuinely wish all kinds of success for Ukraine–but only within her real ethnic boundaries, without grabbing Russian provinces."

An Interview With Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on Ukraine » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

so this currently proposed 'reform' of the IMF is just another scam to rip off the American taxpayer...

....just more of Obama's socialist redistribution scheme.......but on a global level....

 

[1776]

Why oh why would Ukraine want protection from.....Russia???

Russia would never INVADE THEM.....oh wait, dumbfuck.....they did.

Using your logic, a person being abused by criminals in the ghetto and threatened by them to never ask for police help....well you support the criminals killing that person when the police are called for help.

Our goals in Ukraine:

1) Russia give Crimea back to Ukraine. (likely not going to happen now)
2) Russia stay out of the rest of Ukraine. (pending on this next 1-2 weeks.)
3) Ukraine turn away from Russia and align with the EU.
4) Ukraine build up their military to prevent this from happening in the future.
5) Ukraine build an alliance against Russia with their neighbors like Estonia, Georgia, Lativa, etc because NATO membership might be too much for Russia not to attack.

Our (real) goals in Ukraine:

"Is the Russian occupation of the Crimea a case of aggressive expansionism by Moscow or aimed at at blocking a scheme by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to roll right up to the Russia’s western border?

"WikiLeaks has revealed a secret cable describing a meeting between French and American diplomats that suggests the latter, a plan that has been in the works since at least 2009.

"Titled 'A/S Gordon’s meeting with policy makers in Paris,' the cable summarizes a Sept. 16, 2009 get-together between Philip Gordon, then assistant U.S. Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and French diplomats Jean-David Levitte, Damien Loras, and Francois Richier.

"Gordon is currently a special assistant to President Obama on the Middle East."

WikiLeaks, Ukraine and NATO » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

 

[georgephillip]

Why oh why would Ukraine want protection from.....Russia???

Russia would never INVADE THEM.....oh wait, dumbfuck.....they did.

Using your logic, a person being abused by criminals in the ghetto and threatened by them to never ask for police help....well you support the criminals killing that person when the police are called for help.

Our goals in Ukraine:

1) Russia give Crimea back to Ukraine. (likely not going to happen now)
2) Russia stay out of the rest of Ukraine. (pending on this next 1-2 weeks.)
3) Ukraine turn away from Russia and align with the EU.
4) Ukraine build up their military to prevent this from happening in the future.
5) Ukraine build an alliance against Russia with their neighbors like Estonia, Georgia, Lativa, etc because NATO membership might be too much for Russia not to attack.

Our (real) goals in Ukraine:

"Is the Russian occupation of the Crimea a case of aggressive expansionism by Moscow or aimed at at blocking a scheme by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to roll right up to the Russia’s western border?

"WikiLeaks has revealed a secret cable describing a meeting between French and American diplomats that suggests the latter, a plan that has been in the works since at least 2009.

"Titled 'A/S Gordon’s meeting with policy makers in Paris,' the cable summarizes a Sept. 16, 2009 get-together between Philip Gordon, then assistant U.S. Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and French diplomats Jean-David Levitte, Damien Loras, and Francois Richier.

"Gordon is currently a special assistant to President Obama on the Middle East."

WikiLeaks, Ukraine and NATO » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

By your "logic" Ukrainian police and protesters being shot dead by Neo-Nazi snipers should Sieg heil for NATO and the IMF, right Adolph?

 

[1776]

Oh yeah....they were "Nazis" that did that.....not Russians inside Ukraine doing dirty work to invent a civil war. Nah.....Russia wouldn't do that, they are so innocent.

Again shitbag....tell us why Russia has the right to invade Ukraine???

Why would Ukraine with a history of being invaded by the Russians since the 1700s want to be aligned with the EU and NATO????

So strange to a socialist like you that Ukraine is tired of being Russia's bitch, eh?

Why oh why would Ukraine want protection from.....Russia???

Russia would never INVADE THEM.....oh wait, dumbfuck.....they did.

Using your logic, a person being abused by criminals in the ghetto and threatened by them to never ask for police help....well you support the criminals killing that person when the police are called for help.

Our (real) goals in Ukraine:

"Is the Russian occupation of the Crimea a case of aggressive expansionism by Moscow or aimed at at blocking a scheme by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to roll right up to the Russia’s western border?

"WikiLeaks has revealed a secret cable describing a meeting between French and American diplomats that suggests the latter, a plan that has been in the works since at least 2009.

"Titled 'A/S Gordon’s meeting with policy makers in Paris,' the cable summarizes a Sept. 16, 2009 get-together between Philip Gordon, then assistant U.S. Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and French diplomats Jean-David Levitte, Damien Loras, and Francois Richier.

"Gordon is currently a special assistant to President Obama on the Middle East."

WikiLeaks, Ukraine and NATO » CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

By your "logic" Ukrainian police and protesters being shot dead by Neo-Nazi snipers should Sieg heil for NATO and the IMF, right Adolph?

 

[georgephillip]

Oh yeah....they were "Nazis" that did that.....not Russians inside Ukraine doing dirty work to invent a civil war. Nah.....Russia wouldn't do that, they are so innocent.

Again shitbag....tell us why Russia has the right to invade Ukraine???

Why would Ukraine with a history of being invaded by the Russians since the 1700s want to be aligned with the EU and NATO????

So strange to a socialist like you that Ukraine is tired of being Russia's bitch, eh?

Why oh why would Ukraine want protection from.....Russia???

Russia would never INVADE THEM.....oh wait, dumbfuck.....they did.

Using your logic, a person being abused by criminals in the ghetto and threatened by them to never ask for police help....well you support the criminals killing that person when the police are called for help.

By your "logic" Ukrainian police and protesters being shot dead by Neo-Nazi snipers should Sieg heil for NATO and the IMF, right Adolph?

Yeah, Adolph, Nazis linked to the EU and IMF are suspected of the February 20th sniper attacks:

"In the recording, which was posted to YouTube and picked up by Russian media, Paet talks about his recent visit to Ukraine. He says a doctor named 'Olga' told him opponents of Ukraine's ousted President may have been responsible for deadly sniper fire..."

"(Olga) can say that it is the same handwriting, the same type of bullets, and it's really disturbing that now the new coalition that -- they don't want to investigate what exactly happened.

"'There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers, it was not Yanukovych, but it was somebody from the new coalition,' Paet told Ashton.

"She replied: 'I think we do want to investigate ... I didn't pick that up. That's interesting. Gosh.'"

Leaked call raises questions about who was behind attacks in Ukraine - CNN.com

Gosh, Adolph, Nazi snipers overthrowing a democratically elected president on Russia's western border.

What would you do, swallow deeply and Sieg heil for Obama and NATO?

 

[Art__Allm]

No, we should tell them they need to deal with their own problems, just as we should have said in Libya. We have no business there. Let them handle it. I don't want dragged into a Ukraine civil war. I love those people, and we should offer visa to them to come to the US, but we're should not be involved there. Period.

Fully agree with you!

BTW, the Ukrainians call themselves Russians, they believe that they are the real "racial" Russians, and that the today Russians are of mixed race.

The Ukrainian Nationalists want to be more Russian, than the Russians themselves.

That is the quintessence of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In the Russian Empire Ukraine was called "Small Russia", and the today Russian Federation was called "Great Russia".

The today Ukrainians were just "small Russians" (Малорос&#1099, and the today Russians were Great Russians (Великорс&#1099 a couple of centuries ago.

There are some fools in this forum who do not know the history of Russia and who believe that Russia and Ukraine are different ethnic groups and that the Ukrainians do not want to be Russians.

People who can speak Russian should read this article:

*ÂÇÃËßÄ / «Ðîññèè êàê òàêîâîé íåò»

People who do not speak Russian can do a machine translation to get some basic idea about what the conflict between Russians and Ukrainians is about.

If Obama was able to read the above linked article, he would probably change is stance towards the Ukrainian nationalists.

 

[Decus]

Oh yeah....they were "Nazis" that did that.....not Russians inside Ukraine doing dirty work to invent a civil war. Nah.....Russia wouldn't do that, they are so innocent.

Again shitbag....tell us why Russia has the right to invade Ukraine???

Why would Ukraine with a history of being invaded by the Russians since the 1700s want to be aligned with the EU and NATO????

So strange to a socialist like you that Ukraine is tired of being Russia's bitch, eh?

By your "logic" Ukrainian police and protesters being shot dead by Neo-Nazi snipers should Sieg heil for NATO and the IMF, right Adolph?

Yeah, Adolph, Nazis linked to the EU and IMF are suspected of the February 20th sniper attacks:

"In the recording, which was posted to YouTube and picked up by Russian media, Paet talks about his recent visit to Ukraine. He says a doctor named 'Olga' told him opponents of Ukraine's ousted President may have been responsible for deadly sniper fire..."

"(Olga) can say that it is the same handwriting, the same type of bullets, and it's really disturbing that now the new coalition that -- they don't want to investigate what exactly happened.

"'There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers, it was not Yanukovych, but it was somebody from the new coalition,' Paet told Ashton.

"She replied: 'I think we do want to investigate ... I didn't pick that up. That's interesting. Gosh.'"

Leaked call raises questions about who was behind attacks in Ukraine - CNN.com

Gosh, Adolph, Nazi snipers overthrowing a democratically elected president on Russia's western border.

What would you do, swallow deeply and Sieg heil for Obama and NATO?

A democratically elected Ukrainian Parliament impeached Yanukovych. Russian propaganda aside, Yanukovych was one of the most corrupt politicians in modern history. The Ukraine is broke in part due to Yanukovych's corruption.

Far right elements exist in most EU member countries - so what. Most often they attract protest votes from people who are tired of the status quo. Claiming a resurgence of the Nazis is ridiculous. Makes for great Russian propaganda but nothing more.

.

 

[MACAULAY]

This is actually a serious question. Based on statements by the administration, what are our stated goals in dealing with the Russians on the Ukraine issue?

I ask because I havent heard one yet. And if the administration cannot articulate its goals, it cannot achieve them.

...............................................

I think Obama is trying to arrange to give Vlad Putin a blow job hoping that will keep him from gobbling up all of Ukraine...for at least the next three years...and thus humiliating Obama (again) in what's left of the saddest, most corrupt...and the most incompetent...Administration in U. S. history.

 

[1776]

Shitstain....Russian special forces and KGB are in Ukraine causing riots, etc. Them shooting "Ukrainians" as so-called Nazis is the typical playbook of scum trying to invent a reason to invade another country.

It is none of Russia's business if Ukrainians are shooting each other, stabbing each other, spitting on each other, etc in some internal argument over the EU and Russia.....you fucking pile of shit.

Oh yeah....they were "Nazis" that did that.....not Russians inside Ukraine doing dirty work to invent a civil war. Nah.....Russia wouldn't do that, they are so innocent.

Again shitbag....tell us why Russia has the right to invade Ukraine???

Why would Ukraine with a history of being invaded by the Russians since the 1700s want to be aligned with the EU and NATO????

So strange to a socialist like you that Ukraine is tired of being Russia's bitch, eh?

By your "logic" Ukrainian police and protesters being shot dead by Neo-Nazi snipers should Sieg heil for NATO and the IMF, right Adolph?

Yeah, Adolph, Nazis linked to the EU and IMF are suspected of the February 20th sniper attacks:

"In the recording, which was posted to YouTube and picked up by Russian media, Paet talks about his recent visit to Ukraine. He says a doctor named 'Olga' told him opponents of Ukraine's ousted President may have been responsible for deadly sniper fire..."

"(Olga) can say that it is the same handwriting, the same type of bullets, and it's really disturbing that now the new coalition that -- they don't want to investigate what exactly happened.

"'There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers, it was not Yanukovych, but it was somebody from the new coalition,' Paet told Ashton.

"She replied: 'I think we do want to investigate ... I didn't pick that up. That's interesting. Gosh.'"

Leaked call raises questions about who was behind attacks in Ukraine - CNN.com

Gosh, Adolph, Nazi snipers overthrowing a democratically elected president on Russia's western border.

What would you do, swallow deeply and Sieg heil for Obama and NATO?

 

[1776]

Burn in hell, Russian scum.

No, we should tell them they need to deal with their own problems, just as we should have said in Libya. We have no business there. Let them handle it. I don't want dragged into a Ukraine civil war. I love those people, and we should offer visa to them to come to the US, but we're should not be involved there. Period.

Fully agree with you!

BTW, the Ukrainians call themselves Russians, they believe that they are the real "racial" Russians, and that the today Russians are of mixed race.

The Ukrainian Nationalists want to be more Russian, than the Russians themselves.

That is the quintessence of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In the Russian Empire Ukraine was called "Small Russia", and the today Russian Federation was called "Great Russia".

The today Ukrainians were just "small Russians" (Малорос&#1099, and the today Russians were Great Russians (Великорс&#1099 a couple of centuries ago.

There are some fools in this forum who do not know the history of Russia and who believe that Russia and Ukraine are different ethnic groups and that the Ukrainians do not want to be Russians.

People who can speak Russian should read this article:

*ÂÇÃËßÄ / «Ðîññèè êàê òàêîâîé íåò»

People who do not speak Russian can do a machine translation to get some basic idea about what the conflict between Russians and Ukrainians is about.

If Obama was able to read the above linked article, he would probably change is stance towards the Ukrainian nationalists.

 

[georgephillip]

Oh yeah....they were "Nazis" that did that.....not Russians inside Ukraine doing dirty work to invent a civil war. Nah.....Russia wouldn't do that, they are so innocent.

Again shitbag....tell us why Russia has the right to invade Ukraine???

Why would Ukraine with a history of being invaded by the Russians since the 1700s want to be aligned with the EU and NATO????

So strange to a socialist like you that Ukraine is tired of being Russia's bitch, eh?

Yeah, Adolph, Nazis linked to the EU and IMF are suspected of the February 20th sniper attacks:

"In the recording, which was posted to YouTube and picked up by Russian media, Paet talks about his recent visit to Ukraine. He says a doctor named 'Olga' told him opponents of Ukraine's ousted President may have been responsible for deadly sniper fire..."

"(Olga) can say that it is the same handwriting, the same type of bullets, and it's really disturbing that now the new coalition that -- they don't want to investigate what exactly happened.

"'There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind snipers, it was not Yanukovych, but it was somebody from the new coalition,' Paet told Ashton.

"She replied: 'I think we do want to investigate ... I didn't pick that up. That's interesting. Gosh.'"

Leaked call raises questions about who was behind attacks in Ukraine - CNN.com

Gosh, Adolph, Nazi snipers overthrowing a democratically elected president on Russia's western border.

What would you do, swallow deeply and Sieg heil for Obama and NATO?

A democratically elected Ukrainian Parliament impeached Yanukovych. Russian propaganda aside, Yanukovych was one of the most corrupt politicians in modern history. The Ukraine is broke in part due to Yanukovych's corruption.

Far right elements exist in most EU member countries - so what. Most often they attract protest votes from people who are tired of the status quo. Claiming a resurgence of the Nazis is ridiculous. Makes for great Russian propaganda but nothing more.

.

Four years ago nearly 49% of Ukrainians voted for Yanukovych and two years later almost 40% of Ukrainians voted for his Party of Regions, "which won a majority in the 450 seat...parliament."

Those examples of "Democracy" were undone on February 20th when snipers who may have been Neo-Nazi thugs from Western Ukraine murdered police and opposition protesters alike.

Within two days, the democratically elected Party of Regions lost their majority in Parliament with some fleeing for their lives

For many in Crimea, 'it's about time' to get closer to Russia - CSMonitor.com

More recent events in western Ukraine offer a disturbing distinction between how far-right elements in that country operate compared to other EU states:

"Fears of possible armed assaults and provocation in Ukraine and neighboring countries are on the rise after yet another report that rocket grenade launchers, firearms and munitions have been stolen from a military warehouse in western Ukraine..."

"'Reports...indicate that over 5,000 Kalashnikov rifles, 2,741 Makarov handguns, 123 light machineguns and 12 Shmel rocket launchers were stolen from the Interior Troops’ depots in the Lvov Region in late February,' the source said.

“'The investigation has also established that 1,500 F-1 hand grenades and a large number of munitions are missing,' it added."

"Earlier it was reported that at the end of February 2014 during the assaults on a number Ukrainian military units in the Western Lvov Region, radicals stole some 1,200 firearms, including around 1,000 Makarov handguns, over 170 Kalashnikov rifles as well as machineguns and sniper rifles..."

"Some military experts believe that the weapons will soon surface in the hands of the Right Sector or other nationalistic movements, which were the violent driving force of the coup that ousted Victor Yanukovich.

"For inciting terrorism and participation in hostilities against Russian soldiers in Chechnya, Russia’s Investigative Committee has placed Right Sector leader Dmitry Yarosh on an international wanted list.

"The head of the Right Sector previously announced the creation of Revolutionary National Guard, a formation that plans to unite all the ultra-nationalists groups to serve as police and secret services.

"Last week Yarosh also demanded the self-imposed government in Kiev to arm Right Sector members."

Ukraine: Over 5,000 Kalashnikovs, Other Guns Stolen From Military Bases - Report Eurasia Review

 

[The Rabbi]

Shitstain....Russian special forces and KGB are in Ukraine causing riots, etc. Them shooting "Ukrainians" as so-called Nazis is the typical playbook of scum trying to invent a reason to invade another country.

It is none of Russia's business if Ukrainians are shooting each other, stabbing each other, spitting on each other, etc in some internal argument over the EU and Russia.....you fucking pile of shit.

Except Ukrianians are not doing that to anybody. This is a story told by the RUssians to justify their actions.

 

[Steinlight]

These "neo-nazi" Ukrainians are just useful idiots for the EU and NATO and the American, British and Zionist power structures that financed the coup. They can kiss their dream of a national socialist ukraine goodbye when Ukraine ceases to exist under the thumb of the EU superstate and becomes bankrupted by the IMF.

They are dumbass ukrainian chauvinists that are begging for another ass whipping from Russia like they got in WW2. They deserve another frankly to get their heads right.

 

[whitehall]

Good question. I doubt is the unholy trinity of Kerry, Hussein and Hillary could answer it.

 

[Steinlight]

Let's hope the Crimean people vote to reject the decadent, degenerate, homosexual, feminist, multicultural empire of the EU and NATO and join with Mother Russia.

 

[AntiParty]

I'm just asking a simple question. What are our stated goals here?

Sarah Palin says, "It takes a good guy with a nuke to stop a bad guy with a nuke" Seems the Right wants war again. They were mad when we didn't get war in Iran because "Iran has nukes". They were mad when we didn't go to war with Syria because they used Chemical weapons. (edit; they were mad when we didn't go to war in Libya)They even said we can not pull out of the Afghanistan in 2014 because "That's war season"

If you don't know the goals there you have never researched the NWO. We are currently taking over the world.........but at what cost?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RC1Mepk_Sw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RC1Mepk_Sw[/ame]

 

[georgephillip]

These "neo-nazi" Ukrainians are just useful idiots for the EU and NATO and the American, British and Zionist power structures that financed the coup. They can kiss their dream of a national socialist ukraine goodbye when Ukraine ceases to exist under the thumb of the EU superstate and becomes bankrupted by the IMF.

They are dumbass ukrainian chauvinists that are begging for another ass whipping from Russia like they got in WW2. They deserve another frankly to get their heads right.

NATO should have disappeared with the USSR:

"According to numerous independent polls conducted over the past few years, Ukrainian public opinion on NATO membership is low.[11][12][13][14][15][16] A 2009 Gallup poll asked Ukrainians whether they saw NATO as a threat or protection for Ukraine; 40% saw NATO as a threat, 17% saw NATO as protection, and 33% saw NATO as neither"

Currently, NATO borders Western Ukraine and has confirmed that NATO membership is still an option for all of the Russian "borderland."

Ukraine?NATO relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Contumacious]

A democratically elected Ukrainian Parliament impeached Yanukovych. Russian propaganda aside, Yanukovych was one of the most corrupt politicians in modern history. The Ukraine is broke in part due to Yanukovych's corruption.

Far right elements exist in most EU member countries - so what. Most often they attract protest votes from people who are tired of the status quo. Claiming a resurgence of the Nazis is ridiculous. Makes for great Russian propaganda but nothing more.

.

Crimea, Democracy and Responsibility

By Timothy Bancroft Hinchey

Yet when democracy, real democracy, is on the other side, the west cries blue murder and states that a referendum (a massive demonstration of public will) is insignificant. For the west, as we have seen time and time again, public will is indeed insignificant, as is its word and the promises it makes.

It comes as no surprise therefore to learn that the west was quick to shake hands with the “new Government” of Ukraine, which includes a deputy secretary of the Council for National Security who has allegedly boasted about links to al-Qaeda, the same one who fought alongside Chechen terrorists against Russia; it includes Right Sector Fascists who worship the Third Reich; it includes officers trained in the USA; it includes founders of the Ukrainian National Socialist (Nazi) Party.

.

 

[R.C. Christian]

Yes, the U.S. is willing to tolerate Nazi's in order to maintain world hegemony by undermining Russia in a key country. Pretty desperate. First they support terrorists in Syria and now this. The U.S. is the worlds leading terrorist state.

 

[1776]

Ironic a dumbfuck like you posts that shit when Russia is doing what NATO is designed to prevent in its member nations.

Yeah...you are that fucking stupid.

It would be like someone calling for saving money by cutting the police force all while people are rioting in downtown.

These "neo-nazi" Ukrainians are just useful idiots for the EU and NATO and the American, British and Zionist power structures that financed the coup. They can kiss their dream of a national socialist ukraine goodbye when Ukraine ceases to exist under the thumb of the EU superstate and becomes bankrupted by the IMF.

They are dumbass ukrainian chauvinists that are begging for another ass whipping from Russia like they got in WW2. They deserve another frankly to get their heads right.

NATO should have disappeared with the USSR:

"According to numerous independent polls conducted over the past few years, Ukrainian public opinion on NATO membership is low.[11][12][13][14][15][16] A 2009 Gallup poll asked Ukrainians whether they saw NATO as a threat or protection for Ukraine; 40% saw NATO as a threat, 17% saw NATO as protection, and 33% saw NATO as neither"

Currently, NATO borders Western Ukraine and has confirmed that NATO membership is still an option for all of the Russian "borderland."

Ukraine?NATO relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia