The new pro-West government of Ukraine has sought urgent help from the United States and the European allies as Russian president Vladimir Putin is talking tough on Crimea, a part of Ukraine that seems moving fast for separation from the country with the backing of Moscow. The Kiev government is struggling desperately to preserve the territorial integrity of the country in face of aggressive postures from Moscow in helping the largely Russian-origin people in Crimea to join Russia through a referendum scheduled for March 16.
Despite a semblance of normality in the sense that Russia has apparently reconciled with the pro-Western influence in Ukraine, the Kremlin has taken bold stance in supporting the pro-Russian local parliament in Crimea for a referendum that would in all probability decide to join the Russian federation - a likelihood that Ukraine can not accept.
But, its power to resist the development is limited both diplomatically and militarily. The government has now turned to the West, which supported a change-over in Kiev following three months of agitation against the ousted pro-Moscow government.
President Putin came under increasing pressure not to accept the developments in Ukraine and this has been exemplified by the situation in Crimea as a sequel to the diminution of Moscow's domination in Kiev. However, it is only expected that Kremlin would weigh pros and cons before embarking on any sensational step in Ukraine like that of dispatching troops, who have been kept alert after Russia lost ascendancy in that country. Besides, the deposed president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, who still claims to be the "legitimate" president of the country, has taken shelter in Russia. This indicates that Moscow may decide to do something that favours him.
President Putin's aggressive as well as prudent foreign policy has earned him credits in recent times including in the Syrian conflict, but the Russian leader has suffered a setback in Ukraine. The former Soviet Republic has been in the international news for the last more than three months, but the pro-Moscow regime had to give in as things have now gone in favour of the West.
Indeed, this has come as a big blow for Moscow since it supported a president, who had to leave to escape public wrath and the leaders, who suffered during his time, have now taken the centre stage.
Earlier, embattled president Viktor Yanukovych reached an understanding with the opposition to end the long-running political crisis in the country, but he had to quit the scene in a humiliating manner as the opposition chose a new leader to oversee the interim phase. Even though the ousted president claims that he would "come back and punish the bandits", there seems little chance that he would achieve this objective in foreseeable future. The government before its fall reached an understanding brokered mainly by the European Union and also lately supported by Russia on a variety of issues relating to the political affairs of the country.
The deal was made possible following hectic negotiations that also involved the government's main supporter Russia and the opposition's friends - the European Union. Earlier, American vice-president Joe Biden had threatened that the US would impose sanctions on Ukraine officials who ordered firing on the anti-government protestors. The nation of 46 million is divided sharply on the pro-Russian and pro-West factions.
Authorities now at the helm has issued an arrest warrant against the ousted president over "mass murders" of the protestors. They have asked for $35 billion in Western aid to pull the crisis-hit country out from the brink of economic collapse. European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton visited Kiev to discuss the economic bail-out of the country.
Earlier, Russian prime minister Dimitry Medvedev questioned the new leadership in Ukraine, saying its acceptance by the Western countries is "wrong" and said that there was none in Kiev for any meaningful negotiations. But American national security adviser Susan Rice observed that a new dawn has emerged for Ukraine and all nations, including Russia, have a role to play for its stability. She warned that it would be a "grave mistake" for Ukraine's old master Moscow to send troops to that country and try to install a government of its choice.
Russia's foreign policy is seen as successful to some extent on certain crucial issues like the Syrian conflict when it could avert an impending American military attack on Syria and dramatically facilitated an accord on elimination of Damascus's chemical weapons. In the just-concluded peace talks on Syria's civil war in Geneva, Moscow appeared to have played a big role in the collapsed talks as it protected the interests of president Bashar al- Assad regime.
But this has not been the case as far as the Ukraine crisis is concerned as Moscow suffered a setback although the US and the UK said that Ukraine must not be seen as a kind of battleground for the Russia and the West. But the fact remains that it is difficult for Kremlin to sallow the bitter pill for obvious reasons.
It is clear that Russia is now controlling the affairs in Crimea to the extent that Ukraine's military bases there are surrounded by pro-Russian people and by all indications, even by troops of Moscow. US president Barack Obama and leaders of American allies have condemned Russian activities in Crimea as a violation of international law, but Kremlin insists that they are responding to the wishes of Crimea, a peninsula that has now become the cynosure of all eyes. What the West can really do in face of the Russian postures now remains the main matter of interest and curiosity at the international level. It is plausible to think that Moscow is unlikely to reverse its advancement in Crimea, particularly after losing ground in Ukraine. Although Putin is not averse to dialogue on the issue of Ukraine, he is seen as increasingly tough on Crimea and this has concerned the present interim government of Ukraine.
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