{"id":123876,"date":"2014-05-01T00:37:01","date_gmt":"2014-04-30T19:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=123876"},"modified":"2014-05-07T18:09:10","modified_gmt":"2014-05-07T12:39:10","slug":"self-determination-and-the-russian-people-of-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/self-determination-and-the-russian-people-of-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Determination And The Russian People Of Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Veluppillai Thangavelu<\/span><\/a> –<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

\"Veluppillai<\/a>

Veluppillai Thangavelu<\/p><\/div>\n

Extending\u00a0the Right of\u00a0Self-determination to Russian\u00a0People of Ukraine is the Best Solution<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/b>Close on the heels of Crimea<\/span><\/a>‘s voluntary annexation with the Russian Federation after\u00a0holding a referendum on the basis of\u00a0the inherent right of people to self determination, Ukraine is in turmoil once again. The Russian people who dominate the south – eastern parts of Ukraine are demanding the same right of self determination to either join the Russian Federation or declare out right independence.<\/p>\n

The Russian “separatists” have seized\u00a0more than\u00a0dozen towns and cities and even TV stations\u00a0\u00a0 since protests broke out in April this year.\u00a0 They are most active in\u00a0 Donestk, Lugansk, Slavyansk and Kharkov cities.\u00a0 Ironically, the Russian separatists are adopting the same tactics used by pro-European protesters who occupied government buildings and ultimately forced\u00a0President\u00a0Yanukovich\u00a0to flee the country. Since Yanukovich’s ouster, Kiev’s interim government has faced a wave of protests in the predominantly Russian-speaking east.<\/p>\n

On April 16th the Ukrainian authorities began what they called an anti-terrorist operation. It ended in humiliation when two columns of armoured vehicles were stopped by local civilians backed by rebel militiamen. Faced with the choice of having to kill civilians and then probably getting killed themselves, the soldiers capitulated. One column was allowed to leave but the soldiers of the other lost their vehicles and arms, and some 40 soldiers were put on buses and sent back to Kiev the capital.<\/p>\n

There is fear in Western capitals that Russia is\u00a0going to repeat \u201cThe Crimean scenario\u201d in south-eastern Ukraine as well.\u00a0 In Crimea it is\u00a0the\u00a0Russian Special Forces stripped of identifying insignia who successfully took control of\u00a0the military and civil\u00a0installations in the entire peninsula.<\/p>\n

The US is\u00a0chiding\u00a0Russia for alleged interference in the internal\u00a0affairs of\u00a0Ukraine, but it supports the Ukrainian nationalists who usurped power unconstitutionally in Kiev supports them with much more than friendly words and gestures.<\/p>\n

According to US,\u00a0\u00a0 Russia is behind the turmoil that is rocking the eastern part of Ukraine.\u00a0 The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov\u00a0has declared\u00a0that Russia is not going to repeat the Crimean scenario. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said\u00a0 that Moscow does not want to invade eastern and southern Ukraine and denied the presence of any soldiers or spies there. In an interview to Gazeta.ru he said\u00a0\u201cI think what happened in Crimea turned out to be a big shock for Western partners. They can\u2019t tolerate it. And they see the same scenario in south-eastern Ukraine.\u201d\u00a0 Faced with increasing broader\u00a0sanctions by the US as well as EU, this may be an attempt\u00a0by Russia to defuse the tense situation in eastern Ukraine.<\/p>\n

According to Ryabkov, the Kiev authorities should give people from south-eastern Ukraine a chance to participate in shaping the future of their own country. \u201cIt\u2019s a normal desire to decide your country\u2019s future. It is the basis of any democratic process,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Ryabkov said\u00a0he doesn\u2019t consider the protesters in Slavyansk and Donetsk, in Donetsk Region, as separatists. \u201cThese are the people who insist on their rights, including the right to their language and access to information,\u201d <\/b>he said. Although the Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has not exactly\u00a0 spelt out the words “self determination” that is what he is implying. As in the case of Crimea, he wants Kiev to allow the Russian people who form the majority in the south – eastern parts of Ukraine the right of self determination to decide their political destiny.<\/p>\n

Russia Defence Chief has assured US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel that Russia would not invade Ukraine. But Ukraine’s acting government thinks otherwise. It accuses\u00a0Russia of orchestrating the unrest which Russia could use as a pretext to invade Ukraine.\u00a0 Anything\u00a0 seems possible these days. But,\u00a0if the Russians do annex parts of Ukraine it will primarily because of political and military considerations and not because of any concerns about economy.<\/p>\n

Country Profile<\/b><\/p>\n

At this point\u00a0in order to understand the stand off between Kiev and the Russian people of south –\u00a0eastern Ukraine, it is helpful to look at\u00a0\u00a0 Ukraine’s country profile.<\/p>\n

Region\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eastern Europe
\nSurface area\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 603,500 sq.kms
\nPopulation in 2001\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 48.416\u00a0\u00a0 million
\nUkrainians\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37.541 million (77.5%)
\nRussians\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8.344 million (17.2%)
\nOthers (Moldavians\/Romanians etc)\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2.531
\nCapital city and population in 2011\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kiev (2.829 million)
\nUnited Nations membership date\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24 October 1945
\nGDP: Gross Domestic Product (million current US$) 2011\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0 US 165 billion
\nPer capita income\u00a0\u00a0 (2010)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 US 6,700
\nOfficial language\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ukrainian
\nSpoken\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ukrainian, Russian, others
\nCurrency\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hryvnia (UAH)<\/p>\n

Coup d’\u00e9tat in Kiev<\/b><\/p>\n

What triggered the\u00a0current\u00a0turmoil and political crisis? In November 2013, widespread protests broke out in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. These protests responded to President Viktor Yanukovich\u2019s decision to back out of a plan to sign a far-reaching agreement with the European Union (EU). The plan would have established a closer political and economic relationship with the EU and signalled Ukraine\u2019s interest in joining the 28 nation bloc. Pro-EU Ukrainians took to the streets, hoping that Yanukovich would retract his decision. He did not and instead signed a $15 billion trade deal with Russia. Pro-EU demonstrators rejected Yanukovich\u2019s decision to deepen Ukraine\u2019s ties with Russia and continued their demonstrations. Moscow had controlled the territory of present-day Ukraine for centuries, up until 1991, and many protesters did not want to see hard-won gains, specifically those tied to political and economic independence, undone.<\/p>\n

In November, 10123 President Yanukovich responded\u00a0by using\u00a0the police and the security forces to suppress the uprising. The security forces\u00a0 used violence and intimidation tactics in their crackdowns against demonstrators. In January 2014, Yanukovich\u2019s government implemented anti-democratic legislation restricting political dissent. The legislation banned the installation of tents and stages in public spaces, criminalized the use of masks and helmets at protests, and outlawed the slandering of government officials. Facing immense public pressure and criticism from the international community, the government repealed the laws just two weeks after they had been enacted. Anti-Yanukovich demonstrations and fears about Russia\u2019s sway over Ukraine continued. In late February, the violence reached an all-time high with rising death tolls among protesters and the police. Under growing pressure, Yanukovich fled Kiev and the parliament voted to oust him from government. \u00a0This has brought the importance of the Ukraine to the center stage of the world\u2019s political scene.<\/p>\n

Russia accused USA\u00a0and Germany of\u00a0\u00a0 financing\u00a0and directing\u00a0the coup d’\u00e9tat and installing a pro-Western\u00a0puppet regime.\u00a0 Many independent observers tend to agree with Russia. <\/b><\/p>\n

The pro-EU protests quickly came to be called the Euromaidan movement. The\u00a0protesters were mainly from Kiev and western Ukraine and include, among others students, workers, retirees, entrepreneurs, and journalists. These protesters\u2019 demands extend\u00a0far beyond establishing a stronger partnership with the EU and center around human rights, freedom and democracy. Other groups, such as right-wing\u00a0neo – Nazi Right Sector have carried out their own anti-Yanukovich demonstrations. Russia has accused the Right Sector nationalists as fascists\u00a0and reactionaries. According to Russia, the\u00a0 Right Sector\u00a0 still has a stranglehold on the interim government installed after the fall of Yanukovich.\u00a0 It\u00a0 has labelled pro-EU Ukrainian demonstrators as \u201cextremists\u201d and condemned these protesters for staging a constitution coup d’\u00e9tat to oust\u00a0 President Yanukovich.<\/p>\n

Which Way? EU or Russia?<\/b><\/p>\n

There is no unanimity whether\u00a0 Ukraine should\u00a0 follow a European path or establish closer ties with Russia.\u00a0 Following the ouster of Yanukocich tens of thousands\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 in\u00a0 Ukraine\u00a0 have participated in rallies that not only signal their support for Yanukovich, but also a preference for continued strong ties with Russia. Many pro-Yanukovich\u00a0demonstrators are from the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine\u2014regions that are the base of Yanukovich\u2019s support, the location of major industries, and where Russian language\u00a0 is more commonly spoken. Most pro-Yanukovich protesters reject the idea of a far-reaching partnership with the EU, fearing that such an agreement would do more harm than good to the Ukrainian economy and the people.<\/p>\n

Yanukovich\u2019s decision to break off an agreement with the EU took\u00a0 many European leaders\u00a0 by surprise. Why did Yanukovich back out of a deal that was five years in the making? EU members have identified Russia as\u00a0 the culprit and\u00a0 criticized Russia for exerting economic and political pressure on\u00a0 Ukraine and for meddling in Ukraine\u2019s\u00a0 internal affairs.<\/p>\n

Officially, Russia claims\u00a0 that it has a policy of non-intervention in Ukrainian politics. That it has no plans to invade Ukraine. However, Russia is interested in keeping Ukraine within its sphere of influence for security reasons.\u00a0 Russia\u2019s natural gas pipelines cuts across\u00a0Ukraine and Ukraine itself is a major market for Russian gas. Nearly 25% of the European Union\u2019s natural gas comes from Russia and 80% of that gas passes through the Ukraine. Russia supplied gas to Ukraine\u00a0at less than the market price, but this concession\u00a0has since been withdrawn. It has also withdrawn the offer of\u00a0US15 billion\u00a0financial aid to Ukraine to tide over financial collapse.<\/p>\n

Ukraine was once a hub<\/b> for the Soviet Union’s<\/b> most advanced nuclear<\/b> missiles and military technology<\/b>. A former secret nuclear<\/b> missile base in Ukraine<\/b> has been turned into a museum.<\/p>\n

Ukraine\u00a0\u00a0 also possesses a formidable military -industrial complex. If the Ukraine were to join the European Union and perhaps even NATO, someday, this would constitute a major national security threat to the Russia. In which event the Cuban Missile Crisis, in reverse, will look tame by comparison.<\/p>\n

The turmoil in Ukraine is part of a wider strategic battle between the West and Russia to control Ukraine with its 48 million people and natural resources. Ukraine is the largest country in Europe next to Russia. Three former states Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have joined NATO and after the annexation of Crimea NATO is holding joint exercises with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova.\u00a0 The US has responded to the pleas from Eastern Europe by reinforcing NATO air force and ground troops in the Baltic countries. US has also dispatched aircraft to Poland and Canada 6 fighter jets to NATO.<\/p>\n

Ukraine was the economic hub of the former Soviet Union and its atomic arsenals. \u00a0Politically, Russia does not want Ukraine to form stronger ties with the EU. Russia\u00a0 despite all the widening\u00a0 sanctions imposed\u00a0 by US, Canada and EU doesn\u2019t want to break relations with either the EU, or the US. However, war\u00a0of words has\u00a0escalated\u00a0between Russia and US.\u00a0\u00a0 US Secretary of State Kerry blasted Sergei Lavrov for being “a big, fat, un-reset-button liar.”<\/p>\n

Geneva Agreement<\/b><\/p>\n

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, his acting Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Deshchytsia, and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and diplomats\u00a0 held\u00a0 emergency talks\u00a0 that lasted several hours in Geneva\u00a0 on April 17th\u00a0 to “de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine.” An\u00a0\u00a0 Agreement was reached by Russia, US, EU, Ukraine\u00a0 and a\u00a0 joint statement was\u00a0 issued\u00a0 saying\u00a0 all sides have agreed to\u00a0 take steps to reduce\u00a0 tensions and ensuring the security of all Ukrainians. The Agreement further called\u00a0for all illegal armed groups to be disarmed, all illegally seized buildings to be returned to their legitimate owners and all occupied public spaces to be vacated. It promised amnesty for protesters who leave buildings and give up their weapons, apart from those convicted of capital crimes,\u00a0adding that it also urges a halt to violence in Ukraine and condemns all extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism, in the country.<\/p>\n

But,\u00a0the\u00a0hopes\u00a0that\u00a0the agreement generated on April 17th\u00a0would lead to an early\u00a0resolution of the Ukrainian crisis have been swiftly dashed. The agreement\u00a0remains on paper only.\u00a0 Denis Pushilin, the chairman of the self-proclaimed People\u2019s Republic of Donetsk, speaking in the region\u2019s occupied administration building, said that Sergei Lavrov, Russia\u2019s foreign minister \u201cdid not sign for us\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mr. Pushilin rejected the deal made on their behalf by Russia, saying that the buildings now under the control of his Donetsk Republic would only be vacated after all the buildings occupied in Kiev had been vacated. By this he meant that the new Ukrainian government was illegal and hence it had to disband first, before orders would go out for the same to happen in the Donetsk and the rest of the Donbas region, where anti-government rebels have seized buildings and put up checkpoints.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile,\u00a0both US\u00a0and Russia resumed their\u00a0war of words each accusing the other of breaching the terms of the agreement that is reminiscent of the cold war era.<\/p>\n

According to Russian Deputy FM, the Kiev authorities and their \u201cpuppeteers in Washington and some European capitals\u201d aren\u2019t fulfilling the conditions of the April-17 Geneva agreement. \u201cThey [Kiev and the West] claim that we [Russia] aren\u2019t complying with the agreements but they haven\u2019t shown any evidence that they are fulfilling them,\u201d he said. He gave a reminder that the main issue surrounding these agreements is the disarmament of the Pravy Sektor (Right Sector) a neo Nazi\u00a0 group and freeing seized streets and squares across Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Economy
\n<\/b>
\nEven before the current turmoil\u00a0broke out\u00a0Ukraine\u2019s economy\u00a0was\u00a0in bad shape. It has recorded the lowest GDP growth rate among the former Seattleite countries of\u00a0Soviet Union. The GDP grew just under 50% between 1992 -2013\u00a0compared to Armenia which recorded\u00a0400% growth during the same period.\u00a0 After the crisis broke out Ukraine’s economy has taken a hammering. Until mid-January its currency, the hryvnia, was fixed at 8:1 with the dollar; it now trades at about 10:1. Unemployment rate remains at\u00a09% of the population. Foreign Reserves have decreased. The government has recently issued short-term debt at interest rates as high as 15%; this year its bonds have done about as badly as Venezuela’s. Many analysts are worried that the country will soon default on its debt.<\/p>\n

The economic turmoil reflects recent political instability. But,\u00a0Ukraine\u2019s economic problems were long in the making. Dubious economic policy, distaste for reform and endemic corruption have brought the country to its knees. . After the crisis Russia has removed all subsidies extended to Ukraine over purchase of gas. It has threatened to cut off supplies if\u00a0Ukraine fails to settle mounting\u00a0bills. A move that\u00a0would only deepen the financial burden on\u00a0ordinary people. To off set\u00a0 losses,\u00a0 Ukraine has increased the retail gas prices by 50%.\u00a0 This year alone Ukraine needs to find about $25 billion\u00a0to finance its large current-account deficit and to meet foreign creditors, including\u00a0Russia. But the foreign-exchange reserves remain roughly at\u00a0US$12 billion.<\/p>\n

Future of Ukraine?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

What is in store for Ukraine in the future?\u00a0 Is it possible Russia will\u00a0still take over parts of south-eastern Ukraine by force? Unfortunately yes: almost anything seems possible these days.\u00a0 Who dreamt\u00a0Russia will annex Crimea without firing a shot?\u00a0 Russia has valid reasons to annex parts of Ukraine\u00a0for concern over political and military considerations.<\/p>\n

Like in Crimea,\u00a0Russia\u00a0can invoke the principle of self – determination for\u00a0the Russian people living in Ukraine.\u00a0 All peoples have the right to self-determination by\u00a0virtue of\u00a0\u00a0 possessing\u00a0a\u00a0well defined\u00a0historical territory, who share a<\/b> common language and a common collective and national consciousness. Russian people living in Ukraine fit this definition.<\/b><\/p>\n

In fact,\u00a0the application of the\u00a0principle of\u00a0peoples right to self-determination saw many countries becoming free including Ukraine. All the 15 satellite states of Soviet Union became independent after the demise of the USSR in 1991. The same with former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The 5 federal states became free on the disintegration of Tito’s Yugoslavia. Recently East Timor, South Sudan, and Kosovo became independent under the same principle of right to self-determination. In fact 23 countries became independent taking the total UN member countries to a record total of 193 at present.<\/p>\n

The world\u00a0has become stronger not weaker after all these countries emerged as free countries. \u00a0The principle of right of self determination should be applied to the Kurdish people, Tibetans, Kashmiris, Libyans and\u00a0Eelam Thamils<\/span><\/a> and other national minorities fighting for the right of self-determination.<\/p>\n

Extending\u00a0\u00a0 the right of\u00a0 self-determination to Russian\u00a0 people of Ukraine who constitute 17.2% of the population\u00a0 is the best solution to end the crisis! It will bring\u00a0 peace and prosperity to both\u00a0 Ukrainians and Russian people. It need not necessarily out right independence, it could be an autonomous state within a federal Ukraine.<\/p>\n

A parrot will fly away even if you\u00a0lock it up in a\u00a0cage\u00a0made out of pure gold\u00a0and feed it\u00a0with\u00a0tasty fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":116800,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,46,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-colombotelegraph","category-constitutional-reforms","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\nSelf-Determination And The Russian People Of Ukraine - Colombo Telegraph<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/self-determination-and-the-russian-people-of-ukraine\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Self-Determination And The Russian People Of Ukraine - 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