Seven years ago, on August 24, 2008, journalist Askold Krushelnycky reported the mixed moods among the crowds celebrating Ukraine’s independence day as tanks, armored personnel carriers and jets were on display in Kyiv.
President Viktor Yushchenko’s strident support of Georgia during the Russian invasion of that year included his travel to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, and the tightening of restrictions on the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s movements from Crimea. Moscow was further enraged by Ukraine’s offer to Georgia of integration with its early-warning missile system.
A poll conducted by Dzerkalo Tyzhnia that weekend showed that 47 percent of Ukrainians believed a conflict between Russia and Ukraine was possible.
In Sevastopol, Crimea, Russian ships returning from the war with Georgia were greeted with both Russians praising the ships and Ukrainian protesters calling them aggressors.
Oleh Fomushkin, a former colonel in the Soviet Army and now a Ukrainian community activist, said:
“Moscow and its intelligence services have been active here for 17 years, while the Ukrainian authorities slept or were too timid to act. For me, the continued presence of the Russian fleet is an act of aggression. They have demonstrated that aggression in Georgia, and they will not hesitate to use violence here to get possession of Crimea.”
“…There are thousands of Russian troops already stationed in Sevastopol and effectively Crimea is occupied,” an unidentified Western military source stated. Some of the ships returning to Sevastopol’s Russian base needed repairs after Georgian shore batteries damaged several Russian vessels, while others ships remained in Russia due to the new restrictions. “…The Russians are just looking for an excuse to stir up the locals in Crimea – and restrictions on their Sevastopol operations may just be the reason.”
“Moscow has laid the foundations for occupation of Crimea with years of careful propaganda,” said Vasyl Ovcharuk, a Ukrainian Crimean political activist. “…The level of hatred against anything Ukrainian here is astonishing. The names and addresses of people like myself have been listed on Russian Internet sites with an invitation of kill us. Many people have been attacked in the street for merely speaking Ukrainian. …I’m made to feel like an unwelcome foreigner in my own country.”
During Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations in Kyiv, President Yushchenko said: “We must speed up our work to achieve membership in the European system of security and raise the defense capabilities of the country. Only these steps will guarantee our security and the integrity of our borders.”
The NATO summit in April stalled on the question of membership for Ukraine and Georgia, and Germany and France were reluctant to give a clear signal that the two countries would be accepted. Some analysts said the lack of decision by NATO had emboldened Russia to strike against Georgia.
Source: “Could Crimea be the next flashpoint for conflict with Russia?” by Askold Krushelnycky (RFE/RL), The Ukrainian Weekly, August 31, 2008.