Roundup: Opinions on Ukraine from American and Foreign Media | Voice of America - English
The crisis in Ukraine has captured global attention and is generating a wide spectrum of opinion on its causes and solutions.
"In each of these cases — as in Russia — local political challenges were followed by a rise in anti-European rhetoric that became muddled with ideas of Orthodox values. "Now Putin has made himself a champion of this narrative of discontent and that of a glorified Orthodox past. "The message is that the “moral community” of orthodoxy is strong and that it doesn’t come with the hard membership criteria many Orthodox nations have struggled to meet. "The closed, comfortable worldview —  — was founded on geographic isolationism but is now driven by a rejection of the Europeanist ideology that is its greatest competitor. "A meeting of the Orthodox Church’s Ecumenical Council in 2016, the first such meeting in 1,200 years, could be a key moment in these developments. "Less than two years ago, Russians bravely gathered to call for a Russia without Putin. Putin has succeeded in changing the narrative to a resurgent, single-minded Russia vs. a West irrevocably in decline. "Led by German President Joachim Gauck, Berlin only recently demanded that the country take on more responsibility in the world. Chancellor Angela Merkel made clear early on that military intervention in the Crimea crisis isn't an option. That makes sense. "But what other alternatives could Europe pursue? "The economic lever is all that's left. Russia is highly dependent on imports from the EU, particularly from Germany. "But even more painful than a reduction of European exports to Russia would be a moratorium on EU natural gas and oil imports from Russia, or at least a credible threat from Brussels that it was prepared to do so. "Russia and Putin's military machine, after all, are reliant on income generated by energy exports. "It would not be an easy step to take. "But the difference could be compensated for via oil and natural gas deliveries from other sources. It is, of course, undeniable that such a step would drive up energy prices in Germany and the rest of the European Union. "Economic growth, already weak, would suffer. But if we Germans are serious about , then we also have to be prepared to pay the requisite price." "Mr. Putin’s view is understandable. "Because there is no world government to protect states from one another, major powers are acutely sensitive to threats — especially near their borders — and they sometimes act ruthlessly to address potential dangers. International law and human rights concerns take a back seat when vital security issues are at stake. "Mr. Obama would be advised to stop talking to lawyers and start thinking like a strategist. If he did, he would realize that punishing the Russians while trying to pull Ukraine into the West’s camp will only make matters worse.