On the Verge of Crimea's Vote, the Stakes Are High and Russian Behavior Versus Russian Reassurances Don't Line Up
My heart goes out to Ukraine, especially those in the eye of the storm in Crimea (seemingly, virtually lost to Russia) and the eastern and southeastern portions of the country that both border Russia and boast large ethnic Russian populations. These are the areas that voted for the ousted former president that some, including me, think that Russia may like to bring forcibly back to power as a puppet. This is a call to prayer for them. See map below for the ethnic makeup of the country, i.e. Russian population: The red areas are large percentages of ethnic Russians. The darker the area, the higher the concentration. I have kept watch over the country and events that have transpired since the protests of November 2013, through the ouster of the president and the elected parliament's decision to go back to the 2004 constitution and Russian interference since then. As an amateur historian, I see parallels with Hitler's taking of the Sudetenland and I am c