The Search For Enlightenment

With the media alive with recollections of the onset of The Great War in 1914, it is ironic that one hundred years later, Russia has taken control of The Crimea, and Western leaders are warning of dire consequences, should they fail to heed calls to withdraw.

Although reports of the military action are reporting that the local people welcome the move, and that no shots have yet been fired, it would appear, from outside Ukraine at least, that Russia is invading a sovereign country.

With the possibility of dire consequences, if Russian and the West resort to military conflict instead of political dialogue, one can only hope for calm heads in both camps to prevail. William Hague has already called the situation ‘Europe’s biggest crisis of the century‘.

With northern Ukraine seeking to form closer ties to the European Union whilst the southern Crimea region remains firmly allied to it’s former Soviet overlord, there would appear to be a strong possibility of civil war, should a political solution not be found.

A military conflict cannot be the way forward for either parties. But as Putin flexes his muscles, and takes control of the area surrounding their Black Sea bases, it is left up to the G7 leaders and President Obama to show wisdom and rational thinking in the weeks ahead.