The situation in Ukraine. My take.

[Iterate]

16. Russia believed to have plans to split Ukraine in three

Russia believed to have plans to split Ukraine in three
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 15/04/2014
Reporter: Emma Alberici
Video and Transcript

...
EMMA ALBERICI: Reports say as many as 10 towns and cities in the east have now been seized. How much of the country do you suspect Russia wants to take?

TARAS BEREZOVETS: We have evidence this is from Ukrainian intelligence SZRU, who says that several Russian intelligence officers have been already captured in eastern regions of Ukraine and in Kiev itself and according to the plans, interrogations which have been made with Russian military agents, Russia has a plan to split Ukraine in three parts. Basically the plan is about they're not going to go any further in western parts of Ukraine, so called the Halychyna, it's 70 Ukrainian regions, they're planning to occupy southern and eastern regions which probably they're going to organise some sort of referendum which was held in Crimea three weeks ago in order to create some sort of independent Donetsk state in this regions.

As for the central Ukraine, including Kiev, Russia has a plan to organise some sort of independent Ukraine, planning to bring former president Viktor Yanukovych again. Russia's State Duma deputy Vladimir Zhirinovsky, stated yesterday that according to the Russian plans Yanukovych is planning to be back in Kiev with Russian troops by 1st of May.
...

EMMA ALBERICI: And finally, both the 'New York Times' and the 'Guardian' have asked in recent headlines if Ukraine might be the next Yugoslavia. From the US and the European perspective, are there lessons from Yugoslavia to be considered today in Ukraine, do you think?

TARAS BEREZOVETS: I think this crisis, if everything happens like it happens these days, this crisis would be well a huge catastrophe both, for Ukraine, for Russia and for European Union. Because in this case we would see millions of refugees fleeing, well escaping from Kiev and central Ukraine in direction to European Union. And I think the size of this catastrophe would be that big that circumstances of this war we can feel in 20 or 30 years.

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2014/s3986396.htm

People seem to have quickly forgotten that the Original or Cardinal Sin for Ukraine was simply asking for a relatively low level trade Association Agreement with the EU, an agreement which had been initialed two years ago after four more years of negotiation. It would not preclude trade with Russia, but it would necessarily preclude a Customs Union Agreement with them.

A sovereign nation making a trade agreement: that's it, that's all it took. People had an expectation that it would be completed.