Sierakowski in “Guardian”: The west must act on Ukraine – but nobody wants to pay the price

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen the Euromaidan miracle of political freedom became surprisingly and suddenly real, Ukraine, newly freed from tyranny, faced more than just economic ruin, something it was ready to face bravely. In its path stood the complex-ridden leader of the former Russian empire. Vladimir Putin could not bear that the Ukrainian people had chosen us over him, entering the road to European integration – something for which, unlike the nations of the EU, they have spilled their blood.

In full view of the west, Putin is subjugating Crimea, even though he has spent months blocking humanitarian aid for a bleeding Syria, citing the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The west would do well to remember the memento left to it by the 20th century, the betrayal of democratic Czechoslovakia in Munich and the unrealised guarantees made to Poland by France and Britain in 1939. Historians used to emphasise that had the west not backed down then, the Holocaust and the second world war’s other tragedies would most likely have been avoided, as would the division of Europe by the iron curtain.

Full article in “The Guardian” . Article originally published in “The Guardian” and “Dziennik Opinii” on March 5th.

Photo: Oxfam during G-8 in 2013, by Oxfam International, CC, Flickr.com