In order to understand what is happening in Ukraine, you should know it is not a homogeneous entity but a mix of different cultures and nationalities that have been clashing on this land for centuries. Some would like to be closer to Europe and others to Russia.

From a geopolitical point of view, most Ukrainians who live near the western border see themselves as a part of the EU, whereas people living in the East look up more to Russia. One of the reason for this is a simple fact that a significant part of those citizens are Russians. Also, economically the country is divided into the wealthier East and the poorer West. The poverty of the West stems from the lack of economic development.

It’s no wonder we can observe masses of Ukrainians from the West coming to Poland for shopping and looking with envy at the European lifestyle and higher standards of living. Poland has transformed very quickly from a communistic to a capitalistic country. The economical situation of the eastern Ukraine, on the other hand, is much better due to its ties with Russia. They benefit greatly from the support of their powerful neighbor.

And so the question arises – to be again a Russia’s vassal, but benefit from cheap gas, or more to the West and the European Union? But then the Ukrainian elite will be accountable for every cent they will spend. It’s not difficult to guess which way is closer to those politicians who prefer to communicate in Russian than in Ukrainian. Probably this choice would have been made without the bloody unrest we can watch in media today if it hadn’t been for a few educated in the West, supporting Western values members of the opposition who would like to create a country that is economically and politically independent.