Seen from Russia, there is a power struggle between EU and Russia about border drawing between their respective empires. Thinking in "empires" is popular in Russia. So seen from Russia, it is beyond doubt that the Kiev uprising is bankrolled by EU.
Seen from EU, EU hasn't really enough coherence to deal effectively with its internal problems, much less participate in any international power struggles. And the population is deeply tired of expansion. The only empires in the minds of EU are the ghosts of the British and French colonial empires. So EU has neither the will nor the capability to do something like this.
It could even have been bankrolled from Russia. Even though I speak Russian and some Ukrainian, and I have followed current events in both countries for years, I can't figure out what is actually going on here. Yes, it could be another dumb move by the Americans who have a real habit of foot in mouth internationally, but it could just as well be part of a clever complex multi-year gambit by the Russians who have a strong tradition of playing chess, not just around a table with wooden game pieces, but in international politics as well.
Yeah right, that's John Kerry (under orders from Barack Obama) who is orchestrating Ukrainian revolution. That's one of the funniest theories about that whole mess I ever read.
>>> but it could just as well be part of a clever complex multi-year gambit by the Russians who have a strong tradition of playing chess
You realize that not all Russian are the same, not all of them drink vodka, are chess grandmasters, wear ushankas with red stars, play balalaykas and dance with bears on the streets? Traditions of chess have absolutely nothing to do with modern Russian politics (actually The Godfather would be much more instructive there than The Luzhin Defense), though of course Russia meddles with Ukrainian affairs - it's a huge country neighboring them and having centuries-old ties, along with the little fact that it also carries a lot of Russia's gas lines. But that is a trivial conclusion, not very illuminating.
I have been to Russia more than once. And I speak Russian well enough to travel there on my own, with no support from any travel agencies or guides. On one occasion a couple of guys wanted to steal my suitcase, because I foolishly left the airline stickers on it so they knew it had to contain something worth stealing. But they didn't grab it. They didn't pull out a weapon. Instead they smiled and laughed and try to talk me into going with them to some place nearby. It was like a game of cat and mouse. Or chess. I have heard of other people who ran into similar thieves. Rather than using force they try to outwit you. If you don't fall for their tricks, then you are free. That is how chess works. So I think that the multilevel strategic and tactical thinking of chess is more widespread in Russian society than you claim.
Yes, you've been to Russia a couple of times and you've encountered a couple of Russian con men. That makes you an expert in all things Russian and gives you deep insight into Russian soul and Russian politics. And gives you the right to tell people who grew up there how it really is. I get it.
BTW-Do you get your news from RT?