Now Why Is The Ukraine So Keen To Join The Eu?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520405/Ukraine-crowd-topples-beheads-Lenins-statue-fight-join-EU-Russia.html

Couldn't be that it could supply them with a first class ticket to Britain, could it?

[sandyRoe]

More likely that they want to avoid any chance of the Russians interfering in their lives. Better, by far, Brussels than Moscow.

[emmie]

i don't think they want to do a deal with Putin.

[bazwillrun]

eussr cant beleive their luck...riots etc to be part of the empire

youd have thought the ukraine would have learnt its lessons from the past obviously not...they seem to be gluttons for punishment...out of the USSR into the eussr...theyll soon regret it once they starting getting bled dry and they start to lose their identity

[WELSHYORKIE]

They obviously want to get more out than they Putin

[emmie]

they will leave and settle in other parts of the EU if allowed to join, just as other nationalities have done. If your wages are small you would want to go to a place where they pay better, that stands to reason. However that is a brain drain from these countries, what the governments, businesses in other parts of the EU should do is pay their workers better, it might stop them all leaving. This includes those much needed doctors, nurses, engineers they so desperately need, Romania, Bulgaria are facing this problem, and so are many other rather poorer nations in the EU.

[emmie]

WY, good one

[VHG]

I think it is more to do with how much money the EU will give them.

While our infrastructure in the UK is crumbling Poland has been given billions of Euros of EU money to improve its roads, metros, railways etc.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20318959

This of course allows them to ship their goods over to the UK far quicker and sell them in the UK, driving UK companies out of business.

The UK being in the EU is like asking Turkeys (the animals not the country) to vote for Xmas.

[FredPuli43]

Which you rather be? In Britain dominated by Russian interference or Britain dominated by EU interference? Well, the answer is the same for the Ukraine.

[youngmafbog]

Not really Fred, In britain we have to pay out. Ukraine in EU wont, in fact it will receive a fat pay check and be able to export its scum to Germany, france and the UK

[FredPuli43]

Don't know how many scum Spain exports to Britain, ymf, or Italy, particularly Sicily; both places which have received vast sums from the EU to improve infrastructure, which is what Ukraine needs.

Ukraine is of interest to us because 85 per cent of Russian gas passes through it en route to Western Europe. As an economy, in 2010, its GDP on a PPP basis, was $6,700. For the same year, the figure for Poland was $19,700 , Latvia $15,000 and the UK $37,000. That shows some incentive for improvement ! It really ought to be richer than it is. It was a major food supplier to the Soviet Union, and it has extensive heavy and manufacturing industry, including aircraft manufactiure (it makes Antonov planes for Russia)

[emmie]

neither, we shouldn't be dominated by anyone, tell them all to get lost and let us get on with minding our own business.

[jno]

I think Ukraine's divided on this; people in the north, Lviv etc, want to stick with Russia; those in the south, including Kiev, are more western-minded. Cheap Russian oil is a big factor.

[Kromovaracun]

Unfortunately, not everything in Eastern Europe revolves around the UK. We're not that important.

Politically speaking, the EU appeals to Ukraine because it shares a border with Russia - and Russia are pressuring all their neighbours (i.e. everyone who they consider their satelites) to join the Eurasian Customs Union, which Putin is planning to set up next year.

If Ukraine joins the EU, this will disqualify them from joining the ECU, which they (somewhat justifiably) fear would subjugate them to Russia. They do not feel that the EU would subjugate them - they feel it would protect them.

[Kromovaracun]

"Cheap Russian oil is a big factor."

As is the fact that Odessa is a primarily Russian-speaking city.

[jomifl]

We seem to have exported quite a bit of our criminal scum to Spain and they won't give them back. How strange.

[Peter Pedant]

Kromo

on the fallen statue of the great Liberator, someone has daubed 'SLAVA'

does that mean 'Cheers', or I am a Slav or Lenin is a Slav or
something else ?

And as for the statement, Kiev is a Russian speaking city - and that is why they want to join the EU,
I dont think I have read a more sensible sentiment.

[ichkeria]

'Slava' means 'glory' in Ukrainian and is the first word of the patriotic slogan 'Glory to Ukraine Glory to the heroes' (it loses a bit in translation)
Anyway the comments by sandy, Fred and kronovaracun more or less sum it up. Believe it or not not everyone sees the EU the way some in the UK do.
But actually this revolution is no longer just about the EU: it's about a corrupt government - years of frustration finally boils over

BTW Lviv is in western Ukraine (formally a Polish/Jewish city. It is v definitely pro-west. You don't speak Russian there without looking over your shoulder :-)

[ichkeria]

Apologies to Kromovaracun for mangling his name above (!)

[jno]

ichkeria, sorry, quite right, I misplaced Lviv. It's eastern places like Donetsk that are more pro-Russian I think

[tamborine]

If lots come here for our generous social security benefits they might drain the purse, and everyone will have to earn their crust.