mr president i know ukraine from visits to kiev and the crimea and collect ukrainian artists such as tetenko and shishko
the ukrainians are a good generous warm-hearted people but politically i would counsel great care
ukraine is a country divided between a pro-western west and a russian-facing east
it is also a big player with forty-five million citizens and russia sees the country as very much in its backyard
i have toured the russian fleet in sevastopol on the crimean peninsula
the russians will jealously guard access to the black sea from there
any talk of ukraine joining nato would be a sharp kick to the russian bear
a clumsy diplomatic approach by baroness ashton could exacerbate tensions at a difficult time whilst the cost of forcing ukraine into the eu in terms of farming subsidies regional aid and mass migration would be prohibitive
better to help in other ways and keep ukraine as a proud independent non-eu nation
