Because of this here, kudos to Lew Rockwell and his friends for bringing it up:
Ukraine is a dangerous situation because the U.S., at least verbally, is threatening Russia and because Putin and Obama, at least in public, analyze, understand and see the situation there in very different ways. We do not know what was said when Obama and Putin recently conversed at length by telephone. The U.S. and E.U. have embraced the revolution, while Russia does not see that riots are part of a democratic process.
A key problem in Ukraine is that there is a strong right-wing, ultra-nationalist and neo-Nazi type party and other similar groups that have played a key role in generating the violence that brought down the government and breaking an agreement reached in late February. Putin’s rationale for a Russian presence in Ukraine includes reference to this destabilizing and violent element. On the other hand, the public statements of Kerry and Obama focus almost solely on Russia’s reactions and on generalities about democracy and the Ukrainian people. Putin has not, however, said anything against that democratic aspiration. He sees the Svoboda party as having undermined it.
Update: Now a major Memeorandum topic.