Angus Roxburgh (Comment, 22 July) describes the “rebels” in eastern Ukraine as “drunken, gun-toting hotheads”. Some facts are in order. Ukraine’s democratically elected President Yanukovich was overthrown in a western-backed and largely fascist-led coup. In response the people of Donetsk and Luhansk, who had supported Yanukovich, held referendums for independence on 11 May. With turnouts of 75% in both Donetsk and Luhansk they voted for independence from Ukraine with 89% and 96% respectively of the vote. The response was an intensification of the military assault from Kiev.In a subsequent presidential election from which millions abstained Petro Poroshenko won with a …read more
Source: The Guardian
