If applied equitably around the world it could produce some interesting results.

It would certainly put the people's aspirations above national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Given the location of many national borders relative to the ethnicity of the people inside those borders, we could see some big changes in national boundaries if the "Crimean referendum plan" were applied globally.

"In the west, Lviv has emerged as a center for Ukrainian artists and writers, a huge draw for European tourists and a city desperate for closer ties to the West"

Yes, because it used to be Polish. Ukraine isn't really a name and is a bit of an artificial country. The very word Ukraine means 'border'. Ukraine is the borderland between Russian and Poland. It's been fought over for centuries, but it is still the borderland between Roland/Europe and Russia stretching out to the Steppes and Asia and so, not surprisingly has a half that looks west and a half that looks east. The west has, not surprisingly just supported a coup by the pro-western half of Ukraine that toppled a government basically voted in by the eastern half. Not surprisingly the eastern half is now pretty pissed off and the Russians have helped them mount a counter-coup in Crimea. But you won't hear the BBC tell you any of that.

- PeterBrit 01 March 2014 10:04am