People nowadays keep their eyes on social networking sites to watch the global politics, where many wait to read the news shared by a few. That is why a hand few rightly noticed in April 2013, a blog by a Britain academic professional Richard Heeks, University of Manchester’s Center for Development Informatics, In his post, Heeks predicted the Ukrainian revolution.
Well coming to the issue, it is a universal truth that none can restore the past glory of USSR, this includes Vladimir Putin but that does not mean he can’t bully its former regions when he thinks “Russian interests” are being threatened. The attack on Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine now are Russia’s forcible response to guard its interests and the other previous issues are valid evidence to this. Even though US and EU keep them busy in issuing allegations on Russia for its aggressive interference on Ukraine’s internals, they both know they can't make the state of affairs right and cannot loose Ukraine from the clutches of Russian hands esp. Putin hands. But still with a null reason US keeps its talks and EU on the other side softening Russia.
Crimea being the southeastern region of Ukraine, needs it to be independent from Ukraine, whilst Putin gaining control on the very peninsula, got its parliament's approval to move troops inside as if it is a world war scene. And all these actions are justified by Putin as he says it deems fit. Russia’s incursion in Ukraine should not be seen as an isolated act of an ambitious leader. In recent years it has tried both carrot and stick to increase its influence in the country. I think all remember this quote,
“Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain.”
The man who said these words has never been known for his eloquence, but in the last week he has proved that he has both his heart and head intact. In addition to this all the recent global issues by the participating nations show a tough geopolitical concern, precisely in the land stretching from west of Europe to Siberia and from Arctic to India and the seas between Russia and Japan. I think you now recognize where I come, yes the "heartland theory” Sir Halford John Mackinder, a British geographer who wrote a paper in 1904 called "The Geographical Pivot of History." Where he suggested that the control of Eastern Europe was vital to control of the world. His hypothesis was on
"Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland
Who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island
Who rules the World-Island commands the world"
It is a known truth that for a long time his theory was discredited. In the 20th century, the US, far from this scene of action, dominated the world. Contrary facts did not prevent American strategists from taking the theory seriously. From the idea of containment of the Soviet Union to invade Vietnam to prevent a Communist takeover in Southeast Asia. American strategy during the cold war was dictated by the theory of Eurasian control. With Western Europe and Japan the two edges of Eurasia firmly under US control, the “heartland” power had nowhere to go but trapped in.
And after all the cold war stuffs, it was in 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated, American victory was complete and Mackinder’s theory looked like just another interesting idea rather than a vital geopolitical deciding theory. But now the present decade, Can any deny the dominance of Russia, as Putin's demonstration gives us an example that Eurasia has never lost its power and geopolitical importance. In fact there is China joining this same line. And US seems to be exhausted for now as the Afghanistan and Iraq made them more costly, also the financial situation now is US is not ready to war. And EU is in a sleep as of now. Keeping quite because unlike US they are not a strategically secured nation. So finally Mackinder is right.