My student S. and I are following the news coverage of the mounting political, geostrategic, and financial tensions in Ukraine as part of our advanced English language lessons at a cafe on Istiklal in Istanbul. Before the lesson we both read The New York Times article After Initial Triumph, Ukraine's Leaders Face Battle for Credibility" by Steven Erlanger on March 1, 2014. We have a discussion as I listen to the student's perspective, give specific vocabulary on the Merriam Webster dictionary, and ask these questions:
1. What are the challenges for the people of Ukraine?
1. What are the challenges for the people of Ukraine?
- Overthrow the old government and elect the new one.
- Recognize the diversity of the people.
- Restore stabiliy.
- Make a compromise between the citizens of Ukraine leaning towards either the European Union or Russia. Keep the balance.
- Reach out to the Russian speakers in Crimea.
- Legitimize the government.
- Earn credibility.
- Stabilize the country.
- Defend the territory.
- Resist Russian mililtary, political, and financial efforts to delegitimize the government and destabilize the country
- Protect Ukraine's former leader.
- Intervene in Crimea with the military under the pretense of protecting ethnic Russian Ukrainians
- Seize geostrategic, trade, and energy bargaining chips
- Take over government building and military base in Crimea
- Ignore the possible repercussions
- Tighten the grip on countries of the former Soviet Union
- Denounce Russia's military intervention.
- Condemn violence and war