There is no difference between Russians and Ukrainians. They are not just brothers, it is simply the same!!! My maternal great-grandfather is Zaporozhian Cossack and my maternal great-grandmother is Don Cossack. Great to hear stories about Bogdan Khmelnytsky and Taras Bul'ba!!! Russians and Ukrainians FOREVER!!!

The Ukraine would be much better served being either independent or as part of Poland or Lithuania. They enjoyed their greatest time in history when allied with the latter two countries.The freedom they enjoyed during that period was more extensive than they have ever known until very recently.

Perhaps there is a silver lining to the 'orange Revolution' as well as to the other color-coded western-funded revolutions: they exposed the so-called revolutionaries as corrupt pro-western puppets. The people in these countries now realize that they have been had and are no longer willing to listen to US rhetoric about democracy and freedom. The west inadvertently delivered these countries back to Russia's patronage. But that is all well and good. These countries have a lot more to benefits from engaging with Russia than a country that is thousands of miles away.

To echo the quoting of Gogol and author’s creativity, let remind us to Thomas Merton’s saying: “Love is all we have to learn in life”.

It is a bit surprising that the articles does not mention the horrific Famine Genocide of 1932-33 when ten million Ukrainian men, women and children perished at the hands of a deliberate attempt to annihilate the Ukrainian nation by the Soviet Russian government in Moscow. The Ukrainian-Russian relationships is indeed forged in blood.

Name Russ belonged to and was associated with KIYV only, according to ancient foreign chronicles. Same as Rome belonged to city of Rome. The rest were Russians, meaning belonged to Russ, conquered by Russ, paid tribute to Russ. Central, western, and north western lands of Russ (modern Ukraine and Belorussia) were occupied by Slavic tribes. Northern lands and East (modern so-called Big Russia) by russificated Fino-Ugrs and Asian nomads. You can usurp our name, but you cannot change your DNA. Kyiv was Russ when Moscow did not exist. Moscow was founded and had risen as vassal-province of Gold Orda. So, “brothers” start your history books with Kazan’, and leave ours to us. This “brotherhood” brought to Ukraine-Russ only tragedies, the list of which can make a book.

Paul - you got it in one, all the false promises have amounted to nothing, and now the revolutionaries are seen, to have either achieved nothing, or worse lowered the average Ukrainian standard of living. The US is busy now, in other more important areas of self interest, like trying to extracate theselves from their war with Islam. Taking on 50 million Ukrainians, is a tall order for anyone, be it the EU or the US, especially in this global economic crisis. Indeed the Ukrainians, could be facing an even worse scenario, in that Russia might not want to engage with all of Ukraine, Russia simply may have lost trust altogether, and that would be sad, because after all we are brothers. Ukraine have gone from designing high technology as part of a vast industry, to struggling to heat their homes. their youth have been let down, totally and completely. I think, things could be improved, but it would take a huge effort from Ukraine, before re-engagement with Russia could begin in ernest.

“Cash” is not the only merit that upholds nation. What would Ukraine get from Moscow? Even better to ask: what did Rossia ever do for it’s own people. Centuries of humiliation. West is a better example/orientation for Ukraine, because there average people are Living. While, with few exceptions, in Rossia people are existing (past, present, and future). Because while you like to boast about Great Rossiyskiy narod, when it comes to individual level, narod becomes no more than dirt. Compare past and present life of European people to life of Russian muzhiks. First do something for your own, then entice others to join you. Ukrainian economic mishaps are direct, long-lasting results of centuries of occupation and merciless and senseless rule of Moscow. Regardless, Ukrainians will survive as they always have. It’s better to be poor and free, than to be at mercy of a northern stranger, who always treated you with disrespect as a second class citizen, who at whim can enslave you for centuries (krepostnoe pravo), slaughter (Baturino), or starve you to death (Golodomor). Only holop-maloross would trade freedom for crumbs from Kremlin’s table. Ukrainian, a true descendent of proud Russ, will never go back to slavery. The author of this article simply does not get it. Older brother is not jealous of younger foundling. He wishes him long happy life, health and prosperity. He just wants to be master in his own yard. While the young one does not comprehend brotherhood as friendship and equality, he understands it only as dominance. Rossian’s motto: If you are not under us, then you are against us. While Ukrainian nation and government has many shortcomings, they are OUR shortcomings, only for Ukrainians to judge and criticize. Orange revolution was the greatest event in our history in the past 800 years, since the fall of Great Russ (the real one). It’s the first time in centuries, our nation made itself heard without raising weapon. It’s not as important who got power or what they achieved. What’s important is that nation-people realized that they decide who will rule. And they will decide again. Democracy was always part of OUR culture, starting with Kievan Veche to Hetman’s elections at Sich. On the other hand, authoritarian regime has always been preferred in Moskovite kingdom, since it’s inception 800 years ago to present. Rosseyane love rule of iron hand. They worship their despots: Ivan, Peter, Stalin. That’s one among many major differences between the two neighboring nations. That’s all.

Hi Ilona, The fact is – the brotherhood lives and the article observes! Now the question is: how to make brotherhood going on living if we impose “not forgetting” dogma on the real life? More structural – how to progress without forgetting? One experienced German teacher of Waldorf pedagogy background (visiting Split, Croatia on late 80-s) answered this difficult and paradoxical question. He asked the audience to read the letters: L, T, S, E, R… So we read them loudly. Then he asked to read the sentence: “We are reading the letter.” So we read the sentence loudly. Then he asked: “Why you did not spell each single not-forgotten letter, but you read the sentence so fluently?” And added: “We can progress only if we work out the fluidity of the sentence as a flow of life, we remain incommunicable if we only spell the letters of the sentence. We learn nothing before learning – forgetting”. Give life – a chance to go on, with or without us! Sincere regards Rikard (66)

Dear Rickard, Brotherhood is a wonderful thing if it is based on mutual respect and independence. As every Ukrainian, I truly hope and pray this will be future relationship between our two nations. “Not Forgetting” is an important dogma if it leads to “Not Repeating.” Not repeating many tragedies of the past that this so-called brotherhood brought to Ukraine. Also, “Not Forgetting” is important for preserving own history and heritage, which Ukrainians are being so shamelessly robed of. Kind Regards.

Ilona, wish you better luck than Yugoslavia “managed” when clinging up to the same pride. See you later, Rikard

I believe ...So Called "Ukraine" - a name chosen to cause misunderstading and Russia are the same people. I point to the historical fact of the State of Kiev Rus! and the highly important date: 988 AD, an important unifying factor to the people of this glorious nation. Through out history there were people who just want to strike up fear, hatred, false accusations and division and disunity all of which have caused ordinary people to suffer. Thus achieving the results of which, we have to this present day: bitter hatred and bickering disputes among fanatic uneducated sepratist. I hope that the future will come to show a united Slavic people under one nation of Russia!

Actually, ignorance and lack of historic education leads to chauvinistic claims of the empire. 988 AD belong to Kyiv, 300 years before Moscow even existed. Most of your ethnic population, with exception of annexed Ukrainian lands, is not of Slavic DNA. Fino-Ugry were your ancestors, russificated later on, but never the less. Farther more, for sure, we have nothing in common with all your Asian minorities who now call themselves Russians. True, Ukraine is an adopted name, used to avoid being mixed up with impostor-Russians. From inception your kingdom was known as Moskovia. Name Russia was adapted later on. Also you had a nerve to call Kyiv, The Russ, malorossia. You truly have no tact nor conscience nor sense of historic justice. Our relationship were forged by hate of common enemy, Pols, and lasted only 400 years out of Kyiv’s 1500 years of acknowledged history. This relationship was never recognized as unification and always resisted by Ukrainians. Sometimes quietly through patriotic works of literature, and time to time with weapon. Either way, resistance never stopped since Pereyaslavska Zrada. Brotherhood based on what? DNA – different, common history – too short, mutual love – never. Why cannot you just be satisfied with being good neighbors and friends? Even if there was common blood, would you allow your brother to invade your house, tell you what to do, steal your bread, punish your children, rape your wife? You use term “brotherhood” not to promote peace and respect, but as a weapon to lay territorial claims and to enslave. We can start forging real brotherly relationship now by mutual respect of borders, recognition of independence, non-interference into internal politics of other, and fair economic cooperation. Then, couple generations from now, Ukrainians will look to the east and say: our bellowed brothers live there.