Trying to make sense of the information about Ukraine

While I've lived most of my life in the US, and see myself 1st as an American, the crisis unfolding in Ukraine carries great emotional effect on me. I feel weighed down by it.  I have friends from Moscow, Kiev, and Odessa. If I looked for them, I would probably find distant relatives living in all 3 cities.

What's being written about this online is predominately propaganda, and it's hard to know who to believe. Kyivpost writes one version of events and RT.com writes a very different one. However, some things both mention and therefore such events are undisputed. There are large numbers of refugees fleeing to Russia from Slavyansk.  This tells me that there is danger and killing going on in Slavyansk. It also tells me that the people there are turning to Russia for safety and that means that the aggressor here is Kiev.

There are reports that 5,000 - 7,000 refugees, almost all of them women and children, have fled to Russia.  The men must be staying behind to fight. A recent report mentions plans by the Ukrainian army to place mines along its border with Russia. Why would they do such a dangerous thing. It's because they fear that the Russian army will enter the region, possibly to protect the civilians in Slavyansk.  Another news item that is undisputed is the shelling of Slavyansk by artillery and planes.  That likely means that attempts to enter the city by Ukrainian troops have been repelled. How many died in the process, on both sides, is unknown.

Who do we back in this fight, and should we back anyone here is a fair question.  For the time being, I would favor staying out of this fight. Unfortunately Obama and Kerry has already thrown our forces into supporting the new Kiev regime and that makes me very nervous. Elsewhere in the world they've backed the worst groups in the area; look at Egypt, Syria, Libya, and now they are working with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Insanity and Evil are loose in this world.