SB1: i saw this stratfor report today. saying that ukraine is basically giving up its NATO membership bid. what do you know about it? i didn’t see it confirmed in any mainstream news sources

FR: i saw that too. i don’t know much about it. but i do know that stratfor is highly biased. i stopped reading after the 2nd sentence. if ukraine is abandoning nato accession it is doing so only partly because of russian pressure; the major reason is that over 70% of ukranians are opposed

SB1: so now they called a referendum. which is the same as saying they are giving up the bid

FR: yeah. personally, i’ve been against the idea from the start. i don’t want ukraine controlled by russia as much as anyone

SB1: sure

FR: but one also can’t ignore ukranian societal and demographic realities

SB1: that’s true. ukraine is complicated

FR: yeah

SB1: what do you think about stratfor’s sources, esp on the FSU

FR: piss poor

SB1: they are coming out with all sorts of weird reports. like that one about russia’s retaliatory options after kosovo

FR: i think they are wasington beltway biased

SB1: they even mentioned finland there

FR: ah right

FR: haha. stratfor is OK on middle east stuff i think.  but the russia stuff is biased, poorly sourced, and far too zanyy

SB1: fun read though