But Andriy Parubiy said: If Putin was making a concession, it was because of the military campaign that Ukrainian forces have launched in recent days to regain control of the east. This is also evidence of the fact that the Ukrainian government is going in the right direction and successfully protecting its national interests."

Who is Andriy Parubiy? He is the founder of the neo-Nazi Social-National Party of Ukraine, the forerunner of Svoboda party which spearheaded the Maidan coup and was therefore rewarded with the portfolio of the Ukrainian National Security Council. It was Parubiy who incorporated the neo-Nazi militia into a paramilitary National Guard" and deployed to the east to conduct an anti-terrorist" campaign against the eastern Ukrainian protesters, ethnic Russians whom the neo-Nazis despise. That is a fact that Western officials and the Western media try to cover up.

Eastern protesters have not accepted Putin's suggestion to postpone the referendum, and are going ahead it. That may complicate matters, even though they declared that they are not necessarily seeking outright independence, nor union with Russia, at least not for the time being.

The Ukraine crisis need not lead to a wider war involving Russia and the West. It is inadvisable for the West to try to help Kiev to win with military force in the east, as Russia will not sit idly by.

And the West itself will not fight for Ukraine in spite of its military posturing. There is no military option, to put it candidly.

Ukraine is a deeply divided country with its west oriented to Europe and the east is pro-Russia. It should not and cannot be ruled unilaterally by one of them alone. The sensible solution to the current crisis is a federal Ukraine with elected regional government and robust protection for regional interests. Russia has in fact pushed for a version of federation in Ukraine that would keep eastern Ukraine with its large ethnic Russian population under Russian influence. Even Ukrainian Interim President Olexandr Turchynov has publicly hinted this at the Donbas.

The situation is admittedly difficult and complex. A sensible solution requires realism and statesmanship on the part of both the West and East. Time is running out. A federal constitution must be worked out before large-scale fighting kills all hope of peace.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.ccgp-fushun.com/opinion/zhaojinglun.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.