As too few of us know, President Barack Obama and Russian President (and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin puppet) Dmitri Medvedev had in March this on-camera exchange:

President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it's important for him to give me space.

President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you...

President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.

President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.

Nothing like our president asking for "space" from one of the two nations (Communist China being the other) that has for years been blocking at the United Nations any rational policy on any number of issues.

Our policy as a people should not be to buy time for our president after he's (ostensibly) re-elected to deliver Russia greater "flexibility" on issues on which he alone has decided we have thus far been too rigid.

Though I'm not sure our traditional allies -- like Poland and the Czech Republic -- would say that this president has been all that inflexible when it comes to dealing with Putin's playground.

Just another example of our president bowing east rather than leading west.

Our president is obviously a willing putin Patsy.  Unfortunately, there are others. 

For instance, there is former Ukraine prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.  Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko has the goods.

Yushchenko expressed his firm belief that the 2009 gas contract...Tymoshenko negotiated with Russia is "criminal by nature" because of the losses the agreement inflicted on the Ukrainian economy.

"Ukraine lost 62 billion Euros over the ten years of the agreement" said Yushchenko. "I never approved of the agreement, as I understood its corrupt nature."...

He also claimed Tymoshenko ignored Ukrainian interests for the sake of special relations with Russian leaders, saying "Russia had to have a pliant pro-Russian leader."

Yushchenko knows a thing or two about corrupt natures - and how Russia does business. 

As we have noted, Russia is great at cutting deals that benefit...Russia. 

(Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai) Azarov said on October 9 that Russia had "put forward conditions: join the Customs Union and tomorrow you will receive gas for $160 (per 1,000 cubic meters)."

Sounds great for Ukraine, right?  Except:

Russia raised the stakes Friday over its efforts to take control of Ukraine's gas-pipeline system, as it started diverting gas supplies to Europe away from the former Soviet republic. But Moscow has yet to play its most powerful card that could put an end to the saga about gas transit through Ukraine[.]

And what card is that? 

More congratulations for Vladimir Putin who after celebrating his 60th birthday at the weekend travelled to northwest Russia to launch the second string of the North Stream gas pipeline.

Alexei Miller, Gazprom chief executive, said the Russian president should take the credit for the project that will bolster Russian gas exports to Europe and reduce dependence on transit pipelines across Ukraine.

Leaving Ukraine on the short end of the stick -- with which Russia then beats them.

Luckily for Ukraine, they have an election on October 28.  They have the opportunity to avert Putin-ian disaster -- and head West.  Yushchenko is no fool.

It is not a choice of political parties, it is a choice between ideologies concerning the future development of Ukraine.  Either we go down the democratic route in Europe, or we choose the parties of the fifth column and turn back towards totalitarianism.

Here's hoping they choose wisely.

Seton Motley is the founder and president of Less Government.  He is a writer, television and radio commentator, political and policy strategist, lecturer, debater, and activist.