system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why are the belligerents in Ukraine labeled "seperatist" while the belligerents throughout the Middle East labeled "militants"?

I was listening to NPR and they were reporting about the pro-Russian seperatist and the Islamic militants in the span of 10 minutes and I really started to wonder how each label came about. 

Edit: took out a question about whether what they're called could cause bias.
gpt
The fighters in the eastern Ukrainian territories are trying to secede from Ukraine (presumably to merge with Russia, but that's it's own mess).

Many of the fighters in the mid-east are trying to take over the country they are a part of, or just fight against foreign invaders.