Sunday, March 30, 2014

Archive Live Blog Ukraine I: Feb. 18 - July 26, 2014

Updates on Live Blog Ukraine


July 26, 2014

Russian UN Ambassador Admits It Downed MH17

Total chaos in Ukraine has the Dutch off balance. They can't work this way! 7 forensic experts have been turned away by units of the People's Republic of Donetsk. The 40 unarmed military police that departed for the crash site yesterday can't help them because there's no government in Ukraine to give them the formal go ahead. While forensics from Malaysia and Australia are at work, the Dutch can't cut through the red tape. Body parts are still littering the fields. By the way, the Russian Ambassador to the UN has implicitly admitted guilt.




July 25, 2014

40 Dutch Unarmed MPs Depart for MH17 Crash Site

This morning a parliamentary Q&A was held in The Hague over the aftermath of the downing of flight MH17. The 40 unarmed military police have left Eindhoven Airforce Base tonight at 9 P.M. During the weekend the UN Security Council should reach consensus to provide military cover. A brigade of the Australian Defence Force is standby in England, as is a Dutch rapid, light infantry unit. A newspaper outlet this morning reported that special forces currentlty deployed in the African country of Mali will eventually join them in Donetsk. But this information is probably unreliable. Since Russia and China are permanent members of the UNSC the outcome of this exercise is in doubt. But the Government is willing to take that risk. The Dutch are still trying to cope with a national trauma due to a similar situation in Bosnia, where an unarmed brigade was defenseless when it was overrun by the Serbs following nightly raids of Bosnian Muslims from the territory of the safe haven. Stop Press Breaking News...
Front page of the Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta apologizing for the assault.
Maria Poetina's a lovely girl, by the way. Remarkable that this lynch mob was led by @PieterBroertjes, a former lefty newspaper editor, presently mayor of the town of Hilversum.




July 24, 2014

40 Dutch Unarmed MPs To Guard MH17 Crash Site

The matter of the unshared information is really immaterial. The information was freely available in open sources and was even partly posted on this blog if the source was reliable. The airlines should have read the news feeds. In the meantime...


This is criminal dereliction of duty. The consequences are squarely on the conscience of this government.



July 23, 2014


The Dutch government declared a day of national mourning as the country prepared for the arrival of the first bodies in the afternoon by two military transport planes, one Dutch and one Australian.

Risks of Flying over Donetsk Known Before MH17

Nico Voorbach, the chairman of the European Association of Pilots ECA has told a Dutch news outlet that the US, the UK, France, Australia and Canada were aware of the risks of flying over eastern Ukraine before July 17, when MH17 was downed. But they didn't share the information. Of course 5 Ukrainian fighters  had been shot down by then, obviously by a Russian equivalent of the SA-17 Grizzly. Stingers don't reach such altitudes. Somebody has been sleeping on the job.


July 22, 2014



3 teams of international experts are at the crash site in eastern Ukraine. A member of the international monitoring team said pieces of the wreckage had been cut into and changed, possibly to remove bodies.

Russian Separatist Admits Downing MH17




July 21, 2014

Investigators unsure where MH17 bodies are headed.

EU Foreign Policy & the People's Republic of Donetsk

Postmodernism versus premodernism: European elites, who take pride in viewing the EU as a "postmodern" superpower, have long argued that military hard-power is illegitimate in the 21st century. Unfortunately for Europe, Russia (along with China and Iran) has not embraced the EU's fantastical soft-power worldview, in which "climate change" is now said to pose the greatest threat to European security. For its part, the European Commission, the EU's administrative branch, which never misses an opportunity to boycott institutions in Israel, has issued only a standard statement on the shooting down of MH17 in Ukraine, which reads: "The European Union will continue to follow this issue very closely." The EU has made only half-hearted attempts to develop alternatives to its dependency on Russian oil and gas. European divisions over relations with Russia are being laid bare by the shooting down of a passenger plane over Ukraine. The missile attack on Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 claimed the lives of 298 passengers, including 230 Europeans, making it the single most deadly act of terror in modern European history. But despite a growing body of evidence that MH17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile that was launched from an area that is controlled by Russian-backed separatists inside of Ukraine, the European Union's 28 member states have still been unable to agree on even a basic unified response to the attack. (Source)





July 20, 2014



Telephone calls between the rebels and a Russian Information Officer just after MH17 was shot down makes clear that the plane was shot by accident. To the kozaks, anything that moves is a legitimate target. The footage is widely seen as misinformazie


UK Mail: "Putin Killed My Son"

If you thought the Dutch were in overdrive, wait till you see the British. Meanwhile ZeroHedge has it all worked out. It's only a matter of time or this story goes the way of 9/11: an inside job courtesy of George W. Bush. (Source) H/t @AncetreIV





Downing of MH17, the Dutch 9/11

Here a few samples of Dutch hysteria, primarily in the press it must be said. The Left and the Right are united in moral outrage. The downing of MH17 is now dubbed the Dutch equivalent of 911. Especially for the Left this kind of lingo is highly unusual. So what's going on here? (Source)

'Esteemed' Leftist cartoon "Fokke & Sukke"
'Netherlands and the US are preparing an invasion' Not in 1 thousand years The bodies are decomposing, possessions have been looted
Telegraph newspaper this morning is calling for a military intervention. With what? The deconstructed army is presently located in Mali.
Perhaps we can blow away the Russians with our windmills... let me call the PM @MinPres



July 19, 2014

Yoohoooh, There's a War On in Ukraine, yah know!

Yes, war is bad and it can get you killed. It's better to stay away if you don't have the urge to join it. You take care that civilian airliners don't fly over it. The postmodern man has serious trouble living in the real world. If you shoot, someone may actually shoot back. Even if you believe you are entitled to it because you happen to be a politically correct person, or a Muslim, as is the case in Gaza. You may have a right to life; but if you cross the street without paying attention, you still get run into the tarmac, you fuckwit!




ABC's Martha Raddatz reports.

UPDATE: Live Tweets From A Reporter at Crash Site of MH17

Back on the same spot I was last night. Dozens of armed separatists and half a dozen OSCE observers.
Local rescue workers are carrying the bodies from the field and put them into body bags. Unclear where they will be taken. For now they remain where they are
The local rebel leader is telling us that some bodies are transferred to a mortuary. Unclear how many. And what location



Live Tweets From A Reporter at Crash Site of MH17

Dutch reporter Olaf Koens @OBK is on the spot where MH17 came down. He is tweeting the following:

Awful! Between the sunflowers the debris of the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Bodies, suitcases, mail
The rebels turned everyone away at gunpoint. Only a local rescue team is active here
On the road: more debris. Bodies everywhere. Curfew. Will be sleeping in a tent with the rescue service. And the bodies in the field
The men of the rescue service are drinking like mad. That helps. A little.
In the distance the sound of howling dogs, at the horizon rockets being fired. No good nights. Will sleep until I wake up
Thanks for your support. I'm here with friends, coworkers. Just doing my job. Tomorrow at dawn we will see
This is one of the spots where pieces of MH17 crashed. A quiet cornfield. Look at the white ribbons
Passed an insane night in a tent beside the debris. This morning I walked the fields. It's terrible.
The tail of the plane. In the field, a few meters from the road
Men of the local rescue service. They are doing what they can.
In answer to some questions. There is no press. The rebels are in control. Eye witnesses are in shock.
No bodies are being recovered, they are just marked. With a twig and a white ribbon.
There are no expers, no disaster experts, no international rescuers, no politicians. Just rebels and local fire men
What I see defies description. But I will try. In the wreckage stuff reminiscent of the Netherlands.
The latest issue of Soccer International. Baby crackers. A Frisian cake. A hot water bottle. A bank account reader
[...] Family photos from Paris, a bag of M&M's, a book to learn Malayan, Lonely Planet East Coast Australia, a package of Sportlife chewing gum
I will spare you the pictures of the victims, the body parts, the diaries of teenagers. It's all there.




July 18, 2014

"I'm For the Truth": Another RT Journo Quits Her Job



"Hell To Pay" If MH17 Was Downed by Rebels

Putin blames Ukraine for loss of Flight MH17 with 298 innocent souls but DOESN'T deny Russian separatists shot it down with missile, as McCain warns there will be 'Hell to pay'
  • Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 shot down over territory held by Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine Russian 
  • President Vladimir Putin blamed the Ukrainians for not having 'peace' in the land 
  • But he did not deny that pro-Kremlin separatists brought down the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur 
  • U.S. Senator John McCain said there would be 'Hell to pay' if this was the case 
  • Ukrainians called it 'terrorism' and released a recording between a fighter they claimed was a Russian Intelligence Officer and a separatist who apparently shot down the plane and admitted it was 'civilian' 
  • Ukrainian interior ministry says plane was shot down by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile 
  • Dutch authorities say at least nine Britons, 154 Dutch and 27 Australians are among the dead 
  • Reuters reported earlier that 23 Americans were among the dead but the State Department have not confirmed any 
  • President Obama was criticized for saying it was a 'terrible tragedy' in very brief remarks ahead of a speech 
  • Questions over why the flight was flying over Ukrainian airspace in what is effectively a war zone 
  • All airlines now saying they are avoiding the area 
(Source)




July 17, 2014

Surface to Air Missile Downed HM17

According to an American military commentator the downing must have been done by well trained Russian forces, possibly drunk.


Surface to Air Missile Downed HM17

Surface to Air Missile took down HM17: This is the third plane to go down over eastern Ukraine this week. (Source) The pro Russian separatists may have mistaken the passenger plane for a military fighter, although the Boeing is obviously much bigger. Moreover, Russia has brought in special forces. The weaponry involved is not a Stinger or a MANPAD, but rather high reaching, mobile radar guided system like the SA-17 Grizzly. This is a very serious escalation and frankly, an act of war. Russia/Soviet Union has a history of downing civilian airplanes.



An Afghan Freedom Fighter for ethnicity!  




Jul 14, 2014 An Afghan Freedom Fighter in Donbass: "a Poem of Love and Courage".



June 27, 2014

Putin: "The EU has tried to lure Ukraine from Russia's orbit and into its fold, so it should now foot Ukraine's gas bill."

EU Signs Trade Pact With Ukraine


Here we go again: postmodern West versus premodern Russia: since Western threats are not backed up by military power, Putin will won't be impressed, at all. He knows very well there is no will on the part of the West to fight for their empty values.




June 22, 2014

Battles Raging Amidst the Cease Fire

The most perplexing tweets on the irredentism in eastern Ukraine. It seems to be part of the disiformation campaign:



June 19, 2014

 'Russia Resumed Military Buildup in East Ukraine'




June 17, 2014

Who's Blew Up the Gas Pipeline in Ukraine? 





June 15, 2014

Russia Will Cut Off Ukrainian Gas Supply Tomorrow

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine about the delivery of gas have broken down. Russia's unilaterial deadline for reaching an agreement has passed and no new rounds of talks have emerged. The parties have come no closer to an agreement. Russia has offered a price of $485 but Ukraine is looking at $268.50. Watch the Russian point of view on RT. H/t @JoostNiemoller



US Condemns Attack on Russian Embassy in Kiev



Leaks In the Kiev Government Cause Casualties




In another attack on the approach to Lugansk airport pro Moscow insurgents launched two missiles from MANPADS at an altitude of about 700 meters which brought down a heavy military transport plane IL-76 of the Ukrainian armed forces. 49 military personnel died: 9 crew members from the Transport Brigade and 40 paratroopers. (Source)

Putin's Mind Games

Just over a week ago, President Vladimir Putin met Ukraine's new leader and promised to draw the sting from the country's crisis. Then a military transport aircraft fell out of the sky – apparently the victim of a Russian-supplied missile – and a handful of the Kremlin's tanks embarked on a mysterious journey inside their neighbour. Once again, Mr Putin is playing mind games with his opponents. The latest events show that his unrelenting war against Ukraine's new postrevolutionary government is as much psychological as military. In this campaign, Mr Putin ensures that every signal is mixed, every line blurred, every apparently simple statement transformed into a puzzle. In retrospect, it was wearily predictable that his conciliatory talk with President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine would be followed by another escalation. Conversely, now that the heat is back on, Mr Putin's next move will probably be emollient. And, sure enough, within hours of the destruction of the Ilyushin-76 yesterday, Russia had offered to resume negotiations over the price of gas supplies. (Source)



May 29, 2014

Ukraine's Insurgency War Is Heating Up

Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have shot down a military helicopter near Sloviansk, killing 14 people. The rebels used a Russian-made anti-aircraft system. The town of Sloviansk has seen fierce fighting between separatists and government forces in recent weeks. President-elect Petro Poroshenko has vowed to tackle "bandits" in the east. President Turchynov said the 14 dead included Gen Serhiy Kulchytskiy, head of combat and special training for Ukraine's National Guard. It is one of the worst losses of life for government forces in the conflict so far. Last week at least 14 soldiers died in a rebel attack on an army checkpoint near Donetsk, some 130km (80 miles) from Sloviansk. Earlier this month the separatists shot down two army helicopters, also near Sloviansk, killing a pilot and another serviceman. (Source)



On April 16, 2014, SACEUR, General Phil Breedlove, invoked NATO's Article 5 speaking on reassurance measures taken in response to the Ukrainian crisis. Full half hour version at: http://bit.ly/1hNpTNN



May 25, 2014

Entrepreneur Wins Presidential Elections

True Nazis, these Ukrainians!
An exit poll suggests that chocolate king Petro Porosjenko will obtain some 55,9 percent of the vote, while another sees him win with 57,3 percent. Former PM Julia Timoshenko may get just 12 percent of the vote. Tomorrow's final score will determine if a second round is required. Porosjenko (48) has promised a stronger economy and political ties with the West. But he also wants to ameliorate the shattered ties with Russia. (...) The former boxer Vitali Klitsjko was elected today mayor of the capital city, Kiev. (Bron)


May 8 2014

Putin Overseeing Massive Military Exercizes Including Nukes

Putin oversaw test exercises today at the Russian Defense Ministry's headquarters, along with leaders from other ex-Soviet countries — Belarus, Armenia, Tajikstan, and Kyrgyzstan — who are now part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The Kremlin provided a look inside the Russian Defense Ministry's headquarters, one of the first such looks into Putin's massive command center:



May 6, 2014

Putin is Reviving the Brezhnev Doctrine 

Remember the Brezhnv doctrine? According to the EU's Dep. Director General of Foreign Affairs, Maciej Popowski, Putin is reviving it under the banner of 'Russian Peace". It would explain the 'bufferstate' mentality. Guess the Pole recognizes Russian imperialism when he sees it..




May 5, 2014

Ukraine, the Product of the G-Zero





Russia's Agit Prop Reaches Gutter Level

Russian media going full circle with the new Pravda and this piece of Jew exploitation:



May 3, 2014

Putin's Reichstag Fire in Odessa

Putin has his Reichstag fire. What is he waiting for?
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said on Saturday that both the Kiev authorities and their backers in the West were directly responsible for bloodshed in the Ukrainian city of Odessa, Russian new agencies reported. "Kiev and its Western sponsors are practically provoking the bloodshed and bear direct responsibility for it," RIA Novosti quoted spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling reporters. Dozens of people died in a fire and others were shot in fighting between pro- and anti-Russian groups on the streets of the Black Sea port on Friday. In the east, Ukrainian forces launched an operation, condemned by Russia as "punitive", to dislodge separatists from the town of Slaviansk. Asked how Russia will respond, Peskov said that he was unable to say what actions Russia would take. (Source)



April 23, 2014

Assigned Reading on Russia, Putin & Eastern Europe

Trifecta for assigned reading about Russia, Putin and the situation in Eastern Europe:




April 22, 2014

NATO Deploys To The Baltic

On Tuesday, 22 April 2014, Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE (SNMCMG1) deployed to the Baltic Sea to enhance maritime security and demonstrate the Alliance’s commitment to the safety and security of Baltic member States. The group is composed of the Norwegian flagship HNoMS VALKYRIEN, the Dutch mine hunter HNLMS MAKKUM, the Belgian mine hunter BNS BELIS, the Norwegian minesweeper HNoMS OTRA, and the Estonian mine hunter ENS ADMIRAL COWEN. This maritime group was reactivated last week by Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, confirming a decision of the North Atlantic Council to enhance collective defence and deliver a set assurance measures in response to the crisis in Ukraine. (Source)




April 19. 2014

Russian Duma Deputy Tweets Division of Ukraine

This week NATO has decided to beef up the military build up in the region bordering Ukraine. The Dutch are preparing three F-16s to be stationed in the area. (Source). Meanwhile..




April 17, 2014

US, EU and Russia agree stand off on Ukraine

While Putin did a live media appearance, a de-escalation deal was agreed by the US, the EU and Russia in Geneva. Stand off, no tricks and disarming the pro Russian paramilitary. Just when NATO decided to beef up the Eastern border area. Here are the developments of the day...




April 14, 2014

Putin is upping the ante in Ukraine

As Russia is waiting for an opportunity to invade the eastern part of Ukraine, Putin is provoking the Americans by buzzing a vessel in the Black Sea and testing two intercontinental ballastic missiles.




April 13, 2014

One Dead, 5 Injured In Russian Separatism in Ukraine




April 4, 2014

Ukraine's Donetsk Proclaimed Independent Republic





April 1, 2014

NATO Suspends Coop With Russia over Crimea
March 30, 2014

Exclusive Photos: Russian Trained Killers in Kiev

And... more evidence of Russian involvement! Photographs Expose Russian-Trained Killers in Kiev: The slaughter of 53 protesters in the Maidan on February 20 changed history. Now, exclusive photographs show what really happened: a crack anti-terrorist unit known as the Alfa Team in the courtyard of the headquarters of Ukraine’s feared state security service, the SBU, preparing themselves for battle. The agency’s seven-story headquarters occupies an entire city block and is just three streets from the Maidan. The SBU is the successor intelligence agency to the Ukrainian branch of the Soviet-era KGB and it still maintains exceptionally close ties to Moscow. For many years “leading SBU functionaries came from the KGB,” says Boris Volodarsky, a former Russian military intelligence officer and author of the book The KGB’s Poison Factory. He says Russia’s intelligence service, now known as the FSB, has made sure over the years to maintain deep penetration of its Ukrainian counterpart and to ensure that its “agents and associates remain in place.” That was easily done during thepresidency of the pro-Russian Yanukovych. (Source)

In the meantime at the UN Headquarters in New York.. Russia threatened countries ahead of UN vote on Ukraine (Source)



March 29, 2014

Jewish Leaders, "Putin Lying About Jew Hatred"

More Russian propaganda is being discovered by the day. Here's the latest:



March 26, 2014

American Gas Will Make EU Less Dependent on Russia

The US maybe become the largest natural gas producer in the world. It's time for Europe to swap their backmailing Russian gas provider for a more liberating one. Putin is upping the ante by refusing an Air France plane to use its airspace, a sign how things have changed over the last couple of weeks. The West is moving the red line once again and Crimea may revert back to its original Greek name, Tauris. Btw, it's a very interesting article with rare historical references. Well worth the read.



March 24, 2014

Ukraine and NATO Fear Russian Invasion Imminent

Ukraine’s Western-backed leaders voiced fears on Sunday of an imminent Russian invasion of the eastern industrial heartland following the fall of their last airbase in Crimea to defiant Kremlin troops. (...) Alarm about a push outside Crimea by Moscow’s overwhelming forces — now conducting drills at Ukraine’s eastern gate — were fanned further Sunday by a call by its self-declared premier for Russians across the ex-Soviet country to rise up against Kiev’s rule. The interim leaders in Kiev fear that Russian President Vladimir Putin — flushed with expansionist fervour — is developing a sense of impunity after being hit by only limited EU and US sanctions for taking the Black Sea cape. “The aim of Putin is not Crimea but all of Ukraine… His troops massed at the border are ready to attack at any moment,” Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council chief Andriy Parubiy told a mass unity rally in Kiev. (...) (Source)



March 23, 2014

Putin Is Getting Away With Ethnic 'Heim Ins Reich' Policy

Crimea is lost to Russia. Putin has basically secured his southern flank. But if he is pursuing the ethnic Russians 'Heim Ins Reich' doctrine, Transdniestria or Estonia maybe his next target. Putin called the Western leaders' bluff and they blinked: he knows he can get away with anything. Real power is economic power, or power can be obtained by brute force. The West doesn't have the first, and is unwilling to consider the second. Putin can't be stopped. Cal Thomas compared Russia with post WWI Germany. The fact that Putin is stronger than Western leaders does not make him better; it makes him more dangerous.




March 21, 2014

WEST POISED TO REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON RUSSIA

Crimea has now been annexed to Russia as was expected. Ukraine has signed their association agreement with the EU. France is stationing jets in Poland. Putin is moving against Estonia.





March 19, 2014

INDEPENDENT CRIMEA SIGNALS ETHNIC CLEANSING

The difference between Kosovo and Crimea is that in Kosovo allegedly ethnic cleansing was going on that warranted international intervention. This isn't the case here. But that may be remedied shortly. What's more, the case is also being made for more Russian interventions, ostensibly to 'protect' ethnic Russian minorities in former Soviet States. This ethnic 'Sudetenland logic' by the way isn't morally legit. But the scenario is getting plainer by the day..




March 18, 2014

RUSSIA POKES FUN AT WEAK WESTERN LEADERS

Today Putin and the assembled Houses of the Russian Parliament poked fun at the weakness of the Western leaders, their empty threats and their so called sanctions. They recognized Crimea as an independent state. Accession to Russia is the next step.




March 17, 2014

PUTIN RECOGNIZES CRIMEA INDEPENDENCE

The final result of the referendum was something like 95% agree to accession Russia. The Tatars boycotted the vote. Participation was like 30-50% at most. Source This is why secession on the basis of ethnicity is not valid unless there's an existential danger. This is far from the case in Crimea and at least premature. Some experts believe Vladimir Putin will use the sizeable Russian communities in many former constituent countries of the former Soviet Union as an excuse to stir up ethnic trouble as cover for an intervention like the present in Crimea. There's a long tradition in provocation and agitation ever since the era of Karl Marx, part of classical revolutionary theory. Here are the latest developments.




March 16, 2014

CRIMEA EXIT POLL SHOWS 93% VOTES FOR RUSSIA

Exit poll shows Stalinist result. Only the russophile part of the Crimea took part in the referendum which is not recogmized by the US and the US



CRIMEA VOTES AT GUN POINT AS RUSSIA SHIPS IN HEAVY ARTILLERY

Amidst the referendum at gun point today on the Crimea which is not recognized by the EU, first a few updates on the troops landing yesterday in the Kherson region. And here's an update in case you lived under a rock for the last few months and wonder what the fuss is all about.



Now back to the politics:




March 15, 2014

RUSSIAN TROOPS LANDING IN EAST UKRAINE

In Henichesk district (Kherson region) at approximately 13:30 helicopters landed 40 infantry Russian troops, locals reported. This information was confirmed by law enforcement sources of the Henichesk region. Residents reported that in the past days Russian military helicopters circled the area several times. Why paratroopers landed and what is happening now is still unknown. A few kilometers from the landing site are gas producing platforms of NAC "Chernomorneftegaz." (Autotranslate, source)



View Larger Map

In the meantime on the Crimea and in Russia proper..



March 14, 2014

'RUSSIA PREPARING TO INVADE EAST UKRAINE'






March 13, 2014

Putin Grabs Crimea With Impunity

Putin is going to get away with the grab of Crimea. It's the price for Kosovo. But any rogue nation that means to grab some neighbor's land now knows that in the postmodern world of peace at any price, you can do this with impunity. A treaty, like the Budapest Memorandum, is not worth the paper it is written on.

Here's an interesting piece on another novelty, Putin's ghost army, a hybrid between soldiers and terrorists. It puts international war treaties on a new footing. But these were already shredded since the emergence of non state actors. In other words, terrorists, warriors without a uniform that the world takes for criminals. But who are actually Jihadists under orders of state terror masters.


March 10, 2014

Russia Inviting Paid Observers To Supervise Crimea Referendum 


  • In advance of the referendum Russia's propaganda channel RT has already altered the map to reflect the projected results.




March 7, 2014

Gunmen Seize Crimea TV Station

Serbian Chetnik Volunteers Arrive in Crimea

Serbian volunteers are descending on the Crimea to assist the Russian brothers. (Source (in Serbian).) But a Government Minister is not so glad, thinks they ought to face jail. The common factor here being the Orthodox religion, this is going to drive some counter Jihadists further into the Russian camp, which is a sad mistake. But Russia's closest allies, Kazakhstan and Belarus are not supporting Putin's annexation of the Crimea. They fear they may well be next in line.

Spoof of the day: without words...


March 6, 2014

US and EU Decide Sanctions Will Contain Putin

Also in the news today: de EUCO has decided that Russia must negotiate with Ukraine to find a peaceful solution. War is not the answer. EU diplomatics have said that Obama's Russia sanctions announcement changed the dynamic at summit. There was momentum towards a tougher line at the Brussels EUCO.

Pro Russian forces sank a vessel at the opening to Donuzlav Lake north of Yevpatoria, bottling up Ukrainian warships in the lake.

Russian Propaganda on Ukraine Exposed


Anticipating the referendum on March 16 the parliament of the Crimea this morning voted for the Anschluss with Russia, and the government later affirmed the decision as an accomplished fact. Now what? Sanctions, say Obama and the EU. We'll continue yesterday's theme today, the art of Russian propaganda. It's so bad in fact, an RT info babe actually resigned on air.

March 5, 2014

Russian Senate May Confiscate US/EU Private Assets

The parties are going through the boring diplomatic motions. We're not going to report those. Except perhaps to state that the Russian senate is pondering the confiscation of US and EU private assets. This is still very much a authoritarian state without respect of property rights. So much for business with this country. For the remainder it's the day of mizinformazie and mizdirekzie. We already had to remark about this yesterday, today sees a few ripe examples of what Russians do best: psy ops.

 March 4, 2014

Kerry Visits Kiev; Russians Test Ballistic Missile

With Putin's presser today this very dangerous episode seems to be over for now. Not that the problems have been solved, but imminent war has been staved off for now. Putin issued a huge warning. Not that the moronic Western leaders got it.


Already they have taken place on their soap boxes declaring superior strength by leading from behind. We've said it before and we're saying it again: leaders like Obama, Kerry and the lot in Brussels are a world war waiting to happen; they're babies with razors without a notion of the ways of the world and the natures of power and evil. They believe they have created a world in which every tyrant and criminal ruler has to act according to their rule book, just because they say so. But it is in the nature of evil rulers not to play by anyone's rules but their own. The Western leaders are too arrogant to learn. So we will just have to wait for the next crisis.




THEN CAME PUTIN'S PRESSER














AND KERRY DESCENDED ON KIEV



PUTIN'S REACTION LEFT NO DOUBT... Officially this missile test was planned as part of the Russian militairy drills. Washington was informed. Probably not, or this perception conscious regime would have planned the Kerry visit at a less embarrassing time.


SANCTIONS, WHICH HAVE NEVER ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING, ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION. HERE'S WHY:


OH AND PALIN WAS RIGHT! SHE CAN SEE RUSSIA FROM HER HOUSE. SHE EVEN HAS A VIEW ON PUTIN'S BREAKFAST PLATE.


March 3, 2014

Russia Issues Ultimatum, US For Calls Sanctions



Moments later, the Kremlin denies such an ultimatum has ever taken place. British FM William Hague was in Kiev today, followed tomorrow by the US Sec. of State, John Kerry. The Foreign Ministers of the EU talked tonight in Brussels; they will reconvene next Thursday. In Russia meanwhile...


The Russians are masters at misdirection and misinformation. They have decades of experience of this under their belt. Regretably memories come up short in the West every step of the way. Here's a bold example of what's going round on a pro Russian site. Don't believe everything that is presented. Psy ops is a cold war tactic.


Still in the realm of conjecture and conspiracy, Kasparov draws our attention to the peculiar timing of these developments:




March 1, 2014


Pro-Russian demonstrations broke out in major cities in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Marco Rubio's 8 Steps To Punish Russia

This is a critical moment in world history. The credibility of the alliances and security assurances that have preserved the international order is at stake. If Putin’s illegal actions are allowed to stand unpunished, it will usher in a dark and dangerous era in world affairs. Here are Marco Rubio's 8 steps to punish Russia. (Source)

 BREAKING:




Putin Gets Approval From Senate, Advances Into Ukraine

An old, forgotten treaty has lend a new dimension to all the talk of territorial integrity and pleas for non-interference. The logic on the side of the Obama administration probably was the spread of democracy without considering the possibility that the Russians would go ballistic over so many fingers poking them in the eye, the final one taking place in their very backyard. After Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya and Syria, the Crimea, home of the Black Sea fleet was just one poke too many.

A treaty signed in 1994 by the US and Britain could pull both countries into a war to protect Ukraine if President Putin's troops cross into the country. (...) Bill Clinton, John Major, Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kuchma agreed to the The Budapest Memorandum as part of the de-nuclearization of former Soviet republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Technically it means that if Russia has invaded Ukraine then it would be difficult for the US and Britain to avoid going to war. (Source)

In further developments today:









Febr. 28, 2014

Violation of Ukraine Sovereignty Profound Interference


 

Ukraine accused Russia of staging an "armed invasion" of Crimea and appealed to the west to guarantee its territorial integrity. Live streams on Control Room Ukraine.

BREAKING:

UPDATE: Russia Takes the Crimea













 Feb. 27, 2014

  


 Russia sends fighter jets to patrol its border and aids Ukraine's fugitive president.


NATO and EU warn Russia to Respect Ukraine Integrity 



It turns out the people laying siege since this morning to the Crimea Parliament building were the Berkut boys, the riot police that was disbanded on Sunday (some of whom we see on their knees in this picture pic.twitter.com/137VbrTcip).

The former President Yanukovitsch has surfaced in Russia under the protection of Mr Putin. He hasn't said what happened to the $70bn that was supposed to be in the treasury, which is now gone. (Source) He will be holding a presser in the city of Rostov tomorrow.

The new government wants to sign its Association Agreement with the EU on the 20-21 March. (Source) The Ukraine parliament has approved Arseniy Yatsenyuk as new prime minister. (Source)

NATO has called developments in the Ukraine "dangerous and irresponsible" and has urged Russia not to "escalate tensions." (Statement)

Brussels is also warning Putin to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Ashton has put her department, the External Action Service in a higher state of alert.

Meanwhile, more Russian military vehicles amassed in the Crimea. (Source) Russian hockey fans appear to have a different opinion. In this video they declare their solidarity with EuroMaidan.


 Feb. 26, 2014

Putin Orders Urgent Drills, Troops to Sevastopol


 Thousands of pro Ukraine protesters (many Tatars) have just stormed the Crimean parliament in Simferopol 



Live stream.

 Many of the atrocities committed in the past days are only now becoming apparent:





In the meantime in Russia...



 Feb. 25, 2014

  

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has fired what is seen as a veiled threat in the direction of the EU and the US over their stance on Ukraine. 

Why a new Ukraine is the Kremlin's worst nightmare 

The domino effect of democracy on Russia's border threatens the entire system Putin has built since 2000 - and he will not let it go lightly (Source)

Here's the latest from Kiev: photo gallery
Oh well, so much for Putin's Nazis and Jew hatred card!

On the Crimea peninsula meanwhile...

 Sevastopol installs pro-Russian mayor as separatism fears grow. Moscow shows its influence in Crimean city amid fears the whole peninsula could seek deeper ties with Russia.   Authorities in the southern Ukrainian city of Sevastopol have installed a pro-Russian mayor as fears grow that the Kremlin may be stoking separatist sentiment in the region. Sevastopol's city council handed power to Aleksei Chaliy, a Russian citizen. Fears are spreading that separatists in Sevastopol, and the Crimean region of which it is a part, could use the power vacuum in Ukraine to seize greater autonomy and deepen ties with Russia. It was not immediately clear whether local security forces would back Chaliy, but earlier in the day Sevastopol police chief Alexander Goncharov said that his officers would refuse to carry out "criminal orders" issued by Kiev. At least four checkpoints manned by armed police were in place on major roads into the city to stop the arrival of extremists, according to local media reports. Ukraine's interim president, Olexander Turchynov, warned on Tuesday that the country faced a "serious threat" from separatism.






 Feb. 24, 2014

Russia May Be Preparing to Annex Crimea


Following a similar procedure before the Georgia-Abkhazia conflict in 2008 Russia has begun doling out passports ahead of what may be an invasion or a military response.
“Russia is starting to give out passports under a simplified procedure. Russia demands the fulfillment of the conditions of the agreements between the opposition and Yanukovych. And the main thing is that in the event of a decision of the Crimeans to have a referendum, or an appeal to the Supreme Council of the Crimea to Russia with a request to annex…Russia will review this question very quickly. (...) Crimea has signaled secession from Ukraine and possible annexation by Russia may be acceptable. The Guardian reported earlier today that a Russian flag was hoisted over the city hall in Sevastopol. Rumors are rife that Viktor Yanukovych, the deposed president of Ukraine, may be hiding out in Crimea. (Source)

Russian Troop Movements Sochi-Ukraine

Military sources report that units of the Russian forces which formed a steel ring around the Olympic Winter Games that ended in Sochi Sunday were flown and shipped Monday, Feb. 24 to Russian bases at the Ukrainian Crimean port of Sevastopol, as Moscow refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new authorities in Kiev. Giant Russian Air Force transports and rapid deployment forces were placed on alert at the Rostov on-Don base east of the predominantly Russian-speaking southeastern Ukrainian town of Donetsk. Russian military movements were also sighted near Belgorod, a Russian town 40 kilometers from the Ukraine border and north of its second largest town of Kharkov. (...) These military movements were accompanied by sharp Russian rhetoric in Moscow’s first direct response to the tumult in Kiev and ouster of the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, against whom Kiev police Monday issued a warrant for mass murder. (Source)

Ukraine: the Past, the Background, the Future 


(Source)



Liberty in Kiev and Initial Reactions From Moscow

Photo gallery of former President Viktor Yanukovych's sprawling mansion, now abandoned (Source) - "The Vile Secrets" - Why was it secret?



Just hours after the international community celebrated the end of the athletic spectacle, Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev blasted the regime change in neighboring Ukraine, calling it an “armed mutiny.” He also questioned the EU for recognizing “Kalashnikov-toting people in black masks who are roaming Kiev” as a legitimate government (...) (Source)







Feb. 23, 2014


 Feb. 22, 2014

Yulia Tymoshenko just arrived in Kiev


The news today so far can be summed up with this: while remnant statues of Lenin come down, in the east russophiles are preparing for battle. 

  • Opposition protesters appear in full control of the government district in Ukraine's capital Kiev. 
  • Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko tells parliament the president has left Kiev. He calls for elections by 25 May. 
  • President Viktor Yanukovych appears on TV, branding events in Kiev as a "coup", saying he has no intention to resign. 
  • Ukraine's parliament has voted to release jailed opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko, but it is not clear when she will be freed.  
  • Parliament has elected Oleksandr Turchynov, an ally of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, as the new speaker. 
  • Leaders of mainly Russian-speaking regions in east Ukraine say they are taking control of their territories until "constitutional order" is restored in Kiev.











 Feb. 21, 2014

Guy Verhofstadt in Kiev: "Dictators Never Win"

Guess Victoria Nuland had no idea of the pluck these guys have in them, or she wouldn't have said, "Fuck the EU". 
Guy "Mr Europe" Verhofstadt MEP for Belgium tells Ukrainians, congratulations, the EU has just imposed sanctions against your country. Goes on, "we will come here every week until you have won your fight". "Dictators can in the end never win against their people". Which will be a relief to Europeans! Many see him as the tyrant-in-waiting. "You are defending European values and European principles" *ROFLOL*.
Dutch MEP Hans van Baalen emulating Sir Winston Churchill: "Never, ever give up. We will stay with you. Long live a democratic Ukraine!"



Speech was delivered around 10pm local time: "The first European politician to announce sanctions to demonstrators on Euromaidan". 


EU mediated peace deal takes hold in Ukraine

Ukraine's opposition leaders signed an EU-mediated peace deal with President Viktor Yanukovich on Friday (...) Yanukovich made a series of concessions to pro-European opponents, including a national unity government and constitutional change to reduce his powers, as well as bringing forward the poll. (...)  Within hours, parliament voted to revert to a previous constitution slashing Yanukovich's prerogatives, sacked his interior minister blamed for this week's bloodshed, and amended the criminal code to pave the way to release his arch-rival, jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko. (Source)




 Feb. 20, 2014

CARNAGE IN KIEV

Leader of Far-Right Ukrainian Militant Group, Pravy Sektor, Talks Revolution 

 In his first interview with foreign media, Dmitro Yarosh, leader of the far-right militant group Pravy Sektor, says he and his antigovernment cohorts in Kiev are ready for armed struggle (Source)

Ideologically it's also messy. Here's the view from Russia expressed by a European statist pomo who labors under the logic that a political party with a boxer as its leader, is inherently violent:
















 Feb. 19, 2014

Looking for the freedom fighters? Hmmmm..

In the latest development there seems to be a feeling that the revolution has been hijacked by a far right Nationalist organization called Pravy Sektor (Straight Sector) that is opposed to what they call the EU's 'totalitarian liberalism'.


LATEST UPDATES FROM UKRAINE

After another day of violence in Kiev the tally stands at 26 dead and thousands of people wounded. The EU and the US are pondering sanctions. The German, French and Polish Foreign Ministers will travel to Kiev on a fact finding mission. Citing technical reasons, Russia has postponed the delivery of the second tranche of aid amounting to 2 billion dollars until Friday. The aid package totals 15 billion dollar.

British PM David Cameron has called upon the government to withdraw the security forces. He told President Yanukovitch: "The world is watching you". In Brussels European Ministers of Foreign Affairs will discuss the crisis on Thursday afternoon. According to the Polish vice FM, Piotr Serafin there's a consensus on santions.

In the meanwhile, the secret service SBU has announced today they have started a nation wide counter terrorism operation. "Radical and extremist groups and their actions are a real and present danger to the lives of millions of Ukrainians. These groups have committed acts of terrorism, arson, murder and abductions". The SBU says these groups will be liquidated.

The SBU have also started an investigation against several politicians for plans to commit a coup against the state. Security chief Oleksandr Yakimenko has said in a declaration: "In many regions municipal offices, courts, army barracks and services have been occupied illegally. Courts were set alight, acts of vandalism are being committed against citizens".

Primer: 9 questions about Ukraine you were too embarrassed to ask

Febr. 18, 2014



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