We regret to inform our fellow Canadians and the rest of the World that our publicly funded broadcaster has seemingly and purposely selectively edited 2 (two) articles today with regards to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. This should be of great concern to everyone considering the implications and are calling on the RCMP to immediately conduct an investigation into this matter of National security. In addition, we would like the CBC Ombudsman, CRTC and any independent body to also launch an investigation so that those responsible may be immediately be held accountable.
This war-mongering propaganda campaign MUST stop and someone needs to be behind bars. This is not limited to those within the CBC, but also those that may be involved from the PMO as well as the Harper Regime’s Conservative Party of Canada along with any/all Opposition Members that may have knowledge of this travesty. Not only is this detrimental to the freedom of our press corp, but it is extremely damaging to our economy and the psychological well being of our citizenry.
Propaganda + Cold Wars + Free Trade = Trade Wars = Economic Wars = Currency Wars = Energy Wars = Real Hot Wars
This war against “We the People” of Canada MUST stop and we are issuing a cease and desist ultimatum. If the Opposition cannot stand by us, than they can and must stand down. We are NOT going to war for a bunch of neocon/neolib corporate globalists nor are we willing to pay the costs associated with this war you seek to start in our name. You may feel free to send your sons and daughters to fight your imaginary boogeyman and you may feel free to pay the financial costs as well, period.
Below you will find copypasta’s of what we have uncovered thus far along with a brief summary of each. Please note that these articles from the AP are really nothing more than Associated Propaganda and we have noticed and been tracking the selective editing of the AP articles published via the CBC for quite some time. These are not simply “updates”, they are narrative adjustments meant to cause confusion and conflict between viewers, readers, social media users, other independent researchers, bloggers and media the access them at different times of the day/night.
Article 1
UPDATED
Ukraine conflict: Shelling in rebel-held city kills 4
Fighting between government and pro-Russian separatists inches ever closer to the city centre
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 07, 2014 7:17 AM ET
Last Updated: Aug 07, 2014 10:17 AM ET
Sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.
Mortar fire struck the Vishnevskiy Hospital in Donetsk on Thursday morning, killing one and wounding five others, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky told The Associated Press.
“There was a sudden explosion,” witness Dr. Anna Kravtsova said. “A mortar round flew through the window.”
The shelling, which destroyed an array of equipment in the dentistry unit, also hit three nearby apartment buildings.
It followed a night of shelling in another neighbourhood as the fighting between the government and pro-Russian separatists is inching ever closer to the city centre. The mayor’s office said in a statement posted on its website that three people had been killed, five wounded and several residential buildings destroyed during those attacks.
The government denies it uses artillery against residential areas, but that claim has come under substantial strain in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have been fighting the Kyiv government since April. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Moscow of backing the mutiny with weapons and soldiers, a claim the Russian government has repeatedly denied.
The West has also accused Russia of most likely providing the insurgents with surface-to-air missiles that may have been used to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over rebel-held territory on July 17, killing all 298 people on board.
Clashes in Kyiv
Clashes erupted in central Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych. At the time, protesters were angry about endemic corruption and wanted closer ties with the European Union.
In scenes reminiscent of that revolt, which climaxed with Yanukovych’s ouster in February, demonstrators set alight tires in their face-off against a volunteer battalion overseeing the clean-up operation.
In eastern Ukraine, government troops have made tentative progress in their strategy to retake Donetsk and other towns and cities. Armed forces have refrained from pitched urban battles, and instead favoured pushing back their opponents with artillery fire. It has led to a growing number of civilian casualties.
Vishnevskiy Hospital, one of the city’s larger medical treatment facilities, is around four kilometres from the main square. It has been used to provide treatment to civilian victims of the ongoing conflict.
“The hospital became a nightmare. This is absurd,” said 37-year old patient Dmitry Kozhur. “We came here to keep living, but now we are risking death.”
Kozhur said he now wants to join the 300,000 people that the mayor’s office says have already abandoned the once 1 million-person strong city.
As AP reporters were leaving the hospital, they heard the sound of four rounds of artillery being fired from a nearby neighbourhood under rebel control. Although it wasn’t immediately possible to confirm the sequence of events, it appeared that the shells that hit the hospital may have been a response to rebel fire.
‘New quality and quantity of arms’
Neighbours of a house struck by rockets Wednesday said their homes were also near a position used by rebel artillery forces.
Special forces detain an activist during a clash in Kyiv’s Independence Square on Thursday. (Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press)
As the rebels struggle to push back Kyiv’s forces, fears of Russian intervention have grown. Western leaders have accused Russia of massing troops on the border with Ukraine and supplying rebels with weapons..
“We’ve noted with concern a new quality and quantity of arms and equipment flowing across the border from Russia into Ukraine, reports of shelling across the border as well as further attacks by illegal armed groups on targets in eastern Ukraine,” said Sebastien Brabant, a spokesman for the EU’s foreign policy chief.
Russia has always denied such claims.
The Ukrainian army strategy has focused on driving a wedge between Donetsk and the other main stronghold of Luhansk. Efforts to seal off the border with Russia have been thwarted as border troops come under sustained and heavy rocket fire. Ukraine says a lot of those attacks have been carried out by Russian troops, which Moscow also fervently denies.
Article 1 was “updated” and the title as well as the “wording” associated with the url was changed. In addition this update actually swapped out some images and also removed the image of the crackdown at Maidan in Kiev that is included in the above version. It may also be noteworth that there were only 8 comments when we first reviewed the article above and only 11 when we relocated it, as it was removed from the main World News page and noticed the edits and updates.
UPDATED
Ukraine conflict: Russia must ‘step back from the brink,’ NATO chief says
Shelling in rebel-held city kills 4
The Associated Press
Posted: Aug 07, 2014 7:17 AM ET
Last Updated: Aug 07, 2014 11:26 AM ET
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday called on Russia to pull its troops back from the border with Ukraine and “step back from the brink.”
Rasmussen, speaking in Kyiv after NATO said on Wednesday that Russia had amassed 20,000 troops near the border and could be planning a ground invasion of its neighbour, said Russia “should not use peace-keeping as an excuse for war-making.”
The downing of a Malaysian airliner on July 17 was a tragic consequence of Russia’s “reckless” policy of supporting the separatists and seeking to de-stabilize Ukraine, he said.
Meanwhile, sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.
Mortar fire struck the Vishnevskiy Hospital in Donetsk on Thursday morning, killing one and wounding five others, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky told The Associated Press.
“There was a sudden explosion,” witness Dr. Anna Kravtsova said. “A mortar round flew through the window.”
UKRAINE-CRISIS/KIEV
A protester sits in front of burning barricades during clashes with pro-government forces at Independence Square in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. The latest violence in the country’s east has killed at least four and wounded ten. (Konstantin Chernichkin/Reuters)
The shelling, which destroyed an array of equipment in the dentistry unit, also hit three nearby apartment buildings.
It followed a night of shelling in another neighbourhood as the fighting between the government and pro-Russian separatists is inching ever closer to the city centre. The mayor’s office said in a statement posted on its website that three people had been killed, five wounded and several residential buildings destroyed during those attacks.
The government denies it uses artillery against residential areas, but that claim has come under substantial strain in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have been fighting the Kyiv government since April. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Moscow of backing the mutiny with weapons and soldiers, a claim the Russian government has repeatedly denied.
The West has also accused Russia of most likely providing the insurgents with surface-to-air missiles that may have been used to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over rebel-held territory on July 17, killing all 298 people on board.
Clashes in Kyiv
Clashes erupted in central Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych. At the time, protesters were angry about endemic corruption and wanted closer ties with the European Union.
In scenes reminiscent of that revolt, which climaxed with Yanukovych’s ouster in February, demonstrators set alight tires in their face-off against a volunteer battalion overseeing the clean-up operation.
In eastern Ukraine, government troops have made tentative progress in their strategy to retake Donetsk and other towns and cities. Armed forces have refrained from pitched urban battles, and instead favoured pushing back their opponents with artillery fire. It has led to a growing number of civilian casualties.
‘The hospital became a nightmare … We came here to keep living, but now we are risking death.’ – Dmitry Kozhur, patient at Vishnevskiy Hospital
Vishnevskiy Hospital, one of the city’s larger medical treatment facilities, is around four kilometres from the main square. It has been used to provide treatment to civilian victims of the ongoing conflict.
“The hospital became a nightmare. This is absurd,” said 37-year old patient Dmitry Kozhur. “We came here to keep living, but now we are risking death.”
Kozhur said he now wants to join the 300,000 people that the mayor’s office says have already abandoned the once 1 million-person strong city.
As AP reporters were leaving the hospital, they heard the sound of four rounds of artillery being fired from a nearby neighbourhood under rebel control. Although it wasn’t immediately possible to confirm the sequence of events, it appeared that the shells that hit the hospital may have been a response to rebel fire.
‘New quality and quantity of arms’
Neighbours of a house struck by rockets Wednesday said their homes were also near a position used by rebel artillery forces.
UKRAINE-CRISIS/
A Ukrainian serviceman uses a pair of binoculars as he guards a checkpoint in the Donetsk region. A mortar hit a large hospital in Donetsk Thursday. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)
As the rebels struggle to push back Kyiv’s forces, fears of Russian intervention have grown. Western leaders have accused Russia of massing troops on the border with Ukraine and supplying rebels with weapons..
“We’ve noted with concern a new quality and quantity of arms and equipment flowing across the border from Russia into Ukraine, reports of shelling across the border as well as further attacks by illegal armed groups on targets in eastern Ukraine,” said Sebastien Brabant, a spokesman for the EU’s foreign policy chief.
It is also worth noting that the article below was edited as well midway through the day. This is proof positive that this “story” is being consistently spun in order to confuse the citizens. Propaganda 101 states that it is not wise to edit article in such a way, not only does this cause doubt to how independent the “free press” is, but it discredits any and all reports from said “free” press.
Updated: 9:50 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 | Posted: 9:49 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 Shelling in rebel-held Ukrainian city kills 4
By YURAS KARMANAU
The Associated Press
DONETSK, Ukraine —
Sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.
Mortar fire struck the Vishnevskiy Hospital in Donetsk on Thursday morning, killing one and wounding five others, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky told The Associated Press.
“There was a sudden explosion,” witness Dr. Anna Kravtsova said. “A mortar round flew through the window.”
The shelling, which destroyed an array of equipment in the dentistry unit, also hit three nearby apartment buildings.
It followed a night of shelling in another neighborhood as the fighting between the government and pro-Russian separatists is inching ever closer to the city center. The mayor’s office said in a statement posted on its website that three people had been killed, five wounded and several residential buildings destroyed during those attacks.
The government denies it uses artillery against residential areas, but that claim has come under substantial strain in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have been fighting the Kiev government since April. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Moscow of backing the mutiny with weapons and soldiers, a claim the Russian government has repeatedly denied.
The West has also accused Russia of most likely providing the insurgents with surface-to-air missiles that may have been used to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over rebel-held territory on July 17, killing all 298 people on board.
Clashes erupted in central Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych. At the time, protesters were angry about endemic corruption and wanted closer ties with the European Union.
In scenes reminiscent of that revolt, which climaxed with Yanukovych’s ouster in February, demonstrators set alight tires in their face-off against a volunteer battalion overseeing the clean-up operation.
In eastern Ukraine, government troops have made tentative progress in their strategy to retake Donetsk and other towns and cities. Armed forces have refrained from pitched urban battles, and instead favored pushing back their opponents with artillery fire. It has led to a growing number of civilians casualties.
Vishnevskiy Hospital, one of the city’s larger medical treatment facilities, is around 4 kilometers (less than 3 miles) from the main square. It has been used to provide treatment to civilian victims of the ongoing conflict.
“The hospital became a nightmare. This is absurd,” said 37-year old patient Dmitry Kozhur. “We came here to keep living, but now we are risking death.”
Kozhur said he now wants to join the 300,000 people that the mayor’s office says have already abandoned the once 1 million-person strong city.
As AP reporters were leaving the hospital, they heard the sound of four rounds of artillery being fired from a nearby neighborhood under rebel control. Although it wasn’t immediately possible to confirm the sequence of events, it appeared that the shells that hit the hospital may have been a response to rebel fire.
Neighbors of a house struck by rockets Wednesday said their homes were also near a position used by rebel artillery forces.
As the rebels struggle to push back Kiev’s forces, fears of Russian intervention have grown. Western leaders have accused Russia of massing troops on the border with Ukraine and supplying rebels with weapons..
“We’ve noted with concern a new quality and quantity of arms and equipment flowing across the border from Russia into Ukraine, reports of shelling across the border as well as further attacks by illegal armed groups on targets in eastern Ukraine,” said Sebastien Brabant, a spokesman for the EU’s foreign policy chief.
Russia has always denied such claims
The Ukrainian army strategy has focused on driving a wedge between Donetsk and the other main stronghold of Luhansk. Efforts to seal off the border with Russia have been thwarted as border troops come under sustained and heavy rocket fire. Ukraine says a lot of those attacks have been carried out by Russian troops, which Moscow also fervently denies.
In Kiev, demonstrators confronted city workers clearing a main square of long-standing barricades in a standoff that turned violent. A group of men set light to fuel-drenched tires and remonstrated with armed men from a pro-government battalion charged with protecting clean-up workers.
Dark plumes of acrid smoke from burning rubber rose above Independence Square as workers in high-visibility vests worked fast to dismantle barricades surrounding the main stage.
The square and surrounding streets were the site of huge winter protests that led to Yanukovych’s ouster. Despite the election in May of a successor — 48-year old billionaire confectionery tycoon Petro Poroshenko — many said they would continue to squat on the square to ensure the new authorities lived up to their promise to usher in an era of transparent and accountable rule.
Many Kiev residents have fumed over the months-long sit-in, however, complaining that it severely disrupts traffic and blights the city’s main thoroughfare.
City authorities have been negotiating with the protesters to clear the square since a new mayor was elected, but have met strong resistance from the several hundred demonstrators still camped out there.
While many barricades were removed Thursday, numerous tents remain in place.
___
Peter Leonard reported from Kiev. Juergen Baetz contributed to this report from Brussels.
The text and title of this version of the AP article was also changed and adjusted to the false propaganda narrative.
Updated: 2:04 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 | Posted: 2:03 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014 NATO pledges support to conflict-wracked Ukraine
By PETER LEONARD
The Associated Press
KIEV, Ukraine —
NATO’s chief defied mounting Russian belligerence Thursday with a pledge to provide assistance to Ukraine, which is battling to quash an insurgency being waged by pro-Russia rebels in the country’s east.
The show of support from Anders Fogh Rasmussen comes as government troops increasingly focus their push to claw back rebel-held territory on the stronghold of Donetsk. Ukraine appears to be ratcheting up the urgency of its onslaught against the backdrop of an alleged escalation of Russian troop presence on the border.
“In response to Russia’s aggression, NATO is working even more closely with Ukraine to reform its armed forces and defense institutions,” Rasmussen said during a visit to the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.
In a sign of sagging morale among rebel forces, separatist authorities issued a desperate plea for assistance Thursday, complaining in a statement that a “critical situation has developed with the militia’s food, uniform and ammunition supplies.”
In Donetsk, sustained shelling struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, local officials said.
Mortar fire struck the Vishnevskiy Hospital on Thursday morning, killing one and wounding five others, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky told The Associated Press.
“There was a sudden explosion,” witness Dr. Anna Kravtsova said. “A mortar round flew through the window.”
The shelling, which destroyed an array of equipment in the dentistry unit, also hit three nearby apartment buildings.
It followed a night of shelling in another neighborhood as the fighting between the government and pro-Russian separatists is inching ever closer to the city center. The mayor’s office said in a statement posted on its website that three people had been killed, five wounded and several residential buildings destroyed during those attacks.
The government denies it uses artillery against residential areas, but that claim has come under substantial strain in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have been fighting the Kiev government since April. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Moscow of backing the mutiny with weapons and soldiers. The West accused Russia of most likely providing the insurgents with surface-to-air missiles that may have been used to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over rebel-held territory on July 17, killing all 298 people on board.
The Russian government has repeatedly denied all those charges.
More recently, Moscow has drawn accusations it is attempting to sow more instability with an intimidating show of force by dispatching what NATO estimates is 20,000 troops to Ukraine’s eastern border. That deployment has led many to speculate Russia may pursue an incursion under the guise of restoring stability to eastern Ukraine.
“I call on Russia to step back from the brink. Step back from the border. Do not use peacekeeping as an excuse for war-making,” Rasmussen said.
While stopping short of committing to direct assistance in Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, Rasmussen said that NATO would intensify its cooperation with Ukraine on defense planning and reform.
Hours before Rasmussen’s arrival, clashes erupted in central Kiev as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych. At the time, protesters were angry about endemic corruption and wanted closer ties with the European Union.
In scenes reminiscent of that revolt, which climaxed with Yanukovych’s ouster in February, demonstrators set alight tires in their face-off against a volunteer battalion overseeing the clean-up operation.
In eastern Ukraine, government troops have made tentative progress in their strategy to retake Donetsk and other towns and cities. Armed forces have refrained from pitched urban battles, and instead favored pushing back their opponents with artillery fire. It has led to a growing number of civilians casualties.
Vishnevskiy Hospital, one of the city’s larger medical treatment facilities, is around 4 kilometers (less than 3 miles) from the main square. It has been used to provide treatment to civilian victims of the ongoing conflict.
“The hospital became a nightmare. This is absurd,” said 37-year old patient Dmitry Kozhur. “We came here to keep living, but now we are risking death.”
Kozhur said he now wants to join the 300,000 people that the mayor’s office says have already abandoned the once 1 million-person strong city.
As AP reporters were leaving the hospital, they heard the sound of four rounds of artillery being fired from a nearby neighborhood under rebel control. Although it wasn’t immediately possible to confirm the sequence of events, it appeared that the shells that hit the hospital may have been a response to rebel fire.
Neighbors of a house struck by rockets Wednesday said their homes were also near a position used by rebel artillery forces.
The Ukrainian military’s strategy has focused on driving a wedge between Donetsk and the other main stronghold of Luhansk. Efforts to seal off the border with Russia have been thwarted as border troops come under sustained and heavy rocket fire. Ukraine says a lot of those attacks have been carried out by Russian troops, which Moscow also fervently denies.
___
Karmanau reported from Donetsk, Ukraine. Juergen Baetz contributed to this report from Brussels.
Below are two versions of another article published and edited today by the CBC that have seemingly been scrubbed to avoid mentioning the violent crackdown in Kiev today as well as title and url “wording” changes like Article 1 above. Since it was a little more subtle, other than adding irrelevant Harper Regime Minister photo-op vote pandering dribblings, and done behind the scenes within the slideshow scripts, we’ll present both for further review of the text portion. Of special concern is the image swaps (where the text 1 of 13 is located in the article) which are explained further down. The most noteworthy is image 1, the removal of the violent crackdown in Kiev. Please note that this article is a combo of files from the AP (Associated Propaganda) as well as Reuters in cahoots with The Canadian Press.
Russia bans food imports from Canada, other countries for 1 year
Ban covers meat, fish, milk, fruit, vegetables from Canada, the U.S., EU
The Canadian Press Posted: Aug 07, 2014 5:31 AM ET
Last Updated: Aug 07, 2014 9:53 AM ET
Russia is responding to fresh sanctions from Canada, the U.S. and other countries with a ban on food imports for a year.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says the ban covers Canada, the U.S. the European Union, Australia, Norway and covers:
Meat.
Fish.
Milk and milk products.
Fruit and vegetables.
The move announced Thursday was taken on orders from President Vladimir Putin in response to sanctions imposed over the crisis in Ukraine. The ban will cost Western farmers billions of dollars but also isolates Russian consumers from world trade to a degree unseen since Soviet days.
Russia’s sanctions will mostly affect Canada’s pork industry. Canada’s agricultural exports to Russia amounted to $563 million in 2012, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and most of them were frozen pork.
Canada on Wednesday slapped new sanctions and travel bans on several top Russian and Ukrainian politicians and groups with ties to Putin’s government. Those sanctions, imposed in co-ordination with the U.S. and the EU, came amid reports Russia is massing thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has frequently said Russia’s occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and provocative military activity in eastern Ukraine is a “grave concern” to Canada and the world.
Harper said Canada is prepared to take further actions if Putin’s government continues its military aggression.
Russian economy already showing effects
The announcement saw Russian bond yields rise to their highest levels in years and Moscow’s already reeling share prices extend a sell-off.
Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov acknowledged that the measures would cause a short-term spike in inflation, but said he did not see a danger in the medium or long term. He said Russia would compensate with more imports of products from other suppliers such as Brazilian meat and New Zealand cheese.
Russia Sanctions
A woman shops at a supermarket in downtown Moscow on Thursday. Russia’s new sanctions were made in response to sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over the crisis in Ukraine. (Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press)
Russia depends heavily on imported foodstuffs — most of it from the West — particularly in the largest and most prosperous cities such as Moscow. In 2013 the EU’s agricultural exports to Russia totalled $15.8 billion US, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture says food and agricultural imports from the U.S. amounted to $1.3 billion.
Medvedev argued that the ban would give Russian farmers, who have struggled to compete with Western products, a good chance to increase their market share.
But experts said that local producers will find it hard to fill the gap left by the ban, as the nation’s agricultural sector has continued to suffer from poor efficiency and shortage of funds.
While the government claimed it will move quickly to replace Western imports by importing more food from Latin America, Turkey and ex-Soviet nations to avoid empty shelves and price hikes, analysts predicted that it will further speed up inflation.
Moscow will be hit hard
The damage to consumers inflicted by the ban will be felt particularly hard in big cities like Moscow, where imported food fills an estimated 60-70 per cent of the market.
Russians have relished imported food since the fall of the Soviet Union, when year-round supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables arrived and ubiquitous cheap American frozen chicken quarters became known as “Bush’s legs” after the then president.
Medvedev said Russia is also considering banning Western carriers from flying over Russia on flights to and from Asia — a move that would significantly swell costs and increase flight time. He said a decision on that hasn’t been made yet.
Protesters hold a Molotov cocktail during clashes with pro-government forces at Independence Square in Kyiv on Thursday. Tensions flared in the square, the scene of street protests that toppled a Moscow-backed president in February, when protesters still camped there clashed with city workers who tried to clear away their tents.
1 of 13
Russia may also introduce restrictions regarding imports of planes, navy vessels and cars, Medvedev said, but added that the government will realistically assess its own production potential.
Medvedev made it clear that Russia hopes that the sanctions will make the West revise its policy and stop trying to pressure Russia with sanctions.
“We didn’t want such developments, and I sincerely hope that our partners will put a pragmatic economic approach above bad policy considerations,” he said, adding that the ban could be lifted earlier if the West shows a “constructive approach.”
If the West doesn’t change course, Russia may follow up by introducing restrictions regarding imports of planes, navy vessels, cars and other industrial products, Medvedev warned, but added that the government will move carefully.
“The government understands how important such co-operation is, and naturally, we have a realistic assessment of our own capacities,” he said.
EU Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent voiced regret about the ban. He said the commission still has to assess the potential impact, and reserves “the right to take action as appropriate.”
This article was a little more subtly edited as the day progressed. While we are still sifting through the text, the most noteworthy edit was to the slideshow (13 of 13) contained towards the end. The first 2 images were swapped out, one was related to the violent crackdown in Kiev and the other was of the situation in the hospital (see below for the urls and captions).
Russia sanctions show Putin’s ‘short-sighted desperation,’ Canada says
Ban covers meat, fish, milk, fruit, vegetables from Canada, the U.S., EU
CBC News Posted: Aug 07, 2014 5:31 AM ET
Last Updated: Aug 07, 2014 2:56 PM ET
Canada will not be intimidated by Russia’s ban on its food imports, Industry Minister James Moore said Thursday, warning that the sanctions will hurt Russian consumers more than Canadians.
“We will certainly look at the impact of these sanctions on the Canadian economy, but they will in no way cause us to have any hesitation in the principled position we’ve taken in opposing [Russian President] Vladimir Putin’s regime,” Moore said during a news conference in Montreal.
Russia responded Thursday to fresh sanctions from Canada, the U.S. and other countries with a ban on food imports for a year. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced that the ban includes Canada, the U.S. the European Union, Australia, Norway and others. Banned items include:
Meat.
Fish.
Milk and dairy products.
Fruit and vegetables.
Moore said the sanctions show the importance of expanding free trade, including the Harper government’s drive toward a free-trade deal with the European Union.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz made similar comments in a statement Thursday, criticizing Putin’s “short-sighted desperation.”
“Our government will continue to put Canada’s national interests first, but we cannot allow business interests alone to dictate our foreign policy,” Ritz said.
Industry Minister James Moore
Industry Minister James Moore said Canada won’t back down in the face of sanctions from Russia. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Russia’s move was taken on orders from Putin in response to sanctions imposed over the crisis in Ukraine. The ban will cost farmers in North America, Europe and Australia billions of dollars but also isolates Russian consumers from world trade to a degree unseen since Soviet days.
Canada had on Wednesday slapped new sanctions and travel bans on several top Russian and Ukrainian politicians and groups with ties to Putin’s government. Those sanctions, imposed in co-ordination with the U.S. and the EU, came amid reports Russia is massing thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has frequently said Russia’s occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and provocative military activity in eastern Ukraine is a “grave concern” to Canada and the world.
Russia’s sanctions will mostly affect Canada’s pork industry. Canada’s agricultural exports to Russia amounted to $563 million in 2012, though Jim Laws of the Canadian Meat Council said that number dropped to $260 million last year.
Laws told CBC News Network pork producers will start to feel the effects right away, with up to 1,000 container loads of pork on ships bound for Russia.
Laws was optimistic that much of the meat could be re-directed to other countries or back to Canada, but said that the redirection alone would cost the industry “quite a bit of money.”
“We’re fortunate that we have many markets for pork around the world. Last year, we sold some $3.2 billion worth of pork to over 120 different countries. Russia, however, was the fourth most important market” behind U.S., Japan and China, he said.
Geoff Irvine, head of the Lobster Council of Canada, said the Russian sanctions are “not good for Canada.”
“For lobster, Russia is a small but potentially good market. The biggest impact on seafood in Canada will be on northern shrimp, and maybe cheaper fish like Pacific hake and herring.”
Russia depends heavily on imports
Russian stock indexes initially fell by about 1.5 per cent on the news before recovering most of the losses a few hours later.
Agriculture Minister Nikolai Fyodorov acknowledged that the measures would cause a short-term spike in inflation, but said he did not see a danger in the medium or long term. He said Russia would compensate with more imports of products from other suppliers such as Brazilian meat and New Zealand cheese.
Russia depends heavily on imported foodstuffs — most of it from the West — particularly in the largest and most prosperous cities such as Moscow. In 2013, the EU’s agricultural exports to Russia totalled $15.8 billion US, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture says food and agricultural imports from the U.S. amounted to $1.3 billion.
Russia Sanctions
A woman shops at a supermarket in downtown Moscow on Thursday. Russia’s new sanctions were made in response to sanctions imposed on Russia by the West over the crisis in Ukraine. (Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press)
Medvedev argued that the ban would give Russian farmers, who have struggled to compete with Western products, a good chance to increase their market share.
But experts said that local producers will find it hard to fill the gap left by the ban, as the nation’s agricultural sector has continued to suffer from poor efficiency and shortage of funds.
While the government claimed it will move quickly to replace Western imports by importing more food from Latin America, Turkey and ex-Soviet nations to avoid empty shelves and price hikes, analysts predicted that it will further speed up inflation.
Chris Weafer, an analyst at Macro Advisory in Moscow, said the ban will likely speed up inflation and further cloud an already grim economic outlook. “Along with higher interest rates, higher food costs will mean that households have less money to spend and that will depress the economy,” he said.
Market watchers said consumers in the expensive food segment will suffer the most, losing access to goods like French cheeses and Parma ham, but others will also eventually feel the brunt as food variety will shrink and inflationary pressures increase. With retail chains stocked up for months ahead, the ban will take time to hurt, however.
The measure led to sardonic comments across Russian online media and liberal blogs, bringing reminiscences of empty store shelves during the Soviet times, but there was no immediate indication of consumers trying to stock up.
Moscow will be hit hard
The damage to consumers inflicted by the ban will be felt particularly hard in big cities like Moscow, where imported food fills an estimated 60-70 per cent of the market.
Russians have relished imported food since the fall of the Soviet Union, when year-round supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables arrived and ubiquitous cheap American frozen chicken quarters became known as “Bush’s legs” after the then president.
Medvedev said Russia is also considering banning Western carriers from flying over Russia on flights to and from Asia — a move that would significantly swell costs and increase flight time. He said a decision on that hasn’t been made yet.
A Ukrainian army sapper shows reporters an IED that pro-Russian separatists allegedly left behind during their retreat at a checkpoint outside the eastern Ukrainian village of Nikishyne on Aug. 1.
13 of 13
Russia may also introduce restrictions regarding imports of planes, navy vessels and cars, Medvedev said, but added that the government will realistically assess its own production potential.
Medvedev made it clear that Russia hopes that the sanctions will make the West revise its policy and stop trying to pressure Russia with sanctions.
“We didn’t want such developments, and I sincerely hope that our partners will put a pragmatic economic approach above bad policy considerations,” he said, adding that the ban could be lifted earlier if the West shows a “constructive approach.”
EU Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent voiced regret about the ban. He said the commission still has to assess the potential impact, and reserves “the right to take action as appropriate.”
With files from The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters
Below are the original images that were in the slideshow. oddly enough they implicate the Kiev Regime. the first is from the violent crackdown that seems to be covered under a media blackout, while the second implicated the Kiev Regime’s ongoing aerial assault, bombardment and onslaught against Ukrainians in Donetsk.
Protesters hold a Molotov cocktail during clashes with pro-government forces at Independence Square in Kyiv on Thursday. Tensions flared in the square, the scene of street protests that toppled a Moscow-backed president in February, when protesters still camped there clashed with city workers who tried to clear away their tents
Local residents cry and hug each other as they sit in a hospital basement being used as a bomb shelter after shelling, in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on Aug. 7. Fighting in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk claimed more civilian casualties, bringing new calls from Russian nationalists for President Vladimir Putin to send in the army
People emerge the morning of Aug. 6 to inspect the rubble of damaged buildings following what was described as a airstrike by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk on Wednesday. NATO says it fears Russia is poised to invade under the pretext of humanitarian aid
A Ukrainian soldier mans a checkpoint in the eastern city of Debaltseve on Aug. 6. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday slapped a one-year ban and restriction on food and agricultural product imports from nations that have imposed sanctions on Russia over its defiant stance on Ukraine
People emerge the morning of Aug. 6 to inspect the rubble of damaged buildings following what was described as a airstrike by Ukrainian forces in Donetsk on Wednesday. NATO says it fears Russia is poised to invade under the pretext of humanitarian aid
Armed pro-Russian separatists stand guard at a checkpoint in the settlement of Yasynuvata, outside Donetsk, on Aug. 5. NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in an emailed statement that the treaty organization was concerned Moscow could use the pretext of peacekeeping as an excuse to send troops into eastern Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, second from left, meets with heads of security and force services in Kyiv on Aug. 6. Kyiv denies launching an artillery barrage and air raids against residential neighbourhoods in Donestsk and accuses the rebels of firing at civilian areas, claims that Human Rights Watch and others have questioned
A man removes debris from a ruined building on the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian town of Slovyansk on Aug. 6
Ukrainian servicemen on board an armoured vehicle patrol the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk on Aug. 5. Airstrikes and artillery fire between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian troops in the region have brought the shadow of war closer than ever to the urban core of some of the east’s larger cities
Ukrainian servicemen fire artillery rounds against pro-Russian separatists near Pervomaisk, in the Luhansk region, on Aug. 2
A Ukrainian army sapper shows reporters an IED that pro-Russian separatists allegedly left behind during their retreat at a checkpoint outside the eastern Ukrainian village of Nikishyne on Aug. 1
Article 2 Image Swaps
Below are the 2 new replacements for images 1 and 2 that were edited midway through the day.
Boys play a game of war in the eastern Ukrainian town of Kramatorsk on Aug. 7, 2014. Russia responded Thursday to fresh sanctions from Canada, the U.S. and other countries with a ban on food imports for a year. The ban includes food stuffs like milk, fish, meat and vegetables.
Smoke billows from the flaming debris of a crashed Ukrainian fighter jet near the village of Zhdanivka, some 40 km northeast of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, on Thursday. The the Sukhoi warplane was blasted out of the air while flying low over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, An AFP crew reported, with the parachute of at least one pilot opening up in the clear blue sky.
Suspiciously Missing image
The image below seems to be intended as a thumbnail related to the violent crackdown against protesters in Kiev as it is also located in the alternative Associated propaganda article presented above.
screen reader text
We welcome any and all contributions to this summary so that we may present these findings to a much wider audience as well as various local, national and international media, NGO’s, public officials and law enforcement agencies at hom,e and abroad. It is our understanding that spreading propaganda that results in terrorist activities, recruitment, harm and/or death against innocent civilians is a serious violation of local, State, Provincial, National, Federal and International laws, depending on the jurisdictions.
Remember, politics is a contact sport, like hockey, so please feel free to add quick contributions, observations and relevant information as a comment below!
Contact us if you would like to contribute to our collaborative efforts or would like to share/submit articles, data or additional content, feel free to add feedback, additional info, alternative contact details, related links, articles, anonymous submission, etc. as a comment below, via web-form, through social media outlets or email us directly and confidentially at: dumpharper [at] live [dot] ca
This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. and intend its use to be for education and instructional purposes only. Therefore, we believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
41 thoughts on “@CBCNews BUSTED re #NATO vs #Ukraine vs #Russia! #GPC #NDP #LPC #CPC”
FYI: Here is an article of the violence in Kiev from Business Insider. I am not sure how to share the photos but did find out how to include the Twitter links and I’ll try to add a couple more article i found later Thanks for your efforts and please keep up the good work, there are some serious dark forces hiding the truth and the Harpers have seriously lost our support in all of this!
Clashes In Kiev As Ukraine Moves To Dismantle ‘Euromaidan’ Protest Camp
Reuters
Aug. 7, 2014, 5:51 AM
21,584 Views
16 Comments
Tensions flared on Thursday on Kiev’s Independence Square, the scene of street protests that toppled a Moscow-backed president in February, when protesters still camped there clashed with city workers who tried to clear away their tents.
The protesters set fire to heaps of tyres, sending clouds of black smoke billowing across the city center square, known as the Maidan, recalling the demonstrations earlier this year that chased Viktor Yanukovich from power.
Armed riot police moved onto the square as protesters — some of them in combat fatigues and masks and waving clubs — threw bottles and paving bricks at municipal workers who had been dispatched to dismantle the tents and barricades.
Maidan burning. City authorities backed up by the Kiev Battalion cleared a section of the protest camp #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/AVKRUN0aLN
— Simon Ostrovsky (@SimonOstrovsky) August 7, 2014 (https://twitter.com/SimonOstrovsky/statuses/497308405783339008)
The police and workers eventually withdrew, leaving the situation unresolved.
Many protesters, including self-defense militias, have taken down their tents and returned to their homes since the election of Petro Poroshenko as president at the end of May.
But many barricades have remained in place, along with makeshift shrines to the 100 or so protesters killed by police sniper fire, and a few hundred people are still camped out on the Maidan.
“It’s the right thing to do (take down the tents). I was here from the start of the Maidan and I believe it’s right now to take down what there is here. There are practically no normal people left here,” said Yury Kovalchuk, a 43-year-old businessman.
Ukraine’s uprising began last November when Yanukovich walked away from a political and trade deal with the European Union and sought to swing policy back toward Russia. At its height, thousands of people from across Ukraine were camped out on the square and on an adjoining thoroughfare.
Kiev’s new authorities have made clear they would like the capital city back to normal, with traffic moving freely, ahead of an expected parliamentary election at the end of October.
“It’s like seeing everything that went on in winter coming back: tyres are burning, the police are here and so are people with clubs,” said Vitaly Lyakh, a 37-year-old Kiev resident.
“It’s not right — especially since the most decent people have gone off to fight in the war (against separatists in the east). Civilized countries don’t behave like this,” he said.
One protester wearing a Ukrainian cossack uniform, Mykola Bondar, declared his resistance to attempts to take down the encampment. A group of young masked protesters stood nearby atop a truck, banging on the roof of the vehicle with clubs.
“They tried to kill us today. They set fire to us,” he said.
(Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Richard Balmforth; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
Here are the comments on the article I just posted since you are trying to archive things.
Comments
Insiders 0
All Comments 16
Apply To Be An “Insider” »
81 29 … on Aug 7, 6:19 AM said:
People are dying in east Ukraine by shelling of Kiev forces and you talk about this?
Today was kill bunch of civilians and they ran to Russia for help, which just save several hundred Kiev forces life.
Is true that western media not want to go speak with Kiev soldiers which surrender to Russia because western governments block that?
Reply
51 18 James Hart on Aug 7, 2:58 PM said:
@…: yes it is truth .
Russia made them available to speak to press ,but since most of them have nothing good to say about regime of oligarchs and nazies that sent them to die and kill their own western media refuse to talk to them.
as i was talking to my brother in Donetsk he said there is many reporters from major US news outlets
and when he asked one of them why not go talk to those people,that is not far he replied
that word came : “don’t bother it will not get printed or make the news” and that their reports “get edited to fit US consumption”
Reply
6 24 BykKillsAirlinesbyRussia on Aug 7, 4:25 PM said:
@…: Today I was made stupid russin comment no englisha here
Reply
85 29 Natty Bumpo on Aug 7, 6:21 AM said:
Ukranian government is just as bad as Russia. People don’t understand the fire that has started here, that the US is stoking the flames of and what the end result will be. Nothing good will come out of this mess and we haven’t even begun to see the bad. If Russia had helped overthrow the elected (be it questionably elected government) of Canada or Mexico right before the next elections were held you can damn well bet that we would be doing exactly what Russia is doing if not worse. Obama is hell bent on burning the whole world down.
Reply
17 4 dede chosen on Aug 7, 6:36 PM said:
@Natty Bumpo: it is not an Obama thing but the powers that controls the US!
Reply
31 13 Richard Mc on Aug 7, 1:44 PM said:
Maybe they should get a job and stop living off their parents and the state.
Reply
12 22 Alonso Schneeweiss on Aug 7, 3:33 PM said:
All of those anti-government militants on the Maidan should be shot! Where is Victoria Nuland when you need her?!!
Reply
20 1 Amarige on Aug 7, 6:19 PM said:
@Alonso Schneeweiss: No more cookies? Are we broke?
Reply
30 15 Rodger Olsen on Aug 7, 4:01 PM said:
Both Russian and Ukrainian media have been showing the actual confrontation on the news. I doubt that you will see it on American media because it makes the Kiev government look incompetent and makes the protesters that we backed look like idiots. The people in the Maidan are nuts who have made a life out of protesting. They are violent, confrontational and totally unreasonable. Their most popular chant is “We gave you the government with our bodies! You can’t throw us away!”
The government was unable to stand up to them and little was accomplished.
My personal hope is that they treat the protestors in Kiev with the same tactics that use on the protesters in Doneskt. Machine guns, air strikes, artillery and bombing should move them out easy enough.
Reply
26 3 Arsan Lupin on Aug 7, 5:35 PM said:
@Rodger Olsen: Oh yes, all of us in the US can see the rioting in Maiden. While I disagree with the magnitude of force you advocate, I agree they must behave in a civilized manner. The Maiden must be cleaned up, so life can return to normal for the people of Kyiv.
They always were a part of the problem in Ukraine. They denigrate and marginalize the ethnic Russians and the Russian-speakers. It would be so easy for them to find ways to get along with each other, and to fight off the invader as a united Ukraine. The Russian-speakers weren’t asking for so much in the early days; the real cost to the country would have been negligible.
But NOOOOOOOO!!! They start fistfights in the Rada about anything the least bit conciliatory! FOOLS! Government is supposed to be about negotiation and compromise. Only a selfish idiot demands that everything go 100% their way. We’re learning that the hard way with our Tea Party lunacy. Your country is being torn apart because of people’s stubbornness and refusal to compromise. Look back at that, then look at now, and ask yourselves: were the stupid little victories in the Rada worth THIS???
Reply
34 7 Rodger Olsen on Aug 7, 4:03 PM said:
The Ukrainian government today announced that it could not crack down on the protesters because Victoria Nuland was still passing out cookies to them.
Reply
13 36 sdfsef@jaja.com on Aug 7, 4:27 PM said:
Most of true maidan protesters who removed criminal president form power are either bakc home with families and working their jobs, or are volonteers in the ukrnaian military fighing with russian invasion. These people on maidan are moslty drnks, alcoholics or provacators paid by russia. Thats what former maidan protesters are saying themselves – they dont understand who these people are.
Reply
31 7 Amarige on Aug 7, 6:45 PM said:
@sdfsef@jaja.com: They removed one criminal president and installed the new one. That is why Maidan is still going on
Reply
25 5 privat opinion on Aug 7, 5:00 PM said:
ooo! soon people will delete this marrionettes regime from obama-biden
Reply
41 9 HM on Aug 7, 6:25 PM said:
What hypocrisy by the United States and the EU!! Now that the United States successfully overthrew the democratically-elected Yanukovych government using the street rioters in February of this year, and having the balls to actually threaten Yanukovych at the time not to use any force against the street rioters, now that the U.S. has achieved its goal of placing two U.S. puppet leaders in place to run the illegitimate Kiev government, President Petro Poroshenko and PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk, it has no more need of the pesky street rioters and is now supporting the illegal Kiev government under its puppet leaders to clear out Maidan Square of all rioters.
I guess we will now find out how much worse the new (illegitimate) Kiev government is over that of the former legitimate Kiev government under Viktor Yanukovych. I predict that the new government will use whatever force they deem necessary to clear out Maidan Square of all rioters, even if it involves violence and death, and I will, in no way, feel sorry for any of them. The rioters were completely duped into giving complete and absolute control of Ukraine over to the United States, a puppet nation with no sovereignty or independence or freedom to choose its own destiny. It has now become a nation state under the flag of the United States.
Reply
5 0 arcpeter on Aug 8, 8:05 AM said:
The funny part here is that Kiev-1 police unit is actually consists from former Maidan activists. So yesterday radicals in police uniform now themselves experience hail of stones and molotov cocktails.
Reply
This looks like a very similar article on the globe and mails website that you have in your article that does not seem to have been edited according to the Published and Last Updated times. The comments are included below and some are rather troubling and worth noting and the sources are worth following up on. The one that strike me as odd is the one about the children in the besieged orphanage because it is the oligarch backed Azov Battalion and Right Sector paramilitary in the area that refused to let the children with AIDS/etc to be evacuated. It seems like some of these commentators are confusing the Kiev oligarch backed “off the books” paramilitaries with the self defence forces that are attempting to protect their homes and whats left of their property. There seems to be no end to this madness!
Deadly day in rebel-held Donetsk as clashes erupt at Kiev protest site
YURAS KARMANAU AND PETER LEONARD
DONETSK, UKRAINE — The Associated Press
Published Thursday, Aug. 07 2014, 10:05 AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Aug. 07 2014, 10:07 AM EDT
Activists shout during clashes with forces from the Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on Aug. 7, 2014.
(EFREM LUKATSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.
Mortar fire struck the Vishnevskiy Hospital in Donetsk on Thursday morning, killing one and wounding five others, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky told The Associated Press. “There was a sudden explosion,” witness Dr. Anna Kravtsova said. “A mortar round flew through the window.”
The shelling, which destroyed an array of equipment in the dentistry unit, also hit three nearby apartment buildings.
It followed a night of shelling in another neighbourhood as the fighting between the government and pro-Russian separatists is inching ever closer to the city centre. The mayor’s office said in a statement posted on its website that three people had been killed, five wounded and several residential buildings destroyed during those attacks.
The government denies it uses artillery against residential areas, but that claim has come under substantial strain in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have been fighting the Kiev government since April. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Moscow of backing the mutiny with weapons and soldiers, a claim the Russian government has repeatedly denied.
The West has also accused Russia of most likely providing the insurgents with surface-to-air missiles that may have been used to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over rebel-held territory on July 17, killing all 298 people on board.
Clashes erupted in central Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych. At the time, protesters were angry about endemic corruption and wanted closer ties with the European Union.
In scenes reminiscent of that revolt, which climaxed with Yanukovych’s ouster in February, demonstrators set alight tires in their faceoff against a volunteer battalion overseeing the cleanup operation.
Dark plumes of acrid smoke from burning rubber rose above Independence Square as workers in high-visibility vests worked fast to dismantle barricades surrounding the main stage.
The square and surrounding streets were the site of huge winter protests that led to Yanukovych’s ouster. Despite the election in May of a successor – 48-year old billionaire confectionery tycoon Petro Poroshenko – many said they would continue to squat on the square to ensure the new authorities lived up to their promise to usher in an era of transparent and accountable rule.
Many Kiev residents have fumed over the months-long sit-in, however, complaining that it severely disrupts traffic and blights the city’s main thoroughfare.
City authorities have been negotiating with the protesters to clear the square since a new mayor was elected, but have met strong resistance from the several hundred demonstrators still camped out there.
While many barricades were removed Thursday, numerous tents remain in place.
Scroll down – there is a short interview with two Spaniards who are killing with the Kiev juanta.
And further down must be some of your buddies Riel, soiling my flag.
4 replies+3
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
Rockhead
You got up late this morning.
Hard to sleep with everyone’s laughter reverberating in your head.
“Soiling my flag” – bad troll, “admitting” you are from Putinland.
Poutine and his Goebbels(‘Liarov’) are going to be very upset.
3 replies0
Report Comment
Rock On Roger 1 day ago
Obviously you didn’t look at the link.
A pair of Kiev killers holding the Maple Leaf.
Maybe one of them is you?
0
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
Rockhead
Though you meant the your real flag before your propaganda boys crudely photoshopped. After all their is only one flag that requires “soiling”.
0
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 23 hours ago
A pair of Kiev killers holding the Maple Leaf.
Maybe one of them is you?
——————–
NEVER!
Riel does not have the courage of the convictions that he expresses online here.
+1
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
LOL – now that the new “western” government has been installed, they will want to clear the Maidan to prevent any future protests.
1 reply+2
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
MadHatcher
You don’t have to tell us your posts are LOL.
We know they all are.
0
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 22 hours ago
Putinland “Mafia State” trolls all over this site.
Thanks for you usual uproarious absurdly delusional detritus.
Exceptionally funny when they agree with each other’s post or answer their own.
Keep the laughs coming
+1
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
.
Donetsk……..I wonder if the Ukraine army will capture the Russian fascist “Governor” Pavel Gubarev or if he’ll cut and run to Russia?
Why are Gubarev and the other Russian mercenaries using the civilian population of Donetesk as human shields, which is a war crime?
Here’s Pavel in his nazi regalia, sieg-heiling and goose-stepping with his brother fascists in the neo-nazi Russian National Unity paramilitary private militia:
Aleksandr Borodai, a Russian citizen who is the “prime minister” of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, was an editor and remains a contributor to the far-right — and often anti-Semitic — newspaper “Zavtra,” founded by ultranationalist Aleksandr Prokhanov in the 1990s.
Fascism is alive and well, indeed it seems to be a prerequisite for positions of power among the pro-Russian “separatists”.
2 replies+1
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 23 hours ago
Fascism is alive and well …
… as Stepan Bandera McGee would know, having learned it from his father.
1 reply+1
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 20 hours ago
Gotta love the way you post and then, triumphantly, award yourself a big Thumbs Up.
Get ’em where you can, eh Ears?
Tell us Ears, do you ever give yourself a Thumbs Down?
0
Report Comment
George Victor 1 1 day ago
Note: The “rebels” have become “separatists” and they are engaged in a “mutiny.”
Better late than never, perhaps.
+1
Report Comment
Richard Roskell 1 day ago
“Clashes erupted in central Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych.”
Since the overthrow of Yanukovych, the Maidan street protesters refused to leave the square until their original demands for government reform were met. Of course, the Kiev regime hasn’t reformed anything. The deck chairs were shuffled on the SS Ukraine, but the same old faces are still driving the ship. Parliamentary elections? Forget it.
The Maidan got schooled in Revolutionary Lesson #1… the hard way. For every revolution that succeeds in making legitimate change, there’s a dozen that are co-opted by counter-revolutionary forces aided by outside actors. The political elite retrench, bide their time, and then return to business as usual. Recent events in Egypt are the perfect example.
Where Ukraine formerly had a corrupt democracy, it now has a corrupt autocracy- one that’s waging war against its own people. The protest that inspired the original revolution is being swept away. Meet the New Boss, worse than the old boss.
0
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
As the Ukraine army closes in on the remaining separatists hiding among the civilian population, the question of the day is:
Will the Russian and Chechen mercenaries and their Spetsnaz and FSB masters cut and run back to Russia and leave their gormless russian-wannabee separatist dupes to twist in the wind at the tender mercies of the Ukraine army?
Or will they do the honourable thing?
The betting is that they’ll abandon their puppets and head back to Russia, or to Crimea where the heroin trafficking is booming under the administration of the Putin-appointed “Prime Minister”, Sergey “Goblin” Aksyonov, a former capo in the local mafia whose specialty was extortion.
The heroin trade is booming there now as Afghan heroin flows through to Russia (the world’s largest consumer of heroin) and that’s where the big money is so that where the Russian mercenaries will be headed to next.
4 replies0
Report Comment
George Victor 1 1 day ago
Got any numbers on the Russian-speaking population of East Ukraine – and the number favouring separation ?
-1
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
Funny how heroin production in Afghanistan has increased steadily since the US arrived. It is not as though they didn’t remember how to use agent orange.
1 reply-1
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 20 hours ago
Actually, it’s increased since the Afghans ran the Russians out of their country with their tails between their legs.
0
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 21 hours ago
What did the people of East Ukraine ever do to you to deserve your enmity Darcy?
0
Report Comment
1waldo1 1 day ago
Blockading of roads in Trans-Carpathia.
Murder of city mayors elsewhere in Western Ukraine.
Clashes in Kiev.
Admittance of foreigners’ presence by the government.
This is the beginning of the end for Ms. Nuland’s excellent adventure.
And the Ukrainian people will be the biggest losers, as Ukraine, as a unified country is finished.
0
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 20 hours ago
The MSM never provides intelligible information about unit movements or the strategic consequences of events in the conflict.
In contrast, info sources from the separatists are detailed and informative.
Kiev’s incompetent leadership and demoralized fighters are losing the fight.
-1
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 21 hours ago
Shelling hospitals?
I guess the U.S. advisors are on the ground now.
-1
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 24 hours ago
That is Harper’s friends for you…
…shelling hospitals again.
Birds of a feather flock together!
4 replies-1
Report Comment
Rock On Roger 1 day ago
This is really bad, Canada used to be a peacekeeper not a warmonger.
Thanks for another Putinland “Mafia State” troll post.
Delusionally funny as always.
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
.
“Sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.”
———-
Why are the Russian “separatists” hiding among the civilian population?
Using civilians as human shields is a war crime.
5 replies-1
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
Yeah, those hospitals and orphanages are popular among separatists, must be the good food that brings them.
Poroshenko promised to rebuild property damaged by Kiev. With whose money? The western aid? – borrowed of course so your federal taxes do not go up. Your grand children will thank you.
1 reply
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
Orphanages?
Yes we saw the Russian mercenaries threaten the directors of orphanages if they tried to remove the orphan children from harm’s way.
“The directors of three orphanages in eastern Ukraine — in Donetsk, Maryinka and Amvrosivka — claim they have been pressured, one at gunpoint, to sign papers saying they will not move the orphans out of the disputed area ”
THatcher 1 day ago
I wonder if the US State Department budget for blankies and cupcakes is all used up?
1 reply
Report Comment
Rock On Roger 1 day ago
They’ll print moar script so Nuland can pass around moar cookies.
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
“Admittance of foreigners’ presence”.
Finally. Was wondering when the “International Brigade” that fought fascists in Spain would be reformed to fight the Putin’s fascist/terrorists in Ukraine.
5 replies-3
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
Why don’t you volunteer to enlist, like this dude?
3 replies
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
MadHatcher
Haven’t you and your fellow “Mafia State” trolls(George Loser1, 1walrus1, Rockhead Roger) already signed up.
You repeatedly tell us how you hate fascists, or is that just another lie.
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 23 hours ago
NEVER!
Riel does not have the courage of the convictions that he expresses online here.
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 22 hours ago
Golden ShowEars
So you were just lying- AGAIN.
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 21 hours ago
You may be riel, but you ain’t real. Here’s the story on you:
“Kiev-based PR professionals formed the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, … to communicate Ukraine’s image and manage its messaging on the global stage. Just as sustained efforts to defend Ukraine’s position abroad are necessary, the same level of PR activity must be directed at an internal audience, too.”
Thank you for your contributions Disgusted Canadian Ukrainian and we will do some research related to the additional comments and those links related to the G&M article. Either we will add some follow up comments here or we will publish a separate summary article about the potential dis-info sites being utilized.
As an fyi, We have been doing some research into some of the trolling activities within the CBC comment boards and suspicious pro-Harper “individuals” for quite some time. As things progress we hope to do an expose that should allow some within the Opposition to follow up on the activities of the trolls that the Harper Regime has on the payroll that adjust the narrative via social media, etc. since these trolls are taxpayer funded.
Thanks again we really appreciate your efforts. Peace and Luv to ya from the CAHR Team! 🙂
Disgusted Canadian Ukrainian, we could only locate 2 things thus far about the situation at the beseiged orphanage, one video from early June and one article from July 30:
Ukraine: AIDS orphanage fears medicine supply will run dry
RuptlyTV
Published on Jun 3, 2014
Video ID: 20140603-041
M/S Children waving
C/U Child
C/U Child
M/S Children in the orphanage
SOT Victor Goncharo, Director of the Orphanage (in Russian) “The problem is that a jet flew over (the orphanage) and dropped bombs and now all the children, when they go out, they look at the sky asking: who will come? Will they shoot or not?”
M/S Van arriving
C/U Swan structure in playground
M/S Volunteers unloading supplies from van
M/S Volunteers taking supplies inside
M/S Supplies in van
M/S Volunteers taking supplies upstairs
M/S Volunteers dropping off supplies
M/S Children all sitting on sofa
C/U Two children on sofa
C/U Religious iconography
SCRIPT:
Volunteers braved dangerous roads in Donetsk on Tuesday to bring much needed supplies to the only orphanage in Ukraine for children with HIV/AIDS.
Victor Goncharo, the director Makiyivka orphanage, says the children have been negatively affected by ongoing airstrikes in the area carried out by Kiev’s military. When the children go outside, he says, they look at the sky to check for military jets.
As the humanitarian situation in Donetsk deteriorates the staff of the orphanage fear supplies of life-saving drugs could run out in the city. In total, 64 children are housed at the orphanage.
MOSCOW, July 30. /ITAR-TASS/. 1,223 children are staying in orphanages that have found themselves in battle zones in the southeast of Ukraine, while the Kiev authorities prevent their evacuation either to Russia or to other Ukrainian regions, Russian children’s ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told Rossia 24 television on Wednesday.
“All in all, 3,700 children lived in these 64 orphanages let us say before the beginning of the summer,” he said. “Now, we have made telephone calls and specified that 1,223 children remain in the zone of combat actions,” the ombudsman said.
He added that the Kiev authorities prevented the evacuation of HIV-infected children from the areas engulfed by combat operations, giving as an example an orphanage in the settlement of Makeyevka where 56 HIV-infected children lived at this moment.
“The authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics offer their evacuation, but Kiev that has learnt about this, prevents it,” Astakhov said.
He said Kiev was not commenting on its refusal to evacuate children from the war zones. “Coming instead are well-known statements by the Ukrainian children’s rights ombudsman: ‘Keep them out of Russia’,” Astakhov added. “She also appealed to the head of the Russian border service to prevent these children from crossing the border,” he said.
29 июля 2014 CNN CNN: США засекли пуск баллистических ракет с украинской территории
Как сообщили телеканалу CNN представители американской разведки, за последние 48 часов с территорий, подконтрольных Киеву, по ополченцам были запущены несколько баллистических ракет. По мнению корреспондента, это означает существенное обострение конфликта на Украине.
Мы начинаем нашу передачу со срочной новости с Украины о том, что может свидетельствовать о значительном военном обострении украинского кризиса. Как только что стало известно CNN, украинские военные выпустили баллистические ракеты по повстанцам.
Корреспондент CNN в Пентагоне Барбара Старр с нами на прямой связи из Вашингтона, военный аналитик CNN, генерал-майор «Паук» Маркс с нами на связи по телефону. Наш старший международный корреспондент Ник Пейтон Уолш выйдет с нами на связь с Украины через несколько мгновений.
Барбара, я хочу начать с вас. Вы узнали об этой информации, расскажите нам подробнее.
БАРБАРА СТАРР, корреспондент CNN: Доброе утро, Кэрол. Не так давно три американских государственных служащих подтвердили в беседе со мной, что разведка США в течение последних 2 суток зафиксировала выпуск нескольких баллистических ракет малой дальности с территории, контролируемой правительственными силами Украины по территории, которую контролируют пророссийские сепаратисты. Это означало бы существенное обострение ситуации. Баллистические ракеты малой дальности.
Дальность этих ракет, возможно, – около 50 миль. Но их боеголовки достигают веса в тысячу фунтов. Мы говорим о максимальном поражающем действии, об оружии, которое может убить десятки людей за раз, в случае его применения. У нас нет точных сведений о точке запуска, нет точных сведений о месте удара.
Собственно этой информацией сейчас располагают США. Власти пока удерживают информацию, потому что находятся в неловком положении. Ведь именно так называемые «хорошие ребята», украинские правительственные войска, выпустили эти баллистические ракеты. Ни Киев, ни Москва еще никак не отреагировали.
США еще не совсем уверены, попросят ли они Киев не применять больше такое оружие. Потому что сейчас они говорят, что у украинского правительства есть право защищать себя. Но не стоит заблуждаться. Налицо обострение военного конфликта на этом поле боя в то время, когда все за пределами Украины или России, по крайней мере, хотят, чтобы конфликт угас.
Они хотят доставить тех наблюдателей и инспекторов на место крушения MH17, а сейчас, похоже, военные действия только усугубляются, о чем свидетельствует эта новая информация, полученная сейчас, сегодня, о том, что были запущены баллистические ракеты ближнего действия, тысячефунтовые боеголовки. Кэрол?
Хорошо. Итак, генерал Маркс, совсем недавно я разговаривала с главным следователем. Он сказал, что говорил с украинским народом, с украинским правительством. Они заверили его, что будет безопасно добраться до места крушения, а теперь мы слышим такое!
ДЖЕЙМС «ПАУК» МАРКС, генерал-лейтенант сухопутных войск США в отставке: Да, это достаточно удивительно. Но, честно говоря, Кэрол, я думаю, что нам не стоит очень сильно удивляться. Конечно же, украинские войска, как верно отметила Барбара, имеют право защищаться и использовать эти ракеты большой дальности класса «поверхность-поверхность», которые преимущественно используются как наступательное вооружение. Они нужны для подготовки части территории, где необходимо уменьшить силы противника до того, как войска войдут в этот район.
Несомненно, разведывательное сообщество США знает, откуда был произведен выстрел и куда была нацелена эта ракета. Они знают ответы на эти вопросы. И я уверен, что эти ракеты были нацелены таким образом, что они никак не могли задеть зону крушения авиалайнера, и что они знают, как дальше действовать в этой ситуации. Но, конечно же, это усложняет обстановку. Повторюсь, Киев имеет на это права и полномочия.
Проблема, Кэрол, заключается в том, что эти ракеты могут и не быть высокоточными комплексами. И я надеюсь, что они используют их против районов, где находятся российские сепаратисты… где, по заявлениям Киева, они имеют право их использовать в попытке сократить силы и средства противника, и где они не станут причиной непреднамеренных потерь среди местного населения этой части страны, чего мы все опасаемся.
Материал предоставлен CNN International.
Перевод выполнен RT.
One of our friends sent us over to check out your site and this recent article about the MSM’s relentless Neocon false narrative propaganda campaign and this is good stuff, kudos to all of you. Here is something of interest that is related to this article about the media blackout surrounding the events in Kiev and the situation in Ukraine. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think. Since we are not sure if the links will show properly from the article, to make things easier the text and link references will be added below fore your archiving efforts. Keep fighting the good fight since this information war is in overdrive and we don’t have much time to avert a global calamity of epic proportions. Feel free to check out and share the other articles that we have on our site as well.
Crushing Protests in Kiev: Neocons Never Liberate Twice
Written by Daniel McAdams
Thursday August 7, 2014
Euromaidan
Western media has ignored it, but protesters have occupied the Maidan square in Kiev since last October. They were successful in overthrowing the elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, but they didn’t go home. They kept their tents, remained in occupied government buildings, and hunkered down.
Boxer-turned-revolutionary Vitali Klitschko was in the thick of the protests at the time, supported by the United States and its Assistant Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland. In fact, Nuland posed [1] with protest leaders seeking to overthrow the government – including Klitschko – and even famously went down to the Maidan square to hand out cookies [2] to the protesters. In her infamous intercepted telephone conversation with US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoff Pyatt, Nuland made it clear that the US was behind Klitschko and Arseniy “Yats” Yatsenyuk.
When then-President Yanukovych sent police down to the square to break up the violent protests, the US warned [3] him not to crack down on them. Even peaceful moves by the authorities to clear out the square were met with firm US threats [4] of sanctions.
How quickly the world has changed. The revolution is over and the US-favored government is in place in Kiev. “Yats” is Prime Minister. Klitschko is mayor of Kiev. But now, as mayor, he wants to get rid of the protesters.
In contrast to Yanukovych’s mostly unarmed forces sent to Maidan, today heavily armed [5] military battalions, known as “Klitschko’s people” were sent in [6] to restore order. Tanks have been mobilized [7]. One person has reportedly been killed so far. Not a word from the US. Not a word from Nuland.
Many of the protesters who remained had become disillusioned with the revolution they helped spawn. The Kiev Post quotes [8] Olena Leonova, who was part of the revolution but now feels let down: “…now I see that the new government does not want to listen to people. Almost everything is the same as Yanukovych did.”
If they are looking to have a second chance at a real revolution, they had better think again.
What these protesters do not understand is, as Prof. Mark Almond puts it [9], “Neo-cons never liberate twice.” All hell could break loose on those remaining in the square and it would be a non-event in the US and western media. When is the last time we heard a report on the slaughter [10] (warning graphic) of civilians in eastern Ukraine by the US backed regime in Kiev?
All of this brings us back to NATO and its Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is in Kiev today receiving the “Order of Liberty” from Ukrainian President Poroshenko. While Poroshenko’s troops roll in [11] to Kiev to put down the protesters, Rasmussen accepts his award with a huge grin [12]. He has no sense of irony, as Kiev burns around him.
Clinton got his statue in Kosovo, Bush got his street in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Rasmussen gets his “Order of Liberty.”
Obama Warns Ukraine Against Military Action on Protesters
By Angela Greiling Keane and James G. Neuger 2014-02-19T22:27:40Z
President Barack Obama warned Ukraine’s military against intervening to halt anti-government protests as the U.S. and European Union moved toward imposing sanctions on Ukrainian officials.
“We hold the Ukrainian government primarily responsible in making sure it is dealing with peaceful protesters in an appropriate way,” Obama told reporters before a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at a North American leaders summit in Toluca, Mexico. “That includes making sure the Ukrainian military does not step in to resolve issues that could be resolved by civilians.”
The U.S. and EU are weighing freezing the assets of Ukraine’s most powerful officials and denying them travel visas after a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Kiev left at least 25 dead and stirred fears of a civil war.
Obama’s warning came as Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych granted sweeping powers to the army and police and before he declared a temporary truce with opposition leaders. The Russian-backed leader’s security service said earlier in the day that it’s undertaking a nationwide operation to restore public order, giving the military authority to search, detain and even fire on Ukrainians.
Yanukovych said on his website the government and the opposition will continue talks to stop the bloodshed
Obama said the U.S. would keep engaging all sides in the conflict and is working with the EU on a response. “There will be consequences if people step over the line,” he said.
Sanctions Discussed
French President Francois Hollande, at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris today, called the government crackdown on protesters an act of “violence, brutality and repression.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters separately in Paris, said the U.S. was discussing “the possibility of sanctions or other steps” with allies “to create the environment for compromise.”
He didn’t specify what additional measures are being considered.
The EU has had mixed success with sanctions against leaders and top businesspeople in states that it accuses of flouting human rights. Belarus, Ukraine’s neighbor, hasn’t been tempted toward more democracy by international sanctions against its president, Alexander Lukashenko.
Targeting Money
The blacklisting of Ukraine’s ruling elite and the wealthy oligarchs that support it may be more effective because they cultivate Western ties and have put money in European banks, said Tim Ash, chief emerging-market economist at Standard Bank Group Ltd. in London.
“This will impact on their ability to finance their operations, and it will make them that much more dependent on Russian banks,” Ash said by e-mail. That “will make them very uncomfortable,” he said.
Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, declined to give a timeline for any U.S. response because the situation in Kiev is still evolving.
“Events like what we saw yesterday are clearly going to impact our decision-making,” Rhodes told reporters before Obama’s arrival in Mexico.
“On the other hand, if the government takes the appropriate steps of pulling back riot police, of respecting the right of peaceful protest, releasing prisoners and pursuing serious dialogue with the opposition about how to pursue a more unified government and way forward, that would obviously factor into our calculus as well,” he said.
U.S. Contact
The U.S. has made contact with Yanukovych, with Vice President Joe Biden speaking by telephone with the Ukrainian leader to urge the government to exercise restraint.
Russia has blamed the U.S. and the EU for the violence. The standoff began on Nov. 21, when Yanukovych pulled out of a free-trade deal with the EU, opting instead for $15 billion of Russian aid and cheaper gas.
The embrace of Moscow brought protesters out onto the streets of the capital Kiev, turning Independence Square into a pro-European campground.
Rhodes said the U.S. has delivered a message to the Russian government that “we are not in some competition for the future of Ukraine.”
*******************************
US warns of possible sanctions as Ukraine protesters dig in
The US has said it is considering imposing sanctions on the Ukrainian government after the latest attempted crackdown on pro-European demonstrators. The protesters meanwhile, appeared to be digging in for a long fight
Several thousand protesters remained on Kyiv’s Independence Square on Thursday morning after spending another night in subzero temperatures.
Following an unsuccessful attempt by riot police to clear the square early on Wednesday, some protesters filled sandbags with snow and piled them up to reinforce barricades that had been partially dismantled by the security forces. No violence was reported overnight.
The United States responded to the news of those clashes, in which about 30 people were injured, by issuing its strongest warning so far against use of force against peaceful protesters, saying it was considering imposing sanctions President Viktor Yanukovych’s government.
“We are considering policy options. There obviously has not been a decision made. Sanctions are included but I am not going to outline specifics,” US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.
“It’s important to convey our support for their ability to voice their views, support for their efforts on European integration, our belief that respect for democratic principles, including freedom of assembly, is a universal right,” she added.
Earlier in the day, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel used a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Lebedev, to warn against using military force against the demonstrators.
A statement issued by Pentagon spokesman Carl Woog said Hagel had “underlined the potential damage of any involvement by the military in breaking up the demonstrations.”
It also said that Lebedev had reassured Hagel that President Yanukovych had no intention of using the army against the protesters.
The European Union’s foreign policy coordinator, Catherine Ashton, meanwhile, held two rounds of talks with Yanukovych in Kyiv this week, in which she sought to bring the two sides together for a negotiated resolution.
Opposition pledge bigger protests
The opposition meanwhile, has said its intends to bring even more people out onto the streets. Local media reported that dozens of buses and private vehicles had arrived in the capital from all over the country early on Thursday.
Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko said in an article published in the Thursday edition of Germany’s mass-circulation Bild newspaper, that he expected “millions of people on the streets, more than ever before” in the next few days.
In light of the use of force against the demonstrators, Klitscho also rejected President Yanukovych’s offer of talks.
The protests against Yanukovych gathered steam almost a fortnight ago, when he balked at signing an agreement that would have increased political and business ties with the EU, in favor of maintaining and possibly intensifying close relations with Russia.
pfd/kms (Reuters, AFP, dpa)
*******************************
Protesters thwart city government attempts to clear Maidan (PHOTOS, LIVE UPDATES)
Print version
Aug. 7, 2014, 2:23 p.m. | Kyiv — by Kyiv Post
Protesters have resisted the most serious attempt yet to clean up Maidan, or Independence Square, since the EuroMaidan Revolution ended with the ouster of the corrupt President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 22. Dozens of remaining demonstrators – perhaps more than 100 – set tires on fire on Kyiv’s main square to protest the government’s attempt to free the city’s main road for traffic.
The square still has a tent city left over from the revolution. However, the protesters’ space has gradually diminished as city officials have attempted to return the area to normalcy since the May 25 election of Petro Poroshenko as president and Vitali Klitschko as mayor. Many are who remain there are suspected of occupying the area after the popular uprising ended in late February.
A part of Khreshchatyk Street was cleared off last month.
Klitschko is taking a harder line regarding the protesters and called on the city’s police chief to defend the residents and communal worker. “The things that are going on there last time are criminal. Attacks, shootouts, explosions and taking over of businesses,” he was quoted as saying, according to his Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform website. “This is a total desecration of the Maidan to which the Ukrainian came in autumn.”
Klitscho added that city authorities had long negotiations with people living in tents on Maidan in an attempt to persuade them to leave. “But these people were speaking with the stance – bring us refrigerators, WCs or something else. Is this a fight for democracy?” Klitschko said. “When there is a war on the east, where there is a need to restore the country and work some people privatized Kyiv’s center and is dictation their conditions. Moreover the major demands with which Maidan stood have been fulfilled.”
Kyiv police reported that when clearing the street, officers confiscated “guns, grenades, knives and Molotov cocktails” from the protesters, who sang patriotic songs as some threw Molotov cocktails. “Fighters of the special unit and the police officers received various wounds during the clashes mostly being hit by parts of pavement.”
A Kyiv Post reporter also saw young men carrying grenades, knives, Molotov cocktails, and one armed with an automatic rifle standing on the second-floor window sill of the central post office.
Some 300 municipal workers arrived on Maidan around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 7, backed by cranes, to clean up the rest of the street. The workers started on both sides of Khreshchatyk – European Square closer to the Dnipro River as well as the other side.
The Kyiv Post saw volunteer Kyiv-1 and Kyiv-2 military battalions, whom the protesters called “Klitschko’s people,” accompanying the city workers. They are subordinated to the Interior Ministry and are comprised mostly from former EuroMaidan self-defense units. Kyiv-2 battalion later retreated to Prorizna Street and is currently awaiting orders. They do not give official comments, but unofficially they say their job is to peacefully clear Khreshchatyk Street for traffic.
After the attempt to clear the place began on Aug. 7, protesters started throwing cobblestones at the volunteer battalions and municipal workers and setting tires on fire, using the same defense tactics that were used during the revolution. Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station was forced to close for exit because of fires and fights, a company spokesman said. Several tents that once stood near the intersection of Prorizna and Khreshchatyk Streets were set on fire as well.
Volodymyr, a masked 27-year-old protester from Volyn in western Ukraine who did not give his last name, said he set one of the tents on fire to prevent the communal workers from “accessing our documents and personal belongings. was ready to go to the east (of Ukraine) in several days, and I don’t know if I will now do it when such things are happening,” he said.
Ivan Lyukiv, a Maidan self-defense member said: “We will wait for Klitschko and (President Petro) Poroshenko to negotiate. They are the only two people we will negotiate with. We won’t have any discussions with the police or Kyiv-2 battalions who started the cleanup today.”
After coming across fierce resistance by the protesters, communal workers called the police. At least one protester was arrested, visible through the live feed set up by one of the activists.
A man who only identified himself as Volodymyr, one of the communal workers, said that his job was to clean up the city. “I don’t know what there people stand for. The Maidan that started in autumn achieved its goals. Kyiv is a European city and now it’s all in a mess. But the bunch of homeless people who are left here do not understand that,” he said.
The ongoing presence of protesters on Maidan is a source of deepening controversy. Many Kyivans want them gone, saying that the people who remain are not the same ones who fought the revolution.
“Activists resided in our House of Trade Unions for some time, and we all supported them up to Feb. 20. They were fed. Every day I came, checked the posts, helped them as I could. And I agree that the Maidan had to stay up to May 25, because we didn’t have a president. But there is nothing to do at the center of Ukraine after the election. There are no real activists at Maidan nowadays – they are in the east – only homeless people and titushky are here,” said Valery Kiparenko, assistant to the chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Safety.
The tent city has, in fact, become inhabited by homeless people and other men who continue to wear masks even without much justification for hiding their identities. Crimes, including thefts and assaults, are becoming more common, residents say. Many Kyivans say the able-bodied men should battle the Russian-backed insurgents on Ukraine’s war front in the east.
The protesters who remain, however, say they stay to defend the space. Their presence, they say, is needed to hold the current government accountable and in case another revolution is needed.
Kyiv residents started gathering at the site of protests and said they support the government’s actions to clear up the capital.
“Maidan is a mess now. Russian TV will be happy to show the picture when protesters clash with utility workers here. It’s time to clean it up and solve major problems,” said Kateryna Belkova, a native Kyivan who came to Maidan on Aug. 7 to see what’s going on.
But dozens of protesters who put up resistance to the authorities clearly don’t share that point of view. Olena Leonova, one of the protesters who remains on Maidan, says that the activists here were trying to persuade the government “to make ATO (anti-terrorist operation) headquarters here on Maidan.”
“But now I see that the new government does not want to listen to people. Almost everything is the same as Yanukovych did. Maidan activists just started a dialogue with Kyiv city officials and the president’s administration, but now I see that they just want a cleanup,” Leonova said.
Klitschko said last month that the main street needs to be cleared up from protesters. “On weekdays, Khreshchatyk is an important artery of the city and its blockage ends up being a great inconvenience for the whole central part of the city,” Klitschko told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Moreover, he had said that in its current state, Maidan no longer represents the mood of the people. “Today it’s dangerous to be on Maidan. There are occasional shots fired there, and fights break out. We communicate, try to persuade people to do everything to make sure Maidan returns to a normal life.”
Many Kyivans who came to the central square made it clear that they do not support the resistance to authorities. “Those who want to fight – go to Donbass,” shouted Yuriy Lyashko, a 51-year-old city guide who came to see what’s happening.
One communal worker said the protesters were bringing in new tires to continue resistance. Kyiv-1 and Kyiv-2 military battalions retreated with the words “glory to Ukraine.”
You can watch the live feed on Spilno.tv [http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-action-spilno-tv] and on Hromadske.tv [http://www.hromadske.tv/]
Protesters set fire to tires on Kyiv’s main Khreshchatyk Street. (Mark Rachkevych)
Protesters resist an attempt by city officials to clear Maidan. (Mark Rachkevych)
Members of the Kyiv-2 Battalion subordinated to the Interior Ministry wearing military fatigues get pushed out from Khreshchatyk Street by protesters after failing to clear Independnce Square, the epicenter of the EuroMaidan Revolution. (Mark Rachkevych)
A barricade of tires burns on Maidan, close to the central post office. A Kyiv Post reporter said there are many Molotov cocktails set out and ready to be thrown. (Mark Rachkevych)
Members of the Kyiv-1 Battalion subordinated to the Interior Ministry encircle the stage which was the center of EuroMaidan protests last winter.
Communal workers gather on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in the morning of Aug. 7 to attempt to clean up the main road for traffic. It has been blocked by the protesters since November, when the EuroMaidan revolution began.
City workers attempt to clean up the protesters’ camp from Khreshchatyk Street.
*******************************
Police & activists clash on Maidan, tires burn anew in central Kiev
Published time: August 07, 2014 07:56
Edited time: August 07, 2014 15:50
Maidan self-defence activists clash with fighters of Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on August 7, 2014.(AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky)
Activists and police have clashed in the Ukrainian capital’s center after communal workers tried to dismantle the camp. It follows a months-old conflict over the camp with the city administration.
BREAKING: Police & activists clash on Maidan, tires burn anew in central Kiev http://t.co/oJPq9PIhzh #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/7HMEaeJml7
— RT (@RT_com) August 7, 2014
Up to 10 people have been detained as a result of the Maidan clashes and a criminal case has been launched alleging hooliganism, according to Interfax.
Fifty law enforcers from Ukraine’s interior ministry’s battalions, Kiev 1 and Kiev 2, were wounded, with three of those receiving serious injuries, police chief Aleksandr Tereshchuk told a media briefing.
It is currently unclear whether there were wounded among the protesters.
Camp residents are currently fortifying the old barricades and building new ones, Ria Novosti reported.
Law enforcement officials have been injured in the clashes with activists on the Kiev’s Independence square, according to the Interior Ministry press service.
It’s not known how many people were injured, ITAR-TASS reports. The majority of injuries were from stones thrown by protesters.
The smoke from burning tires can be smelt all over the city center, witnesses say.
#Ukraine: Tires burning at Kiev’s Maidan Square pic.twitter.com/3UUBcf4y7j http://t.co/YtaPqbJrkM
— RT (@RT_com) August 7, 2014
Activists living in the camp were also throwing Molotov cocktails at police, while barricades and tires were burning on the square, the heart of anti-government protest that began last year.
RIA Novosti / Evgeny Kotenko
“Police were carrying out public order maintenance and the work of communal services, but then the camp caught fire, and the fire brigades are now dealing with the blaze,” the Kiev police press service stated to Interfax Ukraine.
RIA Novosti / Evgeny Kotenko
Sources in law enforcement suppose that the camp residents set their tents on fire themselves to prevent the communal services from doing their job. There’s also information that there are weapons in the camp.
Earlier on Thursday, communal services were dismantling the barricades, and confiscated about 20 boxes containing bottles of flammable mixture.
Law enforcement officials and Kiev authorities have been urging the activists to leave Maidan and free the seized buildings for months, but the activists have refused to do so.
In July, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Vitaly Yarema urged the activists to leave Kiev’s Maidan and free seized buildings.
AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky
Yarema underlined that the refusal to obey would entail criminal responsibility.
Kiev’s Independence Square has been the main hub of the popular uprising since last November. Around a thousand people were still on the square in July, according to Kiev’s Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.
An Orthodox priest throws a tyre as Maidan self-defence activists clash with fighters of Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on August 7, 2014.(AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky )
A man holds tires as Maidan self-defence activists clash with fighters of Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on August 7, 2014.(AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky )
Protesters seized 19 buildings, including administrative offices and hotels, with almost 500 activists living there, according to the prosecutor general.
#Ukraine: Black smoke billows as tires burn on Kiev’s Maidan Square http://t.co/oJPq9PIhzh pic.twitter.com/lnbZoNQajc
WOW RPI, thanks for the kind words and for such a info packed article along with the references, video, article and image links! Not only does this save a lot of valuable time for our visitors, but it is very helpful with our ongoing archives. After checking out the article link, took a quick peek at your site as well and it looks like there is a lot of useful info for our collaborative research and outreach initiatives. Thanks again from all of us at the DumpHarper! Campaign and be sure to stop by every now and again, we’ll keep the light on for ya. 🙂
This woman’s eyes have haunted me since 4:00 p.m. Ukraine time, June 2, 2014. Her name was Inna Kukuruza. She was a wife, a mother, and a citizen of Luhansk city. On that day, June 2, 2014, she made a fatal mistake walking past the City’s Administration building after work. She, and many others, had her life ended in a hail of unguided rockets fired by a lone Ukraine air force jet. However, unlike the rest of those dead around her, she did not die immediately. She lay there for seconds, all filmed by the ever present phone cameras, and asked to speak with her daughter. Then she died. What the picture above doesn’t show is her mangled legs, or her missing foot. She bled to death. My heart broke for her at that moment.
It was just the beginning of a campaign by the Ukraine military, and its paramilitary forces known as “National Guards”, of killing civilians throughout the Ukraine provinces (known as Oblasts) of Donetsk and Luhansk. A slaughter that Europe has not seen since the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Yet, through all the fog of war, a clear pattern has emerged. The Ukraine army approaches a “rebel” (NAF) area, normally a community. They establish fire bases around it, with varying types of artillery, and then they start shelling. It was the same in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Gorlovka, Donetsk, Luhansk, and every other community in the two break away provinces.
First the infrastructure is targeted. Specifically, the electrical power stations. Once these facilities are knocked out, and no power flows: sewage systems shut down; water systems shut down; hospitals can’t operate well; commerce can’t function; and on and on it goes. The clear and obvious strategy is to place the citizens of the community in misery. To turn them against the NAF in a psychological warfare conducted with artillery. Of course, the artillery and its ferocity, terrifies the people all on its own.
Second, health and transportation are targeted. Bus stations and train stations are hit. Hospitals of all types are hit. Even schools are hit. The pattern repeats itself in every community the Ukraine army assaults. There is no mistake. At this point the citizens are not just terrified, but also trapped. They can’t leave the chaos. They are corralled in a hell no civilian should have to suffer.
Then, the civilians themselves are targeted. Specifically, their homes, apartments, shops, and city centres. The victims have ranged from the very elderly, and in some cases mental patients, to the youngest children and everyone in between. The shells and rockets don’t have a conscience – the people that fire them are meant to.
Slavyansk became the model for all Ukraine army operations since. Surround the community. Do not allow escape. And fire. Small caliber mortar fire was the start. There were many reports of it on social media, but the “main stream media” refused to report it, or its damage. As if encouraged by that, the Ukraine army brought in larger mortars, then field artillery. They got away with all that too, despite pictures of the destruction and the civilian victims flooding social media. There was no outrage, or reporting in the main media. The NAF refused to budge, so the Ukraine army brought in even bigger guns – self-propelled 152mm guns. Monsters of artillery, these weapons created massive, indiscriminate damage and casualties. Not completely satisfied with this level of destruction, the Ukraine army started using air burst white phosphorous shells at communities on the outskirts of Slavyansk, and then Slavyansk itself. The Russian government drew the line there and raised concerns about it at the UN. It was dismissed, and the Ukraine army carried on.
Then came the battles around Donetsk city, Gorloka and Luhansk city. A whole new form of artillery was deployed – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS). At the low end of these systems is the GRAD, and on the high end the “Tornado”, “Hurricane, and “Smerch”. They can fire up to 40 high explosive rockets at a time. They were designed by the Soviets to break up tank formation and create chaos. They are lethal and can level entire complete grid squares when deployed enmasse. They are also unguided. The use of MLRS took the ferocity of the conflict to an all new level, and with it a rapidly increasing civilian death and wounded toll. Pictures of grandmothers , fathers, children, and even priests – with their bodies torn to pieces – began flooding the social media. So grotesque were the results that You Tube began taking films of the victims off their site.
As if this wasn’t a great enough outrage, the Ukraine army upped the ante one more time. On July 29, 2014 the Ukraine army fired four, of a reported five available, SS-21 ballistic missiles at the NAF held community of Snezhnoe. The missiles are massive, and carry a warhead of up to 1000 lbs. They can be used to deliver nuclear weapons. In this case they carried high explosive warheads. These were designed as, and remain, weapons of mass destruction. Even the US government admitted the missiles were fired – yet they did not cause any damage. The reason? Russian S-300, S-400 anti-missile/air units on the Russian border shot them down before they impacted Snezhnoe. If the Russians had not intervened, the loss of life would have been in the thousands. It is here that apparently the US and West were prepared to draw the line on the Ukraine army. There was no condemnation by the West, but there was also no condemnation of Russia for shooting them down.
The death toll so far in the Ukraine war against the Donbass Region (Luhansk and Donetsk) was estimated to be around 10,000. The wounded many more times that. Over 250,000 refugees have fled – mostly to temporary camps lining the Russian side of the border. Those that remain are suffering constant shelling. Constant terror. But, that’s the point of it – right? The Ukraine government always refers to the NAF as “terrorists”, yet the only side terrorizing its citizenship seems to be the Ukraine government itself. The Geneva Convention is supposed to protect civilians and civilian institutions at a time of war, however the lawyers in the crowd claim this isn’t a war. It’s war-light. It’s an internal insurrection. Although the Ukraine government itself has accused Russia of invading it at the UN Security Council. It would seem, therefore, that the Ukraine government considers itself in a state of war. In that case, the rules of war as outlined in the Geneva Convention should apply to them.
If, for whatever reason, the lawyers succeed and the Ukraine government is not restrained by the Geneva Convention, then there is always the International Court of the Hague. It clearly details that attacks made against civilian populations, or terrorizing civilian populations, or forcefully moving populations is a crime against humanity. There can be no doubt in any right thinking person’s mind that what Ukraine has committed against the Donbass is a crime against humanity. Inna Kukuruza was a member of humanity. She did not deserve to die in that blood soaked street in Luhansk city. There was no need. She did no wrong. Her only crime was to be a citizen of a break away region of Ukraine. As far as I’m concerned, Ukraine will never be able to whipe that spot of her blood off their hands. Her final appeal to speak to her daughter, her eyes betraying her terror, the helplessness, will never leave me.
Hey CAHR peoples, caught a few of your comments at Saker. Appreciate your work trying to educate Canadians about this awful stuff. I agree that this propaganda campaign is terribly dangerous- in fact I called it worse than Iraq in a comment just weeks into this whole fiasco in Ukraine (I’m an American btw), and actually saw an article from a very wide-read alternative media site about the propaganda being… worse than Iraq, a few days later. Anyway, while I totally agree that msm is just lying through their teeth and spinning events into an alternative reality that creates numerous false impressions, and that the demonization of Russia, Putin, and the rebels while giving a pass to the genocidal nazi maniacs in Kiev rises to the level of criminality, I’m just not quite sure that the edits to AP (et al) articles is in and of itself is such a huge issue. They do say “updated”, and it might be sneaky and shameful, but within the context of the overall evil of the propaganda campaign I just don’t quite get it- but I’m willing to hear the argument, and if you can provide any links that single out this tactic as journalistic malpractice I’d be more than happy to check it out. Like I said, maybe I just don’t quite get it, I’m kind of on the fence. I do think it’s valuable to save different versions of articles for tracking removal of information without correction and as defense against the scrubbing of entire pieces, but changes to wording and removal of images just seem like standard practice for shady msm these days, and not exactly criminal within the confines of the overall effort to push a war on the people based on lies and spin, which is the real crime in the first place. Which I’m sure you agree with. Still, love what your doing, keep at it, it’s very inspiring. And very necessary, thank you.
Thanks Colinjames for your feedback, for following up and checking out our summary and offering your observations and critique, it is greatly appreciated.
Let us first let you know that it is actually not completed as of yet. We are still in the process of putting together screegrabs of the different pages and the accompanying comments in text form. Since there are several of us in many locations across Canada, we “see” different things at different times and try to archive everything possible as well as discuss and share our findings through various outlets, with many key players and social media venues. Then we have to try to put it all together at some point to make some sense of it all.
We certainly appreciate it is pretty much a given that sometimes articles require updates as new info becomes available. One issue we have is that many articles, especially those that stem from the PMO’s (Prime Ministers Office) propaganda team, seem to be edited to suit their narrative and not so much to add additional facts and details, just talking points and photo-ops. We do not have the luxury of a real Opposition to the Harper Party, they are simply controlled opposition at this point. That is pretty hard to expand upon since how they came into majority status it is quite complicated. In short, there were several issues with regards to the last election, many of which can be found here and elsewhere. One thing that seems to have slipped below everyones radar is the timing and the hidden manipulation. The Harper Regime decided to set the election date in early May (2011) after is was found in contempt of Parliament in late 2010 after two consecutive elections mired in fraud and corruption. The timing of the election seems to have been piggybacked to coincide with the upcoming “Arab Spring” that began in Tunisia then spread through the region as you know. As the election cycle began Libya and Syria were in the global neocons sights. As things ramped up vs Gaddafi and NATO got involved in their “humanitarian” mission planning, the Opposition Parties found themselves at a distinct disadvantage as the bombs were already being dropped on Libya. Let’s just say that tried and true “you’re either with us or against us” mantra took the steam out of their ability to conduct a proper campaign against and already proven to be corrupt Regime. On top of that, May is wedding and prom season, graduation time as well as the official launch of summer, aka: “May 24” or Victoria Day here and a week later Memorial Day there.
Moving forward a bit, CBC is our only national broadcaster that can be accessed over the air via TV and radio and is publicly funded which is why we pay close attention to what they do. One of the Harper Party’s primary objectives is to eliminate the funding and either privatize it or dismantle it. This is already a threat to our nation as it is the only common bond between us all. Since Harper has the ability to appoint those at the top of the food chain there, he has decided to pay the top big $$$ and they have cut funding drastically which has forced to closure of foreign bureaus and the loss of a lot of staff. On top of that, it would appear as if those cuts were also designed to outsource the news, which forces us to read sliced and diced biased news from outside sources, pretty much all of which are from US based AP (Associated Propaganda) with some sprinklings from The Canadian Press and Reuters.
If you consider the implications of the above and then add the time zone differences and new cycles, the manipulation picture gets just a bit clearer. This gets more troublesome once one considers that the Harper Party has a special kinship to Alberta and the Tar Sands along with Toronto and Bay Street. Since they come first and foremost, the rest of our economy, with the exception of a couple of locations, have come to a scratching halt since Harper was first elected in a minority position almost a decade ago. This makes our economy a 2 trick pony, oil and speculation. This causes great divisions within our nation and pits regions against regions, which allows the divide and conquer strategy to work well.
Hopefully the above is not to wordy and/or confusing but let’s try to sum it up and bring ‘er home and full circle.
Taking the above into consideration and accepting the Harper Regime has staffers as well as hired trolls along with several of the Harper Party stakeholders, if those in the Eastern regions read and begin discussing an “article” that changes as the Central regions begin reading and discussing another version of the same “article” that changes again as the Western regions begin reading and discussing another version of the same “article” everyone gets caught in a dis-information quagmire. At the end of the day, so many have read and heard so many different spins about the same topic, no one knows anything, nor can agree, or even agree to disagree since they have heard, seen and read different versions and end up in a vast vacuum of lies by way of addition, deception and commission.
This is problematic in itself, but when the titles, urls and images get swapped out as the content changes, it borders on fraud and deception. If the narrative causes mass confusion it borders on unethical psychological manipulation, If the tone promotes war, death and harm to civilians, it borders on being illegal. If the tone promotes bigotry, hatred and radicalization it borders on terrorism.
Hopefully, that explains the task we face and why it is pretty important to explore this further. Since we do not have access to the CBC’s server logs we may not have all the facts, proofs or details, but we will continue to raise awareness in the hopes that either someone will leak some details or a proper investigation is conducted.
Any comments and/or questions are definitely welcome and please note, we’ll reread what was posted and may edit it a bit since the comment box is not so eyeball friendly.
Things that make ya go, huh? Here is something that seems worth looking into for all those interested in the oil/gas debate, How will this fly with the EU and how can another “tax” burden on ordinary Ukrainians that they simply cannot afford to pay be a good thing. Add this to the empty Treasury as of August 1st, drastic austerity measures, high unemployment, hyperinflation, the military tax and the fact that the IMF loans are in jeopardy due to the civil war? The current government operating out of Kiev is simply out of touch with any sense of reality!
Who Needs Russia? Ukraine Will Destroy Itself With New Gas Tax
By James Stafford | Thu, 07 August 2014 20:28 | 3
Ukraine doesn’t need Russia to take it down—Kiev is doing fine destroying itself, most recently with a new tax code that doubles taxes for private gas producers and promises to irreparably cripple new investment in the energy sector at a time when reform and outside investment were the country’s only hope.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on August 1 signed off on a new tax code that effectively doubles the tax private gas producers in Ukraine will have to pay, calling into question any new investment, as well as commitment from key producers already operating in the country.
The stated goal of the new tax code—a legislative package embraced by the parliament on July 31 with more than 300 votes–is to raise $1 billion, of which $791 million would go to fund the war effort in eastern Ukraine.
According to the Kyiv Post and Ukrainian law firms, the new code will remain in force until the end of 2014 during which time gas drillers will be required to pay 55 percent of their subsoil revenue for extracting under five kilometers. This is up from 28 percent–so it’s a significant hit for producers. Additionally, for any extraction beyond five kilometers, the tax will be 28 percent–up from 15 percent.
The only saving grace here is that this wasn’t the worst possible scenario: An early version of the bill called for a 70 percent tax on gas extraction.
Ukraine may have some of the most attractive gas prices in the world—the only thing that could have possibly lured investors there—but the new tax law renders this irrelevant, especially considering that in European countries, the tax does not exceed 20 percent.
The oil sector will also be hit with the new tax code, which increases rates to 45 percent for drilling under five kilometers—up from 39 percent. But it is the gas tax hike that will really cripple potential investment in Ukraine.
Private gas producers lobbied energetically against the new tax laws, arguing that it will crush investment and force investors to re-think their commitment to Ukraine. They also argue that it benefits some members of the political-business elite, and has nothing at all to do with funding the war effort in the east. Instead, it is the next phase in the battle among energy oligarchs to secure their interests in the dynamic political arena shaping up after the fall of President Viktor Yanukovych.
In an open letter sent to Parliament on July 29, a group of private producers stated: “The draft law may lead to a rapid increase in the tax burden on private gas producing companies, a significant decrease in project cost effectiveness in general (up to closing down due to unprofitability) and a general decrease in attractiveness of the Ukrainian market for foreign investors.”
Speaking to Oilprice.com from Kiev, Robert Bensh—a veteran Ukraine energy executive and partner and managing director of Pelicourt LLC, the majority shareholder in Ukraine’s third-largest gas producer, Cub Energy—was highly critical of the new tax law and fearful of what it means for Ukraine’s future at such a critical juncture its energy dynamics.
“This law is dangerous to the long-term security of Ukraine. It adds little to the budget and discourages drilling and investment in the upstream oil and gas sector, as well as calls into question the ability to invest in Ukraine at all,” said Bensh, who has been one of the most visible lobbying forces against the law.
“No one will invest in a country that arbitrarily punishes investors who are creating value by increasing reserves and production, or who are paying taxes and employing hundreds of thousands of people. No one will invest in an industry with the risk that taxes will be double or triple within a few months,” he said.
Bensh called the bill “highly political” and pointed to its two key beneficiaries: energy magnates Rinat Akhmetov and Ihor Kolomoyski, who “either own oil or mining assets that were taxed immaterially and punitively taxed gas producers.”
According to OP Tactical’s intelligence wing, the tax code was clearly maneuvered by Akhmetov and Kolomoyski and should serve as the first sign that key reforms of the energy sector will be challenged at every step to ensure that these interests are secured at the expense of the state.
“The failure of Ukraine to develop gas supplies, either due to years of corruption and or failure to attract outside investment into the upstream sector, is a material factor in Ukraine’s current economic crisis and issues with Russia. Ukraine has always sought the easy solution. This tax and the failure to see the strategic impact upon the country is yet again another example,” Bensh said.
Have you guys seen this article from Malaysia’s The New Straits Times Press?
Here are a couple of screeshots from the print edition:
And there are at least two different versions of the story published on their online edition that have the same date and time associated with them. It looks like some pressure may have been put on them to scrub the internet version or at least subtly change the tone. Check them out below:
Exclusive on MH17: Missile, cannon brought down jet?
6 August 2014 @ 8:09 AM
By HARIS HUSSAIN and TASNIM LOKMAN
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ukrainian authorities have denied any airborne Ukrainian Armed Forces jet fighters activity during the time of crash stating that there was an absence of activities of aviation in this region.
This follows statement released by the Russian Defence Ministry that their air traffic control had recorded Ukrainian Air Force activities in the area of flight MH17 the same day.
They also denied all allegations made by the Russian government stating the country’s core interest in ensuring an immediate, comprehensive, transparent and unbiased international investigation into the tragedy by establishing a state commission including experts from ICAO and Eurocontrol.
“We have all evidences that the plane was downed by Russia-backed terrorist with a “BUK-M” SAM system (NATO reporting name – SA-11), which together with the crew had been supplied from Russia. This was all confirmed by their intelligence, intercepted telephone conversations of the terrorist and satellite pictures.
“At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have never used any anti-aircraft missiles since the Anti-Terrorist operations (ATO) started (early April),” the statement read.
Its authorities said that their military personnel had not taken any active military actions in the area around the crash site. They have also stopped with military action in a 10km zone around the path through which the Organization for Security and Co-operation experts are moving.
They said despite the dreadful tragedy, terrorist had yet stop the violence and continued their subversive activities and armed assaults on the Ukrainian militaries and residential areas.
Its authorities urged the international community to apply maximum political pressure on Russia in order to make them withdraw the terrorist from their state in order to allow experts a full and unimpeded access to the crash site for a more comprehensive investigation.
Ukraine strongly denies its planes were airborne at time of crash
By HARIS HUSSAIN and TASNIM LOKMAN – 6 August 2014 @ 8:09 AM
KUALA LUMPUR: Following reports implicating a Ukraine jet fighter instead of shooting down Flight MH17 out of the skies, the Ukraine has strongly denied that none of their planes were airborne at the time of crash.
The Ukrainians were responding to web reports precipitated by a Russian Defence Ministry claim that their air traffic control had recorded flight movements by the Ukrainian Air Force at MH17’s flight path moments before the shoot down.
The Ukrainians also dismissed the Russians’ proposal for an immediate, comprehensive, transparent and unbiased international investigation into the tragedy by establishing a state commission that includes experts from ICAO and Eurocontrol.
In a statement issued by Ukraine, the country reiterated that MH17 was downed by Russia-backed terrorists firing a BUK-M SAM system missile at MH17.
“We have all evidence that the plane was shot down by a crew supplied by Russia,” the statement said. “This is confirmed by intelligence, intercepted telephone conversations of the terrorist and satellite pictures.”
The statement insisted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces:
* never used any anti-aircraft missiles since the Anti-Terrorist operations (ATO) started in early April;
* had not taken active military action in the area around the crash site; and,
* stopped military action in a 10km zone around the path through which the Organization for Security and Cooperation experts are moving.
The Ukrainians accused the pro-Russian rebels have not stopped the violence and continued subversion and armed assaults on Ukrainian military and residential areas despite the dreadful tragedy.
“The international community must apply maximum political pressure on Russia to make them withdraw the terrorists,” the statement said.
This is to allow experts a full and unimpeded access to the crash site for a more comprehensive investigation, it said.
Not sure if the links to the screenshots made it through, here they are again just in case. The first looks like it was the front page and the second is from the article on page 6:
Thanks for those items and information AnonyCanuck, they are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to keep us up to date on any other matters that may be of significance with this issue or others related to the Harper Party’s dubious indiscretions. The more spin we can untangle before Parliament resumes, the better off we all are! 🙂
Greetings from the UK. Here is some info that needs to be seen on your side of the pond since at least one of your “boys” is in on the action with this paramilitary terrorist group. Will try to dig up some more for you if time permits. Since we notice you like to archive articles, here is an extended copy and paste of two important articles from the past couple of days with the image urls attached but without links to the related articles, that’s up to you. Until then, cheers to you and best wishes too!
Ukraine crisis: the neo-Nazi brigade fighting pro-Russian separatists
Kiev throws paramilitaries – some openly neo-Nazi – into the front of the battle with rebels
The fighters of the Azov battalion lined up in single file to say farewell to their fallen comrade. His pallid corpse lay under the sun in an open casket trimmed with blue velvet.
Some of the men placed carnations by the body, others roses. Many struck their chests with a closed fist before touching their dead friend’s arm. One fighter had an SS tattoo on his neck.
Sergiy Grek, 22, lost a leg and died from massive blood loss after a radio-controlled anti-tank mine exploded near to him.
As Ukraine’s armed forces tighten the noose around pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, the western-backed government in Kiev is throwing militia groups – some openly neo-Nazi – into the front of the battle.
The Azov battalion has the most chilling reputation of all. Last week, it came to the fore as it mounted a bold attack on the rebel redoubt of Donetsk, striking deep into the suburbs of a city under siege.
Related Articles
MH17 recovery chief: ‘We have never experienced anything like this and we hope never to again’
06 Aug 2014
Aeroflot halts flights amid new EU sanctions
04 Aug 2014
Barack Obama matches tough EU sanctions on Russia but denies ‘new Cold War’
30 Jul 2014
Russia braces for crippling US sanctions
24 Apr 2014
In Marinka, on the western outskirts, the battalion was sent forward ahead of tanks and armoured vehicles of the Ukrainian army’s 51st Mechanised Brigade. A ferocious close-quarters fight ensued as they got caught in an ambush laid by well-trained separatists, who shot from 30 yards away. The Azov irregulars replied with a squall of fire, fending off the attack and seizing a rebel checkpoint.
Mr Grek, also known as “Balagan”, died in the battle and 14 others were wounded. Speaking after the ceremony Andriy Biletsky, the battalion’s commander, told the Telegraph the operation had been a “100% success”. “The battalion is a family and every death is painful to us but these were minimal losses,” he said. “Most important of all, we established a bridgehead for the attack on Donetsk. And when that comes we will be leading the way.”
The military achievement is hard to dispute. By securing Marinka the battalion “widened the front and tightened the circle”, around the rebels’ capital, as another fighter put it. While Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, prevaricates about sending an invasion force into Ukraine, the rebels he backs are losing ground fast.
But Kiev’s use of volunteer paramilitaries to stamp out the Russian-backed Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics”, proclaimed in eastern Ukraine in March, should send a shiver down Europe’s spine. Recently formed battalions such as Donbas, Dnipro and Azov, with several thousand men under their command, are officially under the control of the interior ministry but their financing is murky, their training inadequate and their ideology often alarming.
The Azov men use the neo-Nazi Wolfsangel (Wolf’s Hook) symbol on their banner and members of the battalion are openly white supremacists, or anti-Semites.
“Personally, I’m a Nazi,” said “Phantom”, a 23-year-old former lawyer at the ceremony wearing camouflage and holding a Kalashnikov. “I don’t hate any other nationalities but I believe each nation should have its own country.” He added: “We have one idea: to liberate our land from terrorists.”
The Telegraph was invited to see some 300 Azov fighters pay respects to Mr Grek, their first comrade to die since the battalion was formed in May. An honour guard fired volleys into the air at the battalion’s headquarters on the edge of Urzuf, a small beach resort on Ukraine’s Azov Sea coast. Two more militiamen died on Sunday fighting north of Donetsk <>. Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, called one of them a hero.
Each new recruit receives only a couple of weeks of training before joining the battalion. The interior ministry and private donors provide weapons.
The HQ is a seaside dacha compound dotted with pines that once belonged to the ousted president of Ukraine, Vladimir Yanukovich, when he was governor of this region. Families in swimsuits with towels and inflatable rings walk past gate-guards toting automatic rifles.
Parked inside among wooden gazebos overlooking the sea are the tools of Azov’s trade – two armoured personnel carriers, a converted truck with retractable steel shutters to cover its windows, and several Nissan pick-ups fitted with machine-gun mounts.
Mr Biletsky, a muscular man in a black T-shirt and camouflage trousers, said the battalion was a light infantry unit, ideal for the urban warfare needed to take cities like Donetsk.
The 35-year old commander began creating the battalion after he was released from pre-trial detention in February in the wake of pro-western protests in Kiev. He had denied a charge of attempted murder, claiming it was politically motivated.
A former history student and amateur boxer, Mr Biletsky is also head of an extremist Ukrainian group called the Social National Assembly. “The historic mission of our nation in this critical moment is to lead the White Races of the world in a final crusade for their survival,” he wrote in a recent commentary. “A crusade against the Semite-led Untermenschen.”
The battalion itself is founded on right wing views, the commander said in Urzuf, and no Nazi convictions could exclude a recruit. “The most important thing is being a good fighter and a good brother so that we can trust each other,” he said.
Interestingly, many of the men in the battalion are Russians from eastern Ukraine who wear masks because they fear their relatives in rebel-controlled areas could be persecuted if their identities are revealed.
Phantom said he was such a Russian but that he was opposed to Moscow supporting “terrorists” in his homeland: “I volunteered and all I demanded was a gun and the possibility to defend my country.”
Asked about his Nazi sympathies, he said: “After the First World World War, Germany was a total mess and Hitler rebuilt it: he built houses and roads, put in telephone lines, and created jobs. I respect that.” Homosexuality is a mental illness and the scale of the Holocaust “is a big question”, he added.
Stepan, 23, another fighter, said that if leaders of the pro-Russian separatists were captured they should be executed after a military tribunal.
Such notions seem a far cry from the spirit of the “Maidan” protests that peaked in Kiev in February with the ousting of Mr Yanukovich, who had refused to sign a trade agreement with the European Union. Young liberals led the way but the uprising, which ended with the president fleeing to Russia, provoked a huge patriotic awakening that sucked in hardline groups.
Azov’s extremist profile and slick English–language pages on social media have even attracted foreign fighters. Mr Biletsky says he has men from Ireland, Italy, Greece and Scandinavia. At the base in Urzuf, Mikael Skillt, 37, a former sniper with the Swedish Army and National Guard, leads and trains a reconnaissance unit.
“When I saw the Maidan protests I recognised bravery and suffering,” he told the Telegraph. “A warrior soul was awakened. But you can only do so much, going against the enemy with sticks and stones. I had some experience and I though maybe I could help.”
Mr Skillt says he called himself a National Socialist as a young man and more recently he was active in the extreme right wing Party of the Swedes. “Now I’m fighting for the freedom of Ukraine against Putin’s imperialist front,” he said.
His unit is improving fast under his tutelage. “What they lack in experience, they make up in balls,” he said. Once he is done with Azov –where he claimed he receives a nominal GBP100 a month – Mr Skillt plans to go to Syria to fight for President Bashar al-Assad as a hired gun earning “very good money”.
Such characters under Kiev’s control play straight into the hands of Russian and separatist propaganda that portrays Ukraine’s government as a “fascist junta” manipulated by the West.
“These battalions are made up of mercenaries, not volunteers,” said Sergei Kavtaradze, a representative of the rebel authorities in Donetsk. “They are real fascists who kill and rape civilians.” Mr Kavtaradze could not cite evidence of his claim and the battalion says it has not harmed a single civilian.
Ukraine’s government is unrepentant about using the neo-Nazis. “The most important thing is their spirit and their desire to make Ukraine free and independent,” said Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Arsen Avakov, the interior minister. “A person who takes a weapon in his hands and goes to defend his motherland is a hero. And his political views are his own affair.”
Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian and Ukrainian security affairs at New York University, fears battalions like Azov are becoming “magnets to attract violent fringe elements from across Ukraine and beyond”. “The danger is that this is part of the building up of a toxic legacy for when the war ends,” he said.
Extremist paramilitary groups who have built up “their own little Freikorps” and who are fundamentally opposed to finding consensus may demand a part in public life as victors in the conflict, Mr Galeotti added. “And what do you do when the war is over and you get veterans from Azov swaggering down your high street, and in your own lives?”
Fresh evidence of how the West lured Ukraine into its orbit
The West is demonising President Putin when what set this crisis in motion were recklessly provocative moves to absorb Ukraine into the EU
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: ‘The modern Poles look at Russia today, they look at Vladimir Putin – and of course they want to bury themselves as deeply as possible in the comforting bosom of a German-led Europe.’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02990/putin_2990398b.jpg
However dangerous this crisis becomes, it is the West which has brought it about; and our hysterical vilifying of Vladimir Putin is more reminiscent of that fateful mood in the summer of 1914 than we should find it comfortable to contemplate. Photo: EPA
By Christopher Booker
4:34PM BST 09 Aug 2014
How odd it has been to read all those accounts of Europe sleepwalking into war in the summer of 1914, and how such madness must never happen again, against the background of the most misrepresented major story of 2014 – the gathering crisis between Russia and the West over Ukraine, as we watch developments in that very nasty civil war, with 20,000 Russian troops massing on the border.
For months the West has been demonising President Putin, with figures such as the Prince of Wales and Hillary Clinton comparing him with Hitler, oblivious to the fact that what set this crisis in motion were those recklessly provocative moves to absorb Ukraine into the EU.
There was never any way that this drive to suck the original cradle of Russian identity into the Brussels empire was not going to provoke Moscow to react – not least due to the prospect that its only warm-water ports, in Crimea, might soon be taken over by Nato.
And still scarcely reported here have been the billions of dollars and euros the West has been more or less secretively pouring into Ukraine to promote the cause: not just to prop up its bankrupt government and banking system, but to fund scores of bogus “pro-European” groups making up what the EU calls “civil society”.
When the European Commission told a journalist that, between 2004 and 2013, these groups had only been given €31 million, my co-author Richard North was soon reporting on his EU Referendum blog that the true figure, shown on the commission’s own “Financial Transparency” website, was €496 million. The 200 front organisations receiving this colossal sum have such names as “Center for European Co-operation” or the “Donetsk Regional Public Organisation with Hope for the Future” (the very first page shows how many are in eastern Ukraine or Crimea, with their largely Russian populations).
Related Articles
Salmond’s green dream requires a huge cheque from England
09 Aug 2014
Will Vladimir Putin ever back down over Ukraine?
07 Aug 2014
Banks most exposed to Russia sanctions
06 Aug 2014
The barbarism that pushed Poland into EU’s arms
03 Aug 2014
Vladimir Putin faces dilemma over Ukraine of empire or nation-state
04 Aug 2014
Pictures suggest Russian soldier served in Ukraine
31 Jul 2014
One of my readers heard from a Ukrainian woman working in Britain that her husband back home earns €200 a month as an electrician, but is paid another €200 a month, from a German bank, to join demonstrations such as the one last March when hundreds of thousands – many doubtless entirely sincere – turned out in Kiev to chant “Europe, Europe” at Baroness Ashton, the EU’s visiting “foreign minister”.
However dangerous this crisis becomes, it is the West which has brought it about; and our hysterical vilifying of Russia is more reminiscent of that fateful mood in the summer of 1914 than we should find it comfortable to contemplate.
Thanks for the info Anonymous UK! We are really puzzled why none of this has seeped into the MSM here but can safely presume it is because Harper has the yellow journalist corps on a rather short leash. Than again, most of the neocon war-mongering propaganda “news” is being spoon fed via the AP or what we refer to as Associated Propaganda. Since you sent some details that refer to one of the Right Sector factions, take a peek at where their leader has found himself. One has to wonder why the 5-Eyes would be hiring and harbouring a wanted terrorist. Guess that goes to show ya, everything these criminals do is pretty much hidden in plain sight. Keep in touch and thanks again.
–Begin–
YAROSH, DMITRIY
Wanted by the judicial authorities of Russia for prosecution / to serve a sentence
Identity particulars
Present family name: YAROSH
Forename: DMITRIY
Sex: Male
Date of birth: 30/09/1971 (42 years old)
Place of birth: DNEPRODZERZHINSK TOWN, Ukraine
Language spoken: Ukrainian, Russian
Nationality: Ukraine
Charges Published as provided by requesting entity
Charges:
1) Public incitement to terrorist activities involving the use of mass media; 2) Public incitement to extremist activities involving the use of mass media
Photos
If you have any information please contact
Your national or local police
General Secretariat of INTERPOL
This extract of the Red Notice has been approved for public dissemination
Here are a couple of articles about the Canadian NeoNazi fighting with the oligarch funded paramilitary Azov Battalion nicknamed Lemko in case you missed them. You guys might want to follow up on this and pass it around because you know the media won’t report anything since they are not brown jihadists. They are far more dangerous and sooner or later they will return and blend back into their communities. Cheers!
Foreigners join far-right militias in Ukraine’s fight against rebels
Fears that nationalist Azov Battalion and others could ultimately turn on new rulers
Sitting in the shade of a broad pine tree and a pink-and-orange umbrella, two Swedes and a Canadian explain why they are ready to kill, and be killed, for the future of a free Ukraine.
They are members of the Azov Battalion, one of several units of volunteers fighting alongside Ukraine’s military and national guard against separatist rebels – allegedly backed by Moscow – who want the country’s eastern regions to join Russia.
The battalion is based by the Sea of Azov in southern Donetsk province, in a beachside complex formerly used as a holiday home by the family of Viktor Yanukovich, who was ousted as Ukraine’s president in February.
The unit was formed by the Social National Assembly, a Ukrainian nationalist group described by critics as violently racist, and its emblem includes variations on the “black sun” and “wolf’s hook” symbols long associated with Nazism.
Lurid propaganda
The ideology of Azov is a gift to the Kremlin, which has used lurid propaganda to discredit Ukraine’s revolution as a fascist coup that threatens the country’s tens of millions of Russian-speakers and, more broadly, Europe.
There are also growing fears in Ukraine that Azov and other far-right militias could ultimately turn on its new rulers, whom they see not as representatives of the revolution but of a venal oligarchy that has dominated the country for decades.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea and covert support for rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk regions has fuelled radicalism in a Ukraine already reeling from the revolution, and stoked national passions in a country that feels attacked by its huge neighbour and largely abandoned by its supposed allies in the West.
Azov now plans to expand its ranks from 300 to 500 men, and a French supporter called Gaston Besson – who fought for Croatian independence in the 1990s – is forming a brigade of foreigners willing to take up arms for Ukraine’s freedom and territory.
“Volunteers have come from Russia, France, Italy, Belarus, Canada, Sweden, Slovenia – many countries,” said Oleg Odnorozhenko, a self-proclaimed ideologue of the Social National Assembly.
“We have had about two dozen foreigners so far. Lots more want to come but we select those with relevant experience,” he added, noting that a Georgian special forces trainer was working “semi-officially” with Azov.
The shouts of children on the beach drifted through Yanukovich’s old compound on a warm sea breeze, as three of Azov’s foreign contingent discussed why they were here, far from home, and ready to spill and shed blood for Ukraine.
“I was sick of the television pictures from CNN and Russia Today, so I decided to come to Ukraine and see for myself. I found a great people, who desire freedom, being used in a tug-of-war,” said Severin (28) from Gothenburg in Sweden.
“I would love to solve Ukraine’s problems with political discussions. But that’s impossible now,” he added.
“I am in favour of a free European people. And I am here to help these European people live in freedom.”
Severin calls himself a national socialist, but rejects the connotations that he says come with the term “neo-Nazi”. He wanted to serve in the Swedish army “to protect my land and people” but was rejected due to his political beliefs.
Like the two men alongside him, Mikola from Stockholm and a man from Canada who uses the nickname “Lemko”, Severin is against immigration, multiculturalism, globalisation and the rampant capitalism and liberalism he sees ruining the modern world.
The three men share a faith in the strength of ethnically pure nations, living according to their traditions.
Lemko, who hails from Canada’s large Ukrainian diaspora, said he believed in a “Ukraine for the Ukrainian people” and saw the western social model as just as great a threat to the country’s future as the antipathy of the Kremlin. “I lived in western Europe for 11 years, so I know,” said Lemko, who is in his 30s. “Ukraine has two enemies – Russia and the EU.”
Disillusioned by a western world that they regard as feckless, decadent and enslaved by high finance, the men saw an inspiring sense of purpose, patriotism and self-sacrifice in the tent camp on Kiev’s Independence Square, where the revolution played out last winter.
First combat
Severin saw his first combat action on June 13th, when the Azov Battalion fought separatist militants in the nearby port city of Mariupol.
“On the way there, I thought this would be a special day. But it was harsh, and after experiencing that no one would say war was beautiful. Mortars went off close by and two of my comrades were injured. But I was proud to serve.”
Lemko has no plans to return to Canada and Severin says he could be here for “two months or years”, while Mikola hopes to return to Sweden in the near future to continue his psychology studies.
“I’m here to deal with the separatists,” Mikola said. “After that, let’s see.”
The foreigners, like the local members of Azov, are derisive of Ukraine’s billionaire president, Petro Poroshenko, the pro-EU government in Kiev and western states that have been deeply reluctant to take a tough stand against Russia.
“A split is a definite possibility,” Lemko said of fears that the various units fighting the rebels today will one day clash over political differences, and over who exactly controls these increasingly large and well-armed paramilitary battalions.
What is clear is that Azov’s extreme nationalism does not have widespread support in Ukraine: three far-right candidates mustered barely 10 per cent of votes between them in May’s presidential election, even during a deep national crisis.
Desire to defend
Vasyl Arbuzov, an adviser to Donetsk governor Sergei Taruta, said Ukraine’s nationalists were bound far less by ideology than by a desire to defend the country.
“These aren’t the kind of guys I hang out with on the weekend but, at the moment, they are the kind of guys we need because they are willing to fight,” he said.
Inside their seaside base, Kalashnikovs on their laps, three of Azov’s foreigners said they were ready for anything.
“How much talking can you do?” said Lemko.
“Whatever it takes – there’s no turning back now.”
Driven by far-right ideology, Azov Battalion mans Ukraine’s front line
A volunteer military unit is confronting Russia in the east, but future clashes with pro-Western Kiev may lie ahead
July 24, 2014 5:00AM ET
by Sabra Ayres @babraham
URZUF, Ukraine — From his watch post overlooking the sandy beaches of the Azov Sea, Nemets is charged with guarding the shoreline against a possible Russian incursion.
“Twenty minutes by boat, and you’re in Russia,” the 30-year-old said, as he squinted into the midday sun and shrugged to adjust the heavy bulletproof vest weighing down his narrow shoulders in the summer heat.
Nemets, who prefers to go only by his nom de guerre, comes from the central Ukrainian city of Kirovohrad and is a member of the all-volunteer Azov Battalion, one of Ukraine’s many paramilitary groups formed in response to the government’s struggle against pro-Russian separatists in the country’s east, the territory where a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down on July 17.
“This is war, and this is how people become a nation,” he said. “This is the process in which we are learning who is strong and who isn’t.”
The pro-Kiev battalion was named after the blue waters of this southeastern Ukrainian sea that Nemets now guards. More than half of the battalion’s fighters are Russian-speaking eastern Ukrainians, who were brought up in the region now being fought over and who may have spent summer holidays swimming in the sea’s warm waters.
Many of the Azov Battalion members are, by their own description, ultra-right Ukrainian nationalists. Ideologically, they are aligned with the Social-National Assembly, a confederation of groups in Ukraine that have drawn heavy criticism for their radical form of nationalism since the start of the protest movement in Kiev last November, which eventually ousted the Kremlin-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych.
But in Ukraine’s current war the lines have blurred between patriotism and extreme nationalism in this former Soviet republic, now deeply divided as it muddles through its worst political crisis since the breakup of the Soviet Union. At times, the government has coordinated with groups accused of extreme nationalism in its military operation against what it says is a Moscow-sponsored separatist movement. The fighters of the Azov Battalion are a symbol of that alliance, and it is a coordination that some analysts say should be watched carefully.
“Modern history shows that any opportunistic cooperation of the authorities with the extreme right in the end results in problems for the government and society,” wrote Anton Shekhovtsov, an expert on Ukraine’s far right and a Ph.D. student at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London, in his blog last month.
The Azov Battalion is recognized as part of the Ministry of the Interior’s troops and has been actively engaged in battles in key areas of what the government calls an “anti-terrorist operation,” or ATO. It has included fights for Mariupol, the largest of the port cities on the Azov Sea, on May 9 and June 13.
The battalion has adopted symbols and slogans that come close to those used by neo-Nazis, drawing alarm from many moderate Ukrainians and fueling the fire of Russian media accusations that the current Kiev government is a “fascist junta.”
Oleh Odnorozhenko, the chief ideologist of the Social-National Assembly and a member of the Azov Battalion, insists that they and their sister organization the Right Sector are not neo-Nazis or neo-fascist, as the Russian media have depicted them.
“That is all Putinism propaganda,” Odnorozhenko said about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that the groups are elements of an anti-Russian fascism determined to eradicate ethnic Russians from Ukraine. “We aren’t anti-Russian here. Two-thirds of the guys speak Russian. But we are anti-Putin.”
For all the controversy surrounding the government’s association with paramilitary groups like Azov, some argue that it is a necessary evil in extreme times.
“The country is quite radicalized on both sides now,” said Vasyl Arbuzov, a Donetsk native and an aide to the Kiev-appointed governor of the province, Sergei Taruta. “These aren’t the kind of guys I hang out with on the weekend, but at the moment they are the kind of guys we need because they are willing to fight.”
When the battle for Ukraine’s east erupted in April, the country found that its defense forces were in a parlous state after decades of budgetary neglect. Ukraine, it turned out, was not prepared to wage a war on its own soil, particularly what the government claims is a fight against the heavily funded Russian military.
“I’m not sure their nationalistic ideology is taken that seriously by the guys at the battalion, but it’s the thing that binds them together at the moment. It’s the tissue that’s holding them together as they fight for Ukraine,” Arbuzov said. “They aren’t here to protect the white race. They are here to protect the state of Ukraine against oppressors, which today is the Russian Federation.”
The 300 or so troops of the Azov Battalion are living and training in the ousted president’s former summer residence here, a collection of multistoried beach homes in a landscaped setting atop a picturesque cliff overlooking the Azov Sea.
On the training grounds, men run drills on storming buildings and urban fighting in an open space in the middle of the seaside resort’s territory. Nearby, there is a common building housing sleeping quarters and a cafeteria.
While some of the men were on a training course, others were working out with free weights in makeshift outdoor gyms, or tinkering with the battalion’s military vehicles, including its own makeshift armored personnel carrier. A fighter who goes only by his nom de guerre, Malik, said he designed the APC himself, using welded steel to create attack-proof side panels on an old Russian Kamaz heavy truck.
Malik said he was a motorcycle mechanic before he joined the battalion in May, after his native Crimea was annexed by Russia. His APC creation survived an attack during a fight in Mariupol last month. “Everyone wants one now. The Right Sector tried to copy my design, but they couldn’t do it,” Malik said. “But we need more equipment here, particularly technical weapons and body armor.”
While the battalion is recognized by the Interior Ministry and provided with some arms, it is largely funded by charity from Ukrainians, wealthy businessmen, the Ukrainian diaspora and other European far-right groups.
Its ideological alignment with other far-right, social-nationalist groups has attracted volunteers from Sweden, Italy, France, Canada and Russia.
Lemko, a Canadian volunteer whose roots are Ukrainian, said he came to the Azov Battalion several weeks ago because he was concerned about the direction in which Ukraine was heading. He said he was a national socialist — though he rejected the term neo-Nazi — and was a member of far-right groups in Canada, many of which, he said, face problems with the Canadian government because of their political beliefs.
The Canadian volunteer said he was fighting not just against the pro-Russian separatists in the east but for Ukraine’s future; that is, a future that does not include joining the European Union. Joining the EU would destroy Ukraine’s national identity, just as it destroyed the national states of the rest of Europe by admitting economic refugees across borders, he said.
“Ukraine should be for Ukrainians,” Lemko said. “We don’t need the European idea of multicultural extremism here. Ukraine must protect its cultural and ethnic integrity.”
Such sentiments — which go directly opposite to what the pro-European leadership in Kiev and many of its supporters want — might bode ill for the future of the alliance between the far right and Ukraine’s current government.
Nor is Lemko alone. Sitting in a plastic lawn chair with a Kalashnikov resting on his lap, he discussed Ukraine’s future with two volunteer fighters from Sweden. They all agreed that Ukraine is a wealthy country whose economic potential was stolen by oligarchs. But recently elected President Petro Poroshenko was just another oligarch replacing the previous regime, they said.
“I’m here to support a national idea of Ukraine. I’m willing to die helping them get these bandits out,” said Sevren, 28, from Gothenburg, Sweden.
Lemko agreed. “We actually have two enemies now, the EU on one side and the Russian Federation on the other. But first, we need to deal with the separatists,” he said.
Anonymous UK, thanks again for your contributions and sorry it took some time to reply but we wanted to do some diggin’ for more info about this Lemko character and the Right Sectors Azov Battalion. These guys are a real problem and even though he despises the Harper Regime, probably more than most, it seems imperative that we get the word out considering he will be more than battle ready when he returns. Hopefully one of our media outlets will shed their yellow stripes and put together a report about this treat to our National security. Here are a few items we came across from various sources for your own archives and endeavours. Please note that some are simple copypastas from submissions/boards/comments/threads and others are related articles…
Ethnic and cultural cleansing in Ukraine
by Andrew Korybko
Voltaire Network | 25 June 2014
While the president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has just inked an agreement with the leaders of the Donbas People’s Republic, Andrew Korybko dwells on the reasons for the uprising: it is not simply a question of refusing to recognize the coup government in Kiev, but an attempt to ward off an official project entailing the ethnic cleansing of the Russian-speaking populations.
During World War I, the Emperor of Austria-Hungary imprisoned over 20,000 Rusyns and Lemkos, mainly intellectuals, in Talerhoff. It was not strictly speaking a concentration camp, but rather a wasteland where prisoners slept on the floor in all types of severe weather conditions.
On the centennial anniversary of “Russophilic” individuals (Rusyns) from modern-day Ukraine being sent to concentration camps, history appears set to once again repeat itself. The Ukrainian Defense Minister has publicly voiced his plan to corral the citizens of Donbass into special “filtration” camps prior to forcibly resettling them in different parts of Ukraine.
A few days later, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yatsenyuk declared the pro-federalists in the East to be “subhuman”.
Source : Embassy of Ukraine in the United States, 15 June 2014.
This choice of words not only wasn’t condemned by Kiev’s American patrons, but was actually defended by State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki, who strangely said that Yatsenyuk “has consistently been in support of a peaceful resolution” [1]. Raising concerns even higher that a full-fledged cleansing is being planned, Ukraine’s land agency said that it will be giving “free land” from the east to the military, Interior Ministry, and Special Services troops battling the federalists [2]. With Ukraine on the verge of large-scale ethnic and cultural cleansing, it is little wonder at whose expense this Lebenstraum-like “free land” will be given.
At least a thousand prisoners died during their confinement at Telerhoff.
1914 was the first time that people of a supposed pro-Russian affiliation were rounded up and sent to concentration camps. The Austrians imprisoned Rusyns and Lemkos (a closely related sub-ethnic group) in Thalerhof because their self-identification was seen as treasonous. In the same manner, the self-identification of the people of Donbass is also being seen as treasonous, at least according to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mikhail Koval. He was appointed to his position after his predecessor’s dismissal following the reunification of Russia and Crimea [3]. Koval’s extreme statement of intent for the people of Donbass also validates Russia’s prior concerns in March, elaborated upon in the White Book on human rights violations in Ukraine [4], that Crimea was facing an imminent humanitarian crisis before the reunification. If Crimea had not defended itself and reunified with Russia, now that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s post-crisis ‘resolution’ plans have been made public, it is very likely that its citizens would already be imprisoned in a special “filtration” camp of some sorts and forcibly moved out of their home region (if they survived the ordeal).
What Koval has proposed to do to the citizens of Donbass is completely illegal under international law and characterized as a crime against humanity. Forcible deporting and transferring a population, imprisoning them for no reason other than their address, and specifically targeting an ethnic and cultural group is explicitly forbidden under Article 7 of the Rome Statute. Perhaps because Yatsenyuk and others in his administration believe the protesters in the east to be “subhuman”, they do not feel that “human rights” apply to them. Accordingly, these “sub-humans” won’t have the right to their former property as well (due to the forcible resettlement), so it is likely that their homes and businesses will be the “free land” that Kiev has promised to its militant henchmen deployed in the east.
According to the Russian government, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have sought asylum in Russia since the beginning of the crisis. They are hosted by their families and friends. However, the Western authorities refute this number because they are not grouped in refugee camps.
This flagrant violation of fundamental human rights is being absolutely ignored by Western governments, which are usually the first actors to prematurely blow the whistle on any suspected human rights violations and threaten military intervention. It is now seen that the human intervention/responsibility to protect (HI/R2P) rhetoric and slogans were nothing more than charades to pursue ulterior geopolitical purposes. In fact, contrary to their established HI/R2P “credentials”, the West, particularly the US, is actually aiding and abetting the Kievan regime that plans to carry out the cleansing [5]. Military advisors, millions in funds, and CIA and FBI support have flooded into Ukraine since the coup, and more than likely, they will all be directed eastwards towards violently suppressing the federalist protesters [6]. In this manner, the US is directly complicit in any and all war crimes that Kiev’s conventional or mercenary forces carry out, up to and including Koval’s ethnic and cultural cleansing plans. Thus, the six million people of Donbass are faced with the same type of humanitarian disaster that was thought to have been forever vanquished from Europe almost 70 years ago.
[5] “Russia’s investigators pledge to prosecute those guilty in civilians’ deaths in Ukraine”, Itar-Tass, 30 mai 2014. http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/734136
Foreign fighters in Azov battalion, now hot in Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, at least):
In its media counter-offensive Russia demands that Sweden, Finland, the Baltic countries and France (funny they forgot Italy…) investigate the claims brought up in a report by the Italian newspaper Il Giornale of about a dozen foreign volunteers having taken oath in the Ukrainian Azov Battalion, a group undeniably containing some actual fascist elements.
It looks pretty clear that at least a couple of (actual) Swedish neo-nazis/fascists have signed up, one of whom (Mikael Skillt, a self-claimed “sniper”) is now rumored to have been caught by the separatists in Luhansk. The Azov Battalion itself denies having any Finns there, though (they do not deny the existence of foreign fighters from several countries as such), and the Finnish Security Intelligence Service states they have no knowledge of such persons. The Il Giornale report is based on interviews of French and Italian volunteers, and it looks likely they are indeed involved. A lot of the fighters seem to be ex-military and veterans of other conflict zones, which is probably just the kind of people you’d expect to be drawn into these zones (on any side). The Azov Battalion is often claimed to be funded by oligarch Igor Kolomoisky.
Some interesting bits from the Irish Times article as to the motivation of the couple of joiners:
“There are also growing fears in Ukraine that Azov and other far-right militias could ultimately turn on its new rulers, whom they see not as representatives of the revolution but of a venal oligarchy that has dominated the country for decades.
“Russia’s annexation of Crimea and covert support for rebels in Donetsk and Luhansk regions has fuelled radicalism in a Ukraine already reeling from the revolution, and stoked national passions in a country that feels attacked by its huge neighbour and largely abandoned by its supposed allies in the West.”
“Lemko, who hails from Canada’s large Ukrainian diaspora, said he believed in a ‘Ukraine for the Ukrainian people’ and saw the western social model as just as great a threat to the country’s future as the antipathy of the Kremlin. ‘I lived in western Europe for 11 years, so I know,’ said Lemko, who is in his 30s. ‘Ukraine has two enemies – Russia and the EU.’
“Disillusioned by a western world that they regard as feckless, decadent and enslaved by high finance, the men saw an inspiring sense of purpose, patriotism and self-sacrifice in the tent camp on Kiev’s Independence Square, where the revolution played out last winter.”
That piece is interesting. Its nice to see a “Canadian” viewpoint from the area. When the guns come out it is always the people who pay the price.
Quote:
While the battalion is recognized by the Interior Ministry and provided with some arms, it is largely funded by charity from Ukrainians, wealthy businessmen, the Ukrainian diaspora and other European far-right groups.
Its ideological alignment with other far-right, social-nationalist groups has attracted volunteers from Sweden, Italy, France, Canada and Russia.
Lemko, a Canadian volunteer whose roots are Ukrainian, said he came to the Azov Battalion several weeks ago because he was concerned about the direction in which Ukraine was heading. He said he was a national socialist — though he rejected the term neo-Nazi — and was a member of far-right groups in Canada, many of which, he said, face problems with the Canadian government because of their political beliefs.
The Canadian volunteer said he was fighting not just against the pro-Russian separatists in the east but for Ukraine’s future; that is, a future that does not include joining the European Union. Joining the EU would destroy Ukraine’s national identity, just as it destroyed the national states of the rest of Europe by admitting economic refugees across borders, he said.
“Ukraine should be for Ukrainians,” Lemko said. “We don’t need the European idea of multicultural extremism here. Ukraine must protect its cultural and ethnic integrity.”
Such sentiments — which go directly opposite to what the pro-European leadership in Kiev and many of its supporters want — might bode ill for the future of the alliance between the far right and Ukraine’s current government.
The Department of Making Shit Up Welcomes New Rising Star Daniel Bilak
Posted on July 19, 2014 by marknesop
Uncle Volodya says, “Once you know the truth, you can’t ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now. ”
Uncle Volodya says, “Once you know the truth, you can’t ever go back and pick up your suitcase of lies. Heavier or not, the truth is yours now. “
Ladies and gentlemen, attention please;
come in close so everyone can see:
I got a tale to tell,
a listen don’t cost a dime –
And if you believe that we’re gonna get along just fine.
Now I’ve been travelin’ all around,
I heard trouble’s come to your town;
well I’ve got a little somethin’
guaranteed to ease your mind:
It’s called Snake Oil, y’all
It’s been around for a long, long time
Setting a sombre mood right from the get-go, Daniel Bilak leads off with Edmund Burke’s cri du cœur – “all that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.” Please, EU; stop playing Putin’s game [http://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/op-ed/its-time-for-eu-to-stop-playing-putins-game-356198.html], and sanction that prick back to the stone age. Help Ukraine succeed by destroying the economy of its former largest trading partner, so that Ukraine – a country with screaming territorial disputes which have resulted in Ukraine using its military to bludgeon the civilian populace into submission – can become a smiling and happy member of the rich EU even though the newly-minted EU Association agreement does not even offer membership, and although membership is not considered in the case of supplicant nations with ongoing territorial disputes.
That’s quite a pipe dream, Daniel. Pardon me – is that a crack pipe? Just curious; I’m not judging.
Before we start unpacking it, which is our stock in trade, allow me to counter with a quote from a less well-known philosopher; Ally Carter, author of “Heist Society“. “It is an occupational hazard that anyone who has spent [his] life learning how to lie eventually becomes bad at telling the truth.”
I’m not sure how Mr. Bilak is at telling the truth, because we don’t get to see any of that in this piece. However, I can vouch with complete confidence for his suitability to lead a weekend retreat in lying; he is a veritable wizard of whoppers. Let’s take a look at some of them.
We can make a start with what I’ve already written above. All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing. That so? Mr. Bilak is using this quote to imply that if the EU will not get serious about sanctions, probably striking a hammer-blow that will set off a cascading tremor in the world economy and result in a shooting war over gas, it is fiddling while Putin toasts Ukraine like a particularly succulent marshmallow. Mr. Bilak argues that more sanctions – in addition to those Mickey-Mouse laughingstocks already applied under conditions which fairly ooze mendacity and deceit – would be just the ticket. If the west would only put its shoulder to the wheel and cooperatively crush Russia’s economy so that the Russian people became desperate from the pressure, Putin would put his tail between his legs and ki-yi all the way back to the Kremlin. Ummm…what national leader would actually respond that way? Certainly not Putin, and anyone who believes that is quite liable to believe anything they are told, including newborn babies are found under cabbage leaves and money can’t buy happiness. But if the west would only do something, Ukraine’s troubles would be on their way to over. Au contraire; they would be just beginning, as any European war with Russia which started in Ukraine would certainly be fought the length and breadth of Ukraine, leaving it a smoking wreck. And who are these “good men” who are allegedly doing nothing – which is used here as a euphemism for “not doing what Kiev and its string-pullers want”? The west? Are you shitting me? The west are the good guys in this?
Let me refresh your memory, Dan.
It was the west, with its media road show and fog machine, that hyped the Maidan as a huge groundswell of popular opinion, a “people’s uprising”, even though it attracted far smaller crowds than the Orange Revolution. It was the west who whipped the protests into violence, shouting loudly that Yanukovych must get his police off the streets and let the peaceful protesters have their way even as they were heaving bricks and gasoline bombs and seizing control of public buildings. Here’s [http://www.dw.de/eu-criticizes-violence-against-maidan-protesters/a-17288602] what EU Foreign Policy Chief Ashton had to say about the heroic crowd on the Maidan: “I was among you on Maidan in the evening and was impressed by the determination of Ukrainians demonstrating for the European perspective of their country“. Here’s what she said about Yanukovych’s brutality toward protesters: “Dialogue with political forces and society and the use of arguments is always better than the argument of force.” Things changed a little bit once the EU and USA maneuvered Poroshenko into the driver’s seat, and those in the east who did not want to recognize his dominion over them were not protesters; no, Lady Ashton and her doppelgänger in physical ugliness, U.S, Secretary of State John Kerry agreed that they were “pro-Russian separatists” [http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/05/225698.htm], while Ukraine – which had already moved against them in full military strength in direct contravention of the Ukrainian constitution and international law – had “shown remarkable restraint”. Fuck dialogue and the use of arguments: force rocks!! Around the same time, the Estonian Foreign Minister confided to Ashton [http://rt.com/news/ashton-maidan-snipers-estonia-946/] suspicions that the snipers who had indiscriminately shot both protesters and police from rooftops around Maidan had acted on the behest of the Ukrainian opposition, to sort of spur things along to mindless rioting. Ashton’s response will go down in history: “I think we do want to investigate. I mean, I didn’t pick that up, that’s interesting. Gosh.” Investigation of the matter since? Zip. Zero. Nothing. Dropped like a hot stone. Apparently upon further examination, it was all the way across town from “interesting”.
Mr. Bilak apparently agrees with the might-makes-right approach; he reserved especial disappointment for Germany’s Angela Merkel, for her statement that “Ukraine should start immediate bilateral negotiations with the terrorists rampaging through the Donbas.“
Said terrorist body consisting, according to Mr. Bilak, of “marauding, fragmented bands of 10,000 Chechen fighters and Russian mercenaries, Donbas criminals, drug addicts, and other marginals”. What a long, rough way we have come from the nobility of “Ukrainians demonstrating for the European perspective of their country”. It must be disappointing for a professional military force made up of genetically-acceptable Ukrainians to get its ass kicked by drug addicts, criminals and marginals. Although perhaps he is not exactly sure of the composition of the opposing force, since he offers no evidence whatsoever to support his allegations, and all evidence offered thus far of state-sponsored Russian participation has been discredited. No use holding talks, anyway, says Bilak, with terrorists who are too busy shooting up the towns they hold to negotiate. The deliberate obfuscation and ignorance of this statement is breathtaking; there is no evidence that any property damage at all accrues to the federalists, while it is the indiscriminate shelling by the Ukrainian army which has reduced towns like Slaviyansk to rubble.
But beneath the all-seeing Eye Of Bilak, the situation for the bloodthirsty saboteurs of Ukraine’s destiny is simple; when the glorious forces of the Unified Ukraine prevail, the Ukrainians among the defenders will be tried as terrorists, while the Russians fleeing for the safety of their evil empire will be shot by Russian border guards.
But it didn’t have to be this way. Putin could stop the entire conflict in its tracks, just by waving his evil talon. This would “cut off the flow of funds, tanks, weapons and mercenaries from Russia and to secure his side of the Ukrainian-Russian border.“
But he won’t do that unless the EU stops dicking around and applies some serious sanctions.
As if that were not enough rubbish, the garbage truck and the road completely part company at this point. According to Mr. Bilak, “On Monday, Ukraine claimed a Russian fighter jet or one of Russia’s new rockets shot down a Ukrainian air force plane from inside Russian territory (based on the fact that no side on Ukraine’s territory has weaponry that could reach that height).“
Sure you want to stick with that story, Daniel? Because the downing yesterday of MH-17 was responded to by Samantha Power at the UN with a storm of frothy and rabid invective [http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/samantha-power-russia-must-end-this-war-356855.html] which included the contention that according to the official United States position, the Ukrainian “pro-Russian separatists” have vehicle-mounted air defence missile systems practically falling out their ass – among them the SA-11 Buk. The aircraft shot down on Monday [http://www.vox.com/2014/7/18/5914139/ukrainian-rebels-shot-down-two-planes-in-the-last-month] was an AN-26, at an altitude of 21,000 ft. MH-17 was following an airlane at 33,000 ft; 12,000 ft higher than the AN-26, although the international community is sure it was shot down by the “pro-Russia separatists” using Russian-supplied weaponry. Ukraine has the Buk as well, of course, but Ukraine also said at one time that the rebels did not have any. The plane crashed far enough from the Russian border that it would have been out of range of a Buk fired from Russia at the moment it was hit. So…what happened? There is absolutely no doubt that Ukraine has a weapon which could reach that altitude, the aircraft would have been out of range from Russia, and you just got done saying the “pro-Russia separatists” didn’t have a weapon which could reach that high. That only leaves one contender.
We’ll let you off that one, Daniel, because you plainly know as much about gaseous compounds on Venus as you do about air defense systems. And that ignorance is just as plainly not confined simply to air defense systems, as he goes on in the next paragraph to blabber that Russian tanks and artillery poured over the border this past weekend vand advanced three kilometers into Ukraine. That sounds like an invasion to me. Got any pictures? Nope. Any evidence at all? Nope. Just alarmist twaddle to stir up the red-meat crowd.
Who the hell is Daniel Bilak, you may be wondering. As was I. According to the one-line bio at the bottom of this tapestry of mendacious blather, he is “an advisor to the Governor of Donetsk Oblast”. The absentee governor, that’d be, who was appointed by Kiev to run the restive region and has since fled after being driven out. But that’s not the end of the Daniel Bilak story; no, indeed. He’s also the managing partner at CMS Cameron McKenna LLC in Kiev [http://www.cms-cmck.com/Daniel-Bilak], and has extensive experience advising clients on legal risk in international oil and gas development, among other things. Between 1995 and 2006 he was a senior United Nations Development Program governance expert, and has also been General Counsel for Emtec, a Canadian high-tech. Except for his rudimentary schooling, he was educated in Canada at McGill University, Montreal. He is an internationalist who is about as Ukrainian as a hockey stick. I don’t know where he learned to make up shit like that, but I devoutly hope it was not Montreal.
Here’s a tip, Dan, for free. Stick to lying about how many women you’ve slept with and how big the fish you catch are. Men at least will be willing to let those pass without comment, because everybody lies about those.
Interesting that sober Ukraine analysis is coming from three knowledgeable sources:
Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault
The Liberal Delusions That Provoked Putin
By John J. Mearsheimer
Summary:
“The United States and its European allies now face a choice on Ukraine. They can continue their current policy, which will exacerbate hostilities with Russia and devastate Ukraine in the process — a scenario in which everyone would come out a loser. Or they can switch gears and work to create a prosperous but neutral Ukraine, one that does not threaten Russia and allows the West to repair its relations with Moscow. With that approach, all sides would win.”
Presents a game theory approach and shows that Finlandization is the only acceptable option. For those who would wish to punish Russia they feel that giving Ukraine to Russia would be an effective strategy.
********************
Podcast by Simon Black titled “Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori”
Makes the case that Ukraine is a failed state facing inflation, economic contraction and much higher unemployment. As a regular visitor to Ukraine he ultimately sees Ukraine tipping into stagflation whereby the rich Ukrainians (and other vultures) can come in and pick the bones at fire sale prices (as in Serbia). Remember that about 50 oligarchs account for 85% of the Ukrainian GDP.
The Regime call for sacrifice by the people based of nationalist/fascist ideology finds a breeding ground in a destitute population. The latin title translates to “It is sweet and fitting to die for your country” Among the rabid fascists this message is like mainlining crack.
I personally fear that Ukraine serves a a perfect storm of converging EU, US, NATO, big energy, military industry and banking (IMF/World Bank) players. Each one sees Ukraine as a means to further their goals. In a way this represents the “Tragedy of the Commons” in that their different goals conflict and result in numerous negative feedback loops on their goals as well as the other players. All these linear thinkers fail to understand systems theory (see Peter Senge and the limits to growth group at the Club of Rome).
I can only hope the DPR and the LPR can hold on long enough for the Ukraine economy to collapse enough so that the various other non-fascist regions to also breakaway from Ukraine a the western players come to their senses and quit backing the fascists as warned by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
This best case option will likely result in widescale ethnic cleansing throughout the rest of Ukraine as was the case in the de-findlandization of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as discussed in “DISMANTLING YUGOSLAVIA, COLONIZING BOSNIA”
By Michel Chossudovsky and “White Hats and Blacks Hats in the Balkans: A Canadian Perspective”by Bob Allen
Professor of Economics University of British Columbia Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z1 allen@econ.ubc.ca
The negative feedback loop of this would be a massive influx of refugees and radicals into the EU which would collapse their governments and ultimately damage the other Western players.
Sadly, Putin is the only sane system dynamics player in this bloody game and is unfortunately being ridiculed and browbeaten by the mass of Western linear thinkers who cannot see past their noses. The West may not be able to stop their destructive actions as it is based on what Joseph Campbell called underlying myths (the new frontier and the Zion on the hill). Likewise the fascist ideology of Western Ukraine and their seething hate reinforces this headlong plunge toward conflict with Russia.
It would be nice the delay the collapse of society for a few decades and have that collapse be a gentle catabolic collapse as discussed by John Michael Greer (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.ae). I fear that overarching greed of the “masters of the Universe” will rule the day. Too bad they couldn’t be taken out/culled to improve society as Dr Sapolsky found when alpha males were killed off: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZcTvFqzxA0).
Thanks for the summary and links Sober Ukraine Analysis and for keeping us in the loop! While we have not had the opportunity to parse the links for more info as of yet, the article from Foreign Affairs seems vary interesting indeed considering “many” consider them to be the authority on geo-politics…
Foreign Affairs September/October 2014 By John J. Mearsheimer
JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER is R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago.
According to the prevailing wisdom in the West, the Ukraine crisis can be blamed almost entirely on Russian aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin, the argument goes, annexed Crimea out of a long-standing desire to resuscitate the Soviet empire, and he may eventually go after the rest of Ukraine, as well as other countries in eastern Europe. In this view, the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 merely provided a pretext for Putin’s decision to order Russian forces to seize part of Ukraine. But this account is wrong: the United States and its European allies share most of the responsibility for the crisis. The taproot of the trouble is NATO enlargement, the central element of a larger strategy to move Ukraine out of Russia’s orbit and integrate it into the West. At the same time, the EU’s expansion eastward and the West’s backing of the pro-democracy movement in Ukraine — beginning with the Orange Revolution in 2004 — were critical elements, too. Since the mid-1990s, Russian leaders have adamantly opposed NATO enlargement, and in recent years, they have made it clear that they would not stand by while their strategically important neighbor turned into a Western bastion. For Putin, the illegal overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically elected and pro-Russian president — which he rightly labeled a “coup” — was the final straw. He responded by taking Crimea, a peninsula he feared would host a NATO naval base, and working to destabilize Ukraine until it abandoned its efforts to join the West. Putin’s pushback should have come as no surprise. After all, the West had been moving into Russia’s backyard and threatening its core strategic interests, a point Putin made emphatically and repeatedly. Elites in the United States and Europe have been blindsided by events only because they subscribe to a flawed view of international politics. They tend to believe that the logic of realism holds little relevance in the twenty-first century and that Europe can be kept whole and free on the basis of such liberal principles as the rule of law, economic interdependence, and democracy. But this grand scheme went awry in Ukraine. The crisis there shows that realpolitik remains relevant — and states that ignore it do so at their own peril. U.S. and European leaders blundered in attempting to turn Ukraine into a Western stronghold on Russia’s border. Now that the consequences have been laid bare, it would be an even greater mistake to continue this misbegotten policy. U.S. and European leaders blundered in attempting to turn Ukraine into a Western stronghold on Russia’s border. THE WESTERN AFFRONT
As the Cold War came to a close, Soviet leaders preferred that U.S. forces remain in Europe and NATO stay intact, an arrangement they thought would keep a reunified Germany pacified. But they and their Russian successors did not want NATO to grow any larger and assumed that Western diplomats understood their concerns. The Clinton administration evidently thought otherwise, and in the mid-1990s, it began pushing for NATO to expand.
The first round of enlargement took place in 1999 and brought in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. The second occurred in 2004; it included Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Moscow complained bitterly from the start. During NATO’s 1995 bombing campaign against the Bosnian Serbs, for example, Russian President Boris Yeltsin said, “This is the first sign of what could happen when NATO comes right up to the Russian Federation’s borders. … The flame of war could burst out across the whole of Europe.” But the Russians were too weak at the time to derail NATO’s eastward movement — which, at any rate, did not look so threatening, since none of the new members shared a border with Russia, save for the tiny Baltic countries.
Then NATO began looking further east. At its April 2008 summit in Bucharest, the alliance considered admitting Georgia and Ukraine. The George W. Bush administration supported doing so, but France and Germany opposed the move for fear that it would unduly antagonize Russia. In the end, NATO’s members reached a compromise: the alliance did not begin the formal process leading to membership, but it issued a statement endorsing the aspirations of Georgia and Ukraine and boldly declaring, “These countries will become members of NATO.”
Moscow, however, did not see the outcome as much of a compromise. Alexander Grushko, then Russia’s deputy foreign minister, said, “Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership in the alliance is a huge strategic mistake which would have most serious consequences for pan-European security.” Putin maintained that admitting those two countries to NATO would represent a “direct threat” to Russia. One Russian newspaper reported that Putin, while speaking with Bush, “very transparently hinted that if Ukraine was accepted into NATO, it would cease to exist.”
Russia’s invasion of Georgia in August 2008 should have dispelled any remaining doubts about Putin’s determination to prevent Georgia and Ukraine from joining NATO. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was deeply committed to bringing his country into NATO, had decided in the summer of 2008 to reincorporate two separatist regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But Putin sought to keep Georgia weak and divided — and out of NATO. After fighting broke out between the Georgian government and South Ossetian separatists, Russian forces took control of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Moscow had made its point. Yet despite this clear warning, NATO never publicly abandoned its goal of bringing Georgia and Ukraine into the alliance. And NATO expansion continued marching forward, with Albania and Croatia becoming members in 2009.
The EU, too, has been marching eastward. In May 2008, it unveiled its Eastern Partnership initiative, a program to foster prosperity in such countries as Ukraine and integrate them into the EU economy. Not surprisingly, Russian leaders view the plan as hostile to their country’s interests. This past February, before Yanukovych was forced from office, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the EU of trying to create a “sphere of influence” in eastern Europe. In the eyes of Russian leaders, EU expansion is a stalking horse for NATO expansion.
The West’s final tool for peeling Kiev away from Moscow has been its efforts to spread Western values and promote democracy in Ukraine and other post-Soviet states, a plan that often entails funding pro-Western individuals and organizations. Victoria Nuland, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, estimated in December 2013 that the United States had invested more than $5 billion since 1991 to help Ukraine achieve “the future it deserves.” As part of that effort, the U.S. government has bankrolled the National Endowment for Democracy. The nonprofit foundation has funded more than 60 projects aimed at promoting civil society in Ukraine, and the NED’s president, Carl Gershman, has called that country “the biggest prize.” After Yanukovych won Ukraine’s presidential election in February 2010, the NED decided he was undermining its goals, and so it stepped up its efforts to support the opposition and strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
When Russian leaders look at Western social engineering in Ukraine, they worry that their country might be next. And such fears are hardly groundless. In September 2013, Gershman wrote in The Washington Post, “Ukraine’s choice to join Europe will accelerate the demise of the ideology of Russian imperialism that Putin represents.” He added: “Russians, too, face a choice, and Putin may find himself on the losing end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself.”
CREATING A CRISIS Imagine the American outrage if China built an impressive military alliance and tried to include Canada and Mexico. The West’s triple package of policies — NATO enlargement, EU expansion, and democracy promotion — added fuel to a fire waiting to ignite. The spark came in November 2013, when Yanukovych rejected a major economic deal he had been negotiating with the EU and decided to accept a $15 billion Russian counteroffer instead. That decision gave rise to antigovernment demonstrations that escalated over the following three months and that by mid-February had led to the deaths of some one hundred protesters. Western emissaries hurriedly flew to Kiev to resolve the crisis. On February 21, the government and the opposition struck a deal that allowed Yanukovych to stay in power until new elections were held. But it immediately fell apart, and Yanukovych fled to Russia the next day. The new government in Kiev was pro-Western and anti-Russian to the core, and it contained four high-ranking members who could legitimately be labeled neofascists.
Although the full extent of U.S. involvement has not yet come to light, it is clear that Washington backed the coup. Nuland and Republican Senator John McCain participated in antigovernment demonstrations, and Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, proclaimed after Yanukovych’s toppling that it was “a day for the history books.” As a leaked telephone recording revealed, Nuland had advocated regime change and wanted the Ukrainian politician Arseniy Yatsenyuk to become prime minister in the new government, which he did. No wonder Russians of all persuasions think the West played a role in Yanukovych’s ouster.
For Putin, the time to act against Ukraine and the West had arrived. Shortly after February 22, he ordered Russian forces to take Crimea from Ukraine, and soon after that, he incorporated it into Russia. The task proved relatively easy, thanks to the thousands of Russian troops already stationed at a naval base in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Crimea also made for an easy target since ethnic Russians compose roughly 60 percent of its population. Most of them wanted out of Ukraine.
Next, Putin put massive pressure on the new government in Kiev to discourage it from siding with the West against Moscow, making it clear that he would wreck Ukraine as a functioning state before he would allow it to become a Western stronghold on Russia’s doorstep. Toward that end, he has provided advisers, arms, and diplomatic support to the Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, who are pushing the country toward civil war. He has massed a large army on the Ukrainian border, threatening to invade if the government cracks down on the rebels. And he has sharply raised the price of the natural gas Russia sells to Ukraine and demanded payment for past exports. Putin is playing hardball.
THE DIAGNOSIS
Putin’s actions should be easy to comprehend. A huge expanse of flat land that Napoleonic France, imperial Germany, and Nazi Germany all crossed to strike at Russia itself, Ukraine serves as a buffer state of enormous strategic importance to Russia. No Russian leader would tolerate a military alliance that was Moscow’s mortal enemy until recently moving into Ukraine. Nor would any Russian leader stand idly by while the West helped install a government there that was determined to integrate Ukraine into the West.
Washington may not like Moscow’s position, but it should understand the logic behind it. This is Geopolitics 101: great powers are always sensitive to potential threats near their home territory. After all, the United States does not tolerate distant great powers deploying military forces anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, much less on its borders. Imagine the outrage in Washington if China built an impressive military alliance and tried to include Canada and Mexico in it. Logic aside, Russian leaders have told their Western counterparts on many occasions that they consider NATO expansion into Georgia and Ukraine unacceptable, along with any effort to turn those countries against Russia — a message that the 2008 Russian-Georgian war also made crystal clear.
Officials from the United States and its European allies contend that they tried hard to assuage Russian fears and that Moscow should understand that NATO has no designs on Russia. In addition to continually denying that its expansion was aimed at containing Russia, the alliance has never permanently deployed military forces in its new member states. In 2002, it even created a body called the NATO-Russia Council in an effort to foster cooperation. To further mollify Russia, the United States announced in 2009 that it would deploy its new missile defense system on warships in European waters, at least initially, rather than on Czech or Polish territory. But none of these measures worked; the Russians remained steadfastly opposed to NATO enlargement, especially into Georgia and Ukraine. And it is the Russians, not the West, who ultimately get to decide what counts as a threat to them.
To understand why the West, especially the United States, failed to understand that its Ukraine policy was laying the groundwork for a major clash with Russia, one must go back to the mid-1990s, when the Clinton administration began advocating NATO expansion. Pundits advanced a variety of arguments for and against enlargement, but there was no consensus on what to do. Most eastern European émigrés in the United States and their relatives, for example, strongly supported expansion, because they wanted NATO to protect such countries as Hungary and Poland. A few realists also favored the policy because they thought Russia still needed to be contained.
But most realists opposed expansion, in the belief that a declining great power with an aging population and a one-dimensional economy did not in fact need to be contained. And they feared that enlargement would only give Moscow an incentive to cause trouble in eastern Europe. The U.S. diplomat George Kennan articulated this perspective in a 1998 interview, shortly after the U.S. Senate approved the first round of NATO expansion. “I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies,” he said. “I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anyone else.” The United States and its allies should abandon their plan to westernize Ukraine and instead aim to make it a neutral buffer. Most liberals, on the other hand, favored enlargement, including many key members of the Clinton administration. They believed that the end of the Cold War had fundamentally transformed international politics and that a new, postnational order had replaced the realist logic that used to govern Europe. The United States was not only the “indispensable nation,” as Secretary of State Madeleine Albright put it; it was also a benign hegemon and thus unlikely to be viewed as a threat in Moscow. The aim, in essence, was to make the entire continent look like western Europe.
And so the United States and its allies sought to promote democracy in the countries of eastern Europe, increase economic interdependence among them, and embed them in international institutions. Having won the debate in the United States, liberals had little difficulty convincing their European allies to support NATO enlargement. After all, given the EU’s past achievements, Europeans were even more wedded than Americans to the idea that geopolitics no longer mattered and that an all-inclusive liberal order could maintain peace in Europe.
So thoroughly did liberals come to dominate the discourse about European security during the first decade of this century that even as the alliance adopted an open-door policy of growth, NATO expansion faced little realist opposition. The liberal worldview is now accepted dogma among U.S. officials. In March, for example, President Barack Obama delivered a speech about Ukraine in which he talked repeatedly about “the ideals” that motivate Western policy and how those ideals “have often been threatened by an older, more traditional view of power.” Secretary of State John Kerry’s response to the Crimea crisis reflected this same perspective: “You just don’t in the twenty-first century behave in nineteenth-century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped-up pretext.”
In essence, the two sides have been operating with different playbooks: Putin and his compatriots have been thinking and acting according to realist dictates, whereas their Western counterparts have been adhering to liberal ideas about international politics. The result is that the United States and its allies unknowingly provoked a major crisis over Ukraine.
BLAME GAME
In that same 1998 interview, Kennan predicted that NATO expansion would provoke a crisis, after which the proponents of expansion would “say that we always told you that is how the Russians are.” As if on cue, most Western officials have portrayed Putin as the real culprit in the Ukraine predicament. In March, according to The New York Times, German Chancellor Angela Merkel implied that Putin was irrational, telling Obama that he was “in another world.” Although Putin no doubt has autocratic tendencies, no evidence supports the charge that he is mentally unbalanced. On the contrary: he is a first-class strategist who should be feared and respected by anyone challenging him on foreign policy.
Other analysts allege, more plausibly, that Putin regrets the demise of the Soviet Union and is determined to reverse it by expanding Russia’s borders. According to this interpretation, Putin, having taken Crimea, is now testing the waters to see if the time is right to conquer Ukraine, or at least its eastern part, and he will eventually behave aggressively toward other countries in Russia’s neighborhood. For some in this camp, Putin represents a modern-day Adolf Hitler, and striking any kind of deal with him would repeat the mistake of Munich. Thus, NATO must admit Georgia and Ukraine to contain Russia before it dominates its neighbors and threatens western Europe.
This argument falls apart on close inspection. If Putin were committed to creating a greater Russia, signs of his intentions would almost certainly have arisen before February 22. But there is virtually no evidence that he was bent on taking Crimea, much less any other territory in Ukraine, before that date. Even Western leaders who supported NATO expansion were not doing so out of a fear that Russia was about to use military force. Putin’s actions in Crimea took them by complete surprise and appear to have been a spontaneous reaction to Yanukovych’s ouster. Right afterward, even Putin said he opposed Crimean secession, before quickly changing his mind.
Besides, even if it wanted to, Russia lacks the capability to easily conquer and annex eastern Ukraine, much less the entire country. Roughly 15 million people — one-third of Ukraine’s population — live between the Dnieper River, which bisects the country, and the Russian border. An overwhelming majority of those people want to remain part of Ukraine and would surely resist a Russian occupation. Furthermore, Russia’s mediocre army, which shows few signs of turning into a modern Wehrmacht, would have little chance of pacifying all of Ukraine. Moscow is also poorly positioned to pay for a costly occupation; its weak economy would suffer even more in the face of the resulting sanctions.
But even if Russia did boast a powerful military machine and an impressive economy, it would still probably prove unable to successfully occupy Ukraine. One need only consider the Soviet and U.S. experiences in Afghanistan, the U.S. experiences in Vietnam and Iraq, and the Russian experience in Chechnya to be reminded that military occupations usually end badly. Putin surely understands that trying to subdue Ukraine would be like swallowing a porcupine. His response to events there has been defensive, not offensive.
A WAY OUT
Given that most Western leaders continue to deny that Putin’s behavior might be motivated by legitimate security concerns, it is unsurprising that they have tried to modify it by doubling down on their existing policies and have punished Russia to deter further aggression. Although Kerry has maintained that “all options are on the table,” neither the United States nor its NATO allies are prepared to use force to defend Ukraine. The West is relying instead on economic sanctions to coerce Russia into ending its support for the insurrection in eastern Ukraine. In July, the United States and the EU put in place their third round of limited sanctions, targeting mainly high-level individuals closely tied to the Russian government and some high-profile banks, energy companies, and defense firms. They also threatened to unleash another, tougher round of sanctions, aimed at whole sectors of the Russian economy.
Such measures will have little effect. Harsh sanctions are likely off the table anyway; western European countries, especially Germany, have resisted imposing them for fear that Russia might retaliate and cause serious economic damage within the EU. But even if the United States could convince its allies to enact tough measures, Putin would probably not alter his decision-making. History shows that countries will absorb enormous amounts of punishment in order to protect their core strategic interests. There is no reason to think Russia represents an exception to this rule.
Western leaders have also clung to the provocative policies that precipitated the crisis in the first place. In April, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden met with Ukrainian legislators and told them, “This is a second opportunity to make good on the original promise made by the Orange Revolution.” John Brennan, the director of the CIA, did not help things when, that same month, he visited Kiev on a trip the White House said was aimed at improving security cooperation with the Ukrainian government.
The EU, meanwhile, has continued to push its Eastern Partnership. In March, José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, summarized EU thinking on Ukraine, saying, “We have a debt, a duty of solidarity with that country, and we will work to have them as close as possible to us.” And sure enough, on June 27, the EU and Ukraine signed the economic agreement that Yanukovych had fatefully rejected seven months earlier. Also in June, at a meeting of NATO members’ foreign ministers, it was agreed that the alliance would remain open to new members, although the foreign ministers refrained from mentioning Ukraine by name. “No third country has a veto over NATO enlargement,” announced Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s secretary-general. The foreign ministers also agreed to support various measures to improve Ukraine’s military capabilities in such areas as command and control, logistics, and cyberdefense. Russian leaders have naturally recoiled at these actions; the West’s response to the crisis will only make a bad situation worse.
There is a solution to the crisis in Ukraine, however — although it would require the West to think about the country in a fundamentally new way. The United States and its allies should abandon their plan to westernize Ukraine and instead aim to make it a neutral buffer between NATO and Russia, akin to Austria’s position during the Cold War. Western leaders should acknowledge that Ukraine matters so much to Putin that they cannot support an anti-Russian regime there. This would not mean that a future Ukrainian government would have to be pro-Russian or anti-NATO. On the contrary, the goal should be a sovereign Ukraine that falls in neither the Russian nor the Western camp.
To achieve this end, the United States and its allies should publicly rule out NATO’s expansion into both Georgia and Ukraine. The West should also help fashion an economic rescue plan for Ukraine funded jointly by the EU, the International Monetary Fund, Russia, and the United States — a proposal that Moscow should welcome, given its interest in having a prosperous and stable Ukraine on its western flank. And the West should considerably limit its social-engineering efforts inside Ukraine. It is time to put an end to Western support for another Orange Revolution. Nevertheless, U.S. and European leaders should encourage Ukraine to respect minority rights, especially the language rights of its Russian speakers.
Some may argue that changing policy toward Ukraine at this late date would seriously damage U.S. credibility around the world. There would undoubtedly be certain costs, but the costs of continuing a misguided strategy would be much greater. Furthermore, other countries are likely to respect a state that learns from its mistakes and ultimately devises a policy that deals effectively with the problem at hand. That option is clearly open to the United States.
One also hears the claim that Ukraine has the right to determine whom it wants to ally with and the Russians have no right to prevent Kiev from joining the West. This is a dangerous way for Ukraine to think about its foreign policy choices. The sad truth is that might often makes right when great-power politics are at play. Abstract rights such as self-determination are largely meaningless when powerful states get into brawls with weaker states. Did Cuba have the right to form a military alliance with the Soviet Union during the Cold War? The United States certainly did not think so, and the Russians think the same way about Ukraine joining the West. It is in Ukraine’s interest to understand these facts of life and tread carefully when dealing with its more powerful neighbor.
Even if one rejects this analysis, however, and believes that Ukraine has the right to petition to join the EU and NATO, the fact remains that the United States and its European allies have the right to reject these requests. There is no reason that the West has to accommodate Ukraine if it is bent on pursuing a wrong-headed foreign policy, especially if its defense is not a vital interest. Indulging the dreams of some Ukrainians is not worth the animosity and strife it will cause, especially for the Ukrainian people.
Of course, some analysts might concede that NATO handled relations with Ukraine poorly and yet still maintain that Russia constitutes an enemy that will only grow more formidable over time — and that the West therefore has no choice but to continue its present policy. But this viewpoint is badly mistaken. Russia is a declining power, and it will only get weaker with time. Even if Russia were a rising power, moreover, it would still make no sense to incorporate Ukraine into NATO. The reason is simple: the United States and its European allies do not consider Ukraine to be a core strategic interest, as their unwillingness to use military force to come to its aid has proved. It would therefore be the height of folly to create a new NATO member that the other members have no intention of defending. NATO has expanded in the past because liberals assumed the alliance would never have to honor its new security guarantees, but Russia’s recent power play shows that granting Ukraine NATO membership could put Russia and the West on a collision course.
Sticking with the current policy would also complicate Western relations with Moscow on other issues. The United States needs Russia’s assistance to withdraw U.S. equipment from Afghanistan through Russian territory, reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, and stabilize the situation in Syria. In fact, Moscow has helped Washington on all three of these issues in the past; in the summer of 2013, it was Putin who pulled Obama’s chestnuts out of the fire by forging the deal under which Syria agreed to relinquish its chemical weapons, thereby avoiding the U.S. military strike that Obama had threatened. The United States will also someday need Russia’s help containing a rising China. Current U.S. policy, however, is only driving Moscow and Beijing closer together.
The United States and its European allies now face a choice on Ukraine. They can continue their current policy, which will exacerbate hostilities with Russia and devastate Ukraine in the process — a scenario in which everyone would come out a loser. Or they can switch gears and work to create a prosperous but neutral Ukraine, one that does not threaten Russia and allows the West to repair its relations with Moscow. With that approach, all sides would win.
Since you have a pretty good comment thread related to media propaganda still going pretty strong, here are couple more questions worth exploration. Keep up the good work!
Khodakovskiy: #Reuters Article Contains False Statements About Militia and #MH17 and Video Proves It
Posted by Gleb Bazov ⋅ July 23, 2014 ⋅ 9 Comments
Translated from Russian by Gleb Bazov
Original of the Translated Interview: Khodakovskiy Refutes Information that the Militia has BUK [http://lifenews.ru/news/137189]
Preamble: On July 23, 2014, Anton Zverev, Peter Graff and Giles Elgood of Reuters came out with an article entitled “Ukraine rebel commander acknowledges fighters had BUK missile.” Prior to this interview, all such claims were firmly denied by the Novorossiya Militia, as well as by Russia. Considering the venerable reputation of Reuters, this sensational news was spread far and wide by the Western media.
Except that this news is now forcefully being challenged as false. Khodakovskiy says that he never stated to his interviewer anything of the kind that has been attributed to him. What’s more, Khodakovskiy indicates that there are video recordings of the interview, in possession of several TV channels, which will prove him right – they will show, according to Khodakovskiy, that he never said that the Novorossiya Militia had BUK complexes and that this statement cannot be attributed to him.
Did the interviewer somehow misunderstand what Khodakovskiy was saying? According to Khodakovskiy, his interviewer spoke Russian quite well. Is it possible that Khodakovskiy is lying? The interview with Khodakovskiy was taped. Copies of portions of the videotape were submitted to other news channels, including to REN-TV and ORT. Khodakovskiy speaks confidently that he never said anything of the kind that was reported by Reuters. Moreover, his interview given to the TV program “The Essence of Time – DPR” at about the same time, contains no such admissions regarding “BUK” complexes.
In this regard, all I can do is challenge Reuters to produce the tape that will show Khodakovskiy saying what Reuters claims he said in his interview. If Reuters does not, I will reserve the judgement to the readers of this blog. If Reuters does, and Khodakovskiy is shown to have lied, I will publicly announce this on this blog.
Reuters Article, July 23, 2014: Ukraine rebel commander acknowledges fighters had BUK missile [http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0FS1V920140723?irpc=932]
LifeNews Live Interview, July 23, 2014: Khodakovskiy Refutes Information that the Militia has BUK [http://lifenews.ru/news/137189]
Ria Novosti, July 23, 2014: Khodakovskiy Denies Speaking About the Militia Using BUK [http://ria.ru/world/20140723/1017273394.html]
Recorded Interview, July 23, 2014: Alexander Khodakovskiy re Malaysian Boeing Catastrophe [http://eot.su/node/17460]
Transcript of LifeNews Interview with Alexander Khodokovskiy
Video of the Interview: Khodakovskiy Refutes Information that the Militia has BUK [http://lifenews.ru/news/137189]
News Anchor: One of the leaders of the Militia, Alexander Khodakovskiy, has refuted the information published by the Reuters agency.
Today, Western journalists disseminated an interview given by the commander of Battalion “Vostok”, in which he allegedly confirmed that the Militia had in its possession a “BUK” complex at the time of the crash of the Malaysian Boeing.
However, Alexander Khodokovskiy states that he said nothing of the sort to the agency. And, right now, on the line with our studio is the commander of the Militia Battalion “Vostok”, Alexander Khodakovskiy.
News Anchor: Hello, Alexander Sergeevich. So, how did it happen that the incorrect quotation made its way into all of the global mass media?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: Good Evening. The tragedy that occurred did, in fact, draw a lot of attention. And journalists, representatives of various mass media outlets started frequenting us, naturally with requests to provided commentary with respect to what had occurred, and what the role of the militias was in all of this.
We did indeed have a conversation with a representative of the agency that launched this information, and we discussed the possible versions [of what happened]. The thing is that we cannot be considered, not to any degree at all, to be experts in the investigation of aviation catastrophes. Accordingly, we can only operate on the basis of verifiable information, and, to date, this information has not been published because the commission has yet to finish its work.
This is the kind of information that I provided to them in my interview, which was recorded with a video camera. At the same time, we analyzed the versions, which to date have been disseminated by the mass media, and one of the versions was the accusation that the militias, who are supported by Russia, used a “BUK” complex against the Boeing.
I let him know perfectly clearly that, as a commander of a military unit, if I had equipment like that in my possession, I would not have, under any circumstances, employed it against a target that did not pose a threat to our positions. Not one of our commanders – it is not as if we roll in equipment like that – accordingly, no commander would have ever engaged in such inefficient usage. This may sound quite cynical right now in relation to this tragedy; however, it is a fact.
Only those aircraft, only those targets that pose a threat to us will be attacked with the means that we have in our possession.
News Anchor: Alexander Sergeevich, this is very important – you see, in the same interview it says that some other militias received this “BUK” complex. Do you know anything about this, in principle, or not?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: No, I do not know. In response to a question like this from the reporter, I challenged him to provide evidence, because our area is tightly monitored by all means possible, including also satellite imagery. So, please – “BUK” is a fairly large unit, and it can be easily detected from any type of photography – so, please, show your evidence, and we will then have to respond in accordance with its weight.
News Anchor: Once more, I would like to confirm it with you, so you can say it during our live broadcast – does the Militia currently have “BUK” or not?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: I am telling you absolutely – after we analyzed the entire situation and took inventory of the equipment in our arsenal – I can tell you with full authority that the Militia has no “BUKs”. MANPADS – yes, those we do have. But their upper ceiling is no more than …
News Anchor: … You do not now and never had any?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: We do not now and never had any.
News Anchor: I would also like to ask – who did you have your conversation with? Did he speak Russian well, and did he understand what you were telling him?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: Yes, the person spoke Russian quite well. Portions of the video recording were provided to the leading Russian TV channels, including REN-TV and ORT. Accordingly, if someone requires proof, then this proof can be obtained from the above-mentioned sources.
News Anchor: In your opinion, who stands to benefit from the publication of such incorrect information?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: During the interview, I expressed my opinion that the publication of incorrect information may be in the interests of those who wish to stir up this situation and to undermine the preliminary conclusions which have been reached
At this time, we realize that it is difficult to accuse Russia and the Militia of culpability in the deaths of so many innocent people, without proof. However, someone, nevertheless, is very interested, at this time, to lay this blame [on Russia and the Militia].
This is despite the fact that I said very specifically in my interview that the only party guilty of this is the Ukrainian government. Because the information and the materials that the government disseminated over the Internet speak to the fact that they allegedly had the evidentiary basis proving that the Militia was in possession of a “BUK” [complex]. However, if they had this [evidentiary] base in advance, why is it that they did nothing to amend the flight paths and change the directions of the civilian airlines to divert them away from the combat area?
We can find, on the Internet, proof in the form of intercepted telephone conversations, which allegedly contain evidence proving the presence of “BUK” [complexes] in the possession of the Militia. And, so, in any event, whether or not this information is authentic, the Ukrainian government was obligated to do everything in its power to ensure that the routes of civilian airlines did not pass over the area where hostilities are occurring, and where, according to the Ukrainian government, there were “BUK” complexes ready to be used.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This article may not reflect the views and opinions of others who work on this blog. It was prepared and published by Gleb Bazov acting alone. The defence of fair comment is asserted.
——————————
9 thoughts on “Khodakovskiy: #Reuters Article Contains False Statements About Militia and #MH17 and Video Proves It”
I am glad Khodakovskly is strongly defending the Novorossiya militia, and I would like to see the source of Reuter’s error.
In any event, there is convincing evidence through the Twitter feed of Carlos @spainbuca that the Kiev government gave the order to shoot down the Malaysian airliner. This would constitute absolute proof, if it could be shown that Carlos’s original tweets happened simultaneously with the incident. If indeed Carlos was tweeting from the moment the plane went down, it could not be a hoax, because only someone in the air control tower would have known about the plane at that time. It would take someone employed at Twitter to go back later and change those times, yet It seems unlikely that a Twitter employee would be involved in such a hoax.
Unfortunately, the account @spainbuca has been erased. I saw it in cache form a few days later, but now that has also been erased. So I myself cannot verify the times.
Do you, Gleb Basov, or anyone else, have a copy of Carlos’s original tweets such that the times can be compared? The plane was downed at 13:21 GMT I believe.
Why does a guy with over 10,000 Tweets and over 11,000 Followers just vanish off Twitter within hours of tweeting hot information about the MH17 air disaster? Here’s an archived backup of the google cache of his twitter account.
Most of what Carlos said has been confirmed by Russian satellite data and further Ukraine’s security service has confiscated Air Traffic Control recordings with Malaysian jet. We are anxiously awaiting the voice recorder from the black box flight recorder.
(1) This “audio recording” (quotation marks intentional) does not say what Reuters said in its article – a transcript of your link will be provided.
(2) This is an “audio recording”, and not a complete video recording of the interview with Khodakovskiy, which Reuters and other possess.
(3) It is being publicized by RFERL, and I would appreciate a statement from Reuters on the subject.
(4) Apart from the still photograph, and, possibly, a voice resemblance, nothing else links this “audio recording” to the interview Khodakovskiy gave to Reuters – we have neither a tamp stamp, nor specific attribution in the file.
(5) This is just further fuel for speculation as to whether the news is being manipulated.
Accordingly, in my humble opinion, this “audio recording” has the direct opposite effect from what it was intended to do.
waybackmachine seems to have made the first shot at 19:07:18 (UTC?) on 17.07.2014, with the latest tweet “4 Hours ago” but that does not mean anything.
Follow up from the previous post that is still awaiting moderation. Here is the related propaganda “published” on the CBC News site along with the “related” stories and links. Noticed that it was updated but not sure what was added or subtracted during the coarse of the day. Also strange is that this article only has one share, but did have comments enabled for a while. So, what ever happened to the MH17 investigation anyway?
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17: rebel leader backtracks on Buk missile claim
Alexander Khodakovsky has had friction with other rebel leaders in the past
Thomson Reuters
Posted: Jul 24, 2014 12:00 AM ET
Last Updated: Jul 24, 2014 10:53 PM ET
A Ukrainian rebel leader backtracked Thursday from his claim that pro-Russian separatists had an anti-aircraft missile of the type Washington says was used to shoot down Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.
PHOTOS | Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crash site images [http://www.cbc.ca/news/multimedia/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-crash-site-images-1.2714709]
IN DEPTH | Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 FAQ: Surface-to-air missiles [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-faq-surface-to-air-missiles-1.2711697]
WATCH | Dutch victims’ families share grief, anger [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-dutch-victims-families-share-grief-anger-1.2714834]
Without radar, missile ‘could easily make a tragic mistake’ in downing of Malaysia jet [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-missile-s-lack-of-radar-may-have-led-to-tragic-mistake-1.2712652]
Alexander Khodakovsky, in an interview with Reuters, had said the rebels in Eastern Ukraine possessed a Buk missile system — also known as an SA-11 system — and rebels could have been sent back subsequently to remove proof of its presence.
But Khodakovsky, the commander of the Vostok Battalion, now says Reuters put out wrong information.
“I’m waiting for the evidence from the U.S.,” Khodakovsky said.
“Did the separatists have a Buk or not … I myself would like to know. I can guarantee that our unit did not possess a Buk missile.”
‘Fury’ over evidence tampering at MH17 crash site [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-fury-over-evidence-tampering-at-crash-site-1.2712440]
Flight MH17 victims’ bodies return to the Netherlands [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-victims-bodies-arrive-in-the-netherlands-1.2715147]
2 Ukraine fighter jets shot down by pro-Russian rebels [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/2-ukraine-fighter-jets-shot-down-by-pro-russian-rebels-1.2715224]
Data recovered from MH17’s cockpit voice recorder [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysian-airlines-flight-mh17-data-recovered-from-cockpit-voice-recorder-1.2715671]
Malaysian jet’s black boxes sent to U.K. for analysis [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-plane-s-black-boxes-sent-to-u-k-1.2714056]
When asked by the CBC’s Susan Ormiston how Reuters could have gotten it wrong, Khodakovsky said the statements came from a conversation where he discussed “different versions of the information that’s out there.”
“I am satisfied only with the information I can get from official sources, nothing more. I know as much as the rest of the world,” Khodakovsky said.
The rebel leader also said that at no point during his hour-and-a-half long conversation, which he recorded, did he say rebels sent the Buk system back across the Russian border to conceal evidence.
“There are no excerpts where I would have said this,” he said.
Khodakovsky also denied knowing how flight MH17 was downed.
Rebels had boasted about weapons
Before the Malaysian plane was shot down, rebels had boasted of obtaining the Buk missiles, which can shoot down airliners at cruising height. But since the disaster the separatists’ main group, the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, has repeatedly denied ever having possessed such weapons.
Since the airliner crashed with the loss of all 298 on board, the most contentious issue has been who fired the missile that brought the jet down in an area where government forces are fighting pro-Russian rebels.
Khodakovsky, in his interview with Reuters, accused Kyiv authorities of possibly provoking the missile strike that destroyed the airliner, saying Kyiv had deliberately launched air strikes in the area, knowing missiles were in place.
“I knew that a Buk came from Luhansk. At the time I was told that a Buk from Luhansk was coming under the flag of the LNR,” he said, referring to the Luhansk People’s Republic, the main rebel group operating in Luhansk, one of two rebel provinces along with Donetsk, the province where the crash took place.
“That Buk I know about. I heard about it. I think they sent it back. Because I found out about it at exactly the moment that I found out that this tragedy had taken place. They probably sent it back in order to remove proof of its presence,” Khodakovsky told Reuters.
‘They knew this Buk existed’
“The question is this: Ukraine received timely evidence that the volunteers have this technology, through the fault of Russia. It not only did nothing to protect security, but provoked the use of this type of weapon against a plane that was flying with peaceful civilians,” he said.
“They knew that this Buk existed; that the Buk was heading for Snezhnoye,” he said, referring to a village 10 kilometres west of the crash site. “They knew that it would be deployed there, and provoked the use of this Buk by starting an air strike on a target they didn’t need, that their planes hadn’t touched for a week.
“And that day, they were intensively flying, and exactly at the moment of the shooting, at the moment the civilian plane flew overhead, they launched air strikes. Even if there was a Buk, and even if the Buk was used, Ukraine did everything to ensure that a civilian aircraft was shot down.”
Khodakovsky is a former head of the “Alpha” anti-terrorism unit of the security service in Donetsk, and one of the few major rebel commanders in Donetsk who actually hails from Ukraine rather than Russia. There has been friction in the past between him and rebel leaders from outside the region, such as Igor Strelkov, the Muscovite who has declared himself commander of all rebel forces in Donetsk province.
Tepid rebel alliance
Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Khodakovsky’s remarks confirmed what U.S. officials had long been saying, that “Russian-backed separatists have received arms, training and support from Russia.”
But she dismissed the rebel leader’s efforts to blame the Kyiv government for the downing of the airliner, calling it “another attempt to try to muddy the water and move the focus from facts.”
Washington believes that pro-Russian separatists most likely shot down the airliner “by mistake,” not realizing it was a civilian passenger flight, U.S. intelligence officials said.
The officials said the “most plausible explanation” for the destruction of the plane was that the separatists fired a Russian-made SA-11 missile at it after mistaking it for another kind of aircraft.
“While we may not yet know who actually fired the missile, we have assessed that it was an SA-11 and that it came from a Russian-backed separatist-controlled area,” Lainez said.
Other separatist leaders have said they did not bring the Malaysian plane down, and Russia has denied involvement.
Fundraiser for Ukrainian army turns into woodoo ceremony – ENG SUBS
Published on Aug 17, 2014
The mental state of Ukraine Today – pt1:
Fundraiser for Ukrainian army turns into woodoo ceremony
ENG SUBS – Translation: Valentina Lisitsa
0:00
I will give it away for free.
0:03
Who wants to hang it in the house?
0:10
Ok, here, take it.
0:13
Ok, ladies and gentlemen
0:16
Ok, ladies and gentlemen. Our good deeds are being counted now.
0:20
Meanwhile I ask all the participants of the concert to please come back to the stage once again.
0:25
While they are coming up I would like to express the gratitude to the organisers…
0:30
…of this benefit concert in support of Ukrainian Army.
0:39
[ names organisers ]
0:44
Let’s put our hands together in applause.
0:50
Now that we are all on stage, let’s sing. Dear friends, Anthem of Ukraine.
1:00
[ Ukraine’s glory has not yet died, nor her freedom, Upon us, fellow compatriots, fate shall smile once more. Our enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun, And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own. ]
1:47
[ REF 2x ] Souls and bodies we’ll lay down, all for our freedom, And we will show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation!
2:35
[ little child on stage ] Glory to Ukraine!
2:38
Glory to Ukraine! [ crowd ] Glory to Heroes! Glory to the Nation! [ crowd ] Death to enemies!
2:43
I want to answer those who say «it is intolerance» to burn someone.
2:46
To those who say «maybe he is a bad guy but he is [elected] president»:
2:50
Let me ask you – did this person think when he was killing our guys…
2:53
…when he was taking our Crimea, when he was calling us names?
2:57
No. This is our enemy #1. Raise your hands if you agree.
3:01
And now raise your hands whoever disagrees.
3:04
Take him away….Just kidding. The old man has his right.
3:08
Dear friends, please take your kids from the stage.
3:14
Who has a cigarette lighter? Guys, please come up. Girls, you too.
3:19
That old man still can’t calm down. Let’s buy him a one-way ticket to Donetsk.
3:22
Maybe we should send him even further – to sunny Siberia
3:26
Dear friends, please approach.
3:28
If someone feels like spitting in his face while camera is rolling – by all means do so.
3:32
If you want to do something even more vile, be creative….
3:35
To make this shit burn down faster we should add some fire starter liquid.
3:42
In good time – honoured Ukrainian tradition we should conclude our celebration with burning this puppet…
3:51
…while we dance round and round to popular Ukrainian song.
3:56
Girls, you start the fire. Folks, please move away for your safety.
4:00
We are burning Mister Poo. The person who is hated by half the world.
4:06
Only one old man here likes him.
4:09
I suspect he came here on purpose – to express his thought.
4:14
He must be a journalist from Russia24 channel Parasha [ piss pot ] Today
4:22
Friends, take each other by hand, get around…
4:25
…let’s dance and make a wish that this calamity stays in Russia.
4:36
Now, all together – sing!
4:51
Russian democracy has collapsed!
5:05
Dear friends: We Hutsuls, aboriginal ethnicity of Carpathian mountains…
5:09
…we are real Molfars [ the wizards of Satanic worship ]
5:13
May all the bad things that trouble Ukraine burn with this effigy…
5:17
… may the so-called brothers from East perish and may only true Slavs…
5:21
…who love our Motherland survive, may the rest vanish.
5:31
And now once again: Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!
5:57
If anyone missed an opportunity to spit – please do so now while there is still something left.
6:05
The damned “union” of Slavic people is burning away.
6:25
For 70 years we were subservient . Never again.
6:51
Applause, please. Ladies and gentlemen.
6:54
Let them say whatever they want. Let them say that we are terrible, we are raising our children badly.
7:00
No, we are raising our kids in a proper way.
7:03
Here even the youngest ones can sing by heart all the verses of anthem of Ukraine and entire “Red Ruta”.
7:07
We are the Nation! We are the People! In spite of those to the North of us who think they are smarter, right?
7:12
Right!
7:13
Let’s not forget, dear friends, that we don’t try to make our rules in foreign lands.
7:18
We want calm life in our own native Ukraine.
7:21
Dear friends, now let’s sing a song about Putin!
7:25
When we say “Putin” you respond “LA-LA-LA…” So kids don’t hear bad language, OK? Let’s go:
7:31
PU-TIN! LA-LA-LA…
7:33
Once again, all together.
7:34
PU-TIN! LA-LA-LA…
7:37
LA-LA-LA… Once more:
7:39
PU-TIN! LA-LA-LA…
7:42
[ to woman approaching the microphone ] You want to tell us what you think of Putin?
7:46
Please understand, I am person who came out of the midst of people…
7:52
…I am a person who wishes you all the best.
7:58
And this means that… [ stumbles, her microphone taken away ]
8:05
Thank you. Please go, go. Do good deeds.
8:09
Now we counted how much money we raised. Let’s announce.
8:18
By a collective effort – 7’100 hryvnia and 100 euro.
8:24
Whoever gave 100 euro is a true patriot and benefactor.
8:32
100 euro is almost 1’200 hryvnia more. Total is 8’750 hryvnia.
8:47
Dear friends, even by such small efforts from everyone we help our guys, who will be pleased with our support.
8:59
Please spread in social networks our support, that our hearts and souls are with our brave soldiers.
9:06
And if needed we shall all go there to fight, true?
9:12
True!
9:14
Glory to Ukraine!
9:16
Don’t forget everything Ukrainian, cherish it, make right steps in building our independent Mother Ukraine.
9:23
Glory to Nation! Together we shall win!
Before the “story” changes, be sure to check this out.
COMING UP LIVE
Ukraine crisis: Russian aid convoy crosses border without Kyiv OK
Russia said it was no longer prepared to tolerate any delays
The Associated Press
Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET
Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 12:05 PM ET
ON MOBILE? Watch Russian ambassador to UN LIVE at 12:30 p.m. ET here [http://cbcnews_ios-i.akamaihd.net/hls/live/200945/event/directory/master.m3u8]
Russia sent over 130 aid trucks rolling into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without Kyiv’s approval, saying it had lost patience with the Ukrainian government’s stalling tactics. Ukraine called the move a “direct invasion.”
The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist rebels in the east. Ukraine has long accused Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a charge that Russia denies.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The white-tarped semis, which Russia says are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags, reached civilians in the hard-hit city of Luhansk, where government forces are besieging pro-Russian separatists. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
In the past few days, Ukraine says its troops have recaptured significant parts of Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city, and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.
Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours, the government reported at noon Friday.
Red Cross refuses to escort convoy
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday, as shelling had continued overnight in the area.
The swiftness with which Russia set the mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. AP journalists following the convoy across country roads in eastern Ukraine heard many trucks’ contents rattling and sliding Friday, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion.”
He told reporters Friday in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, that the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel “trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.” The half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine, he said.
He insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Ukraine’s presidential administration said Kyiv authorized the entrance of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said that Russia’s actions showed that it could not accept Ukraine’s moves towards integration with Europe.
Referring to what it says is Russia’s support for pro-Russian separatists, Yatseniuk said: “The aim is not Donetsk or Luhansk. The target is Ukraine.”
Moscow, he said, could not reconcile itself to the fact that Ukraine had taken the decision to sign political and free trade agreements with the European Union which would be ratified in September. Russia denies arming the rebels.
“Nothing will stop us. We have taken that decision. We are part of Europe. That is where we are going,” he said in a televised interview.
NATO warns of military buildup
NATO’s secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, condemned the entry of the Russian convoy as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
In a statement, he said the alliance had observed a buildup of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine and “transfers of large quantities of advanced weapons, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers and
artillery to separatist groups in eastern Ukraine.”
An Associated Press reporter saw a priest blessing the first truck in the convoy at the rebel-held checkpoint and then climbing into the passenger seat. A lone border guard unlocked a customs gate, and on the trucks went.
Russian customs service representative Rayan Farukshin said all vehicles in the convoy, which counts more than 260 trucks, had been checked and approved for onward travel.
Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said as of midday, 134 Russian aid trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
“The Russian side has decided to act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “It is no longer possible to tolerate this lawlessness, outright lies and inability to reach agreements … we are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Although Luhansk is only 20 kilometres from the border, the Russian convoy’s route was meandering, apparently in an effort to avoid areas controlled by Ukrainian troops.
Shortly after leaving the rebel-held border town of Izvaryne, the convoy turned off of the main highway to Luhansk and headed north on a country road. Rolling on smaller byroads greatly slowed the trucks’ progress, turning what would in peacetime take roughly two hours into a daylong haul.
Rebel forces, aid trucks dot country roads
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to use the same country road the aid trucks were driving on. Around lunchtime, around 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction. Other smaller rebel vehicles could be seen driving around.
The convoy moved along village roads hugging the Russian border, which is marked by the winding Seversky Donets River. In the village of Davydo-Mykilske, less than one kilometre west of the border, AP reporters saw three rebel tanks, dozens of militiamen and several armoured personnel carriers.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
The trucks from Moscow had been stranded in a customs zone for more than a week since reaching the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced increasing frustration at what it said were Kyiv’s efforts to stall its delivery, while Ukraine demanded that the trucks enter through a government-controlled border post so it could check their contents.
The Russian Foreign Ministry had accused the government in Kyiv of shelling areas the convoy would have to pass through, making its travel impossible.
“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said Friday in a statement.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry retorted with a statement accusing Russia of “ignoring international rules, procedures and agreements that have been reached.”
Last week, after the Russian aid convoy left Moscow, Ukraine mounted its own humanitarian operation for those affected by fighting in the east. The rebels have said, however, they will not allow that material to enter their territory.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Black Sea peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Good catch and great share AnonyCanuck. It seems as if the “story” has indeed been updated and the propaganda spin factor has gone into hyperdrive. The CBC News has been spiraling outta control and are really pushing the “invasion” angle once again, which is really contrary to any of the facts that are being reported from the ground. Most independent reports state that the so called ATO forces have been surrounded and cornered into various cauldrons.
Another odd anomaly that seems to be overlooked is how there are actually absolutely zero “western” reporters reporting from Donetsk and/or Luhansk. They seem to be embedded with any/all “rebel” groups far and wide, but are not even embedded within the Ukie forces itself. The gross reliance being placed on the speculative “statements” from the Ukie Ministry of Propaganda after all of their previous statements have been debunked and discredited is rather troubling, especially concerning the case of MH17. When no facts are distributed as absolute truth, 1984 comes to mind.
That being stated, here is the latest AP (Associated Propaganda) “update” courtesy of the CBC noting that the comments are rather telling as the pro-Harper trolls are spinning their web of deception and diversion rather haphazardly. The timing of the updates themselves and these “individual” trolls will be addressed in upcoming summary articles as time permits. Below is the latest update that included the “Related Articles” from the sidebar and article itself for reference purposes but the previously mentioned address by the Russian ambassador to UN is MIA. Note that as usual the title and url wording have been adjusted and massaged to fit within the neocon narrative and that for some reason Bairds ridiculous tw**ts (below) is not even mentioned so be sure to traverse his latest shenanigans for more clues as well. The lack of replies, retw**ts and favourites and the fact that “he” had to create an infographic is quite telling indeed, considering this account is supposed to be “his” personal account and he is in Norway at the moment. He is either a master multitasker, or a complete fraud, we assUme the latter..
John Baird @HonJohnBaird · 2h
Once again, Russia has flouted its international obligations and demonstrated its contempt for #Ukraine’s sovereignty http://bit.ly/1p1QYey
Replied to 0 times Retweeted 25 times Favorited 6 times
Once again, Russia has flouted its international obligations and demonstrated its contempt for #Ukraine's sovereignty http://t.co/wAx40b80wH
John Baird @HonJohnBaird · 2h
Canada is deeply disturbed that Russian vehicles have illegally entered #Ukraine for the purported purpose of delivering humanitarian aid.
Replied to 0 times Retweeted 24 times Favorited 5 times
Canada is deeply disturbed that Russian vehicles have illegally entered #Ukraine for the purported purpose of delivering humanitarian aid.
UPDATED
Russia denies aid convoy in Ukraine is to arm rebels
Russia unilaterally decides to cross border, saying it tolerated enough delays
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 1:52 PM ET
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’
Declaring it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sent over 130 aid trucks rolling into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without the approval of the government in Kyiv. Ukraine called the move a “direct invasion” that aimed to provoke an international incident.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the Ukrainian claim that the convoy was being used to support and arm pro-Russian rebels.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist rebels in the east.
After spending hours on winding country roads, the convoy began pulling into the hard-hit city of Luhansk, which appeared to be mostly in the hands of the rebels, on Friday evening.
In the past few days, Ukraine said its troops had recaptured significant parts of Luhansk and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.
Speaking on national television, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that Russia’s plan in sending half-empty trucks into Ukraine was not to deliver aid but to create a provocation by attacking the convoy itself, thus arranging a “provocation.”
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Churkin said he could not confirm or deny that some of the trucks were empty or only partially filled.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion.”
Asked about that, Yatsenyuk replied that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began back in March when it annexed Crimea and has been going on ever since.
NATO’s secretary general condemned Russia for sending in the “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Russia’s unilateral decision ” a blatant breach of Russia’s international commitments” and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
The white-tarped semis, which Russia says are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags, aimed to help citizens in Luhansk. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours in eastern Ukraine, the government reported at noon Friday.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday, as shelling had continued overnight in the area.
The swiftness with which Russia set the mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. AP journalists following the convoy across country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding Friday, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.
Nalyvaichenko, speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, said the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel “trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.” The half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine, he said.
He insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Ukraine’s presidential administration said Kyiv authorized the entrance of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.
An Associated Press reporter saw a priest blessing the first truck in the convoy at the rebel-held checkpoint and then climbing into the passenger seat. A lone border guard unlocked a customs gate, and on the trucks went.
Russian customs service representative Rayan Farukshin said all vehicles in the convoy, which counts more than 260 trucks, had been checked and approved for onward travel. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said as of midday, 134 Russian aid trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
“The Russian side has decided to act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “It is no longer possible to tolerate this lawlessness, outright lies and inability to reach agreements … we are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Although Luhansk is only 20 kilometres from the border, the Russian convoy took a meandering route, apparently in an effort to avoid areas controlled by Ukrainian troops.
Shortly after leaving the rebel-held border town of Izvaryne, the convoy turned off of the main highway to Luhansk and headed north on a country road. Rolling on small roads greatly slowed the trucks’ progress, turning what would in peacetime take roughly two hours into a daylong haul.
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the aid trucks. Around lunchtime, around 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen traveling in the opposite direction. Other smaller rebel vehicles could be seen driving around.
The convoy moved along village roads hugging the Russian border, which is marked by the winding Seversky Donets River. In the village of Davydo-Mykilske, less than one kilometre west of the border, AP reporters saw three rebel tanks, dozens of militiamen and several armored personnel carriers.
The trucks from Moscow had been stranded in a customs zone for more than a week since reaching the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced increasing frustration at what it said were Kyiv’s efforts to stall its delivery, while Ukraine demanded that the trucks enter through a government-controlled border post so it could check their contents.
Accusations of shelling convoy’s path
The Russian Foreign Ministry had accused the government in Kyiv of shelling areas the convoy would have to pass through, making its travel impossible.
“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said Friday in a statement.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry retorted with a statement accusing Russia of “ignoring international rules, procedures and agreements that have been reached.”
Last week, after the Russian aid convoy left Moscow, Ukraine mounted its own humanitarian operation for those affected by fighting in the east. The rebels have said, however, they will not allow that material to enter their territory.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Black Sea peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
Well @opHarper, the “story” has changed yet again. Notice how the story is being attributed to the AP. Reuters, Canadian Press and CBC News? Wonder if this is a meek attempt at creating a plausible deniabilty defense of the “free press” concept or to just muddy the waters of an utterly disgusting propaganda campaign that has run amuck. The point you make about how these updates coincide with the trolls scripts, is rather interesting for sure. Not only that, but these manufacture crisis’ sure will allow the failures of the Harper budgets to have cover. They have always claimed they are economic geniuses and the only thing that affects their Economic Action Plans are attributed to the global economic conditions. It seems as if it is their best interest for the global economy to plunge into the abyss, even if is means waging dubious economic wars. The sad truth is that our Canadian Forces are vastly under-prepared and under-supplied, while the supplies and armaments we have are being donated to Ukraine and Kurdistan. As far as the “nonlethal” aid is concerned, when this aid was shipped to the “moderate” rebels in Syria, didn’t all of that end up in the hands of the extremists now being rebranded as IS/ISIS/ISIL? Then again providing air support to the extremists and liberating the armaments the arsenals in Libya, seems to have worked wonders, eh?
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Russia unilaterally decides to cross border, saying it tolerated enough delays
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 3:08 PM ET
Declaring it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sent over 130 aid trucks rolling into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without the approval of the government in Kyiv. Ukraine called the move a “direct invasion” that aimed to provoke an international incident.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the Ukrainian claim that the convoy was being used to support and arm pro-Russian rebels.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East?
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine, calling it a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
Kirby noted that Russia’s defence minister had recently “guaranteed” Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel that the Russian military would not invade Ukraine.
A spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concern, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist rebels in the east.
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
After spending hours on winding country roads, the convoy began pulling into the hard-hit city of Luhansk, which appeared to be mostly in the hands of the rebels, on Friday evening.
In the past few days, Ukraine said its troops had recaptured significant parts of Luhansk and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.
Speaking on national television, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that Russia’s plan in sending half-empty trucks into Ukraine was not to deliver aid but to create a provocation by attacking the convoy itself, thus arranging a “provocation.”
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Churkin said he could not confirm or deny that some of the trucks were empty or only partially filled.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion.”
Asked about that, Yatsenyuk replied that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began back in March when it annexed Crimea and has been going on ever since.
NATO’s secretary general condemned Russia for sending in the “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Russia’s unilateral decision ” a blatant breach of Russia’s international commitments” and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
The white-tarped semis, which Russia says are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags, aimed to help citizens in Luhansk. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours in eastern Ukraine, the government reported at noon Friday.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday, as shelling had continued overnight in the area.
The swiftness with which Russia set the mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. AP journalists following the convoy across country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding Friday, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.
Nalyvaichenko, speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, said the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel “trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.” The half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine, he said.
He insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
Ukraine’s presidential administration said Kyiv authorized the entrance of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.
An Associated Press reporter saw a priest blessing the first truck in the convoy at the rebel-held checkpoint and then climbing into the passenger seat. A lone border guard unlocked a customs gate, and on the trucks went.
Russian customs service representative Rayan Farukshin said all vehicles in the convoy, which counts more than 260 trucks, had been checked and approved for onward travel. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said as of midday, 134 Russian aid trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
“The Russian side has decided to act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “It is no longer possible to tolerate this lawlessness, outright lies and inability to reach agreements … we are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Although Luhansk is only 20 kilometres from the border, the Russian convoy took a meandering route, apparently in an effort to avoid areas controlled by Ukrainian troops.
Shortly after leaving the rebel-held border town of Izvaryne, the convoy turned off of the main highway to Luhansk and headed north on a country road. Rolling on small roads greatly slowed the trucks’ progress, turning what would in peacetime take roughly two hours into a daylong haul.
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the aid trucks. Around lunchtime, around 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction. Other smaller rebel vehicles could be seen driving around.
The convoy moved along village roads hugging the Russian border, which is marked by the winding Seversky Donets River. In the village of Davydo-Mykilske, less than one kilometre west of the border, AP reporters saw three rebel tanks, dozens of militiamen and several armoured personnel carriers.
The trucks from Moscow had been stranded in a customs zone for more than a week since reaching the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced increasing frustration at what it said were Kyiv’s efforts to stall its delivery, while Ukraine demanded that the trucks enter through a government-controlled border post so it could check their contents.
Accusations of shelling convoy’s path
The Russian Foreign Ministry had accused the government in Kyiv of shelling areas the convoy would have to pass through, making its travel impossible.
“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said Friday in a statement.
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry retorted with a statement accusing Russia of “ignoring international rules, procedures and agreements that have been reached.”
Last week, after the Russian aid convoy left Moscow, Ukraine mounted its own humanitarian operation for those affected by fighting in the east. The rebels have said, however, they will not allow that material to enter their territory.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Black Sea peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Thx AnonyCanuck for the heads up. Haven’t had the chance to parse the article but the title and url have oce again been massaged. We’ll keep diggin’ for some scraps of truth and hopefully others will continue to do the same since Friday is pretty much the last day the media “works” without a repeated news loop and we know the Harper Regime doesn’t work weekends, at least not on our behalf. This weekend will be very interesting, especially if the cauldrons are collapsed before the so called Independence Day saleabrations..
FYI: The article has been updated again and there are a lot more comments worth noting, not sure what has been added or subtracted. The points you made in your last reply seem to pose more questions especially what is the difference between humanitarian aid and non lethal aid. Agree with you about how the pre-canned news cycle gets manipulated and regurgitated between the end of Friday and Monday morning, which only goes towards reinforcing the Harper Regime’s propaganda campaigns as opposed to seeking and clarifying the facts as they should. (btw: This was posted as a new comment, could not reply to the previous comment thread for some reason.)
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Russia unilaterally decides to cross border, saying it tolerated enough delays
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 4:13 PM ET
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’ 2:30
93 shares
Declaring it had lost patience with what it calls Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sent more than 130 aid trucks rolling into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without the approval of the government in Kyiv. Ukraine called the move a “direct invasion” that aimed to provoke an international incident.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the Ukrainian claim that the convoy was being used to support and arm pro-Russian rebels.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
Kirby noted that Russia’s defence minister had recently “guaranteed” Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel that the Russian military would not invade Ukraine.
A spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concern, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist rebels in the east.
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
After spending hours on winding country roads, the convoy began pulling into the hard-hit city of Luhansk, which appeared to be mostly in the hands of the rebels, on Friday evening.
In the past few days, Ukraine said its troops had recaptured significant parts of Luhansk and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.
Speaking on national television, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that Russia’s plan in sending half-empty trucks into Ukraine was not to deliver aid but to create a provocation by attacking the convoy itself, thus arranging a “provocation.”
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Churkin said he could not confirm or deny that some of the trucks were empty or only partially filled.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion.”
Asked about that, Yatsenyuk replied that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began back in March when it annexed Crimea and has been going on ever since.
NATO’s secretary general condemned Russia for sending in the “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Russia’s unilateral decision ” a blatant breach of Russia’s international commitments” and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
The white-tarped semis, which Russia says are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags, aimed to help citizens in Luhansk. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours in eastern Ukraine, the government reported at noon Friday.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday, as shelling had continued overnight in the area.
The swiftness with which Russia set the mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. AP journalists following the convoy across country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding Friday, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.
Nalyvaichenko, speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, said the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel “trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.” The half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine, he said.
However, he insisted Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
Ukraine’s presidential administration said Kyiv authorized the entrance of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.
An Associated Press reporter saw a priest blessing the first truck in the convoy at the rebel-held checkpoint and then climbing into the passenger seat. A border guard unlocked a customs gate, and on the trucks departed.
Russian customs service representative Rayan Farukshin said all vehicles in the convoy, which counts more than 260 trucks, had been checked and approved for onward travel. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said as of midday, 134 Russian aid trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
“The Russian side has decided to act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “It is no longer possible to tolerate this lawlessness, outright lies and inability to reach agreements … we are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Although Luhansk is only 20 kilometres from the border, the Russian convoy took a meandering route, apparently in an effort to avoid areas controlled by Ukrainian troops.
Shortly after leaving the rebel-held border town of Izvaryne, the convoy turned off of the main highway to Luhansk and headed north on a country road. Rolling on small roads greatly slowed the trucks’ progress, turning what would in peacetime take roughly two hours into a daylong haul.
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the aid trucks. Around lunchtime, about 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction. Other smaller rebel vehicles could be seen driving around.
The convoy moved along village roads hugging the Russian border, which is marked by the winding Seversky Donets River. In the village of Davydo-Mykilske, less than one kilometre west of the border, AP reporters saw three rebel tanks, dozens of militiamen and several armoured personnel carriers.
The trucks from Moscow had been stranded in a customs zone for more than a week since reaching the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced increasing frustration at what it said were Kyiv’s efforts to stall its delivery, while Ukraine demanded that the trucks enter through a government-controlled border post so it could check their contents.
Accusations of shelling convoy’s path
The Russian Foreign Ministry had accused the government in Kyiv of shelling areas the convoy would have to pass through, making its travel impossible.
“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said Friday in a statement.
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry retorted with a statement accusing Russia of “ignoring international rules, procedures and agreements that have been reached.”
Last week, after the Russian aid convoy left Moscow, Ukraine mounted its own humanitarian operation for those affected by fighting in the east. The rebels have said, however, they will not allow that material to enter their territory.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Black Sea peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Once again thanks for catching that update, we are still parsing the last one and will be acquiring some screegrabs of the pages along the way if possible. The fact that these updates are not so much updates but propaganda massaging seems rather important, in our opinion anyway. Feel free to keep us abreast of any other developments on this, or any other topics we cover. Please keep in mind that we are always looking for contributors and independent researchers that can add content to our collective archives since the policies enacted by the Harper Regime will play out far into the future because we need to hold the future governments to account for the ongoing and relentless transgressions of this current cabal.. 🙂
Yet another “update” for your archives. It seems as if this is going to be updated every hour or so and the Harper trolls seem to be almost synced with the updates as you have previously suggested. Keep up the good work, we don’t need any more false narratives that can only lead to the prospects of more war-mongering.
UPDATED
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Russia unilaterally decides to cross border, saying it tolerated enough delays
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 5:11 PM ET
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
A spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
At the United Nations in New York, Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin hotly denied any Russian troops were inside Ukraine. Russia has also steadfastly denied supporting and arming the rebels, as the West has charged.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpass authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Here is the latest hourly or so “update” for your archiving efforts, with the most noticeable addition being the last paragraph. Unsure what other edits and/or adjustments have been made but hopefully you guys/gals can determine this. The comments have begun to swell and the trolls seem to have their keyboards tied up in knots. btw: Power and Politics, Evan Solomon in particular, was rather despicable this evening.
UPDATED
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Meanwhile, “there was no unanimity of views” during UN emergency consultations
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 7:21 PM ET
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
In a closed-door emergency meeting at the UN, several countries rebuked Russia for “what many called an illegal and unilateral action by the Russian federation,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, the council president, told reporters.
“It is an undeniable and blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,” Lyall Grant said. “It has nothing to do with humanitarianism. That humanitarian effort is being coordinated by the UN and if the Russia federation wanted to participate in that, it could have done so in a collective way rather than acting unilaterally.”
Lyall Grant said “there was no unanimity of views” during the emergency consultations, which were held at the request of Lithuania.
Earlier, a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday called the move “disgraceful,” especially because it was an incursion “under the guise of humanitarian assistance.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpass authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Geez, thanks for helping us out with this AnonyCanuck, we do have our work cut out for us and yes, Power and Politics is becoming nothing more than a propaganda portal of deception as is the CBC News division. It seems like Harper’s plan aimed at gutting and discrediting our national broadcaster is sadly falling into place.
Not meaning to keep beating a dead horse so to speak, but here is another update. There are also 2 new links to the Power and Politics interview segments from the sidebar included here. It might be nice if the CBC would point out what the updates are instead of fueling speculation, but that might be too much to ask. The one certain thing is that judging by the number of comments between the updates, problems will exist within other social media and forum discussions when different users are using different statements in their discussions/debates. Pretty ingenuous subversive divide and conquer strategy, eh?.
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
UN emergency consultations reveal “no unanimity of views”
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 8:28 PM ET
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
In a closed-door emergency meeting at the UN, several countries rebuked Russia for “what many called an illegal and unilateral action by the Russian federation,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, the council president, told reporters.
“It is an undeniable and blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,” Lyall Grant said. “It has nothing to do with humanitarianism. That humanitarian effort is being coordinated by the UN and if the Russia federation wanted to participate in that, it could have done so in a collective way rather than acting unilaterally.”
Lyall Grant said “there was no unanimity of views” during the emergency consultations, which were held at the request of Lithuania.
Earlier, a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday called the move “disgraceful,” especially because it was an incursion “under the guise of humanitarian assistance.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpasses authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Another update was just published and if you notice the title of the article does not have the usual “UPDATED” in bold red font preceding it and the primary image, caption and video have been changed. If possible could someone locate the transcripts of the UN meeting, for some reason or another CBC decided not to include it with any of the updates. Not sure what else may have been added or subtracted and sorry for not adding the link to the slideshow in this and previous submissions since it is a scripted element.
On another note, did the CBC News just report that there will be some sort of military maneuvers or humanitarian missions within Syria and didn’t they violate Syria’s sovereignty multiple times? This may be worth further investigation as well since it would counter the Ukraine narrative, eh?
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
UN emergency consultations reveal “no unanimity of views”
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 10:29 PM ET
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
In a closed-door emergency meeting at the UN, several countries rebuked Russia for “what many called an illegal and unilateral action by the Russian federation,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, the council president, told reporters.
“It is an undeniable and blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,” Lyall Grant said. “It has nothing to do with humanitarianism. That humanitarian effort is being coordinated by the UN and if the Russia federation wanted to participate in that, it could have done so in a collective way rather than acting unilaterally.”
Lyall Grant said “there was no unanimity of views” during the emergency consultations, which were held at the request of Lithuania.
Earlier, a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday called the move “disgraceful,” especially because it was an incursion “under the guise of humanitarian assistance.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpasses authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Great catch and perfect timing. We have acquired the screengrabs of the previous “updates” and the latest you mentioned is either the 8th or 9th update to this article today. The comparisons to the situation in Syria are very relevant indeed and may actually be the blueprint for Ukraine in the future. We’ll try to dig up the UN meeting details since the “article” has made reference to it and the sub-title states “UN emergency consultations reveal “no unanimity of views”” so it would be very, very interesting to see who does not share the neocons views that are being pushed via their propaganda outlets. This is obviously a vary fluid and fast moving situation and the only way to keep abreast is with crowd-sourcing techniques such as this comment thread. Thanks again for your continued efforts!
AnonyCanuck,
Here is what we could dig up from the UN Security meeting with links thus far and plz note that one is a snippet of the remarks regarding the humanitarian deliveries…
———————————-
22 August 2014
Secretary-General
SG/SM/16097
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
Secretary-General, Following Reports of Russian Aid Convoy Entering Ukraine
without Permission, Urges All Parties to Work Together, Avoid Escalation
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
The Secretary-General follows with deep concern reports that a Russian aid convoy has crossed the border into Ukraine without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities. While recognizing the deteriorating humanitarian situation, any unilateral action has the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation in eastern Ukraine.
Once again, the Secretary-General urges all sides, in particular Ukraine and the Russian Federation, to continue to work together, in coordination with the international community, to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the most affected areas. He reiterates that all sides should continue to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalation.
In this regard, he is encouraged by the announcement from President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine will do everything possible to prevent more serious consequences as a result of the convoy moving into Ukrainian territory.
* *** *
For information media • not an official record
Mr. Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General 22 August 2014
Continuing her mission to Ukraine, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said the humanitarian situation has deteriorated quite rapidly and that the United Nations needs to see how to support the authorities in reaching the nearly 200,000 people who have been uprooted.
Spokesperson’s Noon Briefing
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Press Conferences Today
Good afternoon, I’ll try to be quick because I know we have got two press conferences coming up after the briefing. At 12:30 p.m., the Permanent Representative of Russia, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, will be here, and at 1 p.m, Ambassador Oleksandr Pavlichenko, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine, will also be here.
…
** Ukraine
Turning over to Ukraine, Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, continued her mission to Ukraine and met today with Vice Prime Minister [Volodymyr] Groysman. She also met with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as with members of the diplomatic and donor community in Kyiv. Ms. Amos told UN Radio this morning that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has deteriorated quite rapidly and that we need to be able to see how we can support the authorities to reach the nearly 200,000 people who have been uprooted.
Tomorrow, she is expected to visit eastern Ukraine to see for herself the needs of the people affected by the current crisis. And for his part, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, is wrapping up his visit to Ukraine today. And we have just been informed that there will be Security Council consultations at 3 o’clock on Ukraine today.
…
Question: Yes, thank you. In Ukraine, it looks the situation is getting worse. The Secretary-General, in the beginning of the crisis, travelled to Moscow and Kyiv. Does he see now the situation is getting… like its almost open war… is the Secretary-General see a role in trying to stop these crises, but like not with the special envoys or something, but personally be involved? Also because in Syria, looks like this… he was never able to do that. So, is there still space, room for him to be able to again shuttle between Moscow and Kyiv?
Spokesman: You know, when the time is right and I think there could be travel. But, I think at this very moment, even as we speak today, he has two of his most senior aids, advisers, head of the political affairs unit and head of the humanitarian, coordination of humanitarian affairs department in Ukraine, to support and encourage a peaceful resolution. So, I think it is high on the mind and high on the agenda of the Secretary-General.
Question: Just two quick questions. Do you have any timeline on when Mr. Feltman may be back to brief the Council on Ukraine? And on the issue you mentioned on Iraq, the increasing number of abductions and trafficking, do you have any sort of figures, new figures?
Spokesman: We’ll try to get you increased figures on that. Mr. Feltman, I think it’s up to the Council to see when they will ask him to present to the Security Council. So, I would direct your questions to the Presidency of the Council. Yes, all the way in the back?
…
Great. Thank you very much. We will leave the podium to Ambassador Churkin and then the Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine.
* *** *
For information media • not an official record
posted on FRI 22 AUG 2014 3:10 PM
Council Consultations on Russian Humanitarian Convoy Entering Ukraine
This afternoon (22 August), the Security Council will be briefed in consultations on the situation in Ukraine by Oscar Fernández-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs. Lithuania called for the meeting after a number of trucks from a Russian humanitarian convoy entered the territory of Ukraine earlier today without the consent of Ukraine and without escort from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
According to the Observer Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) which monitoring and reporting on the Donetsk Border Crossing Point, a total of 134 trucks crossed the border into Ukraine without state consent or ICRC escort. It also said that only 34 of the trucks that crossed the border had been inspected by Ukraine.
After the convoy spent several days near the border awaiting assurances of safe passage under ICRC auspices, Russia decided to move in without permission from Ukraine. In a statement today Russia said that the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine has become intolerable and that it had met all the demands raised by Ukraine and the ICRC necessary for delivery of the aid. Russia has also claimed that it went ahead because Ukraine kept delaying granting formal consent for the passage of the convoy required by the ICRC.
Ukraine has accused Russia of violating its sovereignty with President Petro Poroshenko calling it an act of aggression by Russia. However, Valentin Nalyvaichenko, the head of the security service, stated that Ukraine will not be using force against the convoy. The humanitarian convoy, which was escorted by the pro-Russian separatist forces, reached the city of Lugansk a few hours ago.
NATO has termed Russia’s actions as a blatant breach of international commitments. It has also suggested that Russia has been using artillery against Ukrainian troops, both across the borders and within Ukraine. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin (Russia) in a press conference today said he was not aware of any Russian troops in Ukraine.
Yesterday (21 August), while the convoy was still on the other side of the border, Russia proposed a draft statement which welcomed the agreements achieved on delivery of humanitarian aid shipments under the auspices of the ICRC while it also called for a ceasefire and assurances of safe passage for the humanitarian convoy. The draft statement was put under silence procedure yesterday afternoon. It seems both Lithuania and the US broke silence and proposed amendments, including acknowledging that there are a number of organisations and states providing aid as well as dropping the reference to a ceasefire. At press time no new draft text has been circulated.
Earlier this week on 18 August, following the meeting on the Middle East, Ukraine was discussed under any other business at the request of Russia, asking for an update from the Secretariat on the implementation of resolution 2166 on the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Resolution 2166 requests the Secretary-General “to identify possible options for UN support to the investigation and to report to the Security Council on relevant developments” but does not give a specific reporting timeline. Fernández-Taranco briefed Council members on the ongoing efforts regarding the investigation into the downing of flight MH17 and indicated that the detailed report will be presented to the Council by the end of August.
At today’s meeting, the majority of Council members are likely to condemn this cross-border incursion by Russia. Russia is expected to continue with its humanitarian aid narrative and argue that the convoy needed to go in to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. It seems that Russia had wanted to have a briefing from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs but others were of the view that today’s developments were essentially political actions and should be discussed under that optic.
While the complexity of the current situation in eastern Ukraine may make it difficult to categorise it neatly as either purely humanitarian or political, it appears that the humanitarian situation cannot be improved without a political decision. The need for a ceasefire is clear, but so far no Council member has raised the option of a Chapter VI draft resolution on the pacific settlement of the situation in Ukraine. A Chapter VI resolution would also allow for the use of Article 27(3), which states that in decisions under Chapter VI, “a party to the dispute shall abstain from voting”. While Russia may argue that it is not a party to this dispute, it would nevertheless have to face the preliminary debate into the question, a scenario the Council avoided when it allowed Russia to veto a draft resolution on the situation in Crimea on 15 March (S/2014/189).
Action from the Council would help strengthen ongoing high-level diplomatic efforts. On 17 August, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia met in Berlin where they focused their discussion on the details of a possible cease-fire and the humanitarian situation. The meeting did not result in any concrete proposals or agreements. Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs travelled to Kiev this week where he met with Poroshenko and other high-level government officials. Also, Valerie Amos, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is in Ukraine this week. Both Feltman and Amos are likely to brief the Council on their visits upon their return. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to meet with Poroshenko in Kiev on 23 August, while Russian President Vladimir Putin and Poroshenko are scheduled to meet in Minsk on 26 August at a high level summit that also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and the EU.
Hey DumpHarper! crew, not sure if you had the chance to follow along with the Associated Propaganda of the day, so here is what was published. There was at least one significant update midway throughout the day, but the article was updated at least three, maybe four (?), times at last count. Other than some subtle changes in the others, there were changes to the sidebar video linked content. Here are the 4 versions captured along with the sidebar stuff plus the info contained within the script slideshow all the way at the bottom of this comment and there are 2 related videos from the right sidebar preceding it. Thanks for the UN info and links!
Something that is vary suspicious is that comments were not enabled for some reason and the amount of shares is almost non-existent. Did anyone notice how the published “story” was not the same as the “story” broadcast on the network? Maybe that has something to do with how the comments from yesterdays article played out or maybe they just ran out of scripts to recite since the war mongering Harper trolls got their @sses handed to ’em once again!
——————–
Celebrations for the Ukrainian independence day in Canada were more muted than usual, as diplomatic tensions continued between Ukraine and Russia
Muted Ukrainian-Canadian celebrations http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2495986649/
3:31
——————–
Ukraine is celebrating its independence day, as its campaign against pro Russian rebels in the eastern regions of the country is making progress
Fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk continues http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2495889499/
3:17
——————–
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 8:31 AM ET
Trucks that were part of a controversial Russian aid convoy began leaving Ukraine on Saturday, crossing at the eastern border post of Izvaryne.
Trucks that were part of a controversial Russian aid convoy began leaving Ukraine on Saturday, crossing at the eastern border post of Izvaryne. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of trucks from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to rebel-held eastern Ukraine rolled back across the border into Russia on Saturday.
An Associated Press reporter counted 225 of the white tarp-covered trucks as they drove from Ukraine into a Russian border town called Donetsk, which bears the same name as the largest rebel-held city in Ukraine. A second AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the tractor-trailers side and confirmed they were empty.
One driver who declined to give his name said the rest of the 260-truck convoy was expected to return within hours to Russia. The state news agency RIA Novosti cited the Russian customs service as saying the trucks were moving in six groups.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments
Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying its humanitarian aid has been delivered to its intended destination and that it intends to do more missions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the near future.
“We confirm our intention to continue cooperation with the ICRC in attempts to provide humanitarian aid to the people of south-eastern Ukraine”, the statement said.
The convoy drove Friday into Ukraine bound for Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine hard-hit by weeks of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels. The Ukrainian government and Western countries denounced the move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and accused Russia of using the convoy to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to rebel fighters.
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has advocated a measured European Union response to Russia’s aggressive policies in Ukraine, arrived Saturday in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
In a statement, Merkel said she would advise Poroshenko “that the conflict can only be resolved politically and that a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible.”
Russia said the white-tarped trucks were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags. Some trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen.
West critical of Russian moves
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
In a separate development, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil — deeper involvement in the fighting than the West has previously alleged. Russia also rejected that accusation.
It remained unclear Saturday what the Russian convoy had actually delivered. Unloading hundreds of trucks in less than a day in a war-battered region represents a big task. AP journalists who followed the convoy to Luhansk on Friday said rattling sounds from some trailers indicated they were not fully loaded.
The convoy’s entry caused Russia-Ukraine tensions to spike. The convoy had languished on the border for nearly two weeks amid disputes about over whether Ukraine would permit it entry or whether all sides in the conflict would provide security guarantees sought by the Red Cross.
Russia sent the trucks in Friday, saying it had lost patience and Luhansk was on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. Ukraine condemned it as a “direct invasion.”
At the United Nations in New York, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin rejected accusations that Russian troops were inside Ukraine. Russia has also steadfastly denied supporting and arming the rebels.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. The United Nations says more than 2,000 people have been killed and 340,000 forced to flee their homes during the fighting.
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 8:31 AM ET
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
1 of 14
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of trucks from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to rebel-held eastern Ukraine rolled back across the border into Russia on Saturday.
An Associated Press reporter counted 225 of the white tarp-covered trucks as they drove from Ukraine into a Russian border town called Donetsk, which bears the same name as the largest rebel-held city in Ukraine. A second AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the tractor-trailers side and confirmed they were empty.
One driver who declined to give his name said the rest of the 260-truck convoy was expected to return within hours to Russia. The state news agency RIA Novosti cited the Russian customs service as saying the trucks were moving in six groups.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments [http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/ukraine-dashboard/]
Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying its humanitarian aid has been delivered to its intended destination and that it intends to do more missions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the near future.
“We confirm our intention to continue cooperation with the ICRC in attempts to provide humanitarian aid to the people of south-eastern Ukraine”, the statement said.
The convoy drove Friday into Ukraine bound for Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine hard-hit by weeks of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels. The Ukrainian government and Western countries denounced the move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and accused Russia of using the convoy to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to rebel fighters.
Ukraine Russia convoy
Trucks marked as being from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to Ukraine return to Russia as people wait to cross at the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The checkpoint on the Ukrainian side was being operated by separatist rebels, who inspected the trucks. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has advocated a measured European Union response to Russia’s aggressive policies in Ukraine, arrived Saturday in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
In a statement, Merkel said she would advise Poroshenko “that the conflict can only be resolved politically and that a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible.”
Russia said the white-tarped trucks were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags. Some trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen.
West critical of Russian moves
In a separate development, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil — deeper involvement in the fighting than the West has previously alleged. Russia also rejected that accusation.
It remained unclear Saturday what the Russian convoy had actually delivered. Unloading hundreds of trucks in less than a day in a war-battered region represents a big task. AP journalists who followed the convoy to Luhansk on Friday said rattling sounds from some trailers indicated they were not fully loaded.
The convoy’s entry caused Russia-Ukraine tensions to spike. The convoy had languished on the border for nearly two weeks amid disputes about over whether Ukraine would permit it entry or whether all sides in the conflict would provide security guarantees sought by the Red Cross.
Russia sent the trucks in Friday, saying it had lost patience and Luhansk was on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. Ukraine condemned it as a “direct invasion.”
At the United Nations in New York, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin rejected accusations that Russian troops were inside Ukraine. Russia has also steadfastly denied supporting and arming the rebels.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. The United Nations says more than 2,000 people have been killed and 340,000 forced to flee their homes during the fighting.
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 2:56 PM ET
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
1 of 14
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of Russian aid trucks returned home from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Saturday, highlighting a dire need for long-term assistance to the region where homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by months of fighting.
Ahead of a much-anticipated meeting on Tuesday between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian officials and expressed hope for a peaceful solution to the conflict that has claimed more than 2,000 lives.
Russia unilaterally sent hundreds of aid trucks into Ukraine through a rebel-held border point Friday, saying it had lost patience with Ukraine’s delaying tactics, a move that Ukraine promptly described as an invasion.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments [http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/ukraine-dashboard/]
By mid-afternoon Saturday, all the vehicles had returned to Russia, Paul Picard of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe told reporters in the Russian town of Donetsk. A Russian emergency official said 227 vehicles had taken part.
An AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the white-tarpaulined tractor-trailers and confirmed they were empty. Russia said the trucks carried only food, water, generators and sleeping bags to the hard-hit rebel stronghold of Luhansk.
Ukraine and others — including the U.S., the European Union and NATO — denounced the Russian move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Kiev and Western countries also suggested the convoy could be used to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to pro-Russian separatists fighting the government.
It remained unclear, however, what the Russian convoy had actually delivered, since it only arrived late Friday afternoon. Unloading all those trucks in just a few hours in a war-battered region represents a sizeable task. AP journalists following the convoy said rattling sounds Friday indicated some of the trucks were not fully loaded
Ukraine Russia convoy
Trucks marked as being from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to Ukraine return to Russia as people wait to cross at the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The checkpoint on the Ukrainian side was being operated by separatist rebels, who inspected the trucks. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
In those towns and cities recaptured by Ukrainian forces from the rebels, the need for something more long-term than a one-time delivery of food and water is glaring. Assistance has been trickling in from the government and international donors, but it is still not enough to help rebuild livelihoods destroyed by war.
Residents in the city of Slovyansk, which endured a weekslong siege before the rebels left town in July, were caught between government forces and the separatists for several months and are now largely left on their own after devastating artillery strikes.
Valerie Amos, who oversees UN emergency assistance programs, visited Slovyansk on Saturday to inspect aid efforts there.
“This is particularly difficult in some areas in the eastern part of the country where there is ongoing fighting,” Amos told The Associated Press.
Rebels reject aid
Rebels have rejected overtures by authorities to provide territory under their control with much-needed aid.
‘What help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back.’
– Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, Slovyansk resident
Rows of burned-out houses on the northern fringes of Slovyansk stood as a reminder of the impact of the fighting. Owners could be seen Saturday clearing out the debris from their partially damaged or totally charred homes. Few seem confident they will be able to repair their houses anytime soon.
Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, an unemployed 25-year-old resident of Slovyansk, said his household didn’t have enough money to repair their shrapnel-scarred roof.
“Somebody said they would help, but it has been two months already, but what help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back,” he said.
One of the countries pledging aid to Ukraine is Germany. Chancellor Merkel held talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev on Saturday and promised $660 million in loan guarantees to support private investment in infrastructure and schools in war-struck areas.
Ukraine
Trucks stand in line as they return to Russia on the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine. (Sergei Grits/ Associated Press)
Merkel urged a political solution to the crisis three days before Poroshenko will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk in their first encounter since June. Merkel said she was looking forward to the outcome of those talks and expressed “hope that at least a step forward will be reached there.”
Poroshenko said Ukraine is anxious to bring peace as soon as possible and solve the conflict by negotiations, but “not at the expense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”
Asked what message he intended to convey to Putin, Poroshenko said “take away your armed people from our territory and I can promise peace will come to Ukraine very soon.”
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 2:56 PM ET
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
1 of 14
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of Russian aid trucks returned home from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Saturday, highlighting a dire need for long-term assistance to the region where homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by months of fighting.
Ahead of a much-anticipated meeting on Tuesday between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian officials and expressed hope for a peaceful solution to the conflict that has claimed more than 2,000 lives.
Russia unilaterally sent hundreds of aid trucks into Ukraine through a rebel-held border point Friday, saying it had lost patience with Ukraine’s delaying tactics, a move that Ukraine promptly described as an invasion.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments [http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/ukraine-dashboard/]
By mid-afternoon Saturday, all the vehicles had returned to Russia, Paul Picard of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe told reporters in the Russian town of Donetsk. A Russian emergency official said 227 vehicles had taken part.
An AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the white-tarpaulined tractor-trailers and confirmed they were empty. Russia said the trucks carried only food, water, generators and sleeping bags to the hard-hit rebel stronghold of Luhansk.
Ukraine and others — including the U.S., the European Union and NATO — denounced the Russian move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Kiev and Western countries also suggested the convoy could be used to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to pro-Russian separatists fighting the government.
It remained unclear, however, what the Russian convoy had actually delivered, since it only arrived late Friday afternoon. Unloading all those trucks in just a few hours in a war-battered region represents a sizeable task. AP journalists following the convoy said rattling sounds Friday indicated some of the trucks were not fully loaded
Ukraine Russia convoy
Trucks marked as being from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to Ukraine return to Russia as people wait to cross at the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The checkpoint on the Ukrainian side was being operated by separatist rebels, who inspected the trucks. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
In those towns and cities recaptured by Ukrainian forces from the rebels, the need for something more long-term than a one-time delivery of food and water is glaring. Assistance has been trickling in from the government and international donors, but it is still not enough to help rebuild livelihoods destroyed by war.
Residents in the city of Slovyansk, which endured a weekslong siege before the rebels left town in July, were caught between government forces and the separatists for several months and are now largely left on their own after devastating artillery strikes.
Valerie Amos, who oversees UN emergency assistance programs, visited Slovyansk on Saturday to inspect aid efforts there.
“This is particularly difficult in some areas in the eastern part of the country where there is ongoing fighting,” Amos told The Associated Press.
Rebels reject aid
Rebels have rejected overtures by authorities to provide territory under their control with much-needed aid.
‘What help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back.’
– Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, Slovyansk resident
Rows of burned-out houses on the northern fringes of Slovyansk stood as a reminder of the impact of the fighting. Owners could be seen Saturday clearing out the debris from their partially damaged or totally charred homes. Few seem confident they will be able to repair their houses anytime soon.
Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, an unemployed 25-year-old resident of Slovyansk, said his household didn’t have enough money to repair their shrapnel-scarred roof.
“Somebody said they would help, but it has been two months already, but what help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back,” he said.
One of the countries pledging aid to Ukraine is Germany. Chancellor Merkel held talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev on Saturday and promised $660 million in loan guarantees to support private investment in infrastructure and schools in war-struck areas.
Ukraine
Trucks stand in line as they return to Russia on the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine. (Sergei Grits/ Associated Press)
Merkel urged a political solution to the crisis three days before Poroshenko will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk in their first encounter since June. Merkel said she was looking forward to the outcome of those talks and expressed “hope that at least a step forward will be reached there.”
Poroshenko said Ukraine is anxious to bring peace as soon as possible and solve the conflict by negotiations, but “not at the expense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”
Asked what message he intended to convey to Putin, Poroshenko said “take away your armed people from our territory and I can promise peace will come to Ukraine very soon.”
1.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
2.
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, who denounced the convoy as a ‘direct invasion’ of his country’s territory, speaks during a ceremony for the Day of the State Flag in Kyiv on Aug. 23.
3.
On Friday, declaring it has lost patience with Ukraine’s ‘stalling tactics’, Russia began rolling hundreds of white aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine, insisting the move Kyiv called a invasion was not meant to arm pro-Russia rebels.
4.
On the Russian side of the border, a freight car loaded with a self-propelled howitzer sits at a railway station in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, in the Rostov region near the border with Ukraine, on Saturday. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance had observed an alarming buildup of Russian ground and air forces in the region.
5.
Ukrainian border guards watch as the first Russian aid truck passes the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Aug. 22. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said that Russia’s actions, seen as an invasion of Ukraine’s territory, was proof that it could not accept Ukraine’s moves towards integration with Europe.
6.
A Ukrainian refugee standing on the Russian side of the border, waits for her four-year-old son to arrive from the Ukrainian side while white trucks of the Russian aid convoy move to the border control point in the Russian town of Donetsk on Aug. 22. The Russian border town called Donetsk bears the same name as the largest rebel-held city in Ukraine.
7.
A mobile X-ray inspection system is parked at the border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk, on Aug. 20. The X-ray inspection system was provided by the Federal Customs Service of Russia to scan cargo in the trucks of the aid convoy.
8.
The swiftness with which Russia set the humanitarian mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. Here, Russian convoy drivers gather at a camp in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Region, Russia, on Aug. 18.
9.
Dozens of heavy Russian military vehicles amass near the Ukraine border, outside Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Russia, on Aug. 15., where a huge Russian humanitarian aid convoy came to a halt as Moscow and Kyiv struggled to agree on border crossing procedures.
10.
A man takes a picture of the Russian aid convoy that has stopped along the road near the city of Yelets, Russia, on Aug. 12. Russia says the white-tarped semis are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
11.
The convoy of Russian trucks purportedly carrying humanitarian aid began travelling towards rebel-held Ukraine about a week before reaching its destination. here, the convoy snakes along a road south of Voronezh city, Russia, on Aug. 14.
12.
A Russian convoy truck near the city of Yelets, Russia, on Aug. 12. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday.
13.
Drivers eat a watermelon beside Russian convoy trucks at a camp near Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Russia, on Aug. 14. Kyiv claims that the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel ‘trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.’
14.
Drivers take a rest on the side of a road near the city of Yelets, Russia, on Aug. 12.
Thx AnonyCanuck, your contributions are priceless and well appreciated by all. Considering the CBC has decided to not enable comments on the latest AP propaganda piece is quite telling indeed and the dismal number of shares is also quite telling. The odds are that they have lost complete control of the comment threads, their trolls cannot just bluff and stuff their way through the neoCon narrative when so many commenters are posting links and info as opposed to scripted responses. As far as the “pice” we were discussing yesterday, took a peek this am and noticed the trend slipped in favour of the facts as opposed to the fiction and speculation being peddled.
On another note, did you see The National tonight? The CBC reporter actually interviewed Right Sector Canada in Toronto on air and the “rep” pretty much laid it out for the most part, then when she interviewed the incompetent Alexander and questioned him, he didn’t want to comment on rumours and stated that it would not be responsible for the Regime to publicly comment on those rumours. Ya think he could walk a few metres to their donation solicitation table and become informed, eh? Ignorance is bliss, incompetence is treason…
Please note: Not sure if this is the correct link to tonights episode of The National since their stupid website will not load any of the Ukraine related videos for some reason but it keeps hanging up with the ads that precede the content. We have tried from several locations, all to no avail, so ya might have to catch the repeat on the network and note it is within the first 10mins or so…
Dump Harper! 
FYI: Here is an article of the violence in Kiev from Business Insider. I am not sure how to share the photos but did find out how to include the Twitter links and I’ll try to add a couple more article i found later Thanks for your efforts and please keep up the good work, there are some serious dark forces hiding the truth and the Harpers have seriously lost our support in all of this!
Clashes In Kiev As Ukraine Moves To Dismantle ‘Euromaidan’ Protest Camp
Reuters
Aug. 7, 2014, 5:51 AM
21,584 Views
16 Comments
Tensions flared on Thursday on Kiev’s Independence Square, the scene of street protests that toppled a Moscow-backed president in February, when protesters still camped there clashed with city workers who tried to clear away their tents.
The protesters set fire to heaps of tyres, sending clouds of black smoke billowing across the city center square, known as the Maidan, recalling the demonstrations earlier this year that chased Viktor Yanukovich from power.
Armed riot police moved onto the square as protesters — some of them in combat fatigues and masks and waving clubs — threw bottles and paving bricks at municipal workers who had been dispatched to dismantle the tents and barricades.
Maidan burning. City authorities backed up by the Kiev Battalion cleared a section of the protest camp #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/AVKRUN0aLN
— Simon Ostrovsky (@SimonOstrovsky) August 7, 2014 (https://twitter.com/SimonOstrovsky/statuses/497308405783339008)
The police and workers eventually withdrew, leaving the situation unresolved.
Many protesters, including self-defense militias, have taken down their tents and returned to their homes since the election of Petro Poroshenko as president at the end of May.
But many barricades have remained in place, along with makeshift shrines to the 100 or so protesters killed by police sniper fire, and a few hundred people are still camped out on the Maidan.
“It’s the right thing to do (take down the tents). I was here from the start of the Maidan and I believe it’s right now to take down what there is here. There are practically no normal people left here,” said Yury Kovalchuk, a 43-year-old businessman.
“Maidan” now. #Ukraine, #Kiev. pic.twitter.com/Tviz2WNJfp TT @SergeKremp
— VoiceOfDonetsk (@VoiceOfDonetsk) August 7, 2014 (https://twitter.com/VoiceOfDonetsk/statuses/497297884585676800)
Ukraine’s uprising began last November when Yanukovich walked away from a political and trade deal with the European Union and sought to swing policy back toward Russia. At its height, thousands of people from across Ukraine were camped out on the square and on an adjoining thoroughfare.
Kiev’s new authorities have made clear they would like the capital city back to normal, with traffic moving freely, ahead of an expected parliamentary election at the end of October.
“It’s like seeing everything that went on in winter coming back: tyres are burning, the police are here and so are people with clubs,” said Vitaly Lyakh, a 37-year-old Kiev resident.
“It’s not right — especially since the most decent people have gone off to fight in the war (against separatists in the east). Civilized countries don’t behave like this,” he said.
One protester wearing a Ukrainian cossack uniform, Mykola Bondar, declared his resistance to attempts to take down the encampment. A group of young masked protesters stood nearby atop a truck, banging on the roof of the vehicle with clubs.
“They tried to kill us today. They set fire to us,” he said.
(Reporting by Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk; Writing by Richard Balmforth; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
http://www.businessinsider.com/clashes-in-kiev-as-ukraine-moves-to-dismantle-euromaidan-protest-camp-2014-8
Here are the comments on the article I just posted since you are trying to archive things.
Comments
Insiders 0
All Comments 16
Apply To Be An “Insider” »
81 29 … on Aug 7, 6:19 AM said:
People are dying in east Ukraine by shelling of Kiev forces and you talk about this?
Today was kill bunch of civilians and they ran to Russia for help, which just save several hundred Kiev forces life.
Is true that western media not want to go speak with Kiev soldiers which surrender to Russia because western governments block that?
Reply
51 18 James Hart on Aug 7, 2:58 PM said:
@…: yes it is truth .
Russia made them available to speak to press ,but since most of them have nothing good to say about regime of oligarchs and nazies that sent them to die and kill their own western media refuse to talk to them.
as i was talking to my brother in Donetsk he said there is many reporters from major US news outlets
and when he asked one of them why not go talk to those people,that is not far he replied
that word came : “don’t bother it will not get printed or make the news” and that their reports “get edited to fit US consumption”
Reply
6 24 BykKillsAirlinesbyRussia on Aug 7, 4:25 PM said:
@…: Today I was made stupid russin comment no englisha here
Reply
85 29 Natty Bumpo on Aug 7, 6:21 AM said:
Ukranian government is just as bad as Russia. People don’t understand the fire that has started here, that the US is stoking the flames of and what the end result will be. Nothing good will come out of this mess and we haven’t even begun to see the bad. If Russia had helped overthrow the elected (be it questionably elected government) of Canada or Mexico right before the next elections were held you can damn well bet that we would be doing exactly what Russia is doing if not worse. Obama is hell bent on burning the whole world down.
Reply
17 4 dede chosen on Aug 7, 6:36 PM said:
@Natty Bumpo: it is not an Obama thing but the powers that controls the US!
Reply
31 13 Richard Mc on Aug 7, 1:44 PM said:
Maybe they should get a job and stop living off their parents and the state.
Reply
12 22 Alonso Schneeweiss on Aug 7, 3:33 PM said:
All of those anti-government militants on the Maidan should be shot! Where is Victoria Nuland when you need her?!!
Reply
20 1 Amarige on Aug 7, 6:19 PM said:
@Alonso Schneeweiss: No more cookies? Are we broke?
Reply
30 15 Rodger Olsen on Aug 7, 4:01 PM said:
Both Russian and Ukrainian media have been showing the actual confrontation on the news. I doubt that you will see it on American media because it makes the Kiev government look incompetent and makes the protesters that we backed look like idiots. The people in the Maidan are nuts who have made a life out of protesting. They are violent, confrontational and totally unreasonable. Their most popular chant is “We gave you the government with our bodies! You can’t throw us away!”
The government was unable to stand up to them and little was accomplished.
My personal hope is that they treat the protestors in Kiev with the same tactics that use on the protesters in Doneskt. Machine guns, air strikes, artillery and bombing should move them out easy enough.
Reply
26 3 Arsan Lupin on Aug 7, 5:35 PM said:
@Rodger Olsen: Oh yes, all of us in the US can see the rioting in Maiden. While I disagree with the magnitude of force you advocate, I agree they must behave in a civilized manner. The Maiden must be cleaned up, so life can return to normal for the people of Kyiv.
They always were a part of the problem in Ukraine. They denigrate and marginalize the ethnic Russians and the Russian-speakers. It would be so easy for them to find ways to get along with each other, and to fight off the invader as a united Ukraine. The Russian-speakers weren’t asking for so much in the early days; the real cost to the country would have been negligible.
But NOOOOOOOO!!! They start fistfights in the Rada about anything the least bit conciliatory! FOOLS! Government is supposed to be about negotiation and compromise. Only a selfish idiot demands that everything go 100% their way. We’re learning that the hard way with our Tea Party lunacy. Your country is being torn apart because of people’s stubbornness and refusal to compromise. Look back at that, then look at now, and ask yourselves: were the stupid little victories in the Rada worth THIS???
Reply
34 7 Rodger Olsen on Aug 7, 4:03 PM said:
The Ukrainian government today announced that it could not crack down on the protesters because Victoria Nuland was still passing out cookies to them.
Reply
13 36 sdfsef@jaja.com on Aug 7, 4:27 PM said:
Most of true maidan protesters who removed criminal president form power are either bakc home with families and working their jobs, or are volonteers in the ukrnaian military fighing with russian invasion. These people on maidan are moslty drnks, alcoholics or provacators paid by russia. Thats what former maidan protesters are saying themselves – they dont understand who these people are.
Reply
31 7 Amarige on Aug 7, 6:45 PM said:
@sdfsef@jaja.com: They removed one criminal president and installed the new one. That is why Maidan is still going on
Reply
25 5 privat opinion on Aug 7, 5:00 PM said:
ooo! soon people will delete this marrionettes regime from obama-biden
Reply
41 9 HM on Aug 7, 6:25 PM said:
What hypocrisy by the United States and the EU!! Now that the United States successfully overthrew the democratically-elected Yanukovych government using the street rioters in February of this year, and having the balls to actually threaten Yanukovych at the time not to use any force against the street rioters, now that the U.S. has achieved its goal of placing two U.S. puppet leaders in place to run the illegitimate Kiev government, President Petro Poroshenko and PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk, it has no more need of the pesky street rioters and is now supporting the illegal Kiev government under its puppet leaders to clear out Maidan Square of all rioters.
I guess we will now find out how much worse the new (illegitimate) Kiev government is over that of the former legitimate Kiev government under Viktor Yanukovych. I predict that the new government will use whatever force they deem necessary to clear out Maidan Square of all rioters, even if it involves violence and death, and I will, in no way, feel sorry for any of them. The rioters were completely duped into giving complete and absolute control of Ukraine over to the United States, a puppet nation with no sovereignty or independence or freedom to choose its own destiny. It has now become a nation state under the flag of the United States.
Reply
5 0 arcpeter on Aug 8, 8:05 AM said:
The funny part here is that Kiev-1 police unit is actually consists from former Maidan activists. So yesterday radicals in police uniform now themselves experience hail of stones and molotov cocktails.
Reply
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/clashes-in-kiev-as-ukraine-moves-to-dismantle-euromaidan-protest-camp-2014-8
This looks like a very similar article on the globe and mails website that you have in your article that does not seem to have been edited according to the Published and Last Updated times. The comments are included below and some are rather troubling and worth noting and the sources are worth following up on. The one that strike me as odd is the one about the children in the besieged orphanage because it is the oligarch backed Azov Battalion and Right Sector paramilitary in the area that refused to let the children with AIDS/etc to be evacuated. It seems like some of these commentators are confusing the Kiev oligarch backed “off the books” paramilitaries with the self defence forces that are attempting to protect their homes and whats left of their property. There seems to be no end to this madness!
Deadly day in rebel-held Donetsk as clashes erupt at Kiev protest site
YURAS KARMANAU AND PETER LEONARD
DONETSK, UKRAINE — The Associated Press
Published Thursday, Aug. 07 2014, 10:05 AM EDT
Last updated Thursday, Aug. 07 2014, 10:07 AM EDT
Activists shout during clashes with forces from the Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on Aug. 7, 2014.
(EFREM LUKATSKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.
Mortar fire struck the Vishnevskiy Hospital in Donetsk on Thursday morning, killing one and wounding five others, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky told The Associated Press. “There was a sudden explosion,” witness Dr. Anna Kravtsova said. “A mortar round flew through the window.”
The shelling, which destroyed an array of equipment in the dentistry unit, also hit three nearby apartment buildings.
It followed a night of shelling in another neighbourhood as the fighting between the government and pro-Russian separatists is inching ever closer to the city centre. The mayor’s office said in a statement posted on its website that three people had been killed, five wounded and several residential buildings destroyed during those attacks.
The government denies it uses artillery against residential areas, but that claim has come under substantial strain in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.
Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine have been fighting the Kiev government since April. Ukraine and Western countries have accused Moscow of backing the mutiny with weapons and soldiers, a claim the Russian government has repeatedly denied.
The West has also accused Russia of most likely providing the insurgents with surface-to-air missiles that may have been used to shoot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet over rebel-held territory on July 17, killing all 298 people on board.
Clashes erupted in central Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych. At the time, protesters were angry about endemic corruption and wanted closer ties with the European Union.
In scenes reminiscent of that revolt, which climaxed with Yanukovych’s ouster in February, demonstrators set alight tires in their faceoff against a volunteer battalion overseeing the cleanup operation.
Dark plumes of acrid smoke from burning rubber rose above Independence Square as workers in high-visibility vests worked fast to dismantle barricades surrounding the main stage.
The square and surrounding streets were the site of huge winter protests that led to Yanukovych’s ouster. Despite the election in May of a successor – 48-year old billionaire confectionery tycoon Petro Poroshenko – many said they would continue to squat on the square to ensure the new authorities lived up to their promise to usher in an era of transparent and accountable rule.
Many Kiev residents have fumed over the months-long sit-in, however, complaining that it severely disrupts traffic and blights the city’s main thoroughfare.
City authorities have been negotiating with the protesters to clear the square since a new mayor was elected, but have met strong resistance from the several hundred demonstrators still camped out there.
While many barricades were removed Thursday, numerous tents remain in place.
Follow us on Twitter: @globeandmail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/deadly-day-in-rebel-held-donetsk-as-clashes-erupt-at-kiev-protest-site/article19947401/
43 Comments
Rock On Roger 1 day ago
Here is your spanish fascists.
http://cassad-eng.livejournal.com/47085.html
Scroll down – there is a short interview with two Spaniards who are killing with the Kiev juanta.
And further down must be some of your buddies Riel, soiling my flag.
4 replies+3
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
Rockhead
You got up late this morning.
Hard to sleep with everyone’s laughter reverberating in your head.
“Soiling my flag” – bad troll, “admitting” you are from Putinland.
Poutine and his Goebbels(‘Liarov’) are going to be very upset.
3 replies0
Report Comment
Rock On Roger 1 day ago
Obviously you didn’t look at the link.
A pair of Kiev killers holding the Maple Leaf.
Maybe one of them is you?
0
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
Rockhead
Though you meant the your real flag before your propaganda boys crudely photoshopped. After all their is only one flag that requires “soiling”.
0
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 23 hours ago
A pair of Kiev killers holding the Maple Leaf.
Maybe one of them is you?
——————–
NEVER!
Riel does not have the courage of the convictions that he expresses online here.
+1
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
LOL – now that the new “western” government has been installed, they will want to clear the Maidan to prevent any future protests.
1 reply+2
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
MadHatcher
You don’t have to tell us your posts are LOL.
We know they all are.
0
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 22 hours ago
Putinland “Mafia State” trolls all over this site.
Thanks for you usual uproarious absurdly delusional detritus.
Exceptionally funny when they agree with each other’s post or answer their own.
Keep the laughs coming
+1
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
.
Donetsk……..I wonder if the Ukraine army will capture the Russian fascist “Governor” Pavel Gubarev or if he’ll cut and run to Russia?
Why are Gubarev and the other Russian mercenaries using the civilian population of Donetesk as human shields, which is a war crime?
Here’s Pavel in his nazi regalia, sieg-heiling and goose-stepping with his brother fascists in the neo-nazi Russian National Unity paramilitary private militia:
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/03/oops-pro-russian-donetsk-separatist-leader-discovered-to-be-nazi/
But wait, there’s more folks!
Aleksandr Borodai, a Russian citizen who is the “prime minister” of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, was an editor and remains a contributor to the far-right — and often anti-Semitic — newspaper “Zavtra,” founded by ultranationalist Aleksandr Prokhanov in the 1990s.
http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2014/05/26/new-donetsk-ruler-fascistic
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/05/21/fascism_comes_to_ukraine_–_from_russia_122700.html
Fascism is alive and well, indeed it seems to be a prerequisite for positions of power among the pro-Russian “separatists”.
2 replies+1
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 23 hours ago
Fascism is alive and well …
… as Stepan Bandera McGee would know, having learned it from his father.
1 reply+1
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 20 hours ago
Gotta love the way you post and then, triumphantly, award yourself a big Thumbs Up.
Get ’em where you can, eh Ears?
Tell us Ears, do you ever give yourself a Thumbs Down?
0
Report Comment
George Victor 1 1 day ago
Note: The “rebels” have become “separatists” and they are engaged in a “mutiny.”
Better late than never, perhaps.
+1
Report Comment
Richard Roskell 1 day ago
“Clashes erupted in central Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, as city authorities sought to clear away the remnants of a tent colony erected by demonstrators involved in the street uprising against pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych.”
Since the overthrow of Yanukovych, the Maidan street protesters refused to leave the square until their original demands for government reform were met. Of course, the Kiev regime hasn’t reformed anything. The deck chairs were shuffled on the SS Ukraine, but the same old faces are still driving the ship. Parliamentary elections? Forget it.
The Maidan got schooled in Revolutionary Lesson #1… the hard way. For every revolution that succeeds in making legitimate change, there’s a dozen that are co-opted by counter-revolutionary forces aided by outside actors. The political elite retrench, bide their time, and then return to business as usual. Recent events in Egypt are the perfect example.
Where Ukraine formerly had a corrupt democracy, it now has a corrupt autocracy- one that’s waging war against its own people. The protest that inspired the original revolution is being swept away. Meet the New Boss, worse than the old boss.
0
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
As the Ukraine army closes in on the remaining separatists hiding among the civilian population, the question of the day is:
Will the Russian and Chechen mercenaries and their Spetsnaz and FSB masters cut and run back to Russia and leave their gormless russian-wannabee separatist dupes to twist in the wind at the tender mercies of the Ukraine army?
Or will they do the honourable thing?
The betting is that they’ll abandon their puppets and head back to Russia, or to Crimea where the heroin trafficking is booming under the administration of the Putin-appointed “Prime Minister”, Sergey “Goblin” Aksyonov, a former capo in the local mafia whose specialty was extortion.
The heroin trade is booming there now as Afghan heroin flows through to Russia (the world’s largest consumer of heroin) and that’s where the big money is so that where the Russian mercenaries will be headed to next.
4 replies0
Report Comment
George Victor 1 1 day ago
Got any numbers on the Russian-speaking population of East Ukraine – and the number favouring separation ?
-1
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
Funny how heroin production in Afghanistan has increased steadily since the US arrived. It is not as though they didn’t remember how to use agent orange.
1 reply-1
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 20 hours ago
Actually, it’s increased since the Afghans ran the Russians out of their country with their tails between their legs.
0
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 21 hours ago
What did the people of East Ukraine ever do to you to deserve your enmity Darcy?
0
Report Comment
1waldo1 1 day ago
Blockading of roads in Trans-Carpathia.
Murder of city mayors elsewhere in Western Ukraine.
Clashes in Kiev.
Admittance of foreigners’ presence by the government.
This is the beginning of the end for Ms. Nuland’s excellent adventure.
And the Ukrainian people will be the biggest losers, as Ukraine, as a unified country is finished.
0
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 20 hours ago
The MSM never provides intelligible information about unit movements or the strategic consequences of events in the conflict.
In contrast, info sources from the separatists are detailed and informative.
Kiev’s incompetent leadership and demoralized fighters are losing the fight.
-1
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 21 hours ago
Shelling hospitals?
I guess the U.S. advisors are on the ground now.
-1
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 24 hours ago
That is Harper’s friends for you…
…shelling hospitals again.
Birds of a feather flock together!
4 replies-1
Report Comment
Rock On Roger 1 day ago
This is really bad, Canada used to be a peacekeeper not a warmonger.
Harper is driving our country to ruin.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-08-07/it-begins-canada-send-military-equipment-ukraine
1 reply-1
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 22 hours ago
Rockhead
Thanks for another Putinland “Mafia State” troll post.
Delusionally funny as always.
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
.
“Sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.”
———-
Why are the Russian “separatists” hiding among the civilian population?
Using civilians as human shields is a war crime.
5 replies-1
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
Yeah, those hospitals and orphanages are popular among separatists, must be the good food that brings them.
Poroshenko promised to rebuild property damaged by Kiev. With whose money? The western aid? – borrowed of course so your federal taxes do not go up. Your grand children will thank you.
1 reply
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 1 day ago
Orphanages?
Yes we saw the Russian mercenaries threaten the directors of orphanages if they tried to remove the orphan children from harm’s way.
“The directors of three orphanages in eastern Ukraine — in Donetsk, Maryinka and Amvrosivka — claim they have been pressured, one at gunpoint, to sign papers saying they will not move the orphans out of the disputed area ”
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/05/21/fascism_comes_to_ukraine_–_from_russia_122700.html
The Russians didn’t want to lose their human shields.
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 23 hours ago
Why are the Russian “separatists” hiding among the civilian population?
———
Well it could be that the Ukrainian forces just want the easterners to seek refuge in Russia, or
they Ukrainian forces just have very bad aim.
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 21 hours ago
Shelling hospitals is a war crime.
1 reply
Report Comment
Thomas Darcy McGee 20 hours ago
Then the Russians should stop doing it.
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
Maidan II??
Maidan Redux??
Whatever you want to call it, there is a new round of fun and games….
http://rt.com/news/178612-maidan-clashes-police-activists/
2 replies-1
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
I wonder if the US State Department budget for blankies and cupcakes is all used up?
1 reply
Report Comment
Rock On Roger 1 day ago
They’ll print moar script so Nuland can pass around moar cookies.
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
“Admittance of foreigners’ presence”.
Finally. Was wondering when the “International Brigade” that fought fascists in Spain would be reformed to fight the Putin’s fascist/terrorists in Ukraine.
5 replies-3
Report Comment
THatcher 1 day ago
Why don’t you volunteer to enlist, like this dude?
3 replies
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 1 day ago
MadHatcher
Haven’t you and your fellow “Mafia State” trolls(George Loser1, 1walrus1, Rockhead Roger) already signed up.
You repeatedly tell us how you hate fascists, or is that just another lie.
Report Comment
Golden Ears12 23 hours ago
NEVER!
Riel does not have the courage of the convictions that he expresses online here.
Report Comment
Riel_Canadian 22 hours ago
Golden ShowEars
So you were just lying- AGAIN.
Report Comment
The media lies – to YOU 21 hours ago
You may be riel, but you ain’t real. Here’s the story on you:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/in-the-battle-of-hearts-and-minds-kiev-is-losing-eastern-ukraine/article18001997/
“Kiev-based PR professionals formed the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, … to communicate Ukraine’s image and manage its messaging on the global stage. Just as sustained efforts to defend Ukraine’s position abroad are necessary, the same level of PR activity must be directed at an internal audience, too.”
Report Comment
Thank you for your contributions Disgusted Canadian Ukrainian and we will do some research related to the additional comments and those links related to the G&M article. Either we will add some follow up comments here or we will publish a separate summary article about the potential dis-info sites being utilized.
As an fyi, We have been doing some research into some of the trolling activities within the CBC comment boards and suspicious pro-Harper “individuals” for quite some time. As things progress we hope to do an expose that should allow some within the Opposition to follow up on the activities of the trolls that the Harper Regime has on the payroll that adjust the narrative via social media, etc. since these trolls are taxpayer funded.
Thanks again we really appreciate your efforts. Peace and Luv to ya from the CAHR Team! 🙂
Disgusted Canadian Ukrainian, we could only locate 2 things thus far about the situation at the beseiged orphanage, one video from early June and one article from July 30:
Ukraine: AIDS orphanage fears medicine supply will run dry
RuptlyTV
Published on Jun 3, 2014
Video ID: 20140603-041
M/S Children waving
C/U Child
C/U Child
M/S Children in the orphanage
SOT Victor Goncharo, Director of the Orphanage (in Russian) “The problem is that a jet flew over (the orphanage) and dropped bombs and now all the children, when they go out, they look at the sky asking: who will come? Will they shoot or not?”
M/S Van arriving
C/U Swan structure in playground
M/S Volunteers unloading supplies from van
M/S Volunteers taking supplies inside
M/S Supplies in van
M/S Volunteers taking supplies upstairs
M/S Volunteers dropping off supplies
M/S Children all sitting on sofa
C/U Two children on sofa
C/U Religious iconography
SCRIPT:
Volunteers braved dangerous roads in Donetsk on Tuesday to bring much needed supplies to the only orphanage in Ukraine for children with HIV/AIDS.
Victor Goncharo, the director Makiyivka orphanage, says the children have been negatively affected by ongoing airstrikes in the area carried out by Kiev’s military. When the children go outside, he says, they look at the sky to check for military jets.
As the humanitarian situation in Donetsk deteriorates the staff of the orphanage fear supplies of life-saving drugs could run out in the city. In total, 64 children are housed at the orphanage.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ruptly
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ruptly
LiveLeak: http://www.liveleak.com/c/Ruptly
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/11149828633108…
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Ruptly
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RuptlyTV
DailyMotion: http://www.dailymotion.com/ruptly
Video on Demand: http://www.ruptly.tv
Category News & Politics
License Standard YouTube License
source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JCX3BomQpg
—————————-
Ukraine prevents evacuation of orphans from war zone — Russian ombudsman
Russia
July 30, 18:50 UTC+4
Pavel Astakhov noted that the Kiev authorities prevented the evacuation of HIV-infected children from the areas engulfed by combat operations
http://videocdn.itar-tass.com/width/744_b12f2926/tass/m2/en/uploads/i/20140730/1054557.jpg
© ITAR-TASS/Zurab Javakhadze
MOSCOW, July 30. /ITAR-TASS/. 1,223 children are staying in orphanages that have found themselves in battle zones in the southeast of Ukraine, while the Kiev authorities prevent their evacuation either to Russia or to other Ukrainian regions, Russian children’s ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told Rossia 24 television on Wednesday.
“All in all, 3,700 children lived in these 64 orphanages let us say before the beginning of the summer,” he said. “Now, we have made telephone calls and specified that 1,223 children remain in the zone of combat actions,” the ombudsman said.
He added that the Kiev authorities prevented the evacuation of HIV-infected children from the areas engulfed by combat operations, giving as an example an orphanage in the settlement of Makeyevka where 56 HIV-infected children lived at this moment.
“The authorities of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics offer their evacuation, but Kiev that has learnt about this, prevents it,” Astakhov said.
He said Kiev was not commenting on its refusal to evacuate children from the war zones. “Coming instead are well-known statements by the Ukrainian children’s rights ombudsman: ‘Keep them out of Russia’,” Astakhov added. “She also appealed to the head of the Russian border service to prevent these children from crossing the border,” he said.
source: http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/742921
—————————
Disgusted Canadian Ukrainian, here is a breaking news story from CNN that was never mentioned in Canada:
CNN 2014 07 29 Ballistic missiles Ukraine
Published on Jul 29, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9-8KvtfjZA
——————-
29 июля 2014 CNN
CNN: США засекли пуск баллистических ракет с украинской территории
Как сообщили телеканалу CNN представители американской разведки, за последние 48 часов с территорий, подконтрольных Киеву, по ополченцам были запущены несколько баллистических ракет. По мнению корреспондента, это означает существенное обострение конфликта на Украине.
Мы начинаем нашу передачу со срочной новости с Украины о том, что может свидетельствовать о значительном военном обострении украинского кризиса. Как только что стало известно CNN, украинские военные выпустили баллистические ракеты по повстанцам.
Корреспондент CNN в Пентагоне Барбара Старр с нами на прямой связи из Вашингтона, военный аналитик CNN, генерал-майор «Паук» Маркс с нами на связи по телефону. Наш старший международный корреспондент Ник Пейтон Уолш выйдет с нами на связь с Украины через несколько мгновений.
Барбара, я хочу начать с вас. Вы узнали об этой информации, расскажите нам подробнее.
БАРБАРА СТАРР, корреспондент CNN: Доброе утро, Кэрол. Не так давно три американских государственных служащих подтвердили в беседе со мной, что разведка США в течение последних 2 суток зафиксировала выпуск нескольких баллистических ракет малой дальности с территории, контролируемой правительственными силами Украины по территории, которую контролируют пророссийские сепаратисты. Это означало бы существенное обострение ситуации. Баллистические ракеты малой дальности.
Дальность этих ракет, возможно, – около 50 миль. Но их боеголовки достигают веса в тысячу фунтов. Мы говорим о максимальном поражающем действии, об оружии, которое может убить десятки людей за раз, в случае его применения. У нас нет точных сведений о точке запуска, нет точных сведений о месте удара.
Собственно этой информацией сейчас располагают США. Власти пока удерживают информацию, потому что находятся в неловком положении. Ведь именно так называемые «хорошие ребята», украинские правительственные войска, выпустили эти баллистические ракеты. Ни Киев, ни Москва еще никак не отреагировали.
США еще не совсем уверены, попросят ли они Киев не применять больше такое оружие. Потому что сейчас они говорят, что у украинского правительства есть право защищать себя. Но не стоит заблуждаться. Налицо обострение военного конфликта на этом поле боя в то время, когда все за пределами Украины или России, по крайней мере, хотят, чтобы конфликт угас.
Они хотят доставить тех наблюдателей и инспекторов на место крушения MH17, а сейчас, похоже, военные действия только усугубляются, о чем свидетельствует эта новая информация, полученная сейчас, сегодня, о том, что были запущены баллистические ракеты ближнего действия, тысячефунтовые боеголовки. Кэрол?
Хорошо. Итак, генерал Маркс, совсем недавно я разговаривала с главным следователем. Он сказал, что говорил с украинским народом, с украинским правительством. Они заверили его, что будет безопасно добраться до места крушения, а теперь мы слышим такое!
ДЖЕЙМС «ПАУК» МАРКС, генерал-лейтенант сухопутных войск США в отставке: Да, это достаточно удивительно. Но, честно говоря, Кэрол, я думаю, что нам не стоит очень сильно удивляться. Конечно же, украинские войска, как верно отметила Барбара, имеют право защищаться и использовать эти ракеты большой дальности класса «поверхность-поверхность», которые преимущественно используются как наступательное вооружение. Они нужны для подготовки части территории, где необходимо уменьшить силы противника до того, как войска войдут в этот район.
Несомненно, разведывательное сообщество США знает, откуда был произведен выстрел и куда была нацелена эта ракета. Они знают ответы на эти вопросы. И я уверен, что эти ракеты были нацелены таким образом, что они никак не могли задеть зону крушения авиалайнера, и что они знают, как дальше действовать в этой ситуации. Но, конечно же, это усложняет обстановку. Повторюсь, Киев имеет на это права и полномочия.
Проблема, Кэрол, заключается в том, что эти ракеты могут и не быть высокоточными комплексами. И я надеюсь, что они используют их против районов, где находятся российские сепаратисты… где, по заявлениям Киева, они имеют право их использовать в попытке сократить силы и средства противника, и где они не станут причиной непреднамеренных потерь среди местного населения этой части страны, чего мы все опасаемся.
Материал предоставлен CNN International.
Перевод выполнен RT.
Дата выхода в эфир 29 июля 2014 года.
http://russian.rt.com/inotv/2014-07-29/CNN-SSHA-zasekli-pusk-ballisticheskih
Hey, hey, waddya say Dump Harper Crew!
One of our friends sent us over to check out your site and this recent article about the MSM’s relentless Neocon false narrative propaganda campaign and this is good stuff, kudos to all of you. Here is something of interest that is related to this article about the media blackout surrounding the events in Kiev and the situation in Ukraine. Be sure to check it out and let us know what you think. Since we are not sure if the links will show properly from the article, to make things easier the text and link references will be added below fore your archiving efforts. Keep fighting the good fight since this information war is in overdrive and we don’t have much time to avert a global calamity of epic proportions. Feel free to check out and share the other articles that we have on our site as well.
Crushing Protests in Kiev: Neocons Never Liberate Twice
Written by Daniel McAdams
Thursday August 7, 2014
Euromaidan
Western media has ignored it, but protesters have occupied the Maidan square in Kiev since last October. They were successful in overthrowing the elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, but they didn’t go home. They kept their tents, remained in occupied government buildings, and hunkered down.
Boxer-turned-revolutionary Vitali Klitschko was in the thick of the protests at the time, supported by the United States and its Assistant Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland. In fact, Nuland posed [1] with protest leaders seeking to overthrow the government – including Klitschko – and even famously went down to the Maidan square to hand out cookies [2] to the protesters. In her infamous intercepted telephone conversation with US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoff Pyatt, Nuland made it clear that the US was behind Klitschko and Arseniy “Yats” Yatsenyuk.
When then-President Yanukovych sent police down to the square to break up the violent protests, the US warned [3] him not to crack down on them. Even peaceful moves by the authorities to clear out the square were met with firm US threats [4] of sanctions.
How quickly the world has changed. The revolution is over and the US-favored government is in place in Kiev. “Yats” is Prime Minister. Klitschko is mayor of Kiev. But now, as mayor, he wants to get rid of the protesters.
In contrast to Yanukovych’s mostly unarmed forces sent to Maidan, today heavily armed [5] military battalions, known as “Klitschko’s people” were sent in [6] to restore order. Tanks have been mobilized [7]. One person has reportedly been killed so far. Not a word from the US. Not a word from Nuland.
Many of the protesters who remained had become disillusioned with the revolution they helped spawn. The Kiev Post quotes [8] Olena Leonova, who was part of the revolution but now feels let down: “…now I see that the new government does not want to listen to people. Almost everything is the same as Yanukovych did.”
If they are looking to have a second chance at a real revolution, they had better think again.
What these protesters do not understand is, as Prof. Mark Almond puts it [9], “Neo-cons never liberate twice.” All hell could break loose on those remaining in the square and it would be a non-event in the US and western media. When is the last time we heard a report on the slaughter [10] (warning graphic) of civilians in eastern Ukraine by the US backed regime in Kiev?
All of this brings us back to NATO and its Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is in Kiev today receiving the “Order of Liberty” from Ukrainian President Poroshenko. While Poroshenko’s troops roll in [11] to Kiev to put down the protesters, Rasmussen accepts his award with a huge grin [12]. He has no sense of irony, as Kiev burns around him.
Clinton got his statue in Kosovo, Bush got his street in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Rasmussen gets his “Order of Liberty.”
Neocons never liberate twice.
[1] http://images.hngn.com/data/images/full/20231/u-s-assistant-secretary-of-state-victoria-nuland.jpg?w=600
[2] http://rt.com/files/opinionpost/21/85/d0/00/nu-1.jpg
[3] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-19/obama-warns-ukraine-against-military-action-on-protesters.html
[4] http://www.dw.de/us-warns-of-possible-sanctions-as-ukraine-protesters-dig-in/a-17289029
[5] https://assets-news.vice.com/images/2014/08/07/in-photos-kievs-euromaidan-up-in-flames-again-as-authorities-move-to-clear-protest-site-article-body-image-1407433467.jpg?resize=1000:*
[6] http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/protesters-light-up-tires-on-maidan-as-city-government-attempts-to-clean-up-updates-359649.html
[7] https://youtu.be/jeLlgeBSToY
[8] http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/protesters-light-up-tires-on-maidan-as-city-government-attempts-to-clean-up-updates-359649.html
[9] https://twitter.com/mpalmond/status/495314171802963968
[10] https://twitter.com/tratotulja/status/497343872792408064/photo/1
[11] http://rt.com/news/178612-maidan-clashes-police-activists/
[12] https://twitter.com/AndersFoghR/status/497402133390823424/photo/1
Source: http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2014/august/07/crushing-protests-in-kiev-neocons-never-liberate-twice.aspx
*******************************
Reference articles below:
Obama Warns Ukraine Against Military Action on Protesters
By Angela Greiling Keane and James G. Neuger 2014-02-19T22:27:40Z
President Barack Obama warned Ukraine’s military against intervening to halt anti-government protests as the U.S. and European Union moved toward imposing sanctions on Ukrainian officials.
“We hold the Ukrainian government primarily responsible in making sure it is dealing with peaceful protesters in an appropriate way,” Obama told reporters before a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at a North American leaders summit in Toluca, Mexico. “That includes making sure the Ukrainian military does not step in to resolve issues that could be resolved by civilians.”
The U.S. and EU are weighing freezing the assets of Ukraine’s most powerful officials and denying them travel visas after a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Kiev left at least 25 dead and stirred fears of a civil war.
Obama’s warning came as Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych granted sweeping powers to the army and police and before he declared a temporary truce with opposition leaders. The Russian-backed leader’s security service said earlier in the day that it’s undertaking a nationwide operation to restore public order, giving the military authority to search, detain and even fire on Ukrainians.
Yanukovych said on his website the government and the opposition will continue talks to stop the bloodshed
Obama said the U.S. would keep engaging all sides in the conflict and is working with the EU on a response. “There will be consequences if people step over the line,” he said.
Sanctions Discussed
French President Francois Hollande, at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Paris today, called the government crackdown on protesters an act of “violence, brutality and repression.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking to reporters separately in Paris, said the U.S. was discussing “the possibility of sanctions or other steps” with allies “to create the environment for compromise.”
He didn’t specify what additional measures are being considered.
The EU has had mixed success with sanctions against leaders and top businesspeople in states that it accuses of flouting human rights. Belarus, Ukraine’s neighbor, hasn’t been tempted toward more democracy by international sanctions against its president, Alexander Lukashenko.
Targeting Money
The blacklisting of Ukraine’s ruling elite and the wealthy oligarchs that support it may be more effective because they cultivate Western ties and have put money in European banks, said Tim Ash, chief emerging-market economist at Standard Bank Group Ltd. in London.
“This will impact on their ability to finance their operations, and it will make them that much more dependent on Russian banks,” Ash said by e-mail. That “will make them very uncomfortable,” he said.
Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, declined to give a timeline for any U.S. response because the situation in Kiev is still evolving.
“Events like what we saw yesterday are clearly going to impact our decision-making,” Rhodes told reporters before Obama’s arrival in Mexico.
“On the other hand, if the government takes the appropriate steps of pulling back riot police, of respecting the right of peaceful protest, releasing prisoners and pursuing serious dialogue with the opposition about how to pursue a more unified government and way forward, that would obviously factor into our calculus as well,” he said.
U.S. Contact
The U.S. has made contact with Yanukovych, with Vice President Joe Biden speaking by telephone with the Ukrainian leader to urge the government to exercise restraint.
Russia has blamed the U.S. and the EU for the violence. The standoff began on Nov. 21, when Yanukovych pulled out of a free-trade deal with the EU, opting instead for $15 billion of Russian aid and cheaper gas.
The embrace of Moscow brought protesters out onto the streets of the capital Kiev, turning Independence Square into a pro-European campground.
Rhodes said the U.S. has delivered a message to the Russian government that “we are not in some competition for the future of Ukraine.”
*******************************
US warns of possible sanctions as Ukraine protesters dig in
The US has said it is considering imposing sanctions on the Ukrainian government after the latest attempted crackdown on pro-European demonstrators. The protesters meanwhile, appeared to be digging in for a long fight
Several thousand protesters remained on Kyiv’s Independence Square on Thursday morning after spending another night in subzero temperatures.
Following an unsuccessful attempt by riot police to clear the square early on Wednesday, some protesters filled sandbags with snow and piled them up to reinforce barricades that had been partially dismantled by the security forces. No violence was reported overnight.
The United States responded to the news of those clashes, in which about 30 people were injured, by issuing its strongest warning so far against use of force against peaceful protesters, saying it was considering imposing sanctions President Viktor Yanukovych’s government.
“We are considering policy options. There obviously has not been a decision made. Sanctions are included but I am not going to outline specifics,” US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.
“It’s important to convey our support for their ability to voice their views, support for their efforts on European integration, our belief that respect for democratic principles, including freedom of assembly, is a universal right,” she added.
Earlier in the day, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel used a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, Pavlo Lebedev, to warn against using military force against the demonstrators.
A statement issued by Pentagon spokesman Carl Woog said Hagel had “underlined the potential damage of any involvement by the military in breaking up the demonstrations.”
It also said that Lebedev had reassured Hagel that President Yanukovych had no intention of using the army against the protesters.
The European Union’s foreign policy coordinator, Catherine Ashton, meanwhile, held two rounds of talks with Yanukovych in Kyiv this week, in which she sought to bring the two sides together for a negotiated resolution.
Opposition pledge bigger protests
The opposition meanwhile, has said its intends to bring even more people out onto the streets. Local media reported that dozens of buses and private vehicles had arrived in the capital from all over the country early on Thursday.
Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko said in an article published in the Thursday edition of Germany’s mass-circulation Bild newspaper, that he expected “millions of people on the streets, more than ever before” in the next few days.
In light of the use of force against the demonstrators, Klitscho also rejected President Yanukovych’s offer of talks.
The protests against Yanukovych gathered steam almost a fortnight ago, when he balked at signing an agreement that would have increased political and business ties with the EU, in favor of maintaining and possibly intensifying close relations with Russia.
pfd/kms (Reuters, AFP, dpa)
*******************************
Protesters thwart city government attempts to clear Maidan (PHOTOS, LIVE UPDATES)
Print version
Aug. 7, 2014, 2:23 p.m. | Kyiv — by Kyiv Post
Tires have been lit on Independence Square, also known as the Maidan, to protest the city government’s attempt to clean up the square from the protesters on Aug. 7.
© Borislav Bereza
Protesters have resisted the most serious attempt yet to clean up Maidan, or Independence Square, since the EuroMaidan Revolution ended with the ouster of the corrupt President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 22. Dozens of remaining demonstrators – perhaps more than 100 – set tires on fire on Kyiv’s main square to protest the government’s attempt to free the city’s main road for traffic.
The square still has a tent city left over from the revolution. However, the protesters’ space has gradually diminished as city officials have attempted to return the area to normalcy since the May 25 election of Petro Poroshenko as president and Vitali Klitschko as mayor. Many are who remain there are suspected of occupying the area after the popular uprising ended in late February.
A part of Khreshchatyk Street was cleared off last month.
Klitschko is taking a harder line regarding the protesters and called on the city’s police chief to defend the residents and communal worker. “The things that are going on there last time are criminal. Attacks, shootouts, explosions and taking over of businesses,” he was quoted as saying, according to his Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform website. “This is a total desecration of the Maidan to which the Ukrainian came in autumn.”
Klitscho added that city authorities had long negotiations with people living in tents on Maidan in an attempt to persuade them to leave. “But these people were speaking with the stance – bring us refrigerators, WCs or something else. Is this a fight for democracy?” Klitschko said. “When there is a war on the east, where there is a need to restore the country and work some people privatized Kyiv’s center and is dictation their conditions. Moreover the major demands with which Maidan stood have been fulfilled.”
Kyiv police reported that when clearing the street, officers confiscated “guns, grenades, knives and Molotov cocktails” from the protesters, who sang patriotic songs as some threw Molotov cocktails. “Fighters of the special unit and the police officers received various wounds during the clashes mostly being hit by parts of pavement.”
A Kyiv Post reporter also saw young men carrying grenades, knives, Molotov cocktails, and one armed with an automatic rifle standing on the second-floor window sill of the central post office.
Some 300 municipal workers arrived on Maidan around 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 7, backed by cranes, to clean up the rest of the street. The workers started on both sides of Khreshchatyk – European Square closer to the Dnipro River as well as the other side.
The Kyiv Post saw volunteer Kyiv-1 and Kyiv-2 military battalions, whom the protesters called “Klitschko’s people,” accompanying the city workers. They are subordinated to the Interior Ministry and are comprised mostly from former EuroMaidan self-defense units. Kyiv-2 battalion later retreated to Prorizna Street and is currently awaiting orders. They do not give official comments, but unofficially they say their job is to peacefully clear Khreshchatyk Street for traffic.
After the attempt to clear the place began on Aug. 7, protesters started throwing cobblestones at the volunteer battalions and municipal workers and setting tires on fire, using the same defense tactics that were used during the revolution. Maidan Nezalezhnosti metro station was forced to close for exit because of fires and fights, a company spokesman said. Several tents that once stood near the intersection of Prorizna and Khreshchatyk Streets were set on fire as well.
Volodymyr, a masked 27-year-old protester from Volyn in western Ukraine who did not give his last name, said he set one of the tents on fire to prevent the communal workers from “accessing our documents and personal belongings. was ready to go to the east (of Ukraine) in several days, and I don’t know if I will now do it when such things are happening,” he said.
Ivan Lyukiv, a Maidan self-defense member said: “We will wait for Klitschko and (President Petro) Poroshenko to negotiate. They are the only two people we will negotiate with. We won’t have any discussions with the police or Kyiv-2 battalions who started the cleanup today.”
After coming across fierce resistance by the protesters, communal workers called the police. At least one protester was arrested, visible through the live feed set up by one of the activists.
A man who only identified himself as Volodymyr, one of the communal workers, said that his job was to clean up the city. “I don’t know what there people stand for. The Maidan that started in autumn achieved its goals. Kyiv is a European city and now it’s all in a mess. But the bunch of homeless people who are left here do not understand that,” he said.
The ongoing presence of protesters on Maidan is a source of deepening controversy. Many Kyivans want them gone, saying that the people who remain are not the same ones who fought the revolution.
“Activists resided in our House of Trade Unions for some time, and we all supported them up to Feb. 20. They were fed. Every day I came, checked the posts, helped them as I could. And I agree that the Maidan had to stay up to May 25, because we didn’t have a president. But there is nothing to do at the center of Ukraine after the election. There are no real activists at Maidan nowadays – they are in the east – only homeless people and titushky are here,” said Valery Kiparenko, assistant to the chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Safety.
The tent city has, in fact, become inhabited by homeless people and other men who continue to wear masks even without much justification for hiding their identities. Crimes, including thefts and assaults, are becoming more common, residents say. Many Kyivans say the able-bodied men should battle the Russian-backed insurgents on Ukraine’s war front in the east.
The protesters who remain, however, say they stay to defend the space. Their presence, they say, is needed to hold the current government accountable and in case another revolution is needed.
Kyiv residents started gathering at the site of protests and said they support the government’s actions to clear up the capital.
“Maidan is a mess now. Russian TV will be happy to show the picture when protesters clash with utility workers here. It’s time to clean it up and solve major problems,” said Kateryna Belkova, a native Kyivan who came to Maidan on Aug. 7 to see what’s going on.
But dozens of protesters who put up resistance to the authorities clearly don’t share that point of view. Olena Leonova, one of the protesters who remains on Maidan, says that the activists here were trying to persuade the government “to make ATO (anti-terrorist operation) headquarters here on Maidan.”
“But now I see that the new government does not want to listen to people. Almost everything is the same as Yanukovych did. Maidan activists just started a dialogue with Kyiv city officials and the president’s administration, but now I see that they just want a cleanup,” Leonova said.
Klitschko said last month that the main street needs to be cleared up from protesters. “On weekdays, Khreshchatyk is an important artery of the city and its blockage ends up being a great inconvenience for the whole central part of the city,” Klitschko told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Moreover, he had said that in its current state, Maidan no longer represents the mood of the people. “Today it’s dangerous to be on Maidan. There are occasional shots fired there, and fights break out. We communicate, try to persuade people to do everything to make sure Maidan returns to a normal life.”
Many Kyivans who came to the central square made it clear that they do not support the resistance to authorities. “Those who want to fight – go to Donbass,” shouted Yuriy Lyashko, a 51-year-old city guide who came to see what’s happening.
One communal worker said the protesters were bringing in new tires to continue resistance. Kyiv-1 and Kyiv-2 military battalions retreated with the words “glory to Ukraine.”
You can watch the live feed on Spilno.tv [http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-action-spilno-tv] and on Hromadske.tv [http://www.hromadske.tv/]
Protesters set fire to tires on Kyiv’s main Khreshchatyk Street. (Mark Rachkevych)
Protesters resist an attempt by city officials to clear Maidan. (Mark Rachkevych)
Members of the Kyiv-2 Battalion subordinated to the Interior Ministry wearing military fatigues get pushed out from Khreshchatyk Street by protesters after failing to clear Independnce Square, the epicenter of the EuroMaidan Revolution. (Mark Rachkevych)
A barricade of tires burns on Maidan, close to the central post office. A Kyiv Post reporter said there are many Molotov cocktails set out and ready to be thrown. (Mark Rachkevych)
Members of the Kyiv-1 Battalion subordinated to the Interior Ministry encircle the stage which was the center of EuroMaidan protests last winter.
Communal workers gather on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in the morning of Aug. 7 to attempt to clean up the main road for traffic. It has been blocked by the protesters since November, when the EuroMaidan revolution began.
City workers attempt to clean up the protesters’ camp from Khreshchatyk Street.
*******************************
Police & activists clash on Maidan, tires burn anew in central Kiev
Published time: August 07, 2014 07:56
Edited time: August 07, 2014 15:50
Maidan self-defence activists clash with fighters of Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on August 7, 2014.(AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky)
Activists and police have clashed in the Ukrainian capital’s center after communal workers tried to dismantle the camp. It follows a months-old conflict over the camp with the city administration.
BREAKING: Police & activists clash on Maidan, tires burn anew in central Kiev http://t.co/oJPq9PIhzh #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/7HMEaeJml7
— RT (@RT_com) August 7, 2014
Up to 10 people have been detained as a result of the Maidan clashes and a criminal case has been launched alleging hooliganism, according to Interfax.
Fifty law enforcers from Ukraine’s interior ministry’s battalions, Kiev 1 and Kiev 2, were wounded, with three of those receiving serious injuries, police chief Aleksandr Tereshchuk told a media briefing.
It is currently unclear whether there were wounded among the protesters.
Camp residents are currently fortifying the old barricades and building new ones, Ria Novosti reported.
Law enforcement officials have been injured in the clashes with activists on the Kiev’s Independence square, according to the Interior Ministry press service.
It’s not known how many people were injured, ITAR-TASS reports. The majority of injuries were from stones thrown by protesters.
The smoke from burning tires can be smelt all over the city center, witnesses say.
#Ukraine: Tires burning at Kiev’s Maidan Square pic.twitter.com/3UUBcf4y7j http://t.co/YtaPqbJrkM
— RT (@RT_com) August 7, 2014
Activists living in the camp were also throwing Molotov cocktails at police, while barricades and tires were burning on the square, the heart of anti-government protest that began last year.
RIA Novosti / Evgeny Kotenko
“Police were carrying out public order maintenance and the work of communal services, but then the camp caught fire, and the fire brigades are now dealing with the blaze,” the Kiev police press service stated to Interfax Ukraine.
RIA Novosti / Evgeny Kotenko
Sources in law enforcement suppose that the camp residents set their tents on fire themselves to prevent the communal services from doing their job. There’s also information that there are weapons in the camp.
Earlier on Thursday, communal services were dismantling the barricades, and confiscated about 20 boxes containing bottles of flammable mixture.
Law enforcement officials and Kiev authorities have been urging the activists to leave Maidan and free the seized buildings for months, but the activists have refused to do so.
In July, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Vitaly Yarema urged the activists to leave Kiev’s Maidan and free seized buildings.
AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky
Yarema underlined that the refusal to obey would entail criminal responsibility.
Kiev’s Independence Square has been the main hub of the popular uprising since last November. Around a thousand people were still on the square in July, according to Kiev’s Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.
An Orthodox priest throws a tyre as Maidan self-defence activists clash with fighters of Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on August 7, 2014.(AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky )
A man holds tires as Maidan self-defence activists clash with fighters of Kiev-1 volunteer battalion on Independence Square in Kiev on August 7, 2014.(AFP Photo / Sergei Supinsky )
Protesters seized 19 buildings, including administrative offices and hotels, with almost 500 activists living there, according to the prosecutor general.
#Ukraine: Black smoke billows as tires burn on Kiev’s Maidan Square http://t.co/oJPq9PIhzh pic.twitter.com/lnbZoNQajc
— RT (@RT_com) August 7, 2014
*******************************
WOW RPI, thanks for the kind words and for such a info packed article along with the references, video, article and image links! Not only does this save a lot of valuable time for our visitors, but it is very helpful with our ongoing archives. After checking out the article link, took a quick peek at your site as well and it looks like there is a lot of useful info for our collaborative research and outreach initiatives. Thanks again from all of us at the DumpHarper! Campaign and be sure to stop by every now and again, we’ll keep the light on for ya. 🙂
Check out Canadian retired CAF political scientist Brad Cabana’s Rock Solid Politics feed for updates:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2014
The Ukrainian Genocide.
This woman’s eyes have haunted me since 4:00 p.m. Ukraine time, June 2, 2014. Her name was Inna Kukuruza. She was a wife, a mother, and a citizen of Luhansk city. On that day, June 2, 2014, she made a fatal mistake walking past the City’s Administration building after work. She, and many others, had her life ended in a hail of unguided rockets fired by a lone Ukraine air force jet. However, unlike the rest of those dead around her, she did not die immediately. She lay there for seconds, all filmed by the ever present phone cameras, and asked to speak with her daughter. Then she died. What the picture above doesn’t show is her mangled legs, or her missing foot. She bled to death. My heart broke for her at that moment.
It was just the beginning of a campaign by the Ukraine military, and its paramilitary forces known as “National Guards”, of killing civilians throughout the Ukraine provinces (known as Oblasts) of Donetsk and Luhansk. A slaughter that Europe has not seen since the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Yet, through all the fog of war, a clear pattern has emerged. The Ukraine army approaches a “rebel” (NAF) area, normally a community. They establish fire bases around it, with varying types of artillery, and then they start shelling. It was the same in Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Gorlovka, Donetsk, Luhansk, and every other community in the two break away provinces.
First the infrastructure is targeted. Specifically, the electrical power stations. Once these facilities are knocked out, and no power flows: sewage systems shut down; water systems shut down; hospitals can’t operate well; commerce can’t function; and on and on it goes. The clear and obvious strategy is to place the citizens of the community in misery. To turn them against the NAF in a psychological warfare conducted with artillery. Of course, the artillery and its ferocity, terrifies the people all on its own.
Second, health and transportation are targeted. Bus stations and train stations are hit. Hospitals of all types are hit. Even schools are hit. The pattern repeats itself in every community the Ukraine army assaults. There is no mistake. At this point the citizens are not just terrified, but also trapped. They can’t leave the chaos. They are corralled in a hell no civilian should have to suffer.
Then, the civilians themselves are targeted. Specifically, their homes, apartments, shops, and city centres. The victims have ranged from the very elderly, and in some cases mental patients, to the youngest children and everyone in between. The shells and rockets don’t have a conscience – the people that fire them are meant to.
Slavyansk became the model for all Ukraine army operations since. Surround the community. Do not allow escape. And fire. Small caliber mortar fire was the start. There were many reports of it on social media, but the “main stream media” refused to report it, or its damage. As if encouraged by that, the Ukraine army brought in larger mortars, then field artillery. They got away with all that too, despite pictures of the destruction and the civilian victims flooding social media. There was no outrage, or reporting in the main media. The NAF refused to budge, so the Ukraine army brought in even bigger guns – self-propelled 152mm guns. Monsters of artillery, these weapons created massive, indiscriminate damage and casualties. Not completely satisfied with this level of destruction, the Ukraine army started using air burst white phosphorous shells at communities on the outskirts of Slavyansk, and then Slavyansk itself. The Russian government drew the line there and raised concerns about it at the UN. It was dismissed, and the Ukraine army carried on.
Then came the battles around Donetsk city, Gorloka and Luhansk city. A whole new form of artillery was deployed – Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS). At the low end of these systems is the GRAD, and on the high end the “Tornado”, “Hurricane, and “Smerch”. They can fire up to 40 high explosive rockets at a time. They were designed by the Soviets to break up tank formation and create chaos. They are lethal and can level entire complete grid squares when deployed enmasse. They are also unguided. The use of MLRS took the ferocity of the conflict to an all new level, and with it a rapidly increasing civilian death and wounded toll. Pictures of grandmothers , fathers, children, and even priests – with their bodies torn to pieces – began flooding the social media. So grotesque were the results that You Tube began taking films of the victims off their site.
As if this wasn’t a great enough outrage, the Ukraine army upped the ante one more time. On July 29, 2014 the Ukraine army fired four, of a reported five available, SS-21 ballistic missiles at the NAF held community of Snezhnoe. The missiles are massive, and carry a warhead of up to 1000 lbs. They can be used to deliver nuclear weapons. In this case they carried high explosive warheads. These were designed as, and remain, weapons of mass destruction. Even the US government admitted the missiles were fired – yet they did not cause any damage. The reason? Russian S-300, S-400 anti-missile/air units on the Russian border shot them down before they impacted Snezhnoe. If the Russians had not intervened, the loss of life would have been in the thousands. It is here that apparently the US and West were prepared to draw the line on the Ukraine army. There was no condemnation by the West, but there was also no condemnation of Russia for shooting them down.
The death toll so far in the Ukraine war against the Donbass Region (Luhansk and Donetsk) was estimated to be around 10,000. The wounded many more times that. Over 250,000 refugees have fled – mostly to temporary camps lining the Russian side of the border. Those that remain are suffering constant shelling. Constant terror. But, that’s the point of it – right? The Ukraine government always refers to the NAF as “terrorists”, yet the only side terrorizing its citizenship seems to be the Ukraine government itself. The Geneva Convention is supposed to protect civilians and civilian institutions at a time of war, however the lawyers in the crowd claim this isn’t a war. It’s war-light. It’s an internal insurrection. Although the Ukraine government itself has accused Russia of invading it at the UN Security Council. It would seem, therefore, that the Ukraine government considers itself in a state of war. In that case, the rules of war as outlined in the Geneva Convention should apply to them.
If, for whatever reason, the lawyers succeed and the Ukraine government is not restrained by the Geneva Convention, then there is always the International Court of the Hague. It clearly details that attacks made against civilian populations, or terrorizing civilian populations, or forcefully moving populations is a crime against humanity. There can be no doubt in any right thinking person’s mind that what Ukraine has committed against the Donbass is a crime against humanity. Inna Kukuruza was a member of humanity. She did not deserve to die in that blood soaked street in Luhansk city. There was no need. She did no wrong. Her only crime was to be a citizen of a break away region of Ukraine. As far as I’m concerned, Ukraine will never be able to whipe that spot of her blood off their hands. Her final appeal to speak to her daughter, her eyes betraying her terror, the helplessness, will never leave me.
http://rocksolidpolitics.blogspot.ae/2014/08/the-ukrainian-genocide.html
Hey CAHR peoples, caught a few of your comments at Saker. Appreciate your work trying to educate Canadians about this awful stuff. I agree that this propaganda campaign is terribly dangerous- in fact I called it worse than Iraq in a comment just weeks into this whole fiasco in Ukraine (I’m an American btw), and actually saw an article from a very wide-read alternative media site about the propaganda being… worse than Iraq, a few days later. Anyway, while I totally agree that msm is just lying through their teeth and spinning events into an alternative reality that creates numerous false impressions, and that the demonization of Russia, Putin, and the rebels while giving a pass to the genocidal nazi maniacs in Kiev rises to the level of criminality, I’m just not quite sure that the edits to AP (et al) articles is in and of itself is such a huge issue. They do say “updated”, and it might be sneaky and shameful, but within the context of the overall evil of the propaganda campaign I just don’t quite get it- but I’m willing to hear the argument, and if you can provide any links that single out this tactic as journalistic malpractice I’d be more than happy to check it out. Like I said, maybe I just don’t quite get it, I’m kind of on the fence. I do think it’s valuable to save different versions of articles for tracking removal of information without correction and as defense against the scrubbing of entire pieces, but changes to wording and removal of images just seem like standard practice for shady msm these days, and not exactly criminal within the confines of the overall effort to push a war on the people based on lies and spin, which is the real crime in the first place. Which I’m sure you agree with. Still, love what your doing, keep at it, it’s very inspiring. And very necessary, thank you.
Thanks Colinjames for your feedback, for following up and checking out our summary and offering your observations and critique, it is greatly appreciated.
Let us first let you know that it is actually not completed as of yet. We are still in the process of putting together screegrabs of the different pages and the accompanying comments in text form. Since there are several of us in many locations across Canada, we “see” different things at different times and try to archive everything possible as well as discuss and share our findings through various outlets, with many key players and social media venues. Then we have to try to put it all together at some point to make some sense of it all.
We certainly appreciate it is pretty much a given that sometimes articles require updates as new info becomes available. One issue we have is that many articles, especially those that stem from the PMO’s (Prime Ministers Office) propaganda team, seem to be edited to suit their narrative and not so much to add additional facts and details, just talking points and photo-ops. We do not have the luxury of a real Opposition to the Harper Party, they are simply controlled opposition at this point. That is pretty hard to expand upon since how they came into majority status it is quite complicated. In short, there were several issues with regards to the last election, many of which can be found here and elsewhere. One thing that seems to have slipped below everyones radar is the timing and the hidden manipulation. The Harper Regime decided to set the election date in early May (2011) after is was found in contempt of Parliament in late 2010 after two consecutive elections mired in fraud and corruption. The timing of the election seems to have been piggybacked to coincide with the upcoming “Arab Spring” that began in Tunisia then spread through the region as you know. As the election cycle began Libya and Syria were in the global neocons sights. As things ramped up vs Gaddafi and NATO got involved in their “humanitarian” mission planning, the Opposition Parties found themselves at a distinct disadvantage as the bombs were already being dropped on Libya. Let’s just say that tried and true “you’re either with us or against us” mantra took the steam out of their ability to conduct a proper campaign against and already proven to be corrupt Regime. On top of that, May is wedding and prom season, graduation time as well as the official launch of summer, aka: “May 24” or Victoria Day here and a week later Memorial Day there.
Moving forward a bit, CBC is our only national broadcaster that can be accessed over the air via TV and radio and is publicly funded which is why we pay close attention to what they do. One of the Harper Party’s primary objectives is to eliminate the funding and either privatize it or dismantle it. This is already a threat to our nation as it is the only common bond between us all. Since Harper has the ability to appoint those at the top of the food chain there, he has decided to pay the top big $$$ and they have cut funding drastically which has forced to closure of foreign bureaus and the loss of a lot of staff. On top of that, it would appear as if those cuts were also designed to outsource the news, which forces us to read sliced and diced biased news from outside sources, pretty much all of which are from US based AP (Associated Propaganda) with some sprinklings from The Canadian Press and Reuters.
If you consider the implications of the above and then add the time zone differences and new cycles, the manipulation picture gets just a bit clearer. This gets more troublesome once one considers that the Harper Party has a special kinship to Alberta and the Tar Sands along with Toronto and Bay Street. Since they come first and foremost, the rest of our economy, with the exception of a couple of locations, have come to a scratching halt since Harper was first elected in a minority position almost a decade ago. This makes our economy a 2 trick pony, oil and speculation. This causes great divisions within our nation and pits regions against regions, which allows the divide and conquer strategy to work well.
Hopefully the above is not to wordy and/or confusing but let’s try to sum it up and bring ‘er home and full circle.
Taking the above into consideration and accepting the Harper Regime has staffers as well as hired trolls along with several of the Harper Party stakeholders, if those in the Eastern regions read and begin discussing an “article” that changes as the Central regions begin reading and discussing another version of the same “article” that changes again as the Western regions begin reading and discussing another version of the same “article” everyone gets caught in a dis-information quagmire. At the end of the day, so many have read and heard so many different spins about the same topic, no one knows anything, nor can agree, or even agree to disagree since they have heard, seen and read different versions and end up in a vast vacuum of lies by way of addition, deception and commission.
This is problematic in itself, but when the titles, urls and images get swapped out as the content changes, it borders on fraud and deception. If the narrative causes mass confusion it borders on unethical psychological manipulation, If the tone promotes war, death and harm to civilians, it borders on being illegal. If the tone promotes bigotry, hatred and radicalization it borders on terrorism.
Hopefully, that explains the task we face and why it is pretty important to explore this further. Since we do not have access to the CBC’s server logs we may not have all the facts, proofs or details, but we will continue to raise awareness in the hopes that either someone will leak some details or a proper investigation is conducted.
Any comments and/or questions are definitely welcome and please note, we’ll reread what was posted and may edit it a bit since the comment box is not so eyeball friendly.
Things that make ya go, huh? Here is something that seems worth looking into for all those interested in the oil/gas debate, How will this fly with the EU and how can another “tax” burden on ordinary Ukrainians that they simply cannot afford to pay be a good thing. Add this to the empty Treasury as of August 1st, drastic austerity measures, high unemployment, hyperinflation, the military tax and the fact that the IMF loans are in jeopardy due to the civil war? The current government operating out of Kiev is simply out of touch with any sense of reality!
Who Needs Russia? Ukraine Will Destroy Itself With New Gas Tax
By James Stafford | Thu, 07 August 2014 20:28 | 3
Ukraine doesn’t need Russia to take it down—Kiev is doing fine destroying itself, most recently with a new tax code that doubles taxes for private gas producers and promises to irreparably cripple new investment in the energy sector at a time when reform and outside investment were the country’s only hope.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on August 1 signed off on a new tax code that effectively doubles the tax private gas producers in Ukraine will have to pay, calling into question any new investment, as well as commitment from key producers already operating in the country.
The stated goal of the new tax code—a legislative package embraced by the parliament on July 31 with more than 300 votes–is to raise $1 billion, of which $791 million would go to fund the war effort in eastern Ukraine.
According to the Kyiv Post and Ukrainian law firms, the new code will remain in force until the end of 2014 during which time gas drillers will be required to pay 55 percent of their subsoil revenue for extracting under five kilometers. This is up from 28 percent–so it’s a significant hit for producers. Additionally, for any extraction beyond five kilometers, the tax will be 28 percent–up from 15 percent.
The only saving grace here is that this wasn’t the worst possible scenario: An early version of the bill called for a 70 percent tax on gas extraction.
Ukraine may have some of the most attractive gas prices in the world—the only thing that could have possibly lured investors there—but the new tax law renders this irrelevant, especially considering that in European countries, the tax does not exceed 20 percent.
The oil sector will also be hit with the new tax code, which increases rates to 45 percent for drilling under five kilometers—up from 39 percent. But it is the gas tax hike that will really cripple potential investment in Ukraine.
Private gas producers lobbied energetically against the new tax laws, arguing that it will crush investment and force investors to re-think their commitment to Ukraine. They also argue that it benefits some members of the political-business elite, and has nothing at all to do with funding the war effort in the east. Instead, it is the next phase in the battle among energy oligarchs to secure their interests in the dynamic political arena shaping up after the fall of President Viktor Yanukovych.
In an open letter sent to Parliament on July 29, a group of private producers stated: “The draft law may lead to a rapid increase in the tax burden on private gas producing companies, a significant decrease in project cost effectiveness in general (up to closing down due to unprofitability) and a general decrease in attractiveness of the Ukrainian market for foreign investors.”
Speaking to Oilprice.com from Kiev, Robert Bensh—a veteran Ukraine energy executive and partner and managing director of Pelicourt LLC, the majority shareholder in Ukraine’s third-largest gas producer, Cub Energy—was highly critical of the new tax law and fearful of what it means for Ukraine’s future at such a critical juncture its energy dynamics.
“This law is dangerous to the long-term security of Ukraine. It adds little to the budget and discourages drilling and investment in the upstream oil and gas sector, as well as calls into question the ability to invest in Ukraine at all,” said Bensh, who has been one of the most visible lobbying forces against the law.
“No one will invest in a country that arbitrarily punishes investors who are creating value by increasing reserves and production, or who are paying taxes and employing hundreds of thousands of people. No one will invest in an industry with the risk that taxes will be double or triple within a few months,” he said.
Bensh called the bill “highly political” and pointed to its two key beneficiaries: energy magnates Rinat Akhmetov and Ihor Kolomoyski, who “either own oil or mining assets that were taxed immaterially and punitively taxed gas producers.”
According to OP Tactical’s intelligence wing, the tax code was clearly maneuvered by Akhmetov and Kolomoyski and should serve as the first sign that key reforms of the energy sector will be challenged at every step to ensure that these interests are secured at the expense of the state.
“The failure of Ukraine to develop gas supplies, either due to years of corruption and or failure to attract outside investment into the upstream sector, is a material factor in Ukraine’s current economic crisis and issues with Russia. Ukraine has always sought the easy solution. This tax and the failure to see the strategic impact upon the country is yet again another example,” Bensh said.
By. James Stafford of Oilprice.com
http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Who-Needs-Russia-Ukraine-Will-Destroy-Itself-With-New-Gas-Tax.html
Have you guys seen this article from Malaysia’s The New Straits Times Press?
Here are a couple of screeshots from the print edition:
And there are at least two different versions of the story published on their online edition that have the same date and time associated with them. It looks like some pressure may have been put on them to scrub the internet version or at least subtly change the tone. Check them out below:
Not sure if the links to the screenshots made it through, here they are again just in case. The first looks like it was the front page and the second is from the article on page 6:
Thanks for those items and information AnonyCanuck, they are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to keep us up to date on any other matters that may be of significance with this issue or others related to the Harper Party’s dubious indiscretions. The more spin we can untangle before Parliament resumes, the better off we all are! 🙂
Greetings from the UK. Here is some info that needs to be seen on your side of the pond since at least one of your “boys” is in on the action with this paramilitary terrorist group. Will try to dig up some more for you if time permits. Since we notice you like to archive articles, here is an extended copy and paste of two important articles from the past couple of days with the image urls attached but without links to the related articles, that’s up to you. Until then, cheers to you and best wishes too!
——————————————-
Thanks for the info Anonymous UK! We are really puzzled why none of this has seeped into the MSM here but can safely presume it is because Harper has the yellow journalist corps on a rather short leash. Than again, most of the neocon war-mongering propaganda “news” is being spoon fed via the AP or what we refer to as Associated Propaganda. Since you sent some details that refer to one of the Right Sector factions, take a peek at where their leader has found himself. One has to wonder why the 5-Eyes would be hiring and harbouring a wanted terrorist. Guess that goes to show ya, everything these criminals do is pretty much hidden in plain sight. Keep in touch and thanks again.
Greetings again from the UK,
Here are a couple of articles about the Canadian NeoNazi fighting with the oligarch funded paramilitary Azov Battalion nicknamed Lemko in case you missed them. You guys might want to follow up on this and pass it around because you know the media won’t report anything since they are not brown jihadists. They are far more dangerous and sooner or later they will return and blend back into their communities. Cheers!
***********************************************************************************
Anonymous UK, thanks again for your contributions and sorry it took some time to reply but we wanted to do some diggin’ for more info about this Lemko character and the Right Sectors Azov Battalion. These guys are a real problem and even though he despises the Harper Regime, probably more than most, it seems imperative that we get the word out considering he will be more than battle ready when he returns. Hopefully one of our media outlets will shed their yellow stripes and put together a report about this treat to our National security. Here are a few items we came across from various sources for your own archives and endeavours. Please note that some are simple copypastas from submissions/boards/comments/threads and others are related articles…
——————————–
——————————–
——————————–
——————————–
——————————–
Interesting that sober Ukraine analysis is coming from three knowledgeable sources:
Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault
The Liberal Delusions That Provoked Putin
By John J. Mearsheimer
Summary:
“The United States and its European allies now face a choice on Ukraine. They can continue their current policy, which will exacerbate hostilities with Russia and devastate Ukraine in the process — a scenario in which everyone would come out a loser. Or they can switch gears and work to create a prosperous but neutral Ukraine, one that does not threaten Russia and allows the West to repair its relations with Moscow. With that approach, all sides would win.”
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/141769/john-j-mearsheimer/why-the-ukraine-crisis-is-the-wests-fault
********************
Article | May22,2014
Ukraine: A Prize Neither Russia Nor the West Can Afford to Win
By: Clifford G. Gaddy and Barry W. Ickes
http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2014/05/21-ukraine-prize-russia-west-ukraine-gaddy-ickes
Presents a game theory approach and shows that Finlandization is the only acceptable option. For those who would wish to punish Russia they feel that giving Ukraine to Russia would be an effective strategy.
********************
Podcast by Simon Black titled “Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori”
http://www.sovereignman.com/podcast/podcast-014-dulce-et-decorum-est-pro-patria-mori-14818/
Makes the case that Ukraine is a failed state facing inflation, economic contraction and much higher unemployment. As a regular visitor to Ukraine he ultimately sees Ukraine tipping into stagflation whereby the rich Ukrainians (and other vultures) can come in and pick the bones at fire sale prices (as in Serbia). Remember that about 50 oligarchs account for 85% of the Ukrainian GDP.
The Regime call for sacrifice by the people based of nationalist/fascist ideology finds a breeding ground in a destitute population. The latin title translates to “It is sweet and fitting to die for your country” Among the rabid fascists this message is like mainlining crack.
I personally fear that Ukraine serves a a perfect storm of converging EU, US, NATO, big energy, military industry and banking (IMF/World Bank) players. Each one sees Ukraine as a means to further their goals. In a way this represents the “Tragedy of the Commons” in that their different goals conflict and result in numerous negative feedback loops on their goals as well as the other players. All these linear thinkers fail to understand systems theory (see Peter Senge and the limits to growth group at the Club of Rome).
I can only hope the DPR and the LPR can hold on long enough for the Ukraine economy to collapse enough so that the various other non-fascist regions to also breakaway from Ukraine a the western players come to their senses and quit backing the fascists as warned by the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
This best case option will likely result in widescale ethnic cleansing throughout the rest of Ukraine as was the case in the de-findlandization of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as discussed in “DISMANTLING YUGOSLAVIA, COLONIZING BOSNIA”
By Michel Chossudovsky and “White Hats and Blacks Hats in the Balkans: A Canadian Perspective”by Bob Allen
Professor of Economics University of British Columbia Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z1 allen@econ.ubc.ca
The negative feedback loop of this would be a massive influx of refugees and radicals into the EU which would collapse their governments and ultimately damage the other Western players.
Sadly, Putin is the only sane system dynamics player in this bloody game and is unfortunately being ridiculed and browbeaten by the mass of Western linear thinkers who cannot see past their noses. The West may not be able to stop their destructive actions as it is based on what Joseph Campbell called underlying myths (the new frontier and the Zion on the hill). Likewise the fascist ideology of Western Ukraine and their seething hate reinforces this headlong plunge toward conflict with Russia.
It would be nice the delay the collapse of society for a few decades and have that collapse be a gentle catabolic collapse as discussed by John Michael Greer (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.ae). I fear that overarching greed of the “masters of the Universe” will rule the day. Too bad they couldn’t be taken out/culled to improve society as Dr Sapolsky found when alpha males were killed off: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZcTvFqzxA0).
Thanks for the summary and links Sober Ukraine Analysis and for keeping us in the loop! While we have not had the opportunity to parse the links for more info as of yet, the article from Foreign Affairs seems vary interesting indeed considering “many” consider them to be the authority on geo-politics…
FYI: for your archives.
Why the Ukraine Crisis Is the West’s Fault
The Liberal Delusions That Provoked Putin
Foreign Affairs September/October 2014 By John J. Mearsheimer
JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER is R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago.
According to the prevailing wisdom in the West, the Ukraine crisis can be blamed almost entirely on Russian aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin, the argument goes, annexed Crimea out of a long-standing desire to resuscitate the Soviet empire, and he may eventually go after the rest of Ukraine, as well as other countries in eastern Europe. In this view, the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014 merely provided a pretext for Putin’s decision to order Russian forces to seize part of Ukraine. But this account is wrong: the United States and its European allies share most of the responsibility for the crisis. The taproot of the trouble is NATO enlargement, the central element of a larger strategy to move Ukraine out of Russia’s orbit and integrate it into the West. At the same time, the EU’s expansion eastward and the West’s backing of the pro-democracy movement in Ukraine — beginning with the Orange Revolution in 2004 — were critical elements, too. Since the mid-1990s, Russian leaders have adamantly opposed NATO enlargement, and in recent years, they have made it clear that they would not stand by while their strategically important neighbor turned into a Western bastion. For Putin, the illegal overthrow of Ukraine’s democratically elected and pro-Russian president — which he rightly labeled a “coup” — was the final straw. He responded by taking Crimea, a peninsula he feared would host a NATO naval base, and working to destabilize Ukraine until it abandoned its efforts to join the West. Putin’s pushback should have come as no surprise. After all, the West had been moving into Russia’s backyard and threatening its core strategic interests, a point Putin made emphatically and repeatedly. Elites in the United States and Europe have been blindsided by events only because they subscribe to a flawed view of international politics. They tend to believe that the logic of realism holds little relevance in the twenty-first century and that Europe can be kept whole and free on the basis of such liberal principles as the rule of law, economic interdependence, and democracy. But this grand scheme went awry in Ukraine. The crisis there shows that realpolitik remains relevant — and states that ignore it do so at their own peril. U.S. and European leaders blundered in attempting to turn Ukraine into a Western stronghold on Russia’s border. Now that the consequences have been laid bare, it would be an even greater mistake to continue this misbegotten policy. U.S. and European leaders blundered in attempting to turn Ukraine into a Western stronghold on Russia’s border. THE WESTERN AFFRONT
As the Cold War came to a close, Soviet leaders preferred that U.S. forces remain in Europe and NATO stay intact, an arrangement they thought would keep a reunified Germany pacified. But they and their Russian successors did not want NATO to grow any larger and assumed that Western diplomats understood their concerns. The Clinton administration evidently thought otherwise, and in the mid-1990s, it began pushing for NATO to expand.
The first round of enlargement took place in 1999 and brought in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. The second occurred in 2004; it included Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Moscow complained bitterly from the start. During NATO’s 1995 bombing campaign against the Bosnian Serbs, for example, Russian President Boris Yeltsin said, “This is the first sign of what could happen when NATO comes right up to the Russian Federation’s borders. … The flame of war could burst out across the whole of Europe.” But the Russians were too weak at the time to derail NATO’s eastward movement — which, at any rate, did not look so threatening, since none of the new members shared a border with Russia, save for the tiny Baltic countries.
Then NATO began looking further east. At its April 2008 summit in Bucharest, the alliance considered admitting Georgia and Ukraine. The George W. Bush administration supported doing so, but France and Germany opposed the move for fear that it would unduly antagonize Russia. In the end, NATO’s members reached a compromise: the alliance did not begin the formal process leading to membership, but it issued a statement endorsing the aspirations of Georgia and Ukraine and boldly declaring, “These countries will become members of NATO.”
Moscow, however, did not see the outcome as much of a compromise. Alexander Grushko, then Russia’s deputy foreign minister, said, “Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership in the alliance is a huge strategic mistake which would have most serious consequences for pan-European security.” Putin maintained that admitting those two countries to NATO would represent a “direct threat” to Russia. One Russian newspaper reported that Putin, while speaking with Bush, “very transparently hinted that if Ukraine was accepted into NATO, it would cease to exist.”
Russia’s invasion of Georgia in August 2008 should have dispelled any remaining doubts about Putin’s determination to prevent Georgia and Ukraine from joining NATO. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was deeply committed to bringing his country into NATO, had decided in the summer of 2008 to reincorporate two separatist regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But Putin sought to keep Georgia weak and divided — and out of NATO. After fighting broke out between the Georgian government and South Ossetian separatists, Russian forces took control of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Moscow had made its point. Yet despite this clear warning, NATO never publicly abandoned its goal of bringing Georgia and Ukraine into the alliance. And NATO expansion continued marching forward, with Albania and Croatia becoming members in 2009.
The EU, too, has been marching eastward. In May 2008, it unveiled its Eastern Partnership initiative, a program to foster prosperity in such countries as Ukraine and integrate them into the EU economy. Not surprisingly, Russian leaders view the plan as hostile to their country’s interests. This past February, before Yanukovych was forced from office, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the EU of trying to create a “sphere of influence” in eastern Europe. In the eyes of Russian leaders, EU expansion is a stalking horse for NATO expansion.
The West’s final tool for peeling Kiev away from Moscow has been its efforts to spread Western values and promote democracy in Ukraine and other post-Soviet states, a plan that often entails funding pro-Western individuals and organizations. Victoria Nuland, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, estimated in December 2013 that the United States had invested more than $5 billion since 1991 to help Ukraine achieve “the future it deserves.” As part of that effort, the U.S. government has bankrolled the National Endowment for Democracy. The nonprofit foundation has funded more than 60 projects aimed at promoting civil society in Ukraine, and the NED’s president, Carl Gershman, has called that country “the biggest prize.” After Yanukovych won Ukraine’s presidential election in February 2010, the NED decided he was undermining its goals, and so it stepped up its efforts to support the opposition and strengthen the country’s democratic institutions.
When Russian leaders look at Western social engineering in Ukraine, they worry that their country might be next. And such fears are hardly groundless. In September 2013, Gershman wrote in The Washington Post, “Ukraine’s choice to join Europe will accelerate the demise of the ideology of Russian imperialism that Putin represents.” He added: “Russians, too, face a choice, and Putin may find himself on the losing end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself.”
CREATING A CRISIS Imagine the American outrage if China built an impressive military alliance and tried to include Canada and Mexico. The West’s triple package of policies — NATO enlargement, EU expansion, and democracy promotion — added fuel to a fire waiting to ignite. The spark came in November 2013, when Yanukovych rejected a major economic deal he had been negotiating with the EU and decided to accept a $15 billion Russian counteroffer instead. That decision gave rise to antigovernment demonstrations that escalated over the following three months and that by mid-February had led to the deaths of some one hundred protesters. Western emissaries hurriedly flew to Kiev to resolve the crisis. On February 21, the government and the opposition struck a deal that allowed Yanukovych to stay in power until new elections were held. But it immediately fell apart, and Yanukovych fled to Russia the next day. The new government in Kiev was pro-Western and anti-Russian to the core, and it contained four high-ranking members who could legitimately be labeled neofascists.
Although the full extent of U.S. involvement has not yet come to light, it is clear that Washington backed the coup. Nuland and Republican Senator John McCain participated in antigovernment demonstrations, and Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, proclaimed after Yanukovych’s toppling that it was “a day for the history books.” As a leaked telephone recording revealed, Nuland had advocated regime change and wanted the Ukrainian politician Arseniy Yatsenyuk to become prime minister in the new government, which he did. No wonder Russians of all persuasions think the West played a role in Yanukovych’s ouster.
For Putin, the time to act against Ukraine and the West had arrived. Shortly after February 22, he ordered Russian forces to take Crimea from Ukraine, and soon after that, he incorporated it into Russia. The task proved relatively easy, thanks to the thousands of Russian troops already stationed at a naval base in the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Crimea also made for an easy target since ethnic Russians compose roughly 60 percent of its population. Most of them wanted out of Ukraine.
Next, Putin put massive pressure on the new government in Kiev to discourage it from siding with the West against Moscow, making it clear that he would wreck Ukraine as a functioning state before he would allow it to become a Western stronghold on Russia’s doorstep. Toward that end, he has provided advisers, arms, and diplomatic support to the Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, who are pushing the country toward civil war. He has massed a large army on the Ukrainian border, threatening to invade if the government cracks down on the rebels. And he has sharply raised the price of the natural gas Russia sells to Ukraine and demanded payment for past exports. Putin is playing hardball.
THE DIAGNOSIS
Putin’s actions should be easy to comprehend. A huge expanse of flat land that Napoleonic France, imperial Germany, and Nazi Germany all crossed to strike at Russia itself, Ukraine serves as a buffer state of enormous strategic importance to Russia. No Russian leader would tolerate a military alliance that was Moscow’s mortal enemy until recently moving into Ukraine. Nor would any Russian leader stand idly by while the West helped install a government there that was determined to integrate Ukraine into the West.
Washington may not like Moscow’s position, but it should understand the logic behind it. This is Geopolitics 101: great powers are always sensitive to potential threats near their home territory. After all, the United States does not tolerate distant great powers deploying military forces anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, much less on its borders. Imagine the outrage in Washington if China built an impressive military alliance and tried to include Canada and Mexico in it. Logic aside, Russian leaders have told their Western counterparts on many occasions that they consider NATO expansion into Georgia and Ukraine unacceptable, along with any effort to turn those countries against Russia — a message that the 2008 Russian-Georgian war also made crystal clear.
Officials from the United States and its European allies contend that they tried hard to assuage Russian fears and that Moscow should understand that NATO has no designs on Russia. In addition to continually denying that its expansion was aimed at containing Russia, the alliance has never permanently deployed military forces in its new member states. In 2002, it even created a body called the NATO-Russia Council in an effort to foster cooperation. To further mollify Russia, the United States announced in 2009 that it would deploy its new missile defense system on warships in European waters, at least initially, rather than on Czech or Polish territory. But none of these measures worked; the Russians remained steadfastly opposed to NATO enlargement, especially into Georgia and Ukraine. And it is the Russians, not the West, who ultimately get to decide what counts as a threat to them.
To understand why the West, especially the United States, failed to understand that its Ukraine policy was laying the groundwork for a major clash with Russia, one must go back to the mid-1990s, when the Clinton administration began advocating NATO expansion. Pundits advanced a variety of arguments for and against enlargement, but there was no consensus on what to do. Most eastern European émigrés in the United States and their relatives, for example, strongly supported expansion, because they wanted NATO to protect such countries as Hungary and Poland. A few realists also favored the policy because they thought Russia still needed to be contained.
But most realists opposed expansion, in the belief that a declining great power with an aging population and a one-dimensional economy did not in fact need to be contained. And they feared that enlargement would only give Moscow an incentive to cause trouble in eastern Europe. The U.S. diplomat George Kennan articulated this perspective in a 1998 interview, shortly after the U.S. Senate approved the first round of NATO expansion. “I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies,” he said. “I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anyone else.” The United States and its allies should abandon their plan to westernize Ukraine and instead aim to make it a neutral buffer. Most liberals, on the other hand, favored enlargement, including many key members of the Clinton administration. They believed that the end of the Cold War had fundamentally transformed international politics and that a new, postnational order had replaced the realist logic that used to govern Europe. The United States was not only the “indispensable nation,” as Secretary of State Madeleine Albright put it; it was also a benign hegemon and thus unlikely to be viewed as a threat in Moscow. The aim, in essence, was to make the entire continent look like western Europe.
And so the United States and its allies sought to promote democracy in the countries of eastern Europe, increase economic interdependence among them, and embed them in international institutions. Having won the debate in the United States, liberals had little difficulty convincing their European allies to support NATO enlargement. After all, given the EU’s past achievements, Europeans were even more wedded than Americans to the idea that geopolitics no longer mattered and that an all-inclusive liberal order could maintain peace in Europe.
So thoroughly did liberals come to dominate the discourse about European security during the first decade of this century that even as the alliance adopted an open-door policy of growth, NATO expansion faced little realist opposition. The liberal worldview is now accepted dogma among U.S. officials. In March, for example, President Barack Obama delivered a speech about Ukraine in which he talked repeatedly about “the ideals” that motivate Western policy and how those ideals “have often been threatened by an older, more traditional view of power.” Secretary of State John Kerry’s response to the Crimea crisis reflected this same perspective: “You just don’t in the twenty-first century behave in nineteenth-century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped-up pretext.”
In essence, the two sides have been operating with different playbooks: Putin and his compatriots have been thinking and acting according to realist dictates, whereas their Western counterparts have been adhering to liberal ideas about international politics. The result is that the United States and its allies unknowingly provoked a major crisis over Ukraine.
BLAME GAME
In that same 1998 interview, Kennan predicted that NATO expansion would provoke a crisis, after which the proponents of expansion would “say that we always told you that is how the Russians are.” As if on cue, most Western officials have portrayed Putin as the real culprit in the Ukraine predicament. In March, according to The New York Times, German Chancellor Angela Merkel implied that Putin was irrational, telling Obama that he was “in another world.” Although Putin no doubt has autocratic tendencies, no evidence supports the charge that he is mentally unbalanced. On the contrary: he is a first-class strategist who should be feared and respected by anyone challenging him on foreign policy.
Other analysts allege, more plausibly, that Putin regrets the demise of the Soviet Union and is determined to reverse it by expanding Russia’s borders. According to this interpretation, Putin, having taken Crimea, is now testing the waters to see if the time is right to conquer Ukraine, or at least its eastern part, and he will eventually behave aggressively toward other countries in Russia’s neighborhood. For some in this camp, Putin represents a modern-day Adolf Hitler, and striking any kind of deal with him would repeat the mistake of Munich. Thus, NATO must admit Georgia and Ukraine to contain Russia before it dominates its neighbors and threatens western Europe.
This argument falls apart on close inspection. If Putin were committed to creating a greater Russia, signs of his intentions would almost certainly have arisen before February 22. But there is virtually no evidence that he was bent on taking Crimea, much less any other territory in Ukraine, before that date. Even Western leaders who supported NATO expansion were not doing so out of a fear that Russia was about to use military force. Putin’s actions in Crimea took them by complete surprise and appear to have been a spontaneous reaction to Yanukovych’s ouster. Right afterward, even Putin said he opposed Crimean secession, before quickly changing his mind.
Besides, even if it wanted to, Russia lacks the capability to easily conquer and annex eastern Ukraine, much less the entire country. Roughly 15 million people — one-third of Ukraine’s population — live between the Dnieper River, which bisects the country, and the Russian border. An overwhelming majority of those people want to remain part of Ukraine and would surely resist a Russian occupation. Furthermore, Russia’s mediocre army, which shows few signs of turning into a modern Wehrmacht, would have little chance of pacifying all of Ukraine. Moscow is also poorly positioned to pay for a costly occupation; its weak economy would suffer even more in the face of the resulting sanctions.
But even if Russia did boast a powerful military machine and an impressive economy, it would still probably prove unable to successfully occupy Ukraine. One need only consider the Soviet and U.S. experiences in Afghanistan, the U.S. experiences in Vietnam and Iraq, and the Russian experience in Chechnya to be reminded that military occupations usually end badly. Putin surely understands that trying to subdue Ukraine would be like swallowing a porcupine. His response to events there has been defensive, not offensive.
A WAY OUT
Given that most Western leaders continue to deny that Putin’s behavior might be motivated by legitimate security concerns, it is unsurprising that they have tried to modify it by doubling down on their existing policies and have punished Russia to deter further aggression. Although Kerry has maintained that “all options are on the table,” neither the United States nor its NATO allies are prepared to use force to defend Ukraine. The West is relying instead on economic sanctions to coerce Russia into ending its support for the insurrection in eastern Ukraine. In July, the United States and the EU put in place their third round of limited sanctions, targeting mainly high-level individuals closely tied to the Russian government and some high-profile banks, energy companies, and defense firms. They also threatened to unleash another, tougher round of sanctions, aimed at whole sectors of the Russian economy.
Such measures will have little effect. Harsh sanctions are likely off the table anyway; western European countries, especially Germany, have resisted imposing them for fear that Russia might retaliate and cause serious economic damage within the EU. But even if the United States could convince its allies to enact tough measures, Putin would probably not alter his decision-making. History shows that countries will absorb enormous amounts of punishment in order to protect their core strategic interests. There is no reason to think Russia represents an exception to this rule.
Western leaders have also clung to the provocative policies that precipitated the crisis in the first place. In April, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden met with Ukrainian legislators and told them, “This is a second opportunity to make good on the original promise made by the Orange Revolution.” John Brennan, the director of the CIA, did not help things when, that same month, he visited Kiev on a trip the White House said was aimed at improving security cooperation with the Ukrainian government.
The EU, meanwhile, has continued to push its Eastern Partnership. In March, José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, summarized EU thinking on Ukraine, saying, “We have a debt, a duty of solidarity with that country, and we will work to have them as close as possible to us.” And sure enough, on June 27, the EU and Ukraine signed the economic agreement that Yanukovych had fatefully rejected seven months earlier. Also in June, at a meeting of NATO members’ foreign ministers, it was agreed that the alliance would remain open to new members, although the foreign ministers refrained from mentioning Ukraine by name. “No third country has a veto over NATO enlargement,” announced Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s secretary-general. The foreign ministers also agreed to support various measures to improve Ukraine’s military capabilities in such areas as command and control, logistics, and cyberdefense. Russian leaders have naturally recoiled at these actions; the West’s response to the crisis will only make a bad situation worse.
There is a solution to the crisis in Ukraine, however — although it would require the West to think about the country in a fundamentally new way. The United States and its allies should abandon their plan to westernize Ukraine and instead aim to make it a neutral buffer between NATO and Russia, akin to Austria’s position during the Cold War. Western leaders should acknowledge that Ukraine matters so much to Putin that they cannot support an anti-Russian regime there. This would not mean that a future Ukrainian government would have to be pro-Russian or anti-NATO. On the contrary, the goal should be a sovereign Ukraine that falls in neither the Russian nor the Western camp.
To achieve this end, the United States and its allies should publicly rule out NATO’s expansion into both Georgia and Ukraine. The West should also help fashion an economic rescue plan for Ukraine funded jointly by the EU, the International Monetary Fund, Russia, and the United States — a proposal that Moscow should welcome, given its interest in having a prosperous and stable Ukraine on its western flank. And the West should considerably limit its social-engineering efforts inside Ukraine. It is time to put an end to Western support for another Orange Revolution. Nevertheless, U.S. and European leaders should encourage Ukraine to respect minority rights, especially the language rights of its Russian speakers.
Some may argue that changing policy toward Ukraine at this late date would seriously damage U.S. credibility around the world. There would undoubtedly be certain costs, but the costs of continuing a misguided strategy would be much greater. Furthermore, other countries are likely to respect a state that learns from its mistakes and ultimately devises a policy that deals effectively with the problem at hand. That option is clearly open to the United States.
One also hears the claim that Ukraine has the right to determine whom it wants to ally with and the Russians have no right to prevent Kiev from joining the West. This is a dangerous way for Ukraine to think about its foreign policy choices. The sad truth is that might often makes right when great-power politics are at play. Abstract rights such as self-determination are largely meaningless when powerful states get into brawls with weaker states. Did Cuba have the right to form a military alliance with the Soviet Union during the Cold War? The United States certainly did not think so, and the Russians think the same way about Ukraine joining the West. It is in Ukraine’s interest to understand these facts of life and tread carefully when dealing with its more powerful neighbor.
Even if one rejects this analysis, however, and believes that Ukraine has the right to petition to join the EU and NATO, the fact remains that the United States and its European allies have the right to reject these requests. There is no reason that the West has to accommodate Ukraine if it is bent on pursuing a wrong-headed foreign policy, especially if its defense is not a vital interest. Indulging the dreams of some Ukrainians is not worth the animosity and strife it will cause, especially for the Ukrainian people.
Of course, some analysts might concede that NATO handled relations with Ukraine poorly and yet still maintain that Russia constitutes an enemy that will only grow more formidable over time — and that the West therefore has no choice but to continue its present policy. But this viewpoint is badly mistaken. Russia is a declining power, and it will only get weaker with time. Even if Russia were a rising power, moreover, it would still make no sense to incorporate Ukraine into NATO. The reason is simple: the United States and its European allies do not consider Ukraine to be a core strategic interest, as their unwillingness to use military force to come to its aid has proved. It would therefore be the height of folly to create a new NATO member that the other members have no intention of defending. NATO has expanded in the past because liberals assumed the alliance would never have to honor its new security guarantees, but Russia’s recent power play shows that granting Ukraine NATO membership could put Russia and the West on a collision course.
Sticking with the current policy would also complicate Western relations with Moscow on other issues. The United States needs Russia’s assistance to withdraw U.S. equipment from Afghanistan through Russian territory, reach a nuclear agreement with Iran, and stabilize the situation in Syria. In fact, Moscow has helped Washington on all three of these issues in the past; in the summer of 2013, it was Putin who pulled Obama’s chestnuts out of the fire by forging the deal under which Syria agreed to relinquish its chemical weapons, thereby avoiding the U.S. military strike that Obama had threatened. The United States will also someday need Russia’s help containing a rising China. Current U.S. policy, however, is only driving Moscow and Beijing closer together.
The United States and its European allies now face a choice on Ukraine. They can continue their current policy, which will exacerbate hostilities with Russia and devastate Ukraine in the process — a scenario in which everyone would come out a loser. Or they can switch gears and work to create a prosperous but neutral Ukraine, one that does not threaten Russia and allows the West to repair its relations with Moscow. With that approach, all sides would win.
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/141769/john-j-mearsheimer/why-the-ukraine-crisis-is-the-wests-fault
Since you have a pretty good comment thread related to media propaganda still going pretty strong, here are couple more questions worth exploration. Keep up the good work!
Khodakovskiy: #Reuters Article Contains False Statements About Militia and #MH17 and Video Proves It
Posted by Gleb Bazov ⋅ July 23, 2014 ⋅ 9 Comments
Translated from Russian by Gleb Bazov
Original of the Translated Interview: Khodakovskiy Refutes Information that the Militia has BUK [http://lifenews.ru/news/137189]
Preamble: On July 23, 2014, Anton Zverev, Peter Graff and Giles Elgood of Reuters came out with an article entitled “Ukraine rebel commander acknowledges fighters had BUK missile.” Prior to this interview, all such claims were firmly denied by the Novorossiya Militia, as well as by Russia. Considering the venerable reputation of Reuters, this sensational news was spread far and wide by the Western media.
Except that this news is now forcefully being challenged as false. Khodakovskiy says that he never stated to his interviewer anything of the kind that has been attributed to him. What’s more, Khodakovskiy indicates that there are video recordings of the interview, in possession of several TV channels, which will prove him right – they will show, according to Khodakovskiy, that he never said that the Novorossiya Militia had BUK complexes and that this statement cannot be attributed to him.
Did the interviewer somehow misunderstand what Khodakovskiy was saying? According to Khodakovskiy, his interviewer spoke Russian quite well. Is it possible that Khodakovskiy is lying? The interview with Khodakovskiy was taped. Copies of portions of the videotape were submitted to other news channels, including to REN-TV and ORT. Khodakovskiy speaks confidently that he never said anything of the kind that was reported by Reuters. Moreover, his interview given to the TV program “The Essence of Time – DPR” at about the same time, contains no such admissions regarding “BUK” complexes.
In this regard, all I can do is challenge Reuters to produce the tape that will show Khodakovskiy saying what Reuters claims he said in his interview. If Reuters does not, I will reserve the judgement to the readers of this blog. If Reuters does, and Khodakovskiy is shown to have lied, I will publicly announce this on this blog.
Reuters Article, July 23, 2014: Ukraine rebel commander acknowledges fighters had BUK missile [http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0FS1V920140723?irpc=932]
LifeNews Live Interview, July 23, 2014: Khodakovskiy Refutes Information that the Militia has BUK [http://lifenews.ru/news/137189]
Ria Novosti, July 23, 2014: Khodakovskiy Denies Speaking About the Militia Using BUK [http://ria.ru/world/20140723/1017273394.html]
Recorded Interview, July 23, 2014: Alexander Khodakovskiy re Malaysian Boeing Catastrophe [http://eot.su/node/17460]
Transcript of LifeNews Interview with Alexander Khodokovskiy
Video of the Interview: Khodakovskiy Refutes Information that the Militia has BUK [http://lifenews.ru/news/137189]
News Anchor: One of the leaders of the Militia, Alexander Khodakovskiy, has refuted the information published by the Reuters agency.
Today, Western journalists disseminated an interview given by the commander of Battalion “Vostok”, in which he allegedly confirmed that the Militia had in its possession a “BUK” complex at the time of the crash of the Malaysian Boeing.
However, Alexander Khodokovskiy states that he said nothing of the sort to the agency. And, right now, on the line with our studio is the commander of the Militia Battalion “Vostok”, Alexander Khodakovskiy.
News Anchor: Hello, Alexander Sergeevich. So, how did it happen that the incorrect quotation made its way into all of the global mass media?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: Good Evening. The tragedy that occurred did, in fact, draw a lot of attention. And journalists, representatives of various mass media outlets started frequenting us, naturally with requests to provided commentary with respect to what had occurred, and what the role of the militias was in all of this.
We did indeed have a conversation with a representative of the agency that launched this information, and we discussed the possible versions [of what happened]. The thing is that we cannot be considered, not to any degree at all, to be experts in the investigation of aviation catastrophes. Accordingly, we can only operate on the basis of verifiable information, and, to date, this information has not been published because the commission has yet to finish its work.
This is the kind of information that I provided to them in my interview, which was recorded with a video camera. At the same time, we analyzed the versions, which to date have been disseminated by the mass media, and one of the versions was the accusation that the militias, who are supported by Russia, used a “BUK” complex against the Boeing.
I let him know perfectly clearly that, as a commander of a military unit, if I had equipment like that in my possession, I would not have, under any circumstances, employed it against a target that did not pose a threat to our positions. Not one of our commanders – it is not as if we roll in equipment like that – accordingly, no commander would have ever engaged in such inefficient usage. This may sound quite cynical right now in relation to this tragedy; however, it is a fact.
Only those aircraft, only those targets that pose a threat to us will be attacked with the means that we have in our possession.
News Anchor: Alexander Sergeevich, this is very important – you see, in the same interview it says that some other militias received this “BUK” complex. Do you know anything about this, in principle, or not?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: No, I do not know. In response to a question like this from the reporter, I challenged him to provide evidence, because our area is tightly monitored by all means possible, including also satellite imagery. So, please – “BUK” is a fairly large unit, and it can be easily detected from any type of photography – so, please, show your evidence, and we will then have to respond in accordance with its weight.
News Anchor: Once more, I would like to confirm it with you, so you can say it during our live broadcast – does the Militia currently have “BUK” or not?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: I am telling you absolutely – after we analyzed the entire situation and took inventory of the equipment in our arsenal – I can tell you with full authority that the Militia has no “BUKs”. MANPADS – yes, those we do have. But their upper ceiling is no more than …
News Anchor: … You do not now and never had any?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: We do not now and never had any.
News Anchor: I would also like to ask – who did you have your conversation with? Did he speak Russian well, and did he understand what you were telling him?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: Yes, the person spoke Russian quite well. Portions of the video recording were provided to the leading Russian TV channels, including REN-TV and ORT. Accordingly, if someone requires proof, then this proof can be obtained from the above-mentioned sources.
News Anchor: In your opinion, who stands to benefit from the publication of such incorrect information?
Alexander Khodakovskiy: During the interview, I expressed my opinion that the publication of incorrect information may be in the interests of those who wish to stir up this situation and to undermine the preliminary conclusions which have been reached
At this time, we realize that it is difficult to accuse Russia and the Militia of culpability in the deaths of so many innocent people, without proof. However, someone, nevertheless, is very interested, at this time, to lay this blame [on Russia and the Militia].
This is despite the fact that I said very specifically in my interview that the only party guilty of this is the Ukrainian government. Because the information and the materials that the government disseminated over the Internet speak to the fact that they allegedly had the evidentiary basis proving that the Militia was in possession of a “BUK” [complex]. However, if they had this [evidentiary] base in advance, why is it that they did nothing to amend the flight paths and change the directions of the civilian airlines to divert them away from the combat area?
We can find, on the Internet, proof in the form of intercepted telephone conversations, which allegedly contain evidence proving the presence of “BUK” [complexes] in the possession of the Militia. And, so, in any event, whether or not this information is authentic, the Ukrainian government was obligated to do everything in its power to ensure that the routes of civilian airlines did not pass over the area where hostilities are occurring, and where, according to the Ukrainian government, there were “BUK” complexes ready to be used.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: This article may not reflect the views and opinions of others who work on this blog. It was prepared and published by Gleb Bazov acting alone. The defence of fair comment is asserted.
——————————
9 thoughts on “Khodakovskiy: #Reuters Article Contains False Statements About Militia and #MH17 and Video Proves It”
I am glad Khodakovskly is strongly defending the Novorossiya militia, and I would like to see the source of Reuter’s error.
In any event, there is convincing evidence through the Twitter feed of Carlos @spainbuca that the Kiev government gave the order to shoot down the Malaysian airliner. This would constitute absolute proof, if it could be shown that Carlos’s original tweets happened simultaneously with the incident. If indeed Carlos was tweeting from the moment the plane went down, it could not be a hoax, because only someone in the air control tower would have known about the plane at that time. It would take someone employed at Twitter to go back later and change those times, yet It seems unlikely that a Twitter employee would be involved in such a hoax.
Unfortunately, the account @spainbuca has been erased. I saw it in cache form a few days later, but now that has also been erased. So I myself cannot verify the times.
Do you, Gleb Basov, or anyone else, have a copy of Carlos’s original tweets such that the times can be compared? The plane was downed at 13:21 GMT I believe.
Thanks.
Posted by kate pomeroy | July 23, 2014, 11:20 pm
——————————
Reuter’s article is at the end of this link:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/23/us-ukraine-crisis-commander-exclusive-idUSKBN0FS1V920140723
Why does a guy with over 10,000 Tweets and over 11,000 Followers just vanish off Twitter within hours of tweeting hot information about the MH17 air disaster? Here’s an archived backup of the google cache of his twitter account.
http://breakfornews.com/offsitearchive/Carlos-spainbuca-on-Twitter.htm
Most of what Carlos said has been confirmed by Russian satellite data and further Ukraine’s security service has confiscated Air Traffic Control recordings with Malaysian jet. We are anxiously awaiting the voice recorder from the black box flight recorder.
Posted by Johny Flodder | July 24, 2014, 9:16 am
——————————
Here is the tape:
http://t.co/JNTtdluTif
Time for a public announcement.
Posted by uuuhhw | July 24, 2014, 12:34 pm
——————————
Dear uuuhhw,
(1) This “audio recording” (quotation marks intentional) does not say what Reuters said in its article – a transcript of your link will be provided.
(2) This is an “audio recording”, and not a complete video recording of the interview with Khodakovskiy, which Reuters and other possess.
(3) It is being publicized by RFERL, and I would appreciate a statement from Reuters on the subject.
(4) Apart from the still photograph, and, possibly, a voice resemblance, nothing else links this “audio recording” to the interview Khodakovskiy gave to Reuters – we have neither a tamp stamp, nor specific attribution in the file.
(5) This is just further fuel for speculation as to whether the news is being manipulated.
Accordingly, in my humble opinion, this “audio recording” has the direct opposite effect from what it was intended to do.
Kind regards,
Gleb Bazov
Posted by Gleb Bazov | July 24, 2014, 10:24 pm
——————————-
http://www.inter-view.info/2014/07/twitter-spainbuca.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20140717190718*/https://twitter.com/spainbuca
waybackmachine seems to have made the first shot at 19:07:18 (UTC?) on 17.07.2014, with the latest tweet “4 Hours ago” but that does not mean anything.
you can pick the timestamp from:
4 ч [http://twitter.com/spainbuca/status/489795503895609344]
Posted by Oliver | July 24, 2014, 1:13 pm
——————————
you can also take the twitter snowflake id = 489795503895609344
and extract the utc timestamp from it:
((snowflake_id >> 22) + 1288834974657) / 1000.0 = utc_ts
((489795503895609344 >> 22) + 1288834974657) / 1000.0 = utc_ts
1405611322.746 = utc_ts
in python:
>>> from datetime import datetime
>>> datetime.utcfromtimestamp(((489795503895609344 >> 22) + 1288834974657) / 1000.0)
<<< datetime.datetime(2014, 7, 17, 15, 35, 22, 746000)
Posted by Oliver | July 24, 2014, 1:24 pm
——————————
src: http://slavyangrad.org/2014/07/23/khodakovskiy-reuters-article-contains-false-statements-about-militia-and-mh17-and-video-proves-it/
Follow up from the previous post that is still awaiting moderation. Here is the related propaganda “published” on the CBC News site along with the “related” stories and links. Noticed that it was updated but not sure what was added or subtracted during the coarse of the day. Also strange is that this article only has one share, but did have comments enabled for a while. So, what ever happened to the MH17 investigation anyway?
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17: rebel leader backtracks on Buk missile claim
Alexander Khodakovsky has had friction with other rebel leaders in the past
Thomson Reuters
Posted: Jul 24, 2014 12:00 AM ET
Last Updated: Jul 24, 2014 10:53 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20Shows/The%20National/ID/2476878133/
Rebel leader on downing of MH17 3:16
1 share
589 Comments
A Ukrainian rebel leader backtracked Thursday from his claim that pro-Russian separatists had an anti-aircraft missile of the type Washington says was used to shoot down Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.
PHOTOS | Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crash site images [http://www.cbc.ca/news/multimedia/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-crash-site-images-1.2714709]
IN DEPTH | Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 FAQ: Surface-to-air missiles [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-faq-surface-to-air-missiles-1.2711697]
WATCH | Dutch victims’ families share grief, anger [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-dutch-victims-families-share-grief-anger-1.2714834]
Without radar, missile ‘could easily make a tragic mistake’ in downing of Malaysia jet [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-missile-s-lack-of-radar-may-have-led-to-tragic-mistake-1.2712652]
Alexander Khodakovsky, in an interview with Reuters, had said the rebels in Eastern Ukraine possessed a Buk missile system — also known as an SA-11 system — and rebels could have been sent back subsequently to remove proof of its presence.
But Khodakovsky, the commander of the Vostok Battalion, now says Reuters put out wrong information.
“I’m waiting for the evidence from the U.S.,” Khodakovsky said.
“Did the separatists have a Buk or not … I myself would like to know. I can guarantee that our unit did not possess a Buk missile.”
‘Fury’ over evidence tampering at MH17 crash site [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-fury-over-evidence-tampering-at-crash-site-1.2712440]
Flight MH17 victims’ bodies return to the Netherlands [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-victims-bodies-arrive-in-the-netherlands-1.2715147]
2 Ukraine fighter jets shot down by pro-Russian rebels [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/2-ukraine-fighter-jets-shot-down-by-pro-russian-rebels-1.2715224]
Data recovered from MH17’s cockpit voice recorder [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysian-airlines-flight-mh17-data-recovered-from-cockpit-voice-recorder-1.2715671]
Malaysian jet’s black boxes sent to U.K. for analysis [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-plane-s-black-boxes-sent-to-u-k-1.2714056]
When asked by the CBC’s Susan Ormiston how Reuters could have gotten it wrong, Khodakovsky said the statements came from a conversation where he discussed “different versions of the information that’s out there.”
“I am satisfied only with the information I can get from official sources, nothing more. I know as much as the rest of the world,” Khodakovsky said.
The rebel leader also said that at no point during his hour-and-a-half long conversation, which he recorded, did he say rebels sent the Buk system back across the Russian border to conceal evidence.
“There are no excerpts where I would have said this,” he said.
Khodakovsky also denied knowing how flight MH17 was downed.
Rebels had boasted about weapons
Before the Malaysian plane was shot down, rebels had boasted of obtaining the Buk missiles, which can shoot down airliners at cruising height. But since the disaster the separatists’ main group, the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, has repeatedly denied ever having possessed such weapons.
Since the airliner crashed with the loss of all 298 on board, the most contentious issue has been who fired the missile that brought the jet down in an area where government forces are fighting pro-Russian rebels.
Khodakovsky, in his interview with Reuters, accused Kyiv authorities of possibly provoking the missile strike that destroyed the airliner, saying Kyiv had deliberately launched air strikes in the area, knowing missiles were in place.
“I knew that a Buk came from Luhansk. At the time I was told that a Buk from Luhansk was coming under the flag of the LNR,” he said, referring to the Luhansk People’s Republic, the main rebel group operating in Luhansk, one of two rebel provinces along with Donetsk, the province where the crash took place.
“That Buk I know about. I heard about it. I think they sent it back. Because I found out about it at exactly the moment that I found out that this tragedy had taken place. They probably sent it back in order to remove proof of its presence,” Khodakovsky told Reuters.
‘They knew this Buk existed’
“The question is this: Ukraine received timely evidence that the volunteers have this technology, through the fault of Russia. It not only did nothing to protect security, but provoked the use of this type of weapon against a plane that was flying with peaceful civilians,” he said.
“They knew that this Buk existed; that the Buk was heading for Snezhnoye,” he said, referring to a village 10 kilometres west of the crash site. “They knew that it would be deployed there, and provoked the use of this Buk by starting an air strike on a target they didn’t need, that their planes hadn’t touched for a week.
“And that day, they were intensively flying, and exactly at the moment of the shooting, at the moment the civilian plane flew overhead, they launched air strikes. Even if there was a Buk, and even if the Buk was used, Ukraine did everything to ensure that a civilian aircraft was shot down.”
Khodakovsky is a former head of the “Alpha” anti-terrorism unit of the security service in Donetsk, and one of the few major rebel commanders in Donetsk who actually hails from Ukraine rather than Russia. There has been friction in the past between him and rebel leaders from outside the region, such as Igor Strelkov, the Muscovite who has declared himself commander of all rebel forces in Donetsk province.
Tepid rebel alliance
Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Khodakovsky’s remarks confirmed what U.S. officials had long been saying, that “Russian-backed separatists have received arms, training and support from Russia.”
But she dismissed the rebel leader’s efforts to blame the Kyiv government for the downing of the airliner, calling it “another attempt to try to muddy the water and move the focus from facts.”
Washington believes that pro-Russian separatists most likely shot down the airliner “by mistake,” not realizing it was a civilian passenger flight, U.S. intelligence officials said.
The officials said the “most plausible explanation” for the destruction of the plane was that the separatists fired a Russian-made SA-11 missile at it after mistaking it for another kind of aircraft.
“While we may not yet know who actually fired the missile, we have assessed that it was an SA-11 and that it came from a Russian-backed separatist-controlled area,” Lainez said.
Other separatist leaders have said they did not bring the Malaysian plane down, and Russia has denied involvement.
With files from CBC News
© Thomson Reuters, 2014
589 Comments
Commenting on this article has been closed.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-rebel-leader-backtracks-on-buk-missile-claim-1.2716368
Fundraiser for Ukrainian army turns into woodoo ceremony – ENG SUBS
Published on Aug 17, 2014
The mental state of Ukraine Today – pt1:
Fundraiser for Ukrainian army turns into woodoo ceremony
ENG SUBS – Translation: Valentina Lisitsa
0:00
I will give it away for free.
0:03
Who wants to hang it in the house?
0:10
Ok, here, take it.
0:13
Ok, ladies and gentlemen
0:16
Ok, ladies and gentlemen. Our good deeds are being counted now.
0:20
Meanwhile I ask all the participants of the concert to please come back to the stage once again.
0:25
While they are coming up I would like to express the gratitude to the organisers…
0:30
…of this benefit concert in support of Ukrainian Army.
0:39
[ names organisers ]
0:44
Let’s put our hands together in applause.
0:50
Now that we are all on stage, let’s sing. Dear friends, Anthem of Ukraine.
1:00
[ Ukraine’s glory has not yet died, nor her freedom, Upon us, fellow compatriots, fate shall smile once more. Our enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun, And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own. ]
1:47
[ REF 2x ] Souls and bodies we’ll lay down, all for our freedom, And we will show that we, brothers, are of the Cossack nation!
2:35
[ little child on stage ] Glory to Ukraine!
2:38
Glory to Ukraine! [ crowd ] Glory to Heroes! Glory to the Nation! [ crowd ] Death to enemies!
2:43
I want to answer those who say «it is intolerance» to burn someone.
2:46
To those who say «maybe he is a bad guy but he is [elected] president»:
2:50
Let me ask you – did this person think when he was killing our guys…
2:53
…when he was taking our Crimea, when he was calling us names?
2:57
No. This is our enemy #1. Raise your hands if you agree.
3:01
And now raise your hands whoever disagrees.
3:04
Take him away….Just kidding. The old man has his right.
3:08
Dear friends, please take your kids from the stage.
3:14
Who has a cigarette lighter? Guys, please come up. Girls, you too.
3:19
That old man still can’t calm down. Let’s buy him a one-way ticket to Donetsk.
3:22
Maybe we should send him even further – to sunny Siberia
3:26
Dear friends, please approach.
3:28
If someone feels like spitting in his face while camera is rolling – by all means do so.
3:32
If you want to do something even more vile, be creative….
3:35
To make this shit burn down faster we should add some fire starter liquid.
3:42
In good time – honoured Ukrainian tradition we should conclude our celebration with burning this puppet…
3:51
…while we dance round and round to popular Ukrainian song.
3:56
Girls, you start the fire. Folks, please move away for your safety.
4:00
We are burning Mister Poo. The person who is hated by half the world.
4:06
Only one old man here likes him.
4:09
I suspect he came here on purpose – to express his thought.
4:14
He must be a journalist from Russia24 channel Parasha [ piss pot ] Today
4:22
Friends, take each other by hand, get around…
4:25
…let’s dance and make a wish that this calamity stays in Russia.
4:36
Now, all together – sing!
4:51
Russian democracy has collapsed!
5:05
Dear friends: We Hutsuls, aboriginal ethnicity of Carpathian mountains…
5:09
…we are real Molfars [ the wizards of Satanic worship ]
5:13
May all the bad things that trouble Ukraine burn with this effigy…
5:17
… may the so-called brothers from East perish and may only true Slavs…
5:21
…who love our Motherland survive, may the rest vanish.
5:31
And now once again: Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!
5:57
If anyone missed an opportunity to spit – please do so now while there is still something left.
6:05
The damned “union” of Slavic people is burning away.
6:25
For 70 years we were subservient . Never again.
6:51
Applause, please. Ladies and gentlemen.
6:54
Let them say whatever they want. Let them say that we are terrible, we are raising our children badly.
7:00
No, we are raising our kids in a proper way.
7:03
Here even the youngest ones can sing by heart all the verses of anthem of Ukraine and entire “Red Ruta”.
7:07
We are the Nation! We are the People! In spite of those to the North of us who think they are smarter, right?
7:12
Right!
7:13
Let’s not forget, dear friends, that we don’t try to make our rules in foreign lands.
7:18
We want calm life in our own native Ukraine.
7:21
Dear friends, now let’s sing a song about Putin!
7:25
When we say “Putin” you respond “LA-LA-LA…” So kids don’t hear bad language, OK? Let’s go:
7:31
PU-TIN! LA-LA-LA…
7:33
Once again, all together.
7:34
PU-TIN! LA-LA-LA…
7:37
LA-LA-LA… Once more:
7:39
PU-TIN! LA-LA-LA…
7:42
[ to woman approaching the microphone ] You want to tell us what you think of Putin?
7:46
Please understand, I am person who came out of the midst of people…
7:52
…I am a person who wishes you all the best.
7:58
And this means that… [ stumbles, her microphone taken away ]
8:05
Thank you. Please go, go. Do good deeds.
8:09
Now we counted how much money we raised. Let’s announce.
8:18
By a collective effort – 7’100 hryvnia and 100 euro.
8:24
Whoever gave 100 euro is a true patriot and benefactor.
8:32
100 euro is almost 1’200 hryvnia more. Total is 8’750 hryvnia.
8:47
Dear friends, even by such small efforts from everyone we help our guys, who will be pleased with our support.
8:59
Please spread in social networks our support, that our hearts and souls are with our brave soldiers.
9:06
And if needed we shall all go there to fight, true?
9:12
True!
9:14
Glory to Ukraine!
9:16
Don’t forget everything Ukrainian, cherish it, make right steps in building our independent Mother Ukraine.
9:23
Glory to Nation! Together we shall win!
Before the “story” changes, be sure to check this out.
COMING UP LIVE
Ukraine crisis: Russian aid convoy crosses border without Kyiv OK
Russia said it was no longer prepared to tolerate any delays
The Associated Press
Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET
Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 12:05 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/player/LiveStreams/News/ID/2462654782/
58 shares
293 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2494939865/
ON MOBILE? Watch Russian ambassador to UN LIVE at 12:30 p.m. ET here [http://cbcnews_ios-i.akamaihd.net/hls/live/200945/event/directory/master.m3u8]
Russia sent over 130 aid trucks rolling into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without Kyiv’s approval, saying it had lost patience with the Ukrainian government’s stalling tactics. Ukraine called the move a “direct invasion.”
The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist rebels in the east. Ukraine has long accused Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a charge that Russia denies.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The white-tarped semis, which Russia says are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags, reached civilians in the hard-hit city of Luhansk, where government forces are besieging pro-Russian separatists. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
In the past few days, Ukraine says its troops have recaptured significant parts of Luhansk, the second-largest rebel-held city, and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.
Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours, the government reported at noon Friday.
Red Cross refuses to escort convoy
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday, as shelling had continued overnight in the area.
The swiftness with which Russia set the mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. AP journalists following the convoy across country roads in eastern Ukraine heard many trucks’ contents rattling and sliding Friday, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion.”
He told reporters Friday in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, that the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel “trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.” The half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine, he said.
He insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Ukraine’s presidential administration said Kyiv authorized the entrance of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said that Russia’s actions showed that it could not accept Ukraine’s moves towards integration with Europe.
Referring to what it says is Russia’s support for pro-Russian separatists, Yatseniuk said: “The aim is not Donetsk or Luhansk. The target is Ukraine.”
Moscow, he said, could not reconcile itself to the fact that Ukraine had taken the decision to sign political and free trade agreements with the European Union which would be ratified in September. Russia denies arming the rebels.
“Nothing will stop us. We have taken that decision. We are part of Europe. That is where we are going,” he said in a televised interview.
NATO warns of military buildup
NATO’s secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, condemned the entry of the Russian convoy as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
In a statement, he said the alliance had observed a buildup of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine and “transfers of large quantities of advanced weapons, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers and
artillery to separatist groups in eastern Ukraine.”
An Associated Press reporter saw a priest blessing the first truck in the convoy at the rebel-held checkpoint and then climbing into the passenger seat. A lone border guard unlocked a customs gate, and on the trucks went.
Russian customs service representative Rayan Farukshin said all vehicles in the convoy, which counts more than 260 trucks, had been checked and approved for onward travel.
Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said as of midday, 134 Russian aid trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
“The Russian side has decided to act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “It is no longer possible to tolerate this lawlessness, outright lies and inability to reach agreements … we are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Although Luhansk is only 20 kilometres from the border, the Russian convoy’s route was meandering, apparently in an effort to avoid areas controlled by Ukrainian troops.
Shortly after leaving the rebel-held border town of Izvaryne, the convoy turned off of the main highway to Luhansk and headed north on a country road. Rolling on smaller byroads greatly slowed the trucks’ progress, turning what would in peacetime take roughly two hours into a daylong haul.
Rebel forces, aid trucks dot country roads
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to use the same country road the aid trucks were driving on. Around lunchtime, around 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction. Other smaller rebel vehicles could be seen driving around.
The convoy moved along village roads hugging the Russian border, which is marked by the winding Seversky Donets River. In the village of Davydo-Mykilske, less than one kilometre west of the border, AP reporters saw three rebel tanks, dozens of militiamen and several armoured personnel carriers.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
The trucks from Moscow had been stranded in a customs zone for more than a week since reaching the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced increasing frustration at what it said were Kyiv’s efforts to stall its delivery, while Ukraine demanded that the trucks enter through a government-controlled border post so it could check their contents.
The Russian Foreign Ministry had accused the government in Kyiv of shelling areas the convoy would have to pass through, making its travel impossible.
“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said Friday in a statement.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry retorted with a statement accusing Russia of “ignoring international rules, procedures and agreements that have been reached.”
Last week, after the Russian aid convoy left Moscow, Ukraine mounted its own humanitarian operation for those affected by fighting in the east. The rebels have said, however, they will not allow that material to enter their territory.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Black Sea peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
With files from Reuters
© The Associated Press, 2014
The Canadian Press
Report Typo
Send Feedback
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Login | Signup
293 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-aid-convoy-crosses-border-without-kyiv-ok-1.2743706?autoplay=true
Good catch and great share AnonyCanuck. It seems as if the “story” has indeed been updated and the propaganda spin factor has gone into hyperdrive. The CBC News has been spiraling outta control and are really pushing the “invasion” angle once again, which is really contrary to any of the facts that are being reported from the ground. Most independent reports state that the so called ATO forces have been surrounded and cornered into various cauldrons.
Another odd anomaly that seems to be overlooked is how there are actually absolutely zero “western” reporters reporting from Donetsk and/or Luhansk. They seem to be embedded with any/all “rebel” groups far and wide, but are not even embedded within the Ukie forces itself. The gross reliance being placed on the speculative “statements” from the Ukie Ministry of Propaganda after all of their previous statements have been debunked and discredited is rather troubling, especially concerning the case of MH17. When no facts are distributed as absolute truth, 1984 comes to mind.
That being stated, here is the latest AP (Associated Propaganda) “update” courtesy of the CBC noting that the comments are rather telling as the pro-Harper trolls are spinning their web of deception and diversion rather haphazardly. The timing of the updates themselves and these “individual” trolls will be addressed in upcoming summary articles as time permits. Below is the latest update that included the “Related Articles” from the sidebar and article itself for reference purposes but the previously mentioned address by the Russian ambassador to UN is MIA. Note that as usual the title and url wording have been adjusted and massaged to fit within the neocon narrative and that for some reason Bairds ridiculous tw**ts (below) is not even mentioned so be sure to traverse his latest shenanigans for more clues as well. The lack of replies, retw**ts and favourites and the fact that “he” had to create an infographic is quite telling indeed, considering this account is supposed to be “his” personal account and he is in Norway at the moment. He is either a master multitasker, or a complete fraud, we assUme the latter..
Well @opHarper, the “story” has changed yet again. Notice how the story is being attributed to the AP. Reuters, Canadian Press and CBC News? Wonder if this is a meek attempt at creating a plausible deniabilty defense of the “free press” concept or to just muddy the waters of an utterly disgusting propaganda campaign that has run amuck. The point you make about how these updates coincide with the trolls scripts, is rather interesting for sure. Not only that, but these manufacture crisis’ sure will allow the failures of the Harper budgets to have cover. They have always claimed they are economic geniuses and the only thing that affects their Economic Action Plans are attributed to the global economic conditions. It seems as if it is their best interest for the global economy to plunge into the abyss, even if is means waging dubious economic wars. The sad truth is that our Canadian Forces are vastly under-prepared and under-supplied, while the supplies and armaments we have are being donated to Ukraine and Kurdistan. As far as the “nonlethal” aid is concerned, when this aid was shipped to the “moderate” rebels in Syria, didn’t all of that end up in the hands of the extremists now being rebranded as IS/ISIS/ISIL? Then again providing air support to the extremists and liberating the armaments the arsenals in Libya, seems to have worked wonders, eh?
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Russia unilaterally decides to cross border, saying it tolerated enough delays
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 3:08 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2494939865/
78 shares
Declaring it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sent over 130 aid trucks rolling into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without the approval of the government in Kyiv. Ukraine called the move a “direct invasion” that aimed to provoke an international incident.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the Ukrainian claim that the convoy was being used to support and arm pro-Russian rebels.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East?
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine, calling it a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
Kirby noted that Russia’s defence minister had recently “guaranteed” Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel that the Russian military would not invade Ukraine.
A spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concern, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist rebels in the east.
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
After spending hours on winding country roads, the convoy began pulling into the hard-hit city of Luhansk, which appeared to be mostly in the hands of the rebels, on Friday evening.
In the past few days, Ukraine said its troops had recaptured significant parts of Luhansk and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.
Speaking on national television, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that Russia’s plan in sending half-empty trucks into Ukraine was not to deliver aid but to create a provocation by attacking the convoy itself, thus arranging a “provocation.”
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Churkin said he could not confirm or deny that some of the trucks were empty or only partially filled.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion.”
Asked about that, Yatsenyuk replied that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began back in March when it annexed Crimea and has been going on ever since.
NATO’s secretary general condemned Russia for sending in the “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Russia’s unilateral decision ” a blatant breach of Russia’s international commitments” and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
The white-tarped semis, which Russia says are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags, aimed to help citizens in Luhansk. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours in eastern Ukraine, the government reported at noon Friday.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday, as shelling had continued overnight in the area.
The swiftness with which Russia set the mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. AP journalists following the convoy across country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding Friday, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.
Nalyvaichenko, speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, said the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel “trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.” The half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine, he said.
He insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
Ukraine’s presidential administration said Kyiv authorized the entrance of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.
An Associated Press reporter saw a priest blessing the first truck in the convoy at the rebel-held checkpoint and then climbing into the passenger seat. A lone border guard unlocked a customs gate, and on the trucks went.
Russian customs service representative Rayan Farukshin said all vehicles in the convoy, which counts more than 260 trucks, had been checked and approved for onward travel. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said as of midday, 134 Russian aid trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
“The Russian side has decided to act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “It is no longer possible to tolerate this lawlessness, outright lies and inability to reach agreements … we are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Although Luhansk is only 20 kilometres from the border, the Russian convoy took a meandering route, apparently in an effort to avoid areas controlled by Ukrainian troops.
Shortly after leaving the rebel-held border town of Izvaryne, the convoy turned off of the main highway to Luhansk and headed north on a country road. Rolling on small roads greatly slowed the trucks’ progress, turning what would in peacetime take roughly two hours into a daylong haul.
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the aid trucks. Around lunchtime, around 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction. Other smaller rebel vehicles could be seen driving around.
The convoy moved along village roads hugging the Russian border, which is marked by the winding Seversky Donets River. In the village of Davydo-Mykilske, less than one kilometre west of the border, AP reporters saw three rebel tanks, dozens of militiamen and several armoured personnel carriers.
The trucks from Moscow had been stranded in a customs zone for more than a week since reaching the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced increasing frustration at what it said were Kyiv’s efforts to stall its delivery, while Ukraine demanded that the trucks enter through a government-controlled border post so it could check their contents.
Accusations of shelling convoy’s path
The Russian Foreign Ministry had accused the government in Kyiv of shelling areas the convoy would have to pass through, making its travel impossible.
“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said Friday in a statement.
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry retorted with a statement accusing Russia of “ignoring international rules, procedures and agreements that have been reached.”
Last week, after the Russian aid convoy left Moscow, Ukraine mounted its own humanitarian operation for those affected by fighting in the east. The rebels have said, however, they will not allow that material to enter their territory.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Black Sea peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
With files from Reuters and CBC News
© The Associated Press, 2014
The Canadian Press
Report Typo
Send Feedback
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Login | Signup
1100 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706
Thx AnonyCanuck for the heads up. Haven’t had the chance to parse the article but the title and url have oce again been massaged. We’ll keep diggin’ for some scraps of truth and hopefully others will continue to do the same since Friday is pretty much the last day the media “works” without a repeated news loop and we know the Harper Regime doesn’t work weekends, at least not on our behalf. This weekend will be very interesting, especially if the cauldrons are collapsed before the so called Independence Day saleabrations..
FYI: The article has been updated again and there are a lot more comments worth noting, not sure what has been added or subtracted. The points you made in your last reply seem to pose more questions especially what is the difference between humanitarian aid and non lethal aid. Agree with you about how the pre-canned news cycle gets manipulated and regurgitated between the end of Friday and Monday morning, which only goes towards reinforcing the Harper Regime’s propaganda campaigns as opposed to seeking and clarifying the facts as they should. (btw: This was posted as a new comment, could not reply to the previous comment thread for some reason.)
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Russia unilaterally decides to cross border, saying it tolerated enough delays
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 4:13 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2494939865/
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’ 2:30
93 shares
Declaring it had lost patience with what it calls Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sent more than 130 aid trucks rolling into rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Friday without the approval of the government in Kyiv. Ukraine called the move a “direct invasion” that aimed to provoke an international incident.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the Ukrainian claim that the convoy was being used to support and arm pro-Russian rebels.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
Kirby noted that Russia’s defence minister had recently “guaranteed” Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel that the Russian military would not invade Ukraine.
A spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concern, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
The unilateral move sharply raised the stakes in eastern Ukraine, for any attack on the convoy could draw the Russian military directly into the conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist rebels in the east.
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
After spending hours on winding country roads, the convoy began pulling into the hard-hit city of Luhansk, which appeared to be mostly in the hands of the rebels, on Friday evening.
In the past few days, Ukraine said its troops had recaptured significant parts of Luhansk and suspicions were running high that Moscow’s humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s military momentum. Fierce fighting has been reported this week both around Luhansk and the largest rebel-held city, Donetsk, with dozens of casualties.
Speaking on national television, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that Russia’s plan in sending half-empty trucks into Ukraine was not to deliver aid but to create a provocation by attacking the convoy itself, thus arranging a “provocation.”
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Churkin said he could not confirm or deny that some of the trucks were empty or only partially filled.
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion.”
Asked about that, Yatsenyuk replied that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began back in March when it annexed Crimea and has been going on ever since.
NATO’s secretary general condemned Russia for sending in the “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen called Russia’s unilateral decision ” a blatant breach of Russia’s international commitments” and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
The white-tarped semis, which Russia says are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags, aimed to help citizens in Luhansk. The city has seen weeks of heavy shelling that has cut off power, water and phone lines and left food supplies scarce.
Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in the past 24 hours in eastern Ukraine, the government reported at noon Friday.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday, as shelling had continued overnight in the area.
The swiftness with which Russia set the mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. AP journalists following the convoy across country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding Friday, confirming that many vehicles were only partially loaded.
Nalyvaichenko, speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, said the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel “trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.” The half-empty aid trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine, he said.
However, he insisted Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
Ukraine’s presidential administration said Kyiv authorized the entrance of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles entering the country through a rebel-held border point Friday was clearly way beyond that amount.
An Associated Press reporter saw a priest blessing the first truck in the convoy at the rebel-held checkpoint and then climbing into the passenger seat. A border guard unlocked a customs gate, and on the trucks departed.
Russian customs service representative Rayan Farukshin said all vehicles in the convoy, which counts more than 260 trucks, had been checked and approved for onward travel. Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said as of midday, 134 Russian aid trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
“The Russian side has decided to act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “It is no longer possible to tolerate this lawlessness, outright lies and inability to reach agreements … we are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Although Luhansk is only 20 kilometres from the border, the Russian convoy took a meandering route, apparently in an effort to avoid areas controlled by Ukrainian troops.
Shortly after leaving the rebel-held border town of Izvaryne, the convoy turned off of the main highway to Luhansk and headed north on a country road. Rolling on small roads greatly slowed the trucks’ progress, turning what would in peacetime take roughly two hours into a daylong haul.
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the aid trucks. Around lunchtime, about 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction. Other smaller rebel vehicles could be seen driving around.
The convoy moved along village roads hugging the Russian border, which is marked by the winding Seversky Donets River. In the village of Davydo-Mykilske, less than one kilometre west of the border, AP reporters saw three rebel tanks, dozens of militiamen and several armoured personnel carriers.
The trucks from Moscow had been stranded in a customs zone for more than a week since reaching the border. The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced increasing frustration at what it said were Kyiv’s efforts to stall its delivery, while Ukraine demanded that the trucks enter through a government-controlled border post so it could check their contents.
Accusations of shelling convoy’s path
The Russian Foreign Ministry had accused the government in Kyiv of shelling areas the convoy would have to pass through, making its travel impossible.
“There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help,” it said Friday in a statement.
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry retorted with a statement accusing Russia of “ignoring international rules, procedures and agreements that have been reached.”
Last week, after the Russian aid convoy left Moscow, Ukraine mounted its own humanitarian operation for those affected by fighting in the east. The rebels have said, however, they will not allow that material to enter their territory.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s southern Black Sea peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
With files from Reuters and CBC News
© The Associated Press, 2014
The Canadian Press
Report Typo
Send Feedback
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Login | Signup
1584 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706
Once again thanks for catching that update, we are still parsing the last one and will be acquiring some screegrabs of the pages along the way if possible. The fact that these updates are not so much updates but propaganda massaging seems rather important, in our opinion anyway. Feel free to keep us abreast of any other developments on this, or any other topics we cover. Please keep in mind that we are always looking for contributors and independent researchers that can add content to our collective archives since the policies enacted by the Harper Regime will play out far into the future because we need to hold the future governments to account for the ongoing and relentless transgressions of this current cabal.. 🙂
Yet another “update” for your archives. It seems as if this is going to be updated every hour or so and the Harper trolls seem to be almost synced with the updates as you have previously suggested. Keep up the good work, we don’t need any more false narratives that can only lead to the prospects of more war-mongering.
UPDATED
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Russia unilaterally decides to cross border, saying it tolerated enough delays
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 5:11 PM ET
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2494939865/
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’ 2:30
108 shares
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
A spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
At the United Nations in New York, Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin hotly denied any Russian troops were inside Ukraine. Russia has also steadfastly denied supporting and arming the rebels, as the West has charged.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpass authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
With files from Reuters and CBC News
© The Associated Press, 2014
The Canadian Press
Report Typo
Send Feedback
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Login | Signup
1805 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706
Here is the latest hourly or so “update” for your archiving efforts, with the most noticeable addition being the last paragraph. Unsure what other edits and/or adjustments have been made but hopefully you guys/gals can determine this. The comments have begun to swell and the trolls seem to have their keyboards tied up in knots. btw: Power and Politics, Evan Solomon in particular, was rather despicable this evening.
UPDATED
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Meanwhile, “there was no unanimity of views” during UN emergency consultations
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 7:21 PM ET
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2494939865/
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’ 2:30
119 shares
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
In a closed-door emergency meeting at the UN, several countries rebuked Russia for “what many called an illegal and unilateral action by the Russian federation,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, the council president, told reporters.
“It is an undeniable and blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,” Lyall Grant said. “It has nothing to do with humanitarianism. That humanitarian effort is being coordinated by the UN and if the Russia federation wanted to participate in that, it could have done so in a collective way rather than acting unilaterally.”
Lyall Grant said “there was no unanimity of views” during the emergency consultations, which were held at the request of Lithuania.
Earlier, a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday called the move “disgraceful,” especially because it was an incursion “under the guise of humanitarian assistance.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpass authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
With files from Reuters and CBC News
© The Associated Press, 2014
The Canadian Press
Report Typo
Send Feedback
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Login | Signup
2187 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706
Geez, thanks for helping us out with this AnonyCanuck, we do have our work cut out for us and yes, Power and Politics is becoming nothing more than a propaganda portal of deception as is the CBC News division. It seems like Harper’s plan aimed at gutting and discrediting our national broadcaster is sadly falling into place.
Not meaning to keep beating a dead horse so to speak, but here is another update. There are also 2 new links to the Power and Politics interview segments from the sidebar included here. It might be nice if the CBC would point out what the updates are instead of fueling speculation, but that might be too much to ask. The one certain thing is that judging by the number of comments between the updates, problems will exist within other social media and forum discussions when different users are using different statements in their discussions/debates. Pretty ingenuous subversive divide and conquer strategy, eh?.
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
UN emergency consultations reveal “no unanimity of views”
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 8:28 PM ET
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2494939865/
Ukraine calls Russian aid convoy ‘direct invasion’ 2:30
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Politics/Power%20&%20Politics/ID/2495319243/
Russia’s convoy to Ukraine 6:07
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Politics/Power%20&%20Politics/ID/2495345609/
Russia responds to criticism 9:49
134 shares
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
In a closed-door emergency meeting at the UN, several countries rebuked Russia for “what many called an illegal and unilateral action by the Russian federation,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, the council president, told reporters.
“It is an undeniable and blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,” Lyall Grant said. “It has nothing to do with humanitarianism. That humanitarian effort is being coordinated by the UN and if the Russia federation wanted to participate in that, it could have done so in a collective way rather than acting unilaterally.”
Lyall Grant said “there was no unanimity of views” during the emergency consultations, which were held at the request of Lithuania.
Earlier, a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday called the move “disgraceful,” especially because it was an incursion “under the guise of humanitarian assistance.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpasses authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
With files from Reuters and CBC News
© The Associated Press, 2014
The Canadian Press
Report Typo
Send Feedback
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Login | Signup
2460 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706
Another update was just published and if you notice the title of the article does not have the usual “UPDATED” in bold red font preceding it and the primary image, caption and video have been changed. If possible could someone locate the transcripts of the UN meeting, for some reason or another CBC decided not to include it with any of the updates. Not sure what else may have been added or subtracted and sorry for not adding the link to the slideshow in this and previous submissions since it is a scripted element.
On another note, did the CBC News just report that there will be some sort of military maneuvers or humanitarian missions within Syria and didn’t they violate Syria’s sovereignty multiple times? This may be worth further investigation as well since it would counter the Ukraine narrative, eh?
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
UN emergency consultations reveal “no unanimity of views”
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 22, 2014 4:25 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 22, 2014 10:29 PM ET
Invasion or humanitarian mission?
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20Shows/The%20National/ID/2495454630/
Invasion or humanitarian mission? 2:48
141 shares
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated sharply on Friday as Moscow sent more than 130 trucks rolling across the border in what it said was a mission to deliver humanitarian aid. Ukraine called it a “direct invasion,” and the U.S. and NATO condemned it as well.
In another ominous turn in the crisis, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian forces are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil.
Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Is Russia’s fight with Ukraine as intractable as the Middle East? [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/is-russia-s-fight-with-ukraine-as-intractable-as-the-middle-east-1.2715013]
The trucks, part of a convoy of 260 vehicles, entered Ukraine without government permission after being held up at the border for a week amid fears that the mission was a Kremlin ploy to help the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ambassador to the UN denied the claims.
“We discussed providing humanitarian aid. This is what Russia is doing in this particular case. The United States does not have a monopoly on humanism,” said Ambassador Vitaly Churkin.
“There was ample possibility for double checking on the convoy. Journalists were shown the cargo. We went into very detailed discussion with ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) professionals.”
The White House National Security Council said the convoy comprised of “Russian military vehicles painted to look like civilian trucks.”
“While a small number of these vehicles were inspected by Ukrainian customs officials, most of the vehicles have not been inspected by anyone but Russia,” spokesperson Caitlin Hayden said in a statement released Friday.
The statement was made shortly after the White House denounced the convoy’s move into Ukraine as a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“We are deeply concerned about this,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama.
Rhodes said the United States planned to discuss the situation with the UN Security Council on Friday. He said if the convoy is not removed, the Russians will face “additional costs,” meaning sanctions that have been levied against the Russian economy.
“Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately,” the Pentagon’s press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters earlier. “Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation.”
In a closed-door emergency meeting at the UN, several countries rebuked Russia for “what many called an illegal and unilateral action by the Russian federation,” British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, the council president, told reporters.
“It is an undeniable and blatant violation of Ukrainian sovereignty,” Lyall Grant said. “It has nothing to do with humanitarianism. That humanitarian effort is being coordinated by the UN and if the Russia federation wanted to participate in that, it could have done so in a collective way rather than acting unilaterally.”
Lyall Grant said “there was no unanimity of views” during the emergency consultations, which were held at the request of Lithuania.
Earlier, a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon echoed U.S. concerns, saying the envoy’s move has “the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday called the move “disgraceful,” especially because it was an incursion “under the guise of humanitarian assistance.”
Russian aid trucks might be partially filled
By late afternoon, trucks had reached the city of Luhansk, whose war-reduced population of a quarter-million people has suffered under intense fighting over the past several weeks between Ukrainian forces and the separatists.
Russia said the white-tarped vehicles were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
Russia Ukraine
A truck driver from the Russian aid convoy stands in the Russian inspection zone inside a border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Some of the trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen. But Associated Press journalists following the convoy across rough country roads heard the trucks’ contents rattling and sliding around Friday, suggesting many vehicles were only partially loaded.
The arrival of the trucks instantly raised the stakes in the crisis: An attack on the convoy could give Russia a pretext to intervene more deeply in the fighting. And the convoy’s mere presence could block further battlefield advances by Ukrainian forces, which have reported substantial inroads against the rebels over the past week.
In sending in the convoy, Russia said it had lost patience with Ukraine’s stalling tactics and claimed that soon “there will no longer be anyone left to help” in Luhansk, where weeks of heavy shelling have cut off power, water and phone service and made food scarce.
Moscow’s decision to move unilaterally, without Red Cross involvement, raised questions about its intentions.
Suspicions were running high that the humanitarian operation may instead be aimed at halting Kyiv’s momentum on the battlefield.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk declared that the trucks were half-empty and were not going to deliver aid but would instead be used to create a provocation. He said Russia would somehow attack the convoy itself, creating an international incident.
Red Cross refuses to escort trucks
Ukrainian security services chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko called the convoy a “direct invasion” and said the half-empty trucks would be used to transport weapons to rebels and spirit away the bodies of Russian fighters killed in eastern Ukraine. He said the men operating the trucks were Russian military personnel trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.
Nalyvaichenko insisted, however, that Ukraine would not shell the convoy.
Russian aid convoy
Trucks of a Russian convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Ukraine drive before parking at a camp near Donetsk, Ukraine. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
NATO’s secretary-general condemned Russia for sending in a “so-called humanitarian convoy.” Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Russia committed “a blatant breach” of its international commitments and “a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that, since mid-August, the military alliance has seen multiple reports of direct involvement of Russian forces in Ukraine, along with transfers of tanks and other heavy weapons to the separatists, and “an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine.”
“Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” she said. Previously, the West accused Russia of cross-border shelling.
The Red Cross, which had planned to escort the convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so, as shelling had continued overnight. Four troops were killed and 23 wounded in a 24-hour period in eastern Ukraine, the government reported Friday.
Number of trucks surpasses authorized amount
The government said it had authorized the entry of only 35 trucks. But the number of Russian vehicles seen passing through was clearly way beyond that. International monitors said that as of midday, 134 trucks, 12 support vehicles and one ambulance had crossed into Ukraine.
In announcing its decision to act, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “There is increasingly a sense that the Ukrainian leaders are deliberately dragging out the delivery of the humanitarian load until there is a situation in which there will no longer be anyone left to help.”
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
It added: “We are warning against any attempts to thwart this purely humanitarian mission.”
Rebel forces took advantage of Ukraine’s promise not to shell the convoy to drive on the same country road as the trucks. Some 20 green military supply vehicles — flatbed trucks and fuel tankers — were seen travelling in the opposite direction, along with smaller rebel vehicles.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. It has killed over 2,000 people and forced 340,000 to flee, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said the country’s honorary consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed by “terrorists.” There were no further details.
With files from Reuters and CBC News
© The Associated Press, 2014
The Canadian Press
Report Typo
Send Feedback
Comments on this story are moderated according to our Submission Guidelines. Comments are welcome while open. We reserve the right to close comments at any time.
Login | Signup
2572 Comments
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706
Great catch and perfect timing. We have acquired the screengrabs of the previous “updates” and the latest you mentioned is either the 8th or 9th update to this article today. The comparisons to the situation in Syria are very relevant indeed and may actually be the blueprint for Ukraine in the future. We’ll try to dig up the UN meeting details since the “article” has made reference to it and the sub-title states “UN emergency consultations reveal “no unanimity of views”” so it would be very, very interesting to see who does not share the neocons views that are being pushed via their propaganda outlets. This is obviously a vary fluid and fast moving situation and the only way to keep abreast is with crowd-sourcing techniques such as this comment thread. Thanks again for your continued efforts!
AnonyCanuck,
Here is what we could dig up from the UN Security meeting with links thus far and plz note that one is a snippet of the remarks regarding the humanitarian deliveries…
———————————-
22 August 2014
Secretary-General
SG/SM/16097
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
Secretary-General, Following Reports of Russian Aid Convoy Entering Ukraine
without Permission, Urges All Parties to Work Together, Avoid Escalation
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
The Secretary-General follows with deep concern reports that a Russian aid convoy has crossed the border into Ukraine without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities. While recognizing the deteriorating humanitarian situation, any unilateral action has the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation in eastern Ukraine.
Once again, the Secretary-General urges all sides, in particular Ukraine and the Russian Federation, to continue to work together, in coordination with the international community, to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the most affected areas. He reiterates that all sides should continue to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalation.
In this regard, he is encouraged by the announcement from President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine will do everything possible to prevent more serious consequences as a result of the convoy moving into Ukrainian territory.
* *** *
For information media • not an official record
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2014/sgsm16097.doc.htm
——————
DAILY NOON BRIEFING
Mr. Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General 22 August 2014
Continuing her mission to Ukraine, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said the humanitarian situation has deteriorated quite rapidly and that the United Nations needs to see how to support the authorities in reaching the nearly 200,000 people who have been uprooted.
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/index_unbodies.asp?unpress=31&unBodies=2
——————
22 August 2014
Spokesperson’s Noon Briefing
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Press Conferences Today
Good afternoon, I’ll try to be quick because I know we have got two press conferences coming up after the briefing. At 12:30 p.m., the Permanent Representative of Russia, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, will be here, and at 1 p.m, Ambassador Oleksandr Pavlichenko, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine, will also be here.
…
** Ukraine
Turning over to Ukraine, Valerie Amos, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, continued her mission to Ukraine and met today with Vice Prime Minister [Volodymyr] Groysman. She also met with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as with members of the diplomatic and donor community in Kyiv. Ms. Amos told UN Radio this morning that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has deteriorated quite rapidly and that we need to be able to see how we can support the authorities to reach the nearly 200,000 people who have been uprooted.
Tomorrow, she is expected to visit eastern Ukraine to see for herself the needs of the people affected by the current crisis. And for his part, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, is wrapping up his visit to Ukraine today. And we have just been informed that there will be Security Council consultations at 3 o’clock on Ukraine today.
…
Question: Yes, thank you. In Ukraine, it looks the situation is getting worse. The Secretary-General, in the beginning of the crisis, travelled to Moscow and Kyiv. Does he see now the situation is getting… like its almost open war… is the Secretary-General see a role in trying to stop these crises, but like not with the special envoys or something, but personally be involved? Also because in Syria, looks like this… he was never able to do that. So, is there still space, room for him to be able to again shuttle between Moscow and Kyiv?
Spokesman: You know, when the time is right and I think there could be travel. But, I think at this very moment, even as we speak today, he has two of his most senior aids, advisers, head of the political affairs unit and head of the humanitarian, coordination of humanitarian affairs department in Ukraine, to support and encourage a peaceful resolution. So, I think it is high on the mind and high on the agenda of the Secretary-General.
Question: Just two quick questions. Do you have any timeline on when Mr. Feltman may be back to brief the Council on Ukraine? And on the issue you mentioned on Iraq, the increasing number of abductions and trafficking, do you have any sort of figures, new figures?
Spokesman: We’ll try to get you increased figures on that. Mr. Feltman, I think it’s up to the Council to see when they will ask him to present to the Security Council. So, I would direct your questions to the Presidency of the Council. Yes, all the way in the back?
…
Great. Thank you very much. We will leave the podium to Ambassador Churkin and then the Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine.
* *** *
For information media • not an official record
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2014/db140822.doc.htm
———————————–
What’s In Blue
posted on FRI 22 AUG 2014 3:10 PM
Council Consultations on Russian Humanitarian Convoy Entering Ukraine
This afternoon (22 August), the Security Council will be briefed in consultations on the situation in Ukraine by Oscar Fernández-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs. Lithuania called for the meeting after a number of trucks from a Russian humanitarian convoy entered the territory of Ukraine earlier today without the consent of Ukraine and without escort from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
According to the Observer Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) which monitoring and reporting on the Donetsk Border Crossing Point, a total of 134 trucks crossed the border into Ukraine without state consent or ICRC escort. It also said that only 34 of the trucks that crossed the border had been inspected by Ukraine.
After the convoy spent several days near the border awaiting assurances of safe passage under ICRC auspices, Russia decided to move in without permission from Ukraine. In a statement today Russia said that the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine has become intolerable and that it had met all the demands raised by Ukraine and the ICRC necessary for delivery of the aid. Russia has also claimed that it went ahead because Ukraine kept delaying granting formal consent for the passage of the convoy required by the ICRC.
Ukraine has accused Russia of violating its sovereignty with President Petro Poroshenko calling it an act of aggression by Russia. However, Valentin Nalyvaichenko, the head of the security service, stated that Ukraine will not be using force against the convoy. The humanitarian convoy, which was escorted by the pro-Russian separatist forces, reached the city of Lugansk a few hours ago.
NATO has termed Russia’s actions as a blatant breach of international commitments. It has also suggested that Russia has been using artillery against Ukrainian troops, both across the borders and within Ukraine. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin (Russia) in a press conference today said he was not aware of any Russian troops in Ukraine.
Yesterday (21 August), while the convoy was still on the other side of the border, Russia proposed a draft statement which welcomed the agreements achieved on delivery of humanitarian aid shipments under the auspices of the ICRC while it also called for a ceasefire and assurances of safe passage for the humanitarian convoy. The draft statement was put under silence procedure yesterday afternoon. It seems both Lithuania and the US broke silence and proposed amendments, including acknowledging that there are a number of organisations and states providing aid as well as dropping the reference to a ceasefire. At press time no new draft text has been circulated.
Earlier this week on 18 August, following the meeting on the Middle East, Ukraine was discussed under any other business at the request of Russia, asking for an update from the Secretariat on the implementation of resolution 2166 on the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Resolution 2166 requests the Secretary-General “to identify possible options for UN support to the investigation and to report to the Security Council on relevant developments” but does not give a specific reporting timeline. Fernández-Taranco briefed Council members on the ongoing efforts regarding the investigation into the downing of flight MH17 and indicated that the detailed report will be presented to the Council by the end of August.
At today’s meeting, the majority of Council members are likely to condemn this cross-border incursion by Russia. Russia is expected to continue with its humanitarian aid narrative and argue that the convoy needed to go in to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. It seems that Russia had wanted to have a briefing from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs but others were of the view that today’s developments were essentially political actions and should be discussed under that optic.
While the complexity of the current situation in eastern Ukraine may make it difficult to categorise it neatly as either purely humanitarian or political, it appears that the humanitarian situation cannot be improved without a political decision. The need for a ceasefire is clear, but so far no Council member has raised the option of a Chapter VI draft resolution on the pacific settlement of the situation in Ukraine. A Chapter VI resolution would also allow for the use of Article 27(3), which states that in decisions under Chapter VI, “a party to the dispute shall abstain from voting”. While Russia may argue that it is not a party to this dispute, it would nevertheless have to face the preliminary debate into the question, a scenario the Council avoided when it allowed Russia to veto a draft resolution on the situation in Crimea on 15 March (S/2014/189).
Action from the Council would help strengthen ongoing high-level diplomatic efforts. On 17 August, the foreign ministers of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia met in Berlin where they focused their discussion on the details of a possible cease-fire and the humanitarian situation. The meeting did not result in any concrete proposals or agreements. Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs travelled to Kiev this week where he met with Poroshenko and other high-level government officials. Also, Valerie Amos, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is in Ukraine this week. Both Feltman and Amos are likely to brief the Council on their visits upon their return. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to meet with Poroshenko in Kiev on 23 August, while Russian President Vladimir Putin and Poroshenko are scheduled to meet in Minsk on 26 August at a high level summit that also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and the EU.
http://www.whatsinblue.org/2014/08/council-consultations-on-ukraine-on-russian-humanitarian-convoy-entering-ukraine-1.php
—————————
Hey DumpHarper! crew, not sure if you had the chance to follow along with the Associated Propaganda of the day, so here is what was published. There was at least one significant update midway throughout the day, but the article was updated at least three, maybe four (?), times at last count. Other than some subtle changes in the others, there were changes to the sidebar video linked content. Here are the 4 versions captured along with the sidebar stuff plus the info contained within the script slideshow all the way at the bottom of this comment and there are 2 related videos from the right sidebar preceding it. Thanks for the UN info and links!
Something that is vary suspicious is that comments were not enabled for some reason and the amount of shares is almost non-existent. Did anyone notice how the published “story” was not the same as the “story” broadcast on the network? Maybe that has something to do with how the comments from yesterdays article played out or maybe they just ran out of scripts to recite since the war mongering Harper trolls got their @sses handed to ’em once again!
——————–
Celebrations for the Ukrainian independence day in Canada were more muted than usual, as diplomatic tensions continued between Ukraine and Russia
Muted Ukrainian-Canadian celebrations
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2495986649/
3:31
——————–
Ukraine is celebrating its independence day, as its campaign against pro Russian rebels in the eastern regions of the country is making progress
Fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk continues
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2495889499/
3:17
——————–
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 8:31 AM ET
Trucks that were part of a controversial Russian aid convoy began leaving Ukraine on Saturday, crossing at the eastern border post of Izvaryne.
Trucks that were part of a controversial Russian aid convoy began leaving Ukraine on Saturday, crossing at the eastern border post of Izvaryne. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Invasion or humanitarian mission?
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20Shows/The%20National/ID/2495454630/
Invasion or humanitarian mission? 2:48
3 shares
Related Stories
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of trucks from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to rebel-held eastern Ukraine rolled back across the border into Russia on Saturday.
An Associated Press reporter counted 225 of the white tarp-covered trucks as they drove from Ukraine into a Russian border town called Donetsk, which bears the same name as the largest rebel-held city in Ukraine. A second AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the tractor-trailers side and confirmed they were empty.
One driver who declined to give his name said the rest of the 260-truck convoy was expected to return within hours to Russia. The state news agency RIA Novosti cited the Russian customs service as saying the trucks were moving in six groups.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments
Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying its humanitarian aid has been delivered to its intended destination and that it intends to do more missions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the near future.
“We confirm our intention to continue cooperation with the ICRC in attempts to provide humanitarian aid to the people of south-eastern Ukraine”, the statement said.
The convoy drove Friday into Ukraine bound for Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine hard-hit by weeks of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels. The Ukrainian government and Western countries denounced the move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and accused Russia of using the convoy to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to rebel fighters.
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has advocated a measured European Union response to Russia’s aggressive policies in Ukraine, arrived Saturday in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
In a statement, Merkel said she would advise Poroshenko “that the conflict can only be resolved politically and that a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible.”
Russia said the white-tarped trucks were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags. Some trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen.
West critical of Russian moves
Declaring it has lost patience with what it called Ukraine’s stalling tactics, Russia sends more than 130 aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without the approval of the government, insisting the move Kyiv calls a ‘direct invasion’ is not meant to arm rebels. Here, a Russian border guard opens a gate into the Ukraineon Friday for the first trucks heading into the country.
1 of 11
In a separate development, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil — deeper involvement in the fighting than the West has previously alleged. Russia also rejected that accusation.
It remained unclear Saturday what the Russian convoy had actually delivered. Unloading hundreds of trucks in less than a day in a war-battered region represents a big task. AP journalists who followed the convoy to Luhansk on Friday said rattling sounds from some trailers indicated they were not fully loaded.
The convoy’s entry caused Russia-Ukraine tensions to spike. The convoy had languished on the border for nearly two weeks amid disputes about over whether Ukraine would permit it entry or whether all sides in the conflict would provide security guarantees sought by the Red Cross.
Russia sent the trucks in Friday, saying it had lost patience and Luhansk was on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. Ukraine condemned it as a “direct invasion.”
At the United Nations in New York, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin rejected accusations that Russian troops were inside Ukraine. Russia has also steadfastly denied supporting and arming the rebels.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. The United Nations says more than 2,000 people have been killed and 340,000 forced to flee their homes during the fighting.
WIth files from CBC News and Reuters
© The Associated Press, 2014
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russian-aid-convoy-leaves-ukraine-1.2744837
——————————————–
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 8:31 AM ET
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
1 of 14
Invasion or humanitarian mission?
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20Shows/The%20National/ID/2495454630/
Invasion or humanitarian mission? 2:48
4 shares
Related Stories
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of trucks from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to rebel-held eastern Ukraine rolled back across the border into Russia on Saturday.
An Associated Press reporter counted 225 of the white tarp-covered trucks as they drove from Ukraine into a Russian border town called Donetsk, which bears the same name as the largest rebel-held city in Ukraine. A second AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the tractor-trailers side and confirmed they were empty.
One driver who declined to give his name said the rest of the 260-truck convoy was expected to return within hours to Russia. The state news agency RIA Novosti cited the Russian customs service as saying the trucks were moving in six groups.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments [http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/ukraine-dashboard/]
Russia’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying its humanitarian aid has been delivered to its intended destination and that it intends to do more missions with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the near future.
“We confirm our intention to continue cooperation with the ICRC in attempts to provide humanitarian aid to the people of south-eastern Ukraine”, the statement said.
The convoy drove Friday into Ukraine bound for Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine hard-hit by weeks of fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels. The Ukrainian government and Western countries denounced the move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and accused Russia of using the convoy to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to rebel fighters.
Ukraine Russia convoy
Trucks marked as being from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to Ukraine return to Russia as people wait to cross at the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The checkpoint on the Ukrainian side was being operated by separatist rebels, who inspected the trucks. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has advocated a measured European Union response to Russia’s aggressive policies in Ukraine, arrived Saturday in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
In a statement, Merkel said she would advise Poroshenko “that the conflict can only be resolved politically and that a ceasefire must be reached as soon as possible.”
Russia said the white-tarped trucks were carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags. Some trucks were opened to reporters a few days ago, and at least some of those items could be seen.
West critical of Russian moves
In a separate development, NATO said it has mounting evidence that Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine and launching artillery attacks from Ukrainian soil — deeper involvement in the fighting than the West has previously alleged. Russia also rejected that accusation.
It remained unclear Saturday what the Russian convoy had actually delivered. Unloading hundreds of trucks in less than a day in a war-battered region represents a big task. AP journalists who followed the convoy to Luhansk on Friday said rattling sounds from some trailers indicated they were not fully loaded.
The convoy’s entry caused Russia-Ukraine tensions to spike. The convoy had languished on the border for nearly two weeks amid disputes about over whether Ukraine would permit it entry or whether all sides in the conflict would provide security guarantees sought by the Red Cross.
Russia sent the trucks in Friday, saying it had lost patience and Luhansk was on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe. Ukraine condemned it as a “direct invasion.”
At the United Nations in New York, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin rejected accusations that Russian troops were inside Ukraine. Russia has also steadfastly denied supporting and arming the rebels.
The fighting in eastern Ukraine began in mid-April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. The United Nations says more than 2,000 people have been killed and 340,000 forced to flee their homes during the fighting.
WIth files from CBC News and Reuters
© The Associated Press, 2014
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russian-aid-convoy-leaves-ukraine-1.2744837
—————————————————-
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 2:56 PM ET
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
1 of 14
Fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk continues
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2495889499/
Fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk continues 3:17
Invasion or humanitarian mission?
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20Shows/The%20National/ID/2495454630/
Invasion or humanitarian mission? 2:48
4 shares
Related Stories
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of Russian aid trucks returned home from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Saturday, highlighting a dire need for long-term assistance to the region where homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by months of fighting.
Ahead of a much-anticipated meeting on Tuesday between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian officials and expressed hope for a peaceful solution to the conflict that has claimed more than 2,000 lives.
Russia unilaterally sent hundreds of aid trucks into Ukraine through a rebel-held border point Friday, saying it had lost patience with Ukraine’s delaying tactics, a move that Ukraine promptly described as an invasion.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments [http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/ukraine-dashboard/]
By mid-afternoon Saturday, all the vehicles had returned to Russia, Paul Picard of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe told reporters in the Russian town of Donetsk. A Russian emergency official said 227 vehicles had taken part.
An AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the white-tarpaulined tractor-trailers and confirmed they were empty. Russia said the trucks carried only food, water, generators and sleeping bags to the hard-hit rebel stronghold of Luhansk.
Ukraine and others — including the U.S., the European Union and NATO — denounced the Russian move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Kiev and Western countries also suggested the convoy could be used to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to pro-Russian separatists fighting the government.
It remained unclear, however, what the Russian convoy had actually delivered, since it only arrived late Friday afternoon. Unloading all those trucks in just a few hours in a war-battered region represents a sizeable task. AP journalists following the convoy said rattling sounds Friday indicated some of the trucks were not fully loaded
Ukraine Russia convoy
Trucks marked as being from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to Ukraine return to Russia as people wait to cross at the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The checkpoint on the Ukrainian side was being operated by separatist rebels, who inspected the trucks. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
In those towns and cities recaptured by Ukrainian forces from the rebels, the need for something more long-term than a one-time delivery of food and water is glaring. Assistance has been trickling in from the government and international donors, but it is still not enough to help rebuild livelihoods destroyed by war.
Residents in the city of Slovyansk, which endured a weekslong siege before the rebels left town in July, were caught between government forces and the separatists for several months and are now largely left on their own after devastating artillery strikes.
Valerie Amos, who oversees UN emergency assistance programs, visited Slovyansk on Saturday to inspect aid efforts there.
“This is particularly difficult in some areas in the eastern part of the country where there is ongoing fighting,” Amos told The Associated Press.
Rebels reject aid
Rebels have rejected overtures by authorities to provide territory under their control with much-needed aid.
‘What help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back.’
– Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, Slovyansk resident
Rows of burned-out houses on the northern fringes of Slovyansk stood as a reminder of the impact of the fighting. Owners could be seen Saturday clearing out the debris from their partially damaged or totally charred homes. Few seem confident they will be able to repair their houses anytime soon.
Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, an unemployed 25-year-old resident of Slovyansk, said his household didn’t have enough money to repair their shrapnel-scarred roof.
“Somebody said they would help, but it has been two months already, but what help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back,” he said.
One of the countries pledging aid to Ukraine is Germany. Chancellor Merkel held talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev on Saturday and promised $660 million in loan guarantees to support private investment in infrastructure and schools in war-struck areas.
Ukraine
Trucks stand in line as they return to Russia on the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine. (Sergei Grits/ Associated Press)
Merkel urged a political solution to the crisis three days before Poroshenko will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk in their first encounter since June. Merkel said she was looking forward to the outcome of those talks and expressed “hope that at least a step forward will be reached there.”
Poroshenko said Ukraine is anxious to bring peace as soon as possible and solve the conflict by negotiations, but “not at the expense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”
Asked what message he intended to convey to Putin, Poroshenko said “take away your armed people from our territory and I can promise peace will come to Ukraine very soon.”
WIth files from CBC News and Reuters
© The Associated Press, 2014
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russian-aid-convoy-leaves-ukraine-1.2744837
——————————
Russian aid convoy leaves Ukraine
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls convoy ‘disgraceful’
The Associated Press Posted: Aug 23, 2014 6:43 AM ET Last Updated: Aug 23, 2014 2:56 PM ET
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv. (Alexander Demianchuk/Reuters)
1 of 14
Fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk continues
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/World/ID/2495889499/
Fighting in Ukraine’s Donetsk continues 3:17
Invasion or humanitarian mission?
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20Shows/The%20National/ID/2495454630/
Invasion or humanitarian mission? 2:48
4 shares
Related Stories
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine crisis: Russian trucks clearing customs at rebel-held border [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-crisis-russian-trucks-clearing-customs-at-rebel-held-border-1.2742608]
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko to meet Vladimir Putin in Minsk [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-president-petro-poroshenko-to-meet-vladimir-putin-in-minsk-1.2740280]
Hundreds of Russian aid trucks returned home from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Saturday, highlighting a dire need for long-term assistance to the region where homes and livelihoods have been destroyed by months of fighting.
Ahead of a much-anticipated meeting on Tuesday between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks in Kyiv with Ukrainian officials and expressed hope for a peaceful solution to the conflict that has claimed more than 2,000 lives.
Russia unilaterally sent hundreds of aid trucks into Ukraine through a rebel-held border point Friday, saying it had lost patience with Ukraine’s delaying tactics, a move that Ukraine promptly described as an invasion.
Stephen Harper concerned by Russia’s growing military presence in Arctic [http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-concerned-by-russia-s-growing-military-presence-in-arctic-1.2744499]
U.S. condemns Russian aid convoy into Ukraine, threatens more sanctions [http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-condemns-russian-aid-convoy-into-ukraine-threatens-more-sanctions-1.2743706]
Ukraine in crisis | Key facts, major developments [http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/ukraine-dashboard/]
By mid-afternoon Saturday, all the vehicles had returned to Russia, Paul Picard of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe told reporters in the Russian town of Donetsk. A Russian emergency official said 227 vehicles had taken part.
An AP reporter on the Ukrainian side of the border was able to look inside about 40 of the white-tarpaulined tractor-trailers and confirmed they were empty. Russia said the trucks carried only food, water, generators and sleeping bags to the hard-hit rebel stronghold of Luhansk.
Ukraine and others — including the U.S., the European Union and NATO — denounced the Russian move as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Kiev and Western countries also suggested the convoy could be used to smuggle supplies and reinforcements to pro-Russian separatists fighting the government.
It remained unclear, however, what the Russian convoy had actually delivered, since it only arrived late Friday afternoon. Unloading all those trucks in just a few hours in a war-battered region represents a sizeable task. AP journalists following the convoy said rattling sounds Friday indicated some of the trucks were not fully loaded
Ukraine Russia convoy
Trucks marked as being from a bitterly disputed Russian aid convoy to Ukraine return to Russia as people wait to cross at the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The checkpoint on the Ukrainian side was being operated by separatist rebels, who inspected the trucks. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
In the Northwest Territories, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the convoy “disgraceful,” and dismissed it as a military incursion in the guise of humanitarian aid.
In those towns and cities recaptured by Ukrainian forces from the rebels, the need for something more long-term than a one-time delivery of food and water is glaring. Assistance has been trickling in from the government and international donors, but it is still not enough to help rebuild livelihoods destroyed by war.
Residents in the city of Slovyansk, which endured a weekslong siege before the rebels left town in July, were caught between government forces and the separatists for several months and are now largely left on their own after devastating artillery strikes.
Valerie Amos, who oversees UN emergency assistance programs, visited Slovyansk on Saturday to inspect aid efforts there.
“This is particularly difficult in some areas in the eastern part of the country where there is ongoing fighting,” Amos told The Associated Press.
Rebels reject aid
Rebels have rejected overtures by authorities to provide territory under their control with much-needed aid.
‘What help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back.’
– Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, Slovyansk resident
Rows of burned-out houses on the northern fringes of Slovyansk stood as a reminder of the impact of the fighting. Owners could be seen Saturday clearing out the debris from their partially damaged or totally charred homes. Few seem confident they will be able to repair their houses anytime soon.
Yevgeny Bezkorovainy, an unemployed 25-year-old resident of Slovyansk, said his household didn’t have enough money to repair their shrapnel-scarred roof.
“Somebody said they would help, but it has been two months already, but what help do we see? Everybody is building now off their own back,” he said.
One of the countries pledging aid to Ukraine is Germany. Chancellor Merkel held talks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Kiev on Saturday and promised $660 million in loan guarantees to support private investment in infrastructure and schools in war-struck areas.
Ukraine
Trucks stand in line as they return to Russia on the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine. (Sergei Grits/ Associated Press)
Merkel urged a political solution to the crisis three days before Poroshenko will be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk in their first encounter since June. Merkel said she was looking forward to the outcome of those talks and expressed “hope that at least a step forward will be reached there.”
Poroshenko said Ukraine is anxious to bring peace as soon as possible and solve the conflict by negotiations, but “not at the expense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”
Asked what message he intended to convey to Putin, Poroshenko said “take away your armed people from our territory and I can promise peace will come to Ukraine very soon.”
WIth files from CBC News and Reuters
© The Associated Press, 2014
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russian-aid-convoy-leaves-ukraine-1.2744837
——————————
Slideshow images and captions
1.
Hundreds of trucks from a Russian aid convoy returned from rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2014. The first of some 260 white trucks started crossing back into Russia on Saturday after igniting a storm of anger in Western leaders a day earlier by driving into Ukraine without the permission of the government in Kyiv.
2.
Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko, who denounced the convoy as a ‘direct invasion’ of his country’s territory, speaks during a ceremony for the Day of the State Flag in Kyiv on Aug. 23.
3.
On Friday, declaring it has lost patience with Ukraine’s ‘stalling tactics’, Russia began rolling hundreds of white aid trucks into rebel-held eastern Ukraine, insisting the move Kyiv called a invasion was not meant to arm pro-Russia rebels.
4.
On the Russian side of the border, a freight car loaded with a self-propelled howitzer sits at a railway station in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, in the Rostov region near the border with Ukraine, on Saturday. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance had observed an alarming buildup of Russian ground and air forces in the region.
5.
Ukrainian border guards watch as the first Russian aid truck passes the border post at Izvaryne, eastern Ukraine, on Aug. 22. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said that Russia’s actions, seen as an invasion of Ukraine’s territory, was proof that it could not accept Ukraine’s moves towards integration with Europe.
6.
A Ukrainian refugee standing on the Russian side of the border, waits for her four-year-old son to arrive from the Ukrainian side while white trucks of the Russian aid convoy move to the border control point in the Russian town of Donetsk on Aug. 22. The Russian border town called Donetsk bears the same name as the largest rebel-held city in Ukraine.
7.
A mobile X-ray inspection system is parked at the border control point with Ukraine in the Russian town of Donetsk, on Aug. 20. The X-ray inspection system was provided by the Federal Customs Service of Russia to scan cargo in the trucks of the aid convoy.
8.
The swiftness with which Russia set the humanitarian mission into motion last week and the lack of direct involvement from the international community immediately raised questions about Moscow’s intentions. Here, Russian convoy drivers gather at a camp in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Region, Russia, on Aug. 18.
9.
Dozens of heavy Russian military vehicles amass near the Ukraine border, outside Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Russia, on Aug. 15., where a huge Russian humanitarian aid convoy came to a halt as Moscow and Kyiv struggled to agree on border crossing procedures.
10.
A man takes a picture of the Russian aid convoy that has stopped along the road near the city of Yelets, Russia, on Aug. 12. Russia says the white-tarped semis are carrying food, water, generators and sleeping bags.
11.
The convoy of Russian trucks purportedly carrying humanitarian aid began travelling towards rebel-held Ukraine about a week before reaching its destination. here, the convoy snakes along a road south of Voronezh city, Russia, on Aug. 14.
12.
A Russian convoy truck near the city of Yelets, Russia, on Aug. 12. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had planned to escort the Russian aid convoy to assuage fears that it was a cover for a Russian invasion, said it had not received enough security guarantees to do so Friday.
13.
Drivers eat a watermelon beside Russian convoy trucks at a camp near Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Russia, on Aug. 14. Kyiv claims that the men driving the trucks into Ukraine were Russian military personnel ‘trained to drive combat vehicles, tanks and artillery.’
14.
Drivers take a rest on the side of a road near the city of Yelets, Russia, on Aug. 12.
Thx AnonyCanuck, your contributions are priceless and well appreciated by all. Considering the CBC has decided to not enable comments on the latest AP propaganda piece is quite telling indeed and the dismal number of shares is also quite telling. The odds are that they have lost complete control of the comment threads, their trolls cannot just bluff and stuff their way through the neoCon narrative when so many commenters are posting links and info as opposed to scripted responses. As far as the “pice” we were discussing yesterday, took a peek this am and noticed the trend slipped in favour of the facts as opposed to the fiction and speculation being peddled.
On another note, did you see The National tonight? The CBC reporter actually interviewed Right Sector Canada in Toronto on air and the “rep” pretty much laid it out for the most part, then when she interviewed the incompetent Alexander and questioned him, he didn’t want to comment on rumours and stated that it would not be responsible for the Regime to publicly comment on those rumours. Ya think he could walk a few metres to their donation solicitation table and become informed, eh? Ignorance is bliss, incompetence is treason…
Please note: Not sure if this is the correct link to tonights episode of The National since their stupid website will not load any of the Ukraine related videos for some reason but it keeps hanging up with the ads that precede the content. We have tried from several locations, all to no avail, so ya might have to catch the repeat on the network and note it is within the first 10mins or so…
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV%20Shows/The%20National/ID/2496021201/
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2496021201/
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2496021201/