Fresh evidence of how the West lured Ukraine into its orbit Scarcely reported has 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”. The EU has pored €496million into Ukraine and into 200 front organizations 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). For months the West has been demonizing 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 NATO was not going to provoke Moscow to react – not least due to the prospect that its only warm-water ports, in Crimea. It is the West which has brought the crisis about and cranked up the hysterical vilifying of Russia. telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/11023577/Fresh-evidence-of-how-the-West-lured-Ukraine-into-its-orbit.html Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, but his election in 2012 was recognized as legitimate by international observers and by the defeated candidate, Yulia Timoshenko. As for the immediate issue, the Agreement of Association with the European Union, polls showed that the population was divided. From that point of view, it is the attempt to impose the Agreement “from the street” that appears as undemocratic. A democratic demand would have been for a free public discussion, followed by a referendum. The real problem is political and economic systems dominated by ‘oligarchs,’ who manipulate linguistic and cultural divisions to advance their own interests. And from that point of view, the recent events have changed nothing. In Ukraine the oligarchs dominate the government. The mobilized but atomized masses seemed incapable of understanding the real source of the problem and even less of putting forth a real solution (which would be the socialization of the main levers of the economy). Most saw membership in the European Union – which, of course, was not being offered – a magical solution to corruption and a guarantee of respect for democratic norms. The lack of a clear analysis and program explains the role that fascist forces were able to play in the events. These forces rejected any compromise with the contested government, presenting themselves as unyielding adversaries, not only of the current leaders, but of the ‘system’ itself. And they call for a ‘national revolution.’ Oleg Tyaginbok, who leads the extreme right-wing Svoboda (Freedom), an anti-Russian, anti-semitic party, wants only Ukraine for ethnic Ukrainians who speak Ukrainian. This excludes a about half of the population who speak Russian. Svoboda obtained 12 per cent of the vote in the 2012 parliamentary elections, mainly (but not exclusively) in the three western provinces of Ukraine. These provinces are the are the main centers of militant nationalism. Diplomats from the EU and U.S. saw fit to confer legitimacy on this party, which is now integrated into the official structures of the state. Its members now hold several ministerial portfolios, including that of Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Prosecutor General (who is responsible for upholding the constitution and other laws). Until 2005, when the Freedom party underwent a certain makeover, the party bore the name ‘National-Social’ and had as its symbol the ‘wolfsangel,’ emblem of certain Nazi SS units. At various moments during the demonstrations, one could see the red-black banner of OUN (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists) on the stage at Maidan. OUN collaborated with the German occupation in World War II and participated in the mass murder of Poles and Jews. Tyaginbok himself was expelled from the rightwing parliamentary bloc in 2004 for remarks about the “Jewish-Russian mafia” that was controlling Ukraine. Citing the party’s racist and xenophobic character, in 2012 the European Parliament appealed to the democratic parties of Ukraine not to associate or form alliances with the Freedom party. There are historical issues in this conflict. The heroes of the western provinces collaborated with the German occupation and participated in its crimes; the heroes of the east and south fought fascism and for the Soviet Union. There are also economic interests: the eastern part of the country, the most industrial, is closely integrated with Russia, by far Ukraine’s biggest trading partner. There are also more subtle cultural differences, which are beyond the scope of this article. But one thing is clear – the population of the western provinces, driven by anti-Russian nationalism, is more easily mobilized. A significant part of the protesters on Maidan came from those provinces. Polls indicate that 80 per cent of the population opposes membership in NATO. Yet all presidents up until Yanukovich pursued membership in NATO. Yanukovich was the first to embrace a policy of neutrality. But NATO will not hear of that. The Russian View How do things appear from the Russian side? The Russian government no doubt sees what has happened as another step in the longstanding policy of the U.S. and NATO to contain Russia’s influence to her own borders, this despite the solemn commitment of George Bush made to Gorbachev not to expand NATO in return for German reunification. From the Russian point of view, it is another use of the tactic of manipulation of popular mobilizations, used successfully in Serbia, Georgia and Ukraine, to bring about regime change. Putin cannot remain indifferent to the rise of an extreme anti-Russian right in a region with which Russia has close cultural and historic ties. The foreign policy of his authoritarian, corrupt and largely incompetent regime is about the only thing that attracts positive support from the population. Russia has frozen its offer of $15-billion in loans to Ukraine, an offer made, be it noted, without austerity conditions. The government has also announced it will not renew its discount on the price of gas. And Russia has many other economic levers at its disposal. Russia is Ukraine’s leading trading partner and already threatened to impose punitive tariffs on certain goods when the European accord was being discussed. Russia’s military moves in Crimea appear to be pursuing primarily symbolic goals aimed at its own population as well as at Kiev’s right-wing government, which is being warned not to get carried away. One should recall the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, a flagrant violation of international law (such as it is), under the invented pretext of a threatened genocide of the Kosovars. globalresearch.ca/ukraine-popular-uprising-for-democracy-or-fascist-putsch/5373207 For more see: 1992 to 1999 US/NATO bombing in the Balkans was a war crime Here you can read about the lie that the Serbs were being the genocidal war crimes, when it was sponsored by CIA funded/backed Afghan-trained mujahideen. groups.yahoo/group/SomeUnknownUSHistory/message/499 part one groups.yahoo/group/SomeUnknownUSHistory/message/497 groups.yahoo/group/SomeUnknownUSHistory/message/497 Al Qaeda worked for the CIA in the Balkans part 4 groups.yahoo/group/SomeUnknownUSHistory/message/686 Al Qaeda (the data base) in support of US foreign policy https://groups.yahoo/neo/groups/SomeUnknownUSHistory/conversations/messages/760 My commentary: The US needs to get the hell out of NATO. What is the national debt of the EU? The US national debt is about $16.7 trillion. The State and Local government debt is $2.2 Trillion. Unfunded obligated/liabilities federal spending: Federal employee pension contingent liabilities (incl. Postal service), $ 4.0 trillion, unfunded state and local government employee pension and medical contingent liabilities, $ 2.7 trillion. TOTAL: $8.9 trillion + 16.7 + 2.2 = $27.8 Trillion Infrastructure debt: $2.2 trillion.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 20:58:54 +0000
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