US/NATO/EU and the desperate subversion of Ukraine

[John Dolva]

RT :

At least 7 people have been injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of the Kiev coup-appointed government in Ukraine's southern city of Odessa. According to reports, shots were fired at presidential candidate Oleg Tsarev.

Tsarev, a businessman from Dnepropetrovsk and former MP from the Party of Regions, was reportedly shot at near the hotel Promenade where he was staying in Odessa. “He's all right, he's intact. Now we are looking for those who fired the gun,” a member of his election staff told RBK-Ukraine.

Shots were heard after members of the Right Sector nationalist movement and pro-Kiev activists tried to block the entrance to the building where Tsarev was staying.

Soon after the mob blocked the hotel, supporters of the candidate moved in to intervene with the help of several hundred activists who participated in a peaceful rally dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Odessa from Nazi Germany.

Security officers from the Alpha special forces group had to intervene and escort the presidential hopeful out of the hotel, as police were reluctant to stop the violence.

At least 7 people were injured in clashes between the opposing camps. Ukrainian police have opened a criminal investigation in the matter.

This is not the first time Tsarev was attacked in recent days. Before arriving to Odessa, Tsarev was beaten and pelted with eggs in Nikolaev by members of the Right Sector, RIA Novosti reports. Earlier on Thursday, presidential candidate Sergey Tigipko was also pelted with eggs.

[John Dolva]

RT :

Just after a deadline set by Kiev for protesters in eastern Ukraine to vacate seized buildings expired, Parliament-appointed PM Arseny Yatsenyuk pledged to push through a law allowing regional referendums in the country.

[John Dolva]

Ukrainian coup-imposed authorities have their hands full with various problems. The country’s eastern regions remain in turmoil, with protesters demanding autonomy from the capital, and economic perils are aggravated by an imminent gas debt crisis.

Saturday, April 12

13:24 GMT:

Twenty armed men have seized a police office in Donetsk region, local online news portal Novosti Donbassa reported, citing witnesses.

13:22 GMT:

Around 1,000 people have been rallying in front of the police headquarters in the eastern city of Donetsk. The demonstrators urge the police ‘side with the people.’ Several activists met with the local head of police enforcers Konstantin Pozhidayev. His resignation has been among the protesters’ demands.

13:08 GMT:

Ukraine’s coup-imposed president Aleksandr Turchinov has sacked the head of Donetsk Security Service over protests for bigger autonomy from Kiev.

12:42 GMT:

Several hundred people are marching for peace in Lugansk, eastern Ukraine, says RIA Novosti news agency. According to some reports in local press, the demonstration has been organized by Lugansk Buddhists.

12:38 GMT:

A Russian flag has been raised over the local administration offices in Slavyansk, Interfax reports.

[John Dolva]

RT :

West, Kiev apply double standards to protesters in E. Ukraine – Lavrov

Published time: April 12, 2014 16:47

Edited time: April 12, 2014 19:38

Get short URL

Trends

Ukraine turmoil

Tags

Conflict, EU, Human rights, Politics, Russia, USA, Ukraine

Western countries and Kiev authorities are applying double standards to activists in eastern Ukraine protesting against the coup-appointed government, forgetting similar protests in the capital’s Independence Square, says Russian FM Sergey Lavrov.

The self-imposed government ignored adopted laws which they passed themselves, for example, an amnesty for all participants in the riots, according to the agreement from February, 21 on crisis regulation, Sergey Lavrov told popular TV host Vladimir Soloviev at Russia’s Channel One show on Friday.

New authorities “amnestied those who were against the [President Viktor] Yanukovich government,” said Lavrov, “So those who ‘were kinking’ in Maidan are no longer guilty.”

Now the Kiev government says this very amnesty law will be applied to only to those in the south-east who did not take part in mass riots or did not instigate them.

“It turns out that they totally amnestied themselves, but decided to press charges against those people who attempted – quite gently – to simulate what had happened in Maidan,” said Lavrov. The Russian FM stressed protests in the south-east were stemmed on the fact that the people were being ignored by Kiev authorities for over two months and while their own Russian culture was being ripped away from them.

“So they decided to attract the attention of Kiev authorities this way,” said Lavrov.

Tensions escalated in south-eastern Ukraine on Monday when protesters in several cities, including Donetsk, Kharkov and Lugansk started seizing local administration buildings, some clashes were also reported in Odessa and Nikolaev.

The country’s Interior Ministry promised a harsh response to the riots in the east, especially in the “separatist regions” of Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkov. The coup-appointed authorities said they would arrest all violators, "regardless of the declared slogans and party affiliation."

Moscow is also urging to provide for Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions to take part in the upcoming talks with Kiev, Russia, the US, and EU on the current crisis which will take place in Geneva, April, 17, says FM Sergey Lavrov.

“However, we won’t come to negotiations only for western countries to see that by talking with Ukrainian leader, we legitimize this power,” says Lavrov.

Lavrov approved the decision of Ukraine’s Party of Regions to send its presidential candidate Mikhail Dobkin to the Geneva talks. Dobkin has formed proposals, including making Russian the second official language in the regions and changing the budget.

According to Lavrov, south-eastern Ukraine “demands more powers for their regions.”

“We want Ukraine to be integral. We call it [ukraine] ‘federation’ as it may solve the problems of our close neighbors, friends and brothers, but we don’t insist on this notion. It’s up to Ukrainian nation to decide,” he said.

Lavrov also criticized the reaction of the EU and the US who said Crimea cannot be compared to Kosovo – because Kosovo ‘won’ its independence from Serbia by tremendous bloodshed.

“It turns out that Crimea should have the same bloodshed as in Kosovo so that the West finally approved its decision to reunite with Russia. But should they? Excuse me, such parallels are absolutely unsuitable,” says Lavrov.

Lavrov denied allegations that Russian troops “are preparing to seize over Ukrainian-Russian border.” On Thursday, NATO released images of what it called a current build-up of Russian troops near Ukrainian border. However, later sources in the Russian Defense ministry said the images were taken in August 2013 amid military drills.

“There were drills,” Lavrov admitted talking of 2014. “We announced them long ago and nobody concealed this fact.”

“Moreover, after requests were filed by the Ukrainian, European and American parties, we allowed inspections, invited representatives of those countries who visited the areas of the drills and, as they said, drew up a conclusion that they did not find any threatening military activities. Our representatives in the OSCE asked the inspectors to distribute this report via official channels. This is yet to be done.”

The Russian FM slammed as “absurd” the recent sanctions applied to Russia by the US and the EU.

“We should understand that international relations are based on the proverb “what goes around comes around.” We won’t avenge, but we will take a balanced approach to every arising issue,” said Russian FM.

However, not all countries back the US in its policies. Lavrov says that the BRICS countries have expressed strong support of Russia. According to the Russian FM, during the meeting at the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, the leaders condemned the one-side sanctions as well as intervention of some countries into the internal affairs of other countries.

“The majority of the people I talked to, in conversations which were not meant to be public, express understanding and behave themselves adequately. [One] can talk to them, discuss, trade arguments, at some points even agree,” said Lavrov.

He added that Russia doesn’t always say that its policy is the only correct one and that Moscow will not ‘step back’.

“Not at all. Convince us, we never turn down reasonable arguments and compromises, because politics – is the art of the possible. It’s not in our tradition to dictate to the rest of the world. This is inherent to other world powers. I want the “syndrome of the one polar world” to disappear quicker, because the world can only be multipolar. The more power other poles have, besides America, the more use it will bring Washington.”

[John Dolva]

RT :

Far-right Right Sector party leader Dmitry Yarosh has called his supporters to mobilize and get ready to take decisive steps to ‘defend Ukraine’s sovereignty’. He urged the security forces not to interfere but help the nationalists restore ‘legal order’.

In an online video on the Right Sector Youtube page Yarosh “commanded all arms of the Right Sector to fully mobilize and get ready to take decisive steps to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“I call upon the Ukrainian security forces not only to refrain from counteracting the Right Sector, but also help [the party members] to bring legal order to the Ukrainian land,” he said.

On Monday radical activists representing the Right Sector attempted to storm Kiev’s Supreme Court building, demanding the adoption of lustration legislation, which implies that people connected to the former regime may not hold office in the new authority.

[John Dolva]

Tigipko: situation in southeast of Ukraine cannot be resolved by force

World

April 13, 4:49 UTC+4

“This situation cannot be resolved by force. The first victims will trigger a civil war,” the presidential candidate was quoted by his press service

© ITAR-TASS

KIEV, April 13, /ITAR-TASS/. There is no force solution to the situation in the southeast of Ukraine, presidential candidate, people’s deputy Sergei Tigipko said on Saturday. Ukraine will hold early presidential election on May 25.

“This situation cannot be resolved by force. The first victims will trigger a civil war,” the presidential candidate was quoted by his press service.

Tigipko is certain that the Verkhovna Rada (parliament of Ukraine) should immediately “consider a package of measures for the crisis settlement in the southeast of Ukraine.” In particular, he believes, “concrete dates of the first elections of governors,” as well as early elections of parliament deputies should be set.

“The law on local self-government reform and decentralisation of power will transfer the maximum powers to regions, and also will ensure the succession of power for the transition period,” Tigipko said. The presidential candidate also noted that it is necessary to take measures to disarm people in the streets. “First - to amnesty the participants in the protests in the southeast. Second - the disbandment of illegal military formations. No elections can be legitimate at the point of assault rifles,” he added.

Tigipko also called for the country’s “non-aligned status,” recognition of the Russian language as the second state language, as well as for equal representation of all regions in the power bodies and electivity of governors.

The Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council held an extraordinary meeting in Kiev on Saturday. It discussed measures to normalise the situation in the southeast of the country. There have been no reports on the meeting outcome.

Members of the Verkhovna Rada Nikolai Rudkovsky had earlier demanded to call an urgent parliament meeting to discuss the situation in the south-eastern regions of Ukraine.

[John Dolva]

RT :

If Kiev fulfils its threat to use force against desperate South-eastern Ukrainians, it will undermine the prospect of a four-sided meeting in Geneva as well as other cooperation on the Ukrainian crisis, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov told his US counterpart.

In a phone call on Friday the top diplomats discussed the Ukrainian crisis and preparations for a meeting in Geneva planned to take place next week.

Lavrov has warned John Kerry that “if Kiev’s threats to use force against people driven to despair in the southeast are carried out, prospects for further cooperation on the Ukrainian issue, including a planned four-party meeting in Geneva, will be foiled,” according to Russia’s foreign ministry’s statement.

[Evan Burton]

The parallels between this and Hitler's annexations in the late 1930s are stunning.... even down to the apologists.

[John Dolva]

I agree. There are differences though. Fascism today is expressed more clearly as a capitalist construct. Back then the various apologists like Ford didn't really pretend to be otherwise. There's a definite disconnect occurring in the halls of power at the moment and it is really important to listen to the peoples history. One thing that is a constantly recurring theme is clear anti fascist sentimants. I restrain myself from giving advice at this point.

[John Dolva]

RT : Sunday, April 13

11:12 GMT:

Conflicting reports of casualties are coming in from Slavyansk, which remains the scene of an armed confrontation between pro-Kiev troops and anti-Maidan protesters controlling the city.

The Donetsk region health authorities said one person has been killed on a road connecting Slavyansk with Artyomovsk, and another five injured by gunshots in Slavyansk.

It was not immediately clear whether these casualties were the ones referred to earlier Sunday by Arsen Avakov, Kiev’s acting Interior Minister, or those reported by the protesters.

11:10 GMT:

Three people have been reported killed in Slavyansk after Kiev’s crackdown on the city, anti-government activist Nikolay Solntsev told RIA Novosti. He said that one anti-Maidan protester was killed and two injured, while two people were reportedly killed from the Pravy Sektor (Right sector) nationalist group.

10:42 GMT:

A protest rally in the city of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine has escalated into a takeover of city hall, local media reported. This continues the string of seizures of government buildings by anti-Maidan activists in the Donetsk region.

[John Dolva]

MOSCOW, April 13. /ITAR-TASS/. Moscow is calling on the United Nations Security Council and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to urgently consider the situation in southeastern Ukraine,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

“We are demanding that the ‘Maidan’ protesters who overthrew Ukraine’s legitimate president immediately stop a war against their own people and meet all their commitments under the February 21 agreement,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.

“The western sponsors of ‘maidan’ protesters, especially those who put their signatures under the aforesaid agreement* and also the United States who is standing behind them, are obliged to bridle their fosterlings, who have gone out of control, and make them distance themselves from neo-Nazis and other extremists; stop using weapons against the Ukrainian people and immediately start a real national dialogue, in which all regions will take an equal part, in the interests of an early and fundamental constitutional reform,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

“A possibility to avert a civil war is now in the hands of the West,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.

________________

* feb21 agreement : http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?s=9257839d335eaa9cf0e00e1a6f6ef30d&showtopic=20879&page=7#entry286098

________________

[John Dolva]

Just caught the last of the emergency un sec council meeting. The us and kiev mouthpieces continues (rather uncomfortably) the notion that those opposed to the coup in kiev are terrorists and pointedly avoid any condemnation, or mention afa I could hear, of the right wing extremists involved. the russian side correctly pointed out the rather contemptuous attitude of the coup supporters towards people wishing to register, now through action, a clear anti coup stance by claiming they and their thinking capacities are under control of russia. Not a good position for resolution. It seems to me that 'the west' is determined, at any cost including to truth, to suppress any expressions counter to a very narrow interpretation of intents. The anti-maidan activists are seemingly now 'terrorists', and are to be treated as such, and the fascist elements in kiev seemingly by implication have a legitimate role. The hypocrisy and the lies continually pushed by the western mouthpieces in a supposed attempt to defuse a critical situation obviously cannot succeed. The people of ukraine, however, will continue to suffer the consequences.

[John Dolva]

THE UNITED NATIONS, April 14. /ITAR-TASS/. If current crisis in Ukraine develops according to the worst scenario Western countries will bear responsibility “by 99%” for this, Russian Permanent Representative in the United Nations Organisation Vitaly Churkin said on Sunday.

“I believe that our Western partners will be responsible for this by 99%,” he told reporters after a meeting of the UN Security Council. The diplomat warned that the decision of Kiev authorities to hold combat actions in south-eastern Ukraine “will entail the hardest consequences and will lead to escalation and a deeper crisis in Ukraine.” Vitaly Churkin said with hope that Kiev’s patrons would not permit this scenario.

“I would like to hope that as a result of quite difficult debates in the UN Security Council our Western partners will think about how high their responsibility for current events and will warn those politicians in Kiev who do not take any serious steps without consent from Western capitals from fulfilment of this insane plan,” he added.

West's possibility to avert a civil war

It is precisely on the West that the possibility to avert a civil war in Ukraine is depending now Vitaly Churkin Russia’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations Organization

He added, "A very dangerous situation has taken shape" in Ukraine's south-east. "A further escalation of it must be prevented without delay". He said, "The Western sponsors of the Maidan protestesf, including the United States "have got to hold in check their fosterlings that have run out of conrol and make them dissociate themselves from the neonazis and other extremists, stop using armed forces against the Ukrainian people, and immediately to launch a truly nation-wide dialogue, with an equal participation of all regions in the interests of effecting a radical constitutional reform as soon as possible."

"It is precisely on the West that the possibility to avert a civil war in Ukraine is depending now," Churkin pointed out. He called on the West to cease looking for a "hand of Moscow" in the developments in Ukraine's south-east. "Stop doing that. Stop spreading yarns to the effect that we have concentrated large military forces on the border with that country, the forces that are ostensibly prepared within hours to reach nearly the English Channel. It is time realize that people in south-eastern Ukraine are deeply concerned for their future and they do not want anyone, still less the unbridled national-radicals to impose their will on them," the diplomat said.

[John Dolva]

KIEV, April 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Popular lawmaker and candidate for Ukraine’s presidency Oleh Tsaryov believes the presidential elections should take place in autumn, after provisions about the federative framework and the national status of the Russian language would be added to the Constitution of Ukraine.

Infographics

Rallies in Ukraine

Rallies in Ukraine. Infographics ITAR-TASS

“The minimal term is autumn. Until autumn, they should vote for amendments to the Constitution, and after they fulfill all our conditions, we would be ready to take part in these elections,” the nominee said.

Tsaryov urged people from southeastern Ukraine to consolidate and make joint demands to the country’s leadership, which, as he believes, must enter into negotiations with the protesters and listen to them.

Earlier, the lawmaker agreed to lead the Southeastern movement for federalization. Only by federalizing Ukraine, it is possible to “save the country from breaking up”, the politician pointed out at a news conference in Donetsk.

[John Dolva]

10:27 GMT:

Gorlovka’s police HQ is under the complete control of the anti-Maidan protesters. Many police officers have declared their support for the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

The protesters are preparing to erect barricades around the building, in a similar way to how this was done in other Donetsk region cities and towns, and spread their control to other parts of the city.

The leaders of the protest demanded that no one try to attack the people responsible for pushing an activist off of the entrance roof during the siege. They promised a proper investigation of the incident.

10:10 GMT:

The staff of the regional administration in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk has been evacuated, only law enforces remained in the building, reported Interfax.

According to local Vostochny Variant internet portal, the administration staff was evacuated due to possible crackdown on the building scheduled 12pm local time (09:00 GMT).

Earlier, the anti-Maidan activists have taken over the building of regional security service.

09:45 GMT:

One of the law enforcers from the protester-seized police HQ in Gorlovka has being escorted out of the building. Some more radical people in the crowd called for immediate revenge for pushing down an activist from the entrance roof, but their more cool-headed comrades are restraining them.

The policeman was taken to an ambulance parked near the HQ. The vehicle then drove away.

09:33 GMT:

Heated negotiations are underway at Gorlovka police HQ, as the protesters try to convince the defending troops to lay down arms and leave the building.