Turmoil in Ukraine [Expanded edition]

 By Stephen Lendman

“The stakes are forbiddingly high. Will the damn fool in the White House blunder into more mistakes than already? Will he challenge Russia more irresponsibly than what’s he’s foolishly done?” Meanwhile, the nonstop barrage of American media lies makes the situation increasingly tense and difficult to resolve by diplomacy.

Ongoing events are scary. Everyone should be worried. Reports reveal heightened tensions. Conditions resemble nations preparing for war.  On March 1, Voice of Russia (VOR) said Ukraine’s border guard ships are on “battle alarm” at sea. “(E)xtreme measures (are being taken) to avert the seizure of a territory in Sevastopol.”

Valentina Matviyenko is Russia’s highest ranking female politician. She chairs its upper parliamentary Federation Council.  Under ongoing “circumstances,” she said, “we might send a limited contingent of troops to ensure security of the Black Sea Fleet and Russian national residing in Crimea.”

“Surely, it’s up to the president to decide as he is commander-in-chief, but we don’t rule out such a scenario. We must protect our compatriots.”

 

Russian senators visited Crimea. They briefed their colleagues. Moscow can’t be indifferent to the security and safety of its nationals, she added.  Lower house State Duma speaker Sergei Naryshkin asked Putin “to take measures to stabilize the situation in Crimea and use all available possibilities to protect the population of Crimea from lawlessness and violence.”

Interim Ukraine coup d’etat defense minister Igor (Ihor) Tenyukh formerly headed Ukraine’s navy.  In 2010, Yanukovych sacked him. He did so for initiating hostile action against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. (Tenyukh was responsible for ordering Ukrainian naval vessels to block the entrance of the Russian Navy to the bay of Sevastopol, in response to the2008 South Ossetia War.^[3] No ships were, in fact, blocked.*)

During Georgia’s 2008 aggression against South Ossetia, he ordered Ukrainian ships to block Sevastopol waters. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was involved in “forcing Georgia to come to peace.”  On Friday, Tenyukh accused Russia of invading Ukraine. Interim coup d’etat prime minister Arseny Yatseniuk said the country won’t be “drawn into a military conflict by Russian provocations in the Crimea region.”

On the one hand, his words ring hollow. Ukraine’s military is no match against Russia’s. It’s unclear which side its commanders favor. They could intervene to impose their own authority. Vladimir Chizhov is Russia’s EU ambassador. He responded to Ukrainian accusations, saying:

“There are no troops whatsoever (in Crimea), no Russian troops at least.”

Asked why “self-defense” groups were formed, he added:  “They have been hearing threats that so-called ‘friendship trains’ loaded with armed supporters of the Kiev Maidan were on their way to Crimea. Naturally the local population is worried.”

He dismissed John Kerry’s bluster, saying:  “The US [government] with its tradition of interfering in other countries and sending troops overseas, may be acting according to its own mentality, I would say. But this is not a case of Russian interference. Actually many people in Russia are asking questions about why is the Russian government keeping such a low profile.”

Russia’s UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said:

“We have an agreement with Ukraine on the presence of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, and we have been acting within the framework of” its provisions.  It’s dated April 21, 2010. Presidents of both countries signed it. It permits the presence of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.  Throughout Ukraine’s crisis, Putin remained uncharacteristically quiet. On Saturday, he asked Russia’s Federation Council to authorize use of armed forces in Ukraine.

He issued a statement, saying:

“Due to the emergency situation in Ukraine and a threat being posed to the lives of Russian nationals, our compatriots, and the Russian military contingent stationed in Ukraine (the Autonomous Republic of Crimea) in compliance with international agreements, I ask the Federation Council to permit the use of Russian armed forces on the territory of Ukraine until [the] social and political situation in the country stabilizes.”

Under Article 102 of Russia’s Constitution, Federation Council members are responsible for deciding whether to deploy government troops externally.  On Saturday, at 11:23 EST, they voted unanimously to do so. More on this below.   America’s Sixth Fleet ships were detected in the Black Sea heading for Crimean waters.

At the same time, unconfirmed reports suggest NATO forces arrived in western Ukraine’s Lviv region. They came to protect the US-installed coup d’etat government.  It’s unclear how Ukraine’s military will respond. NATO’s presence suggests concern about whether its commanders remain loyal to Yanukovych.  What’s ongoing raises the stakes for a dangerous East/West confrontation. Perhaps it makes Crimean independence more likely. Perhaps eastern and southern Ukraine will break away.

The Security Council met on Saturday. Members “discuss(ed) the situation in Ukraine,” according to an informed source.  They met on Friday. Ukrainian permanent representative, Yuri Sergeyev, urged its members to consider the Crimean situation “most seriously.”

EU ambassadors are meeting in Brussels. They’re discussing Ukraine ahead of an emergency Monday Foreign Affairs Council meeting. NATO called an emergency Monday meeting. At issue is Ukraine’s deteriorating situation. Russia’s Federation Council asked for Russia’s US ambassador to be recalled. Russian Federation Council Deputy Chair Yuri Vorobyov called Obama a “direct threat” to the Russian Republic.

He crossed a “red line,” he said. He “insulted the Russian people…We know that Maidan fighters were trained in Lithuania and Poland,” he added. “Now they want to take their activities to eastern regions of Ukraine and Crimea.”  Federation Council member Vyacheslav Shtyrov expressed similar sentiments. “(E)vents occurring in Ukraine are the upshot of the extensive work that was done with the participation of foreign countries,” he said.

“The US played a major role.” Strings are pulled in Washington. Plans were made well before violence erupted last November.  Federation Council chair Valentina Matviyenko instructed the Committee on International Relations “to prepare an appeal to (Putin) without delay and send it to (him). (He’ll) consider it and make the decision,” she said.

The damn fool in the White House governs by Washington rules. Monied interests control him. They benefit hugely. He opened a can or worms. He’s getting more than he bargained for.  How he’ll respond remains to be seen. Putin won’t roll over for him. He’ll defend vital Russian interests. A previous article suggested Ukraine may be his red line. For sure, in Crimea to protect Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.  On Saturday, thousands of Crimeans marched through Simferopol streets. They displayed large Russian tricolor flags.

They chanted pro-Russian slogans. They carried posters reading “No to fascism.” “No to Nazism.” Russian flags were raised in Odessa, Kharkov and other Ukrainian cities. Battle lines increasingly are drawn. Will the damn fool in the White House blunder into more mistakes than already? Will he challenge Russia more irresponsibly than what’s he’s foolishly done?

An email to a valued ally suggested he may make Custer look brilliant by comparison. He only had his forces routed.  Obama risks humanity. The damn fool in the White House may dare go where angels fear to tread.

A previous article said impeaching him is a national imperative. It’s more urgent now than ever. He’s guilty of multiple high crimes. They’re too grave to ignore. He’s beholden to interests risking armageddon. He’s heading America for possible WW III.  Stopping him at all costs matters most. The only solution is nonviolent revolution. US citizens are constitutionally empowered to resist.  They’re entitled to challenged their government responsibly.  Francis Boyle calls civil resisters our “sheriffs.” Washington’s criminal element are “outlaws.”

They “disobeyed fundamental principles of international law as well as US criminal law, and thus committed international crimes and US domestic crimes as well as impeachable violations of the United States Constitution,” said Boyle.  “The American people must insist upon the impeachment, dismissal, resignation, indictment, conviction, and long-term incarceration of all US government officials guilty of such heinous international and domestic crimes.”

Accountability goes straight to the top. No one remains unaccountable. Those highest up are most culpable. Chop off the head and the snake dies.  We the people must act. Institutionalized tyranny threatens everyone. Humanity may not survive Obama’s second term.

The damn fool in the White House isn’t savvy enough to get it. He doesn’t understand the irresponsible risks he’s taking. He’s manipulated by dark forces controlling him.  It bears repeating what previous article stressed. Today is the most perilous time in world history.  Imagine the worst of all possible outcomes. If that’s not motivation enough to resist, what is?

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.  His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.  It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. 

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

_________________
* Tenyukh is a rabid nationalist, and one of the chief promoters of the coup against Yakunovitch. He’s one of America’s pawns in the chess being played to steal Ukraine for the West. “During a Euromaidan rally in Kiev on January 19, 2014 Tenyukh warned of the dangers posed by the “coup d’etat planned by the current authorities” (sic) and called for members of the armed forces to defy “illegal” orders from those in power.^[4] “Tomorrow the regime will enslave you too. Therefore we are calling on you to fulfil your military oath of loyalty to the Ukrainian people and not to the authorities who have gone off the rails,” he was quoted as saying.^{[4]” (WIKI)}

APPENDIX

Obama [has the gall to] Warns Russia
In plain English, something you won’t hear from the presstitutes, “Obama’s scheme calls for destabilizing, weakening and isolating Russia. He wants it balkanized into multiple mini-states. He wants new NATO bases bordering its territory.”

by Stephen Lendman

The damn fool in the White House risks a potentially serious East/West confrontation.  He bears full responsibility for toppling Ukraine’s democratically elected government. He’s criminally in league with fascist coup plotters.

He outrageously warned Russia, saying:

“We are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine. The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.”

“(A)ny violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be “deeply destabilizing…”

John Kerry aims to exceed the worst of his predecessors. He’s well on his way to becoming Washington worst ever Secretary of State.  He shames the office he holds. He added his own remarks, saying:

“The United States totally supports the Ukraine’s territorial integrity and (its) sovereignty, and we expect other nations to do the same.” Washington deplores independent sovereign nations. It goes all-out to eliminate them. It ravages and destroys one after another.  Samantha Power is Obama’s UN ambassador from hell. She’s one of many neocons infesting his administration. She calls genocidal war humanitarian intervention.

“The United States stands with the Ukrainian people in determining their own destiny,” she said.

“The United States calls upon Russia to pull back the military forces that are being built up in the region, to stand down, and to allow the Ukrainian people the opportunity to pursue their own government, create their own destiny and to do so freely without intimidation or fear.”

She urged “peace dialogue (to prevent) further violence.” Obama bears full responsibility for stoking it. His grand scheme calls for destabilizing, weakening and isolating Russia. He wants it balkanized into multiple mini-states. He wants new NATO bases bordering its territory.

He wants Ukraine raped and pillaged. It wants its crown jewels plundered. They’re largely in Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.  He wants its people exploited. He wants onerous IMF debt bondage.  In return, it demands huge social benefits cuts. Predatory Western capitalism wants favored monied interests alone benefitting. Obama wants Russia eliminated as a major US rival. He wants control over its territory. He wants its vast resources exploited. His grand scheme risks WW III.

On March 1, Voice of Russia (VOR) headlined “Unidentified armed people try to seize Crimean Interior Ministry – Russian FM.”

According to Moscow’s Foreign Ministry, unidentified gunmen from Kiev were involved. Injuries were reported. Crimean “self-defense units” acted decisively. The scheme failed.

“Russia is gravely concerned about the latest development in Crimea,” its Foreign Ministry said. Further escalation is irresponsible, it added.  Western-linked Kiev fascists want Crimea destabilized. They want total control. More details to follow when known.  Crimea’s new Russian Unity party Prime Minister, Sergei Aksyonov, took control of area security forces. He appealed to Putin for help. He issued a statement, saying:

“Considering my responsibility for the life and security of people, I am turning to Russian President Vladimir Putin to request assistance to preserve peace and calm on the territory of the Autonomous Crimean Republic.”

Voice of Russia (VOR) said his request won’t be “disregard(ed).” Areas around eastern and southern parts of the Crimean Council of Ministers were cordoned off.  No one gets closer than 300 meters. Police and Road Traffic Police keep vehicles and pedestrians out. Simferopol streets are half-empty.

Crimean authorities planned holding an autonomy referendum on May 25. On March 1, Prime Minister Aksyonov said:

“The situation has prompted us to…set March 30” instead. Crimeans will vote on whether to assert independence.  Odds strongly favor them doing so. Expect a typical Western reaction in response.

Mark Ames is a one-time ex-pat US journalist. He spent time in Moscow. He’s back home.  On February 28, he headlined “Pierre Omidyar co-funded Ukraine revolution groups with US government, documents show.”  USAID was involved, said Ames. It played a major role in funding putschists. Considerable funding came from billionaire Pierre Omidyar.

He “previously worked closely with US government agencies to further his own business interests,” said Ames.  He partnered with Washington’s regime change scheme. He funded, founded and publishes Glenn Greenwald’s The Intercept blog. His deep pockets are a force to be reckoned with.

So are Washington linked NGOs. George Soros is a new world order confidence man.  His Open Society Foundations masquerade as liberal. Their claimed mission is to “work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens.”

Soros is a notorious global predator. He profits at the expense of others. He deplores democratic values.   He promotes marketplace sovereignty. He wants government enterprises privatized at fire sale prices. He wants social spending eliminated. He wages no-holds-barred class war.  Oleksandr Yefremov is former ruling Party of Regions deputy head.  In April 2011, RT.com headlined “Leading party says Soros prepares ‘Libyan scenario’ for Ukraine.”

RT.com quoted Yefremov, saying:

“I have information that Soros has allocated certain funds in order to prepare a certain group of young boys here in Ukraine who could launch any existing projects based on the North Africa examples.”  His rogue investing is notorious. In 1992, he made a billion dollars sabotaging European monetary policy.  He attacked the European Rate Mechanism (ERM). He did so through a highly leveraged speculative assault on the British pound. He forced its devaluation and ERM breakup.

He’s been fined for insider trading. When asked once about the turmoil he causes, he dismissively responded:

“As a market participant, I don’t need to be concerned with the consequences of my actions.”

He profits handsomely from imperial wars. He operates quietly. He wants his activities little noticed.  He was involved in Soviet Russia’s dissolution. He funded dissident groups in its former republics. He did so in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.  He takes credit for “Americanizing Eastern Europe.” He funded anti-Milosevic elements in Yugoslavia.  His Pax Americana strategy differs only from Washington’s in subtlety. It matches its viciousness.  He’s involved in Obama’s plan to topple Assad in Syria. He once said “(w)e need a global sheriff.” Perhaps he has himself in mind.

He sees ripe pickings in Ukraine. He wants a piece of its plundered resources. He’s mindless of the harm he causes.  On February 28, RIA Novosti headlined “Russian Lawmakers Push to Simplify Annexing New Territories,” saying:

On Friday, legislation was introduced. Moscow “may be planning to gain control over Ukraine’s mainly ethnic Russian-populated region of Crimea.”

Legislative language calls for doing so through referendum authority.  “There have been cases in international practice when a part of a state joined another state without an international treaty being signed,” Russian lawmakers said.

“Moreover, international law does not require the conclusion of such a treaty with a foreign state.”

Lawmakers said Moscow is obligated to Ukraine under its treaty of friendship, cooperation and partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.  Its agreed on provisions include:

“Article 1

High contracting parties as the friendly, equal in rights and sovereign states base the relations on mutual respect and trust, strategic partnership and cooperation.

Article 2

High contracting parties according to provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and obligations under the Final act of Meeting on safety and cooperation in Europe respect territorial integrity of each other and confirm inviolability of borders existing between them.

Article 3

High contracting parties build the relations with each other on the basis of principles of mutual respect, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, inviolability of borders, peaceful settlement of disputes, the nonuse of force or threat by force, including economic and different ways of pressure, the rights of the people freely to dispose of the destiny, non-interference to internal affairs, observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, cooperation between the states, fair accomplishment of the taken international obligations, and also other universally recognized norms of international law.”

A so-called 1994 Budapest Memorandum affirms a US/Russia/UK/Northern Ireland commitment “to respect the Independence and Sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine.”  These nations “reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine…”

They’ll “refrain from economic coercion” to benefit at its expense.  They’ll assist Ukraine “should it become a victim of an act of aggression…”

Interim president/parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov is fascist Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party first deputy chairman.  He warned that “any movements of troops, especially with troops outside that territory will be considered military aggression.”

On February 28, his special Crimean representative, Sergei Kunitsyn said:

“Thirteen Russian aircraft landed at the airport of Gvardeyskoye (near Simferopol) with 150 people in each one.” He described what he called an “armed invasion.”  A previous article called Ukraine a potential flashpoint for global war. A possible East/West confrontation is very much up for grabs.

Ukraine may be Putin’s red line. He once called Soviet Russia’s dissolution modern history’s greatest tragedy.  He’s most concerned about Ukraine. It’s the most important former Soviet republic. It was part of Russia’s heartland.   It’s been its breadbasket and gateway to the West. Crimea is home to its Black Sea Fleet. It’s too strategically important to lose.  If Crimea declares independence, expect Putin to support it. He’ll try doing so diplomatically.  He calls sovereign independence inviolable. He’s been mostly quiet so far. He’s too outspoken to remains so for long.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.  His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”