Ukraine

Joe Biden’s Son Appointed To Board Of Largest Ukraine Gas Company

May 18, 2014 Paul Sonne nd James V. Grimaldi,www.wsj.com Educate! Gas, Ukraine

Vice President Joe Biden's son and a close friend of Secretary of State John Kerry's stepson have joined the board of a Ukrainian gas producer controlled by a former top security and energy official for deposed President Viktor Yanukovych. The move has attracted attention given Messrs. Biden's and Kerry's public roles in diplomacy toward Ukraine, where the U.S. expressed support for pro-Western demonstrators who toppled Mr. Yanukovych's Kremlin-backed government in February. The uprising provoked a pro-Russia backlash that has plunged the post-Soviet republic into conflict and brought it to the brink of civil war. Hunter Biden, a lawyer by training and the younger of the vice president's two sons, joined the board of directors of Ukrainian gas firm Burisma Holdings Ltd. this month and took on responsibility for the company's legal unit, according to a statement issued by the closely held gas producer. His appointment came a few weeks after Devon Archer —college roommate of the secretary of state's stepson, H.J. Heinz Co. ketchup heir Christopher Heinz—joined the board to help the gas firm attract U.S. investors, improve its corporate governance and expand its operations.

Burning Ukraine’s Protesters Alive

May 12, 2014 Robert Parry, www.consortiumnews.com Resist! Russia, Ukraine

In Ukraine, a grisly new strategy – bringing in neo-Nazi paramilitary forces to set fire to occupied buildings in the country’s rebellious southeast – appears to be emerging as a favored tactic as the coup-installed regime in Kiev seeks to put down resistance from ethnic Russians and other opponents. The technique first emerged on May 2 in the port city of Odessa when pro-regime militants chased dissidents into the Trade Unions Building and then set it on fire. As some 40 or more ethnic Russians were burned alive or died of smoke inhalation, the crowd outside mocked them as red-and-black Colorado potato beetles, with the chant of “Burn, Colorado, burn.” Afterwards, reporters spotted graffiti on the building’s walls containing Swastika-like symbols and honoring the “Galician SS,” the Ukrainian adjunct to the German SS in World War II. This tactic of torching an occupied building occurred again on May 9 in Mariupol, another port city, as neo-Nazi paramilitaries – organized now as the regime’s “National Guard” – were dispatched to a police station that had been seized by dissidents, possibly including police officers who rejected a new Kiev-appointed chief. Again, the deployment of the “National Guard” was followed by burning the building and killing a significant but still-undetermined number of people inside. (Early estimates of the dead range from seven to 20.)

Intelligence Veterans Call For Obama-Putin Summit

May 5, 2014 Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, www.commondreams.org Organize! Peace, Russia, Ukraine

The buck stops with you, Mr. President. If you want to stop a bloody civil war between east and west Ukraine and avert Russian military intervention in eastern Ukraine, you may be able to do so before the violence hurtles completely out of control. You need to take the initiative and do it now. We recommend that you publicly disavow any wish to incorporate Ukraine into NATO and that you make it clear to Moscow that you are prepared to meet personally with Russian President Vladimir Putin without delay to discuss ways to defuse the crisis and recognize the legitimate interests of the various parties. You are surely aware by now that some of your key advisers do not share the goal of heading off even more serious violence. Or, if they do, it is hard to understand why they are giving you such a one-sided picture of the genesis of and the culpability for what has become an almost inexorable slide toward still wider hostilities and untold human misery among Ukrainians. We believe you need to overrule those, like Secretary of State John Kerry, whose words and actions Kremlin leaders regard as aimed at giving Russia a bloody nose in its own backyard and – not incidentally – destroying the working relationship enjoyed earlier by you and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Who’s the Propagandist: US State Department Or RT?

May 2, 2014 Robert Parry, www.consortiumnews.com Educate! Media, Russia, Ukraine

The U.S. State Department, which has been caught promoting a series of false or dubious stories about Ukraine, is trying to give some substance to Secretary of State John Kerry’s counter-complaint that Russia’s RT network is a “propaganda bullhorn” promoting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “fantasy.” In a “Dipnote” of April 29, Richard Stengel, under secretary of state for public diplomacy, made some broad-brush criticisms of RT’s content – accusing the network of painting “a dangerous and false picture of Ukraine’s legitimate government” by citing examples of fascism, anti-Semitism and terrorism surrounding the Kiev regime. Stengel claims he knows the difference between news and propaganda because he spent seven years as managing editor of Time. He defines propaganda as “the deliberate dissemination of information that you know to be false or misleading in order to influence an audience” and asserts: “RT is a distortion machine, not a news organization.” But Stengel offers no specific citations of the supposedly propagandistic stories done by RT, making it impossible to ascertain the precise wording or context of the RT content that he is criticizing.

War Likely As Kiev Attacks Eastern Ukrainians

May 2, 2014 Maria Tsvetkova, www.reuters.com Educate! Russia, Ukraine, Wars and Militarism

Pro-Russian rebels shot down two Ukrainian helicopters on Friday, killing two crew, as troops tightened their siege of separatist-held Slaviansk and Moscow accused Kiev of launching a "criminal" assault that wrecked hopes of peace. Though Ukrainian forces appeared to be carrying out one of their most concerted military operations yet, their advance on the ground was limited. Nevertheless, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman accused Kiev of firing on civilians from the air in a "punitive operation" that destroyed an international peace plan. Russia was "extremely worried" about the fate of Russians in the city, including an envoy sent to help free German and other foreign hostages, the Kremlin spokesman said. The dramatic language seems to raise the stakes, as Moscow has tens of thousands of troops massed on the border and claims the right to invade if needed to protect Russian speakers. Reuters journalists in Slaviansk, the most heavily fortified bastion of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, heard shooting break out and saw one helicopter opening fire before dawn. Ten hours later, the city was largely quiet, with shops shut and armed separatists in control of the streets.

Veterans For Peace Urges Honesty, Caution Regarding Ukraine

May 1, 2014 Veterans For Peace, www.veteransforpeace.org Resist! Peace, Russia, Ukraine

The crisis in Ukraine is escalating to the point where a new Cold War threatens to become a hot war between nuclear-armed powers. How did we get here and what can we do to avoid war? In February of this year, the U.S. government supported the violent overthrow of the elected president of Ukraine, after he decided against entering into an exclusive economic and political agreement with the European Union. Hundreds of thousands of people in western Ukraine were in the streets calling for the president to step down, for a variety of reasons including corruption. But extreme right-wing nationalist militias led the mob violence that sent the president packing, and neo-fascist leaders now hold key positions in the U.S.-backed government in Kiev, including overseeing the military and police. Russia responded by facilitating the annexation of Crimea, historically part of Russia and home to its Black Sea naval fleet. The insertion of Russian troops into Crimea was a violation of international law, and thus the popular referendum on annexing to Russia can be called into question. But the massive participation in the referendum, with over 90% approving annexation to Russia, appears to accurately reflect the sentiment of the Crimean people, and was followed by widespread dancing in the streets. No Russian tanks. Crimea had been part of Ukraine only since 1954, when it was so ordered by Russian president Nikita Krushchev, without the consent of the people of Crimea.

Chomsky: The US Should Face Sanctions From The World

April 26, 2014 Mark Hirst, www.en.ria.ru Resist! Chomsky, Cuba, Ukraine

The US should face much harsher sanctions than those being sought against Russia for the ongoing presence of American forces in Cuba's Guantanamo, political thinker and MIT professor Noam Chomsky told RIA Novosti. Chomsky pointed to the occupation of Guantanamo Bay which he said was “stolen at gunpoint from Cuba in 1903 and still held despite constant Cuban efforts since independence to recover it.” In relation to Crimea the political philosopher added that, “the invasion and annexation were clearly unlawful, hence the referendum too, though no informed observer doubts that it was probably not too far from reality.” Chomsky added that he would “pay attention to those who call for sanctions [against Russia] when they call for much harsher actions against the US" for the only current case that he can think of "that’s at all comparable” is Guantanamo. In February, the Ukrainian parliament backed by far-right movements ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, amended the constitution and scheduled an early presidential election for May 25. The coup sparked concerns, including in Crimea, about the dangers of ultranationalist forces in the country's central government.

Washington & The Corporate Media In Full Propaganda Mode On Ukraine

April 24, 2014 Dave Lindorff, www.thiscantbehappening.net Educate! Media, Ukraine, Wars and Militarism

The lies, propaganda and rank hypocrisy emanating from Washington, and echoed by the US corporate media regarding events in Ukraine are stunning and would be laughable, but for the fact that they appear to be aimed at conditioning the US public for increasing confrontation with Russia – confrontation which could easily tip over the edge into direct military conflict, with consequences that are too dreadful to contemplate. It would be beyond ironic if, a quarter of a century after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of nearly half a century of Cold War and Mutual Assured Destruction, during all of which time US and Russian soldiers never fought against each other, we now ended up with soldiers from our two countries actually doing battle with each other, instead of just fighting proxy wars.

Is NY Times Trying To Lead US Into War?

April 24, 2014 Robert Parry, www.consortiumnews.com Educate! Mass Media, Russia, Ukraine

Exclusive: After starting a propaganda stampede – with a lead story about photos of Russian troops purportedly in Ukraine – the New York Times admits the pictures really don’t prove much, and one photo was labeled as snapped in Russia when it was really taken in Ukraine, writes Robert Parry. Two days after the New York Times led its editions with a one-sided article about photos supposedly proving that Russian special forces were behind the popular uprisings in eastern Ukraine, the Times published what you might call a modified, limited retraction. Buried deep inside the Wednesday editions (page 9 in my paper), the article by Michael R. Gordon and Andrew E. Kramer – two of the three authors from the earlier story – has this curious beginning: “A collection of photographs that Ukraine says shows the presence of Russian forces in the eastern part of the country, and which the United States cited as evidence of Russian involvement, has come under scrutiny.”

USF Students Demand “Hands Off Ukraine”

April 19, 2014 Gage Lacharite, www.fightbacknews.org Resist! Student Activism, Ukraine

Tampa, FL - Tampa Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and anti-war activists from the community protested U.S. interference in Ukraine at Senator Marco Rubio's office, April 16. Marco Rubio supports efforts in the U.S. Senate to increase U.S. intervention and spend billions of taxpayer dollars in Ukraine. Students made three demands at Rubio’s office on the University of South Florida campus: No more U.S. intervention in Ukraine or Crimea; Stop U.S. aid to the illegitimate Ukrainian regime; and Oppose U.S. sanctions against Russia. Students gave fiery speeches denouncing Rubio's support for U.S. intervention. Dani Leppo of Tampa SDS said, "For far too long, the imperialist aggression of the U.S. has caused bloodshed throughout the world. From Colombia to Venezuela, Iraq to Afghanistan, resources and lives are stolen in the name of spreading so-called ‘democracy.’ We must respect the people of Ukraine and Crimea.” When they finished speaking, the protesters marched into Rubio's office to present their demands. The office was closed off and locked however, so protesters left a letter to Rubio listing their demands.

What’s Happening In Eastern Ukraine?

April 19, 2014 Dieter Duhm, www.terranovavoice.tamera.org Organize! Peace, Ukraine

The population rises up against the orders of its government in Kiev. They stop tanks and ask the soldiers that were sent there to lay down their arms. The soldiers hesitate, but then follow the peoples’ orders. They refuse to shoot at their own compatriots. Following this are moving scenes of fraternization in a nation that will not allow itself to be forced into war. The transitional government in Kiev declares the civil rights activists in east Ukraine to be terrorists. They do not see the possibility of exemplary peace that could take place here. Instead they send tanks into the cities in order to secure their power with military force. They cannot think differently. In the beginning, the soldiers obey until they arrive at the area of operations, where they do not meet terrorists, but an entire people that defend themselves against tanks driving through their landscape. They do not want war and they do not see why it should be fought. Yes, why actually? For long they have been lied to and betrayed by Kiev – now they can no longer trust the new government. They do not want to be occupied by Russia either – they want freedom and civil rights, and in fact many of them are closer to Russia than to the West. What does the West actually want? With which right does it claim the east Ukrainian regions?

The Big Lie In The US Backed Ukraine Coup

April 18, 2014 Michael Hudson, www.therealnews.com Educate! Ukraine, Wars and Militarism

The big news is all about the Ukraine. And it's about the events that happened in the shootings on February 20. Late last week, the German television program ARD Monitor, which is sort of their version of 60 Minutes here, had an investigative report of the shootings in Maidan, and what they found out is that contrary to what President Obama is saying, contrary to what the U.S. authorities are saying, that the shooting was done by the U.S.-backed Svoboda Party and the protesters themselves, the snipers and the bullets all came from the Hotel Ukrayina, which was the center of where the protests were going, and the snipers on the hotel were shooting not only at the demonstrators, but also were shooting at their own--at the police and the demonstrators to try to create chaos. They've spoken to the doctors, who said that all of the bullets and all of the wounded people came from the same set of guns. They've talked to reporters who were embedded with the demonstrators, the anti-Russian forces, and they all say yes. All the witnesses are in agreement: the shots came from the Hotel Ukrayina. The hotel was completely under the control of the protesters, and it was the government that did it.

When Is A Putsch A Putsch?

April 13, 2014 Robert Parry, www.consortiumnews.com Educate! Ukraine

But what is left out of this story is far more important than what is put in. The reporter should have pressed Marchuk about exactly what he thinks Ukrainians should “treasure,” whether he admires Nazi collaborator Bandera and what he would like to do with the ethnic Russians living in east and south Ukraine, Yanukovych’s “base” in the 2010 election. Wouldn’t the story have been more interesting to Times’ readers if Smale had blended the grays of Marchuk’s far-right politics into this two-dimensional tale of the “white hat” Marchuk fighting bravely against the “black hat” Yanukovych. But that would have violated an unwritten rule of the MSM’s coverage of the Ukraine crisis, to pretend that the neo-Nazi militias were simply one of Vladimir Putin’s “delusions” or a figment of Russian propaganda or at most a minor and insignificant factor in ousting Yanukovych.

Protesters In East Ukraine Rise Up Against Kiev And The West

April 13, 2014 Lauren McCauley, www.commondreams.org Resist! Russia, Ukraine

Tensions in the Russian-speaking region of Ukraine continued to escalate Saturday when dozens of armed pro-Russian Ukrainians took over the police stations in the eastern towns of Donetsk and Slaviansk. In Donetsk, where protesters have occupied a government building for nearly a week, protesters reportedly met "no resistance." AFP reports that "a bus filled with a few dozen anti-riot police who quickly arrived at the scene were seen sporting orange and black ribbons, symbolising support for Russian rule." Communities in eastern Ukraine, home to a large Russian-speaking population, have seen an uptick in protests since residents of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea voted to join Russia following the ouster of Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych. As one of the protesters in Slaviansk told the Associated Press, they have ‘‘only one demand: a referendum and joining Russia.’’

Ukraine: Diplomacy Continues Amid Building Of Barricades

April 10, 2014 Jon Queally, www.commondreams.org Resist! European Union (EU), Russia, Ukraine

As pro-Russian Ukrainians in key eastern cities continued to build barricades around occupied government buildings on Wednesday, high-level direct talks aimed at a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine have been officially announced for next week in Europe. With tensions again at worrying levels after protests in the cities of Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kharkiv led to confrontations between government security forces and those demanding independence from Kiev, the news of the talks is a hopeful sign that further violence can be avoided. According to reports, next week's meeting—the exact time and location of which has not been announced—will include EU Foreign Secretary Catherine Ashton, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and, importantly, Ukraine's interim Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia.

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