Tag: Eastern Europe

Ukraine And The World

While most everyone else is watching the carrying ons in the Congress and states I have been watching Ukraine and the situation the West is setting up for itself…..

Russia is playing a talking game……while it positions itself along the borders with NATO…….NATO is sending in troops and equipment to position along the borders with Russia……….

The “spearhead” force was initially meant to forestall a Russian invasion of Europe, something which US officials were constantly predicting was imminent. A year later and with the invasion still looking extremely unlikely, officials just keep doubling down at every opportunity.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has headed to Europe this week to try to convince various European nations, notably Germany, to dramatically increase military spending so they can afford to send a bunch of excess troops to the Russian border. He will also commit US troops and equipment to the plan.

If a full scale invasion seems unlikely…..what is all this troop movement about?

Why is the world playing the Cold war game again?  Is all this weaponry really a good idea?

 

Why Arming Ukraine Is a Really Bad Idea | The National Interest.

The Resurrection Of Yalta?|

Yalta?  What the Hell is that, Professor?

I know I kinda get carried away when it comes to finding historical events that can relate to today’s world situation…..but there is always an upside for comparisons.

Yalta was the meeting at the end of World War 2 when Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met to divide up the spoils of war…….and today;s Ukraine situation has a familiar smell about it.

 

Russia’s goals in Ukraine: toward a second Yalta? -Euromaidan Press |.

Who is Killing Opposition Members? | New Eastern Outlook

Death becomes Russian.

Putin Did It!

First it was a Russian journalist…..then a former KGB operative in London……now it was a Russian opposition leader in Moscow……there appears to be a movement to eliminate all opposition…..the most vocal that is…….as predictable the news of Russian opposition dying has kinda slipped from the headlines and we Americans have moved on to the mind numbing antics of Duck Dynasty…….

Of course, the world wants to believe that it is somehow a plan of Putin’s……if not him then who is killing the opposition?

 

Who is Killing Opposition Members? | New Eastern Outlook.

The demonisation of Russia risks paving the way for war | Seumas Milne | Comment is free | The Guardian

For months now the media has been making Russia, especially Putin, out as some sort of demon that must be confronted…….

Propaganda on both sides has been working overt time…..the media has been just as busy…..and at times it is hard to tell which is news and which is propaganda……

We need to be aware of the situation and maybe we can stop a conflict before it has a chance to explode into something uncontrollable…..

 

The demonisation of Russia risks paving the way for war | Seumas Milne | The Guardian.

“From Russia With Love”

By now all so-called patriots have spent their time going on and on about the death of Nemtsov, the opposition leader in Russia……some even have a valid opinion….but Russia has come through, at least that is what we are told, and arrested a couple of thugs that they say committed the murder…….

Five suspects in the killing of prominent Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov have been delivered to the court for arraignment, the spokeswoman for a Moscow court said today. The statement by Anna Fedeeva to reporters outside the courthouse came one day after the Federal Security service said two suspects had been detained. Those two, Anzor Gubashev and Zaur Dadayev, have been charged and are of Chechen origin, per the BBC. Russian news agencies late yesterday reported that two others had been detained, and Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said today there was a fifth suspect. Security service director Alexander Bortnikov gave no details of how Gubashev and Dadayev were detained or specifics on how they were connected to the killings. President Vladimir Putin, who had dubbed Nemtsov’s killing a “provocation,” made no comment on the detentions.

However, state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti said they were detained in Ingushetia, a republic bordering Chechnya, citing Ingush Security Council chief Albert Barakhoev. Dadaev served in a battalion of Interior Ministry troops in Chechnya, Barakhoev was quoted as saying. He said Gubashev had worked in a private security company in Moscow. Barakhoev also was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying two others were seized at the same time as the suspects. But there has been no official announcement of their detention. Dadaev’s mother was quoted by Interfax as saying the two others were her nephews. Many believe that Nemtsov’s death in a tightly secured area near the Kremlin wouldn’t have been possible without official involvement, and could be an attempt to scare other government foes.

Then over the weekend came more news about the others that were still at large…..the Russian authorities swooped down and arrested 2 more suspects with one left…….when they arrived to take the man into custody they were greeted in a highly suspect way…..at least in my mind……

Well, that seems settled: Not only has Russia charged two and detained three others in the murder of opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, but one of those charged has apparently confessed. And a sixth suspect blew himself up last night when police approached his apartment in Chechnya, reports Interfax via the New York Times. A judge announced in a Moscow court today that suspect Zaur Dadayev, a Chechen police officer who battled Islamic militants, had confessed that he helped kill the Vladimir Putin critic. But the second charged suspect, Chechen security guard Anzor Gubashev, pleaded not guilty. Russian authorities are yet to explain how the plot unfolded or what motivations lay behind it.

The guy who blew himself up is said to be Beslan Shavanov, 30, who holed up in his Grozny apartment when police came to grab him, Russia 24 reports via CNN. With his building surrounded, Shavanov apparently tried to flee, tossing a grenade at police and blowing himself up. Russia’s Sputnik News says that another suspect claims to have an alibi for the night Nemtsov was gunned down on a Moscow bridge: “At the time of the murder, I was at work as I usually am every day,” says Tamerlan Eskerkhanov. “There are many people, my colleagues, who will confirm this.” Nemtsov’s daughter says she’s not surprised that two of the suspects are from the Caucasus region, which has rebelled against Moscow for years: “It was predictable,” she says. (See what Nemtsov was working on at the time of his murder.)

I am pleased to see the Russian police act with such precision apprehend the suspects….and then there is the bomb thing……I guess we will have to watch how this thing plays out…..I am a bit dubious at this time.

Who Killed Boris Nemtsov? by Justin Raimondo — Antiwar.com

Sorry my friends but today is my day in the barrel with my doctor……depends on findings I may be missing for awhile………..but never fear……I will escape and make my way back to the internet…..

By now we have heard that the Russian opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, has been killed in Moscow during a rally against Putin.

The stories run a wide gambit of who dunnits……from the most obvious Putin had him murdered to some whacky m,ember of his opposition killed him to turn him into martyr……

I am sure that speculation will go on and on until the culprit is caught and then it will be in question if everything was truly done to find his killer.

 

Who Killed Boris Nemtsov? by Justin Raimondo — Antiwar.com.

Should We Or Should We Not…..Arm Ukraine?

There is a debate raging in the halls of Congress, the White House and around the world…….should Ukraine been armed to meet the threats from Putin’s Russia.

The US is increasingly leaning towards the former………

Despite Vladimir Putin’s posturing for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a senior US State Department official says Eastern Ukraine’s security position is “dire” and Russia is “failing miserably” in its peace efforts, CNN reports. The official spoke today on John Kerry’s plane as he headed to Kiev to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Speaking later on the ground, Kerry called on Russia to pull heavy weapons, equipment, and troops out of Ukraine and shut down the border in a solution to the crisis “that is staring everyone in the face.” French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are also set to arrive in Kiev today before heading to Russia tomorrow to meet with Putin, CNN notes.

Kerry has pledged $16.4 million in new humanitarian aid to Ukraine designed to “help alleviate the suffering of people in conflict-affected areas,” a State Department statement issued today said. Meanwhile, NATO is refining its strategy as well. Even though Ukraine isn’t a member, the organization says it “strongly supports” the beleaguered country and would continue to offer political and practical assistance, as per CNN. In discussion now are plans to set up dedicated NATO command centers in six member nations, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland. These units would help with NATO training in these countries and make it easier to quickly deploy troops. Meanwhile, the US is mulling whether to send defensive “lethal aid” such as anti-armor missiles to Ukrainian troops to help them fight pro-Russia rebels.

This is a tricky question and even trickier decision that is being made……my problem is one thing that the prez had to say about the arming debate…..

President Obama left little doubt that he intends to eventually start providing weaponry to the Ukrainian military for its civil war, saying only that he needs to be certain it is “used properly.”

Okay first of all what does the term “used properly” actually mean?  It has been said that these will be defensive weapons……pause here for thought……what is the difference between a defensive weapon and an offensive one?  And just who makes that decision?

This is the same type of rhetoric that we always get from the government……but the question remains….should we or should we not arm Ukraine?

Personally I say NO……it will not make the situation any less explosive.  If anything will lead to an escalation by Putin.  Even with a massive influx of weapons from NATO will not make Ukraine safer and if push comes to shove they will not be capable of fending off a Russian onslaught….

This tactic will not work….it will be a waste of time and the possibility of it getting worse instead of better is a real threat.

Arms are not the answer…..however diplomacy may prove a better weapon….too bad it is seldom tried before someone pulls the trigger.

The only people that will benefit from the massive weapons that could be sent to Ukraine is the ones that ALWAYS make out in these situations…..the defense contractors.

Any thoughts from my readers?

Ukraine: The Beginning

While you were shoveling snow or worrying about which group of overpaid athletes would win the prestigious game……the conflict in Ukraine keeps getting worse and worse…..but yet Americans shrug it off.

The US is going to station a “Rapid Response Force” somewhere in Eastern Europe….that is what we were told back in late Autumn but that plan has changed……..

The strengthened rapid response force was set to include a “spearhead” force of 5,000 troops able to deploy anywhere within a few days, which was announced at a previous NATO conference last September and for which details were expected to be agreed on Thursday.

Other measures included setting up six regional command and control centers in eastern European nations, namely Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, to ensure the new forces could be mobilized quickly.

A multinational headquarters for the alliance in Szczecin, Poland, would also be expanded. The military boost was also motivated by threats from extreme Islamist militants in the Middle East and North Africa.

The US is now considering arming the Ukrainian forces with heavy weapons and even a missile system or two…..an escalation.

 

View image on Twitter

The problem is with our rush to arm up the Ukrainians ….it could lead to further escalation of hostilities…..if that occurs who will be left holding the bag?  Not France.  Not Germany.  Not the UK.  America will have crap on its face…..yet again.

So is it a prudent move to get so deeply involved in Ukrainian conflict?

The media and the admin will most likely use the deaths of civilians as a justification for further involvement.  That is a convenient stat to use……there are civilians dying all over the world and we do not involve ourselves in those….so why Ukraine?

The local escalation has been on the move……..Both the Ukrainian and self-proclaimed rebel governments have called for mobilization to beef up their fighting forces.

Earlier this week, rebel chief Alexander Zakharchenko said he wants to increase his military to around 100,000 soldiers. But it’s not a given that he can raise that many people, especially considering hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where fighting is taking place. It is unknown exactly how many fighters the separatists currently have, though a leader claimed last summer — when things got really bad — the number was around 20,000.

Even if the plan to mobilize is unrealistic, Zakharchenko’s call for more troops suggests separatist resolve is still strong.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials are hoping to bolster their own 200,000-man army with three waves of conscription this year. Authorities say nearly 50,000 draftees have already passed medical exams and are on their way into the military as part of the first wave, which started last month.

The last question is…….what if Putin does not back down………what then?

Is NATO willing to do what is necessary?  Or is all this posturing so much chest thumping?

Oh Goody! Another Conflict For Us To Use!

Let’s take a break from the Super Bowl which I am sure that you are “totally stoked” about the outcome……and a break from snowstorms…..after all it is WINTER!

Will you were eating your “wangs” and making yourself hoarse……reality has caught up with fantasy……I am talking about the Ukrainian misunderstanding……

It seems the US cannot stay out of this situation….at all…….

With fighting between government forces and pro-Russia rebels in Ukraine intensifying once again, the US government is taking a fresh look at arming Kiev’s forces, despite the risk of Russian retaliation. Assistance so far has been limited to “non-lethal” items like body armor, but after recent setbacks for government forces, administration officials are moving closer to agreeing with NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe Philip Breedlove that Ukrainian forces should be supplied with defensive arms and equipment like anti-armor missiles and armored Humvees, the New York Times reports.

An independent report from eight former senior US officials to be released today calls for sending $3 billion in equipment to Ukraine. “The West needs to bolster deterrence in Ukraine by raising the risks and costs to Russia of any renewed major offensive,” they write. “That requires providing direct military assistance—in far larger amounts than provided to date and including lethal defensive arms.” NATO says that over the last four months, the Moscow-backed rebels—who recently rejected a peace deal—have captured nearly 200 square miles of additional territory in eastern Ukraine. The latest peace talks fell apart on Saturday as more than 1,000 people fled fighting around the town of Debaltseve, while Kiev said 13 more of its soldiers had been killed, the AP reports.

Oh goody!  Another internal dispute that we feel obligated to stick our noses into…..makes few happy…..with the exception of the Military-Industrial Complex…..after all to them it is profit first and damn the consequences!

The Reality and Myth of Ukrainian Neutrality | World Affairs Journal

While Americans have been sidetracked with the end of the world by snow……and just how much air is in their balls…..and some random golfer looses a tooth….the Ukraine has been inching closer to all out war.

Both sides are busy throwing as much propaganda as possible to the sharks in the world’s media….but few are talking about Ukraine’s survival……this post is from a think tank, which in my opinion is a bit one sided but it will give my readers a look at Ukraine….that is if they can tear themselves away from the fluff the MSM issues in the disguise of news……

Personally, I feel the West is being played like a cheap flute………..

 

The Reality and Myth of Ukrainian Neutrality | World Affairs Journal.