Putin's speech and Ukraine

In my last blog-entry (4 Dec. 2014) I ended by saying,

"We now await to hear what Putin will be saying at his annual address to the Russian people today"

Vera Putina

But before we consider some of the highlights of his speech (Dec. 4, 2014) which could, indeed, have been written by Stalin himself, let us pause for a moment to listen to the words of   Vera Putina, who has always claimed to be his real mother.

 

Before his annual address to the Russian people, US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Swizerland. Kerry had this to say about the active Russian involvement in eastern Ukraine prior to their meeting,

"The result is damage to its credibility, and its own citizens wind up paying a steep economic and human price, including the price of hundreds of Russian soldiers who fight and die in a country where they had and have no right to be.” (Michael R. Gordon : Dec. 4, 2014)

In contrast Putin, in his speech, said that,

"How can the subsequent attempts to suppress people in Ukraine’s southeast, who oppose this mayhem, [the ousting of Putin's puppet, Yanukovich] be supported? I reiterate that there was no way we could endorse these developments. What’s more, they were followed by hypocritical statements on the protection of international law and human rights." (December 4, 2014, 13:20 The Kremlin, Moscow) (my emphasis)

                                 

Putin further went on to say that,

"I propose a full amnesty for capital returning to Russia. I stress, full amnesty.
Of course, it is essential to explain to the people who will make these decisions what full amnesty means. It means that if a person legalises his holdings and property in Russia, he will receive firm legal guarantees that he will not be summoned to various agencies, including law enforcement agencies, that they will not “put the squeeze” on him, that he will not be asked about the sources of his capital and methods of its acquisition, that he will not be prosecuted or face administrative liability, and that he will not be questioned by the tax service or law enforcement agencies. Let’s do this now, but only once. Everyone who wants to come to Russia should be given this opportunity. (ibid Kremlin) (my emphasis)

In other words, those who stole money from the Russian people will get away with it! This is an amnesty for Russian criminals.

Even more frightening were his remarks about Crimea.

"It was in Crimea, in the ancient city of Chersonesus or Korsun, as ancient Russian chroniclers called it, that Grand Prince Vladimir was baptised before bringing Christianity to Rus. ... All of this allows us to say that Crimea, the ancient Korsun or Chersonesus, and Sevastopol have invaluable civilisational and even sacral importance for Russia, like the Temple Mount in Jerusalem for the followers of Islam and Judaism.

And this is how we will always consider it." (ibid Kremlin) (my emphasis)

Patriarch Kirill

But it is not only Crimea. This is the mind-set with which Putin views the WHOLE of Ukraine, given that,

"In 988 by the order of the Grand Prince Vladimir I of Kiev (St. Vladimir or Volodymyr), the city residents baptized en-masse in the Dnieper river, an event that symbolized the Baptism of Kievan Rus'." (Wikipedia)

This is why he is more than willing to trample all over international law with regard to Ukraine, seeing it merely as hypocritical statements mouthed by those who are supporting Ukraine in its quest to break free from Russian domination.

At the same time, Putin has the effrontery to say that,

"What was this Ukrainian tragedy for? Wasn’t it possible to settle all the issues, even disputed issues, through dialogue, within a legal framework and legitimately?" (ibid Kremlin) (my emphasis)

Has he forgotten about the Minsk Agreement, just as he 'forgot' that he publicly stole that ring from Robert Kraft?

"“You know, I do not remember either Mr. Kraft or the ring," Putin said, as reported by AFP."

                                   

Perhaps, more interestingly, as reported by Shaun Walker in The Guardian yesterday,

""The latest skirmishes in volatile Chechnya will be seen as a major affront to President Vladimir Putin who is set to deliver his annual state of the nation address later in the day."

How interesting that Putin included Chechnya in his address yesterday. It must be giving him a headache.

"These “rebels” showed up in Chechnya again. I'm sure the local guys, the local law enforcement authorities, will take proper care of them. They are now working to eliminate another terrorist raid. Let’s support them." (ibid Kremlin)

But the critical question is whether the new cease-fire proposed by Ukraine president Poroshenko will actually hold.

"President Petro Poroshenko said troops would observe a "day of silence" on Tuesday to try to kick-start the Minsk deal. Rebel leaders were quoted by the RIA news agency as agreeing." (BBC News : 4 December 2014)

We can but wait and see. Meanwhile, could I urge readers to read Putin's speech.

(to be continued)