On Monday I mentioned that,
Meanwhile,
Furthermore, after meeting with Sergey Lavrov (right), Putin's dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, for the first time in three months,
"..[w]hen asked whether he feared a summer offensive by Russia, Mr
Poroshenko said: "I not fear anything [sic].
I believe they are preparing an offensive and I think we should be ready and I think that we do not give them any tiny chance for provocation. That will totally be their responsibility."
Mr Poroshenko added that, despite not trusting Mr Putin, he had no option but to have faith in diplomacy." (ibid BBC News : 19 May 2015) (my emphasis)
19 May 2015) (my emphasis)
Dmitry Peskov, Putin's mouthpiece at the Kremlin was,
"[a]sked if Nuland’s visit was a sign of improving ties [between the US and Putin], [to which he responded]
“Yes, when President Putin was meeting with Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Kerry … it was mentioned that a closer dialogue … was needed.” (ibid Breitbart News) (my emphasis)
Many are speculating that these meetings of Kerry and Nuland signify that a new relationship between Obama and Putin ( a reset a' la Hilary Clinton?) is being forged, possibly at the expense of Ukraine. Poroshenko, however, dismisses these speculations.
But is it just possible that Obama is now willing to trade Ukraine for Syria's Assad?
It cannot be a co-incidence that suddenly Ukraine's new laws condemning Nazi and Communist symbology,
"President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed four laws: "On the condemnation of Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes in Ukraine and prohibit the promotion of their symbols"; "On access to the archives of repressive organs of the communist totalitarian regime 1917 - 1991 years"; "On perpetuation of victory over the Nazis in World War II 1939 - 1945 years" and "On the legal status and the memory of fighters for Ukrainian independence in the twentieth century." (google translate)
has come under criticism from both Putin and some western commentators.
Thus, e.g. Leonid Bershidsky (left) argues that,
"The "decommunization" laws are not only pointless, they also show the chasm that still separates Ukraine from its goal of joining the Western world." (Bloomberg View : May 19, 2015)
What is rather sad about this onslaught against these laws, laws which have serious faults that should be openly discussed and corrected, is the fact that for many their response is simply to view Ukraine through the lens of these laws, thus supporting Putin in his warped view that all Ukrainians should be tarred with the 'fascist' brush.
How quickly, and how sad, that many have forgotten the de-nazification program of the allies after WWII. (cf. Wikipedia)
(to be continued)
"Russia's foreign ministry on Tuesday demanded the right to visit two
citizens detained last week in eastern Ukraine who Kiev says are Russian
soldiers guilty of carrying out "terrorist acts" on its territory......
The Defence
Ministry of the Russian Federation ... has already said these citizens
are not currently serving in the Russian armed forces," the ministry
statement added.
TASS news agency quoted Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major
General Igor Konashenkov on Monday as saying the two prisoners had
served in the Russian armed forces but were no longer Russian soldiers
on May 17, the day they were captured." (Reuters : 19 May,2015)
Meanwhile,
"On Tuesday, Nato's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (left) called for an end
to snap exercises by Russia close to the Ukrainian border, and demanded
Russia be "more transparent when it comes to their military activities". (BBC News : 19 May 2015) (cf. also : John-Thor Dahlburg : Associated Press [AP]: 19 May, 2015) (my emphasis)
Furthermore, after meeting with Sergey Lavrov (right), Putin's dyed-in-the-wool Soviet foreign minister, for the first time in three months,
"Stoltenberg said he called on the Russians to withdraw their forces from
Ukraine and to stop backing the armed insurgency in that country's
east." (ibid John-Thor Dahlburg) (my emphasis)
And underscoring Stoltenberg calling for, "an end
to snap exercises by Russia close to the Ukrainian border", Ukrainian President Poroshenko,
I believe they are preparing an offensive and I think we should be ready and I think that we do not give them any tiny chance for provocation. That will totally be their responsibility."
Mr Poroshenko added that, despite not trusting Mr Putin, he had no option but to have faith in diplomacy." (ibid BBC News : 19 May 2015) (my emphasis)
19 May 2015) (my emphasis)
Dmitry Peskov, Putin's mouthpiece at the Kremlin was,
"[a]sked if Nuland’s visit was a sign of improving ties [between the US and Putin], [to which he responded]
“Yes, when President Putin was meeting with Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Kerry … it was mentioned that a closer dialogue … was needed.” (ibid Breitbart News) (my emphasis)
Many are speculating that these meetings of Kerry and Nuland signify that a new relationship between Obama and Putin ( a reset a' la Hilary Clinton?) is being forged, possibly at the expense of Ukraine. Poroshenko, however, dismisses these speculations.
But is it just possible that Obama is now willing to trade Ukraine for Syria's Assad?
It cannot be a co-incidence that suddenly Ukraine's new laws condemning Nazi and Communist symbology,
"President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed four laws: "On the condemnation of Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes in Ukraine and prohibit the promotion of their symbols"; "On access to the archives of repressive organs of the communist totalitarian regime 1917 - 1991 years"; "On perpetuation of victory over the Nazis in World War II 1939 - 1945 years" and "On the legal status and the memory of fighters for Ukrainian independence in the twentieth century." (google translate)
has come under criticism from both Putin and some western commentators.
Thus, e.g. Leonid Bershidsky (left) argues that,"The "decommunization" laws are not only pointless, they also show the chasm that still separates Ukraine from its goal of joining the Western world." (Bloomberg View : May 19, 2015)
What is rather sad about this onslaught against these laws, laws which have serious faults that should be openly discussed and corrected, is the fact that for many their response is simply to view Ukraine through the lens of these laws, thus supporting Putin in his warped view that all Ukrainians should be tarred with the 'fascist' brush.
How quickly, and how sad, that many have forgotten the de-nazification program of the allies after WWII. (cf. Wikipedia)
(to be continued)
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