Putin, lies, and the breakdown of recent talks in Minsk

"....villains simply cannot trust one another. ..... it seems to come undone because the bad guys are inherently treacherous and suspicious of one another" (TV Tropes)

And so it is that,

"The bitter feuding between the [rebel groups in eastern Ukraine] raises the prospect of greater factional fighting among the rebel forces, deepening an already grave humanitarian situation and possibly complicating matters for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia" (Andrew E. Kramer: New York Times: Aug. 4, 2015) (my emphasis)

Kramer further goes on to report that,

“The Cossacks are facing reprisals” from the separatists, Lyubov A. Korsakova, the editor of a Cossack newspaper, the Front Bulletin, said in an interview here in the traditional Cossack capital. “They started to disarm the Cossacks, and not only to disarm them, but to kill them.” (my emphasis) (cf also: RFREL) (Pic:Rebels carried a coffin holding the body of Aleksei B. Mozgovoi, a separatist leader, in Alchevsk, Ukraine)

 Meanwhile,

"... former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who is ... on the wanted list by the Ukrainian law enforcement officers, has announced the establishment of a "Committee of Salvation of Ukraine." (UNIAN : 03.08.2015) (my emphasis)

Putin claims, however, non-involvement in Azarov’s Committee of Ukraine’s Salvation

"The Russian authorities have no relation to the initiative of creating the Committee of Salvation of Ukraine and the election of its leader Volodymyr Oliynyk, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday." (ibid UNIAN) (my emphasis)

 

Of course Dmitry Peskov! And 'Pigs will fly'! 

As a 'diplomatic' ploy, Putin needs to have a so-called 'government in exile' for Ukraine residing in Moscow simply to deflect the gaze of the world away from the feuding that is now taking place between his Russian Cossacks and those Russians in eastern Ukraine that he was ostensibly saving from the Ukrainians.

Recall his 'mantra' since the beginning of his invasion of eastern Ukraine now more than a year ago that he was simply 'saving the Russian population in eastern Ukraine' from the Ukrainians.

Not only is Putin setting up his 'puppet government in exile', it now transpires that his propaganda machine has decided to go into the 'book publishing' business.

As reported by Anna Dolgov (left) of the Moscow Times,

"Russia's Investigative Committee has released a book supposedly documenting the "crimes" of Ukrainian government forces illustrated by a cover photo of a burning city — an image of alleged devastation that was exposed as a doctored "fake" by online activists more than a year ago." (Moscow Times : Aug. 04 2015) (my emphasis)

She further goes on to state that,

"Scores of reports by Russian officials and state-run media have been exposed as fake since the start of the conflict in Ukraine." 

.....

The publication comes shortly after Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have established a tribunal for prosecuting those responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine last summer." (ibid Anna Dolgov) (my emphasis)

Even further miring Putin in the mud of his lies over his war with Ukraine, Christopher Harress reports that,

"A soldier fighting for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine has sparked yet another war of words between Kiev and Moscow by claiming he is from 16th Airborne Brigade of the Russian army, according to a report Monday from the Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe, the group charged with overseeing the conflict." (International Business Times : August 04 2015) (my emphasis)

                                        

More significantly, however,

"Another round of peace talks on Ukraine in Belarusian capital of Minsk involving envoys from Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE and militant forces ended without no agreements reached." (UNIAN : 04.08.2015) (my emphasis)

As reported by Ukraine Today,

"Four main themes were discussed - based around security, the economy, politics and humanitarian issues. In particular, the demilitarization of the Azov Sea coastal village of Shyrokyne and the extension of a buffer zone along other parts of the front line." (Ukraine Today : Aug. 4, 2015)

The people of Mariupol, quite rightly, are concerned about this demilitarized zone that would expose them to Putin's Russian soldiers and his proxies.

"Hundreds of people have gathered in the centre of the strategic Ukrainian port city of Mariupol to protest against plans to create a demilitarised buffer zone to separate government troops and Russian-backed militants nearby in the village of Shyrokyne." (Ukraine Today : Aug. 3, 2015) 

 

Bear in mind that Putin has not yet  fully divested himself of his 'Novorossiya' dream, with a land link between Crimea and Russia being one of his primary aims.

As I stated in my blog entry on Monday,

"And as if to underline that Putin and Kirill are walking together in lockstep, Roland Oliphant informs us that,

"An obscure row between supporters of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian archaeologists reached the Kremlin on Saturday when President Vladimir Putin declared Unesco-listed ruins in Crimea a [Russian] national heritage site."

With this in mind, one can understand the anxiety of the people of Mariupol over the creation of a possible demilitarized zone between themselves and Putin's Russian soldiers and rebel proxies holing themselves up in the village of Shyrokyne.

And as the price of oil and the value of the Rouble continues to fall, as it has done over recent days, and Putin's economy slips into even deeper recession, his placing of Russia on a war-footing will continue to accelerate.

(to be continued)