Last week, NATO's top commander, General Philip Breedlove, warned that,
".... Russian military activity in eastern Ukraine is increasing.
...
General Philip Breedlove also warned of ‘disturbing trends' – including more sniper fire and shelling on the front line."Now what I would tell you is in the last couple of weeks this has changed in the activity along the line of contact is very much increase" (UT : Mar. 2, 2016) (my emphasis)
At the same time,
"A UN official has called for effective border controls to stop the suspected flow of weapons into Ukraine from Russia.
Let us now recall that on 15 February 2016, the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (right) said that,
"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Minister of
Defence Stepan Poltorak met on Tuesday (8 March 2016) for talks on
Ukraine’s progress in moving forward with key defence reforms and how
NATO can best support this effort. (NATO News : 08 Mar. 2016) (my emphasis)
Richard Tomkins also informs us that,
"The U.S. Army plans to bolster its presence in Europe next year with
the long-term deployment of its best armor, tank-killing helicopters and
infantry vehicles capable of destroying Russian armored personnel
carriers.
The service will increase the prepositioning of combat
equipment that soldiers surging from the U.S. could use in a crisis, as
the U.S. and NATO work to deter an assertive Russia in the aftermath of
President Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Ukraine." (Anthony Capaccio : Bloomberg Business : March 9, 2016) (my emphasis)
Why,
therefore, is Putin now siding with German Foreign Minister, Walter Steinmeier, and French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc
Ayrault (left), over the immediate implementing of the Minsk2 elections in the rebel-held territory of
eastern Ukraine, even though Russian arms are flowing across the Ukrainian border that is still being controlled by Putin and his forces?
Could it be that Putin rests easy as his Russian soldiers and rebel proxies in eastern Ukraine are being supplied with more heavy weaponry because his Putinversteher Walter Steinmeier is now the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the very OSCE that has to monitor both the 'ceasefire' AND the border between Russia and Ukraine?
Is Steinmeier's 'shrill' call for the immediate implementation of the Minsk2 elections directly related to the fact that Natalie Jaresko (left), Ukraine’s US-born finance minister, could during this week become the new Ukrainian Prime Minister?
"[She] has held talks on leading a new technocratic, reformist government amid intense high-level political manoeuvring.
Putin will, no doubt, use her appointment as propaganda efforts to portray Kiev as a puppet of Washington.
".... Russian military activity in eastern Ukraine is increasing.
...
General Philip Breedlove also warned of ‘disturbing trends' – including more sniper fire and shelling on the front line."Now what I would tell you is in the last couple of weeks this has changed in the activity along the line of contact is very much increase" (UT : Mar. 2, 2016) (my emphasis)
At the same time,
"A UN official has called for effective border controls to stop the suspected flow of weapons into Ukraine from Russia.
Addressing a press conference in Geneva
after presenting a UN report on the human rights situation in Ukraine
Thursday, Gianni Magazzeni highlighted the fact that "humanitarian aid"
trucks entering Ukraine from Russia were not being inspected for illegal
arms." (World Bulletin : 04 March 2016) (my emphasis)
Let us now recall that on 15 February 2016, the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (right) said that,
"Ukraine was one of the backbone countries for stability in the Eurasia region.
The premier [also] said that Turkey sees the
importance of stability and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He noted
that Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Syria remained under threat by
Moscow." (World Bulletin : 04 March 2016) (my emphasis)
It is therefore no coincidence that,
"Ukraine and Turkey’s navies launched a joint military exercise on
Monday, as Kiev and Ankara continue to grow closer in the face of their
respective stand-offs with Russia." (Damien Sharkov : Newsweek : 8/3/16) (my emphasis)
And whilst Turkey and Ukraine are currently conducting joint naval exercises,
"NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Ukrainian Minister of
Defence Stepan Poltorak met on Tuesday (8 March 2016) for talks on
Ukraine’s progress in moving forward with key defence reforms and how
NATO can best support this effort. (NATO News : 08 Mar. 2016) (my emphasis)
Richard Tomkins also informs us that,
" Ukraine's Ukroboronprom's Mayak business unit has delivered its initial
batch of new 120mm Molot mortars to the country's military." (UPI : March 7, 2016)
But the most powerful western military signal that is being sent to Putin, in the face of his 'stealth' buildup of forces in occupied eastern Ukraine, lies in the fact that,
The service will increase the prepositioning of combat
equipment that soldiers surging from the U.S. could use in a crisis, as
the U.S. and NATO work to deter an assertive Russia in the aftermath of
President Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Ukraine." (Anthony Capaccio : Bloomberg Business : March 9, 2016) (my emphasis)
Unlike two years ago, when Putin invaded and annexed Ukrainian Crimea and then had his Russian soldiers invade the territory of eastern Ukraine, without the west immediately arming the then rag-tag Ukrainian army, the situation has now somewhat changed.
The Ukrainian army has now become a formidable force, even in the face of not being supplied with lethal weaponry from the west. It is now backed up and supported by NATO, the EU, Turkey, and Canada, to name but a few.
Even the UN is now calling for the effective control of the border between Russia and Ukraine to stem the avalanche of Russian weaponry that is once again flowing into the rebel-held territory of eastern Ukraine.
Why,
therefore, is Putin now siding with German Foreign Minister, Walter Steinmeier, and French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc
Ayrault (left), over the immediate implementing of the Minsk2 elections in the rebel-held territory of
eastern Ukraine, even though Russian arms are flowing across the Ukrainian border that is still being controlled by Putin and his forces?
Could it be that Putin rests easy as his Russian soldiers and rebel proxies in eastern Ukraine are being supplied with more heavy weaponry because his Putinversteher Walter Steinmeier is now the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, the very OSCE that has to monitor both the 'ceasefire' AND the border between Russia and Ukraine?Is Steinmeier's 'shrill' call for the immediate implementation of the Minsk2 elections directly related to the fact that Natalie Jaresko (left), Ukraine’s US-born finance minister, could during this week become the new Ukrainian Prime Minister?"[She] has held talks on leading a new technocratic, reformist government amid intense high-level political manoeuvring.
Ms Jaresko was offered the prime minister’s position more than 10 days ago by representatives of President Petro Poroshenko and Arseny Yatseniuk,
the current premier. Both offered the support of their parliamentary
parties and freedom from interference, said people familiar with the
matter." (Neil Buckley and Roman Olearchyk : Financial Times : March 8, 2016) (cf. also: Ukraine Today)
Ms Jaresko would be more than a match for Putin's mouthpiece, that 'dyed-in-the-wool' Soviet Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, and even against Walter Steinmeier himself.
Putin will, no doubt, use her appointment as propaganda efforts to portray Kiev as a puppet of Washington.
But the effects of his propaganda machinery is on the wane. No longer is the international community sucked in by the slickness of Russia Today (RT). Ironically, his military adventure in Syria, aiding and abbeting the Assad regime, has taken the shine off his billion dollar propaganda apparatus.
This is best illustrated by the international outcry over Nadezhda Savchenko, who told a Russian court today that,
" .... her trial was a farce and that Russia was ruled by “a totalitarian regime and a dictator-tyrant.” The outspoken Ukrainian military pilot, held in Russia since 2014, spared no blows as she used her final statement to warn she would return to her home country dead or alive.
...
"I want the whole democratic, civilized world to understand that Russia is a third world country with a totalitarian regime and a dictator-tyrant who spits on human rights,” Savchenko told the court" (09/03/16) (cf. also: Mail Online)
" .... her trial was a farce and that Russia was ruled by “a totalitarian regime and a dictator-tyrant.” The outspoken Ukrainian military pilot, held in Russia since 2014, spared no blows as she used her final statement to warn she would return to her home country dead or alive.
...
"I want the whole democratic, civilized world to understand that Russia is a third world country with a totalitarian regime and a dictator-tyrant who spits on human rights,” Savchenko told the court" (09/03/16) (cf. also: Mail Online)
P
(to be continued)
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