In my last blog entry (19 March) I wrote that,
"As much as Zelensky is desperately trying to appease Putin, in light of the near avalanche of economic calamities now falling all around him, Putin WILL more dangerously lash out against the people of Ukraine.
At the same time, Alexander Marrow, Andrey Ostroukh and Tom Balmforth (right) report that,
"The Kremlin said on Monday that medical assistance Russia was providing to Italy to help it battle the new coronavirus was not part of an attempt to get Rome help lift EU sanctions on Moscow.
The Russian army on Sunday began flying medical help to Italy after receiving an order from President Vladimir Putin, a goodwill gesture that Moscow labeled “From Russia with Love”. (Reuters : 23 March 2020) (my emphasis)
At the same time, Putin is very busy sowing seeds of discord among EU countries by deploying fake news about the Corona virus epidemic now engulfing the world.
As reported by Robin Emmott (left),
"Russian media have deployed a “significant disinformation campaign” against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust, according to a European Union document seen by Reuters."
The EU document said the Russian campaign, pushing fake news online in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, uses contradictory, confusing and malicious reports to make it harder for the EU to communicate its response to the pandemic.
“A significant disinformation campaign by Russian state media and pro-Kremlin outlets regarding COVID-19 is ongoing,” said the nine-page internal document, dated March 16, using the name of the disease that can be caused by the coronavirus. (Reuters : 18 March 2020) (my emphasis)
And just yesterday (24/3/2020), UNIAN reported that,
"The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) says its operatives have detained a Kherson-based woman who had been disseminating disinformation on coronavirus spread, aiming to sow panic among Ukrainians and destabilize the region.
...
The woman had been spinning fake news in various online groups where she was an admin, with a total audience of nearly 100,000 subscribers, the SBU press service reports.
...
The investigation revealed her contacts with LPR-DPR terrorist groups and coordination with admins of other groups in social networks promoting separatism.
...
Previously, she posted calls for ousting the Ukraine government and promoted the idea of creating the so-called Novorossiya, the long-sought Russian project for eastern Ukraine." (UNIAN : 24 March 2020) (my emphasis)
And as this arrest was taking place,
"Russia-led forces mounted eight attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on March 24.
"The enemy opened fire on our positions, using 82mm mortars, which are prohibited under the Minsk agreements, as well as BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles' armament, grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, rifles," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters said on Facebook in its morning update on March 25." (UNIAN : 25 March 2020) (my emphasis)
The current global epidemic has thrown Putin's global political plans out of the window.
Unlike anything else that Putin has had to deal with, the Covid-19 virus cannot be bribed or threatened.
It is a VIRUS!
"As much as Zelensky is desperately trying to appease Putin, in light of the near avalanche of economic calamities now falling all around him, Putin WILL more dangerously lash out against the people of Ukraine.
Putin
needs someone to kick around to vent his frustrations against the
Corona virus and Saudi Arabia slashing the price of oil, a price that
determines the viability of the whole of the Russian economy.
And what easier target than Zelensky and the people of Ukraine."
Nataliya Bugayova, Mason Clark, and George Barros (left) now report that,
"Russian President Vladimir Putin is using multiple ongoing crises, including the COVID-19 outbreak, to advance his strategic objectives in Ukraine without drawing attention from the West. Ukrainian officials agreed on March 11 to the Kremlin’s demands to consider direct discussions with the Kremlin-controlled proxies in Donbas. This agreement for further talks could launch an irreversible process of internationally legitimizing Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine – one of Putin’s core objectives." (Inst. for the Study of War : 24 March 2020) (my emphasis)
Nataliya Bugayova, Mason Clark, and George Barros (left) now report that,"Russian President Vladimir Putin is using multiple ongoing crises, including the COVID-19 outbreak, to advance his strategic objectives in Ukraine without drawing attention from the West. Ukrainian officials agreed on March 11 to the Kremlin’s demands to consider direct discussions with the Kremlin-controlled proxies in Donbas. This agreement for further talks could launch an irreversible process of internationally legitimizing Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine – one of Putin’s core objectives." (Inst. for the Study of War : 24 March 2020) (my emphasis)
At the same time, Alexander Marrow, Andrey Ostroukh and Tom Balmforth (right) report that,"The Kremlin said on Monday that medical assistance Russia was providing to Italy to help it battle the new coronavirus was not part of an attempt to get Rome help lift EU sanctions on Moscow.
The Russian army on Sunday began flying medical help to Italy after receiving an order from President Vladimir Putin, a goodwill gesture that Moscow labeled “From Russia with Love”. (Reuters : 23 March 2020) (my emphasis)
At the same time, Putin is very busy sowing seeds of discord among EU countries by deploying fake news about the Corona virus epidemic now engulfing the world.
As reported by Robin Emmott (left),"Russian media have deployed a “significant disinformation campaign” against the West to worsen the impact of the coronavirus, generate panic and sow distrust, according to a European Union document seen by Reuters."
The EU document said the Russian campaign, pushing fake news online in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French, uses contradictory, confusing and malicious reports to make it harder for the EU to communicate its response to the pandemic.
“A significant disinformation campaign by Russian state media and pro-Kremlin outlets regarding COVID-19 is ongoing,” said the nine-page internal document, dated March 16, using the name of the disease that can be caused by the coronavirus. (Reuters : 18 March 2020) (my emphasis)
And just yesterday (24/3/2020), UNIAN reported that,
"The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) says its operatives have detained a Kherson-based woman who had been disseminating disinformation on coronavirus spread, aiming to sow panic among Ukrainians and destabilize the region....
The woman had been spinning fake news in various online groups where she was an admin, with a total audience of nearly 100,000 subscribers, the SBU press service reports.
...
The investigation revealed her contacts with LPR-DPR terrorist groups and coordination with admins of other groups in social networks promoting separatism.
...
Previously, she posted calls for ousting the Ukraine government and promoted the idea of creating the so-called Novorossiya, the long-sought Russian project for eastern Ukraine." (UNIAN : 24 March 2020) (my emphasis)
And as this arrest was taking place,
"Russia-led forces mounted eight attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on March 24."The enemy opened fire on our positions, using 82mm mortars, which are prohibited under the Minsk agreements, as well as BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles' armament, grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, rifles," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Headquarters said on Facebook in its morning update on March 25." (UNIAN : 25 March 2020) (my emphasis)
The current global epidemic has thrown Putin's global political plans out of the window.
Unlike anything else that Putin has had to deal with, the Covid-19 virus cannot be bribed or threatened.
It is a VIRUS!
Using this virus as a political tool reveals just how Putin treats the people of Ukraine with contempt.
Indeed in 2014, the year of the Maidan Revolution of Dignity, Angela Merkel confided to Barack Obama, then President of the US, that,
"US reports said Merkel phoned Barack Obama on Sunday evening after
speaking to the Russian president to press him to back down from his
invasion of Ukraine and occupation of the Crimean peninsula.
"She was not sure he was in touch with reality, people briefed on the call said. 'In another world,' she said," the New York Times reported" (Ian Traynor and Patrick Wintour: The Guardian: 3 March 2014) (my emphasis)
For Putin, NOTHING has changed since 2014!
Today he continues to live 'in another world'! He is not in touch with the reality of the devastation of the Corona virus!
Zelensky should now tread even more cautiously in dealing with Putin.
Much is at stake!
(to be continued)
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