Top from left: Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov, acting Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnitskyi and Head of the Security Service Valentyn Nalyvaichenko Below: Maidan shooters The investigation by Ukrainian security services into the mid-February sniper attack is rather like the cops investigating the cops – not exactly objective. Given the
Continue readingTag: Ukraine
drive-by planet: NED, USAID – America’s ‘democracy building’ trojans: ZunZuneo – failed ‘Twitter-like op’ in Cuba
American NGO’s such as The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID and similar orgs have been employing a variety of highly questionable tactics in Ukraine and elsewhere in the name of so-called “democracy building.” Some of the tactics used by these organizations are arguably illegal because US Foreign Affairs is
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Ukraine: Angela Merkel and the Sleepwalkers
With all the huffing and puffing going on around Crimea, Ukraine, and Putin’s metamorphosis into Hitler, it’s a pleasure to read that Germany’s Merkel is trying to learn from the past: In contrast to the posturing and empty rhetoric in London and Washington is the calm voice of Germany’s Angela
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Ukraine: Some Commensense on Dealing with Russia
Putin’s Push: Reality versus Rhetoric Congratulations to Thomas Graham, a senior fellow at the Jackson Institute, who was the senior director for Russia on the US National Security Council staff 2004-2007. He has shrewdly analyzed the Russian push under Putin, in its historical context, and outlined the steps that the
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Ukraine: The Solution is at hand
Foreign Minister Lavrov – the man with the answer Within a week or so the outlines of a solution to the Ukraine predicament will become clear to all. As I expected (and hoped), wiser heads have come up with a workable formula. The Russians are leading the way, with Obama
Continue readingTrashy's World: Russia invades Ukraine? Yup, going to happen…
.. it’s now not “if” but when. As reported here, Russian troops are massing at key points along Ukraine’s border. There will be a swift attack, territory will be secured and lives will be lost. Another human tragedy caused by greed. Then Putin will turn to the West and say:
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Why Russia’s Crimea is different from America’s Iraq
Today President Obama said America’s invasion of Iraq is nothing compared to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Coffin makers agree. In 2003 the United States invaded Iraq, a stable country, claiming Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the US invasion was illegal and
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Why Russia’s Crimea is different from America’s Iraq
Today President Obama said America’s invasion of Iraq is nothing compared to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Coffin makers agree. In 2003 the United States invaded Iraq, a stable country, claiming Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the US invasion was illegal and
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Why Russia’s Crimea is different from America’s Iraq
Today President Obama said America’s invasion of Iraq is nothing compared to Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Coffin makers agree.In 2003 the United States invaded Iraq, a stable country, claiming Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The UN Se…
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Yulia Tymoshenko leaks vitriol in taped call: ‘kill Russians’ and reduce Russia to a ‘scorched field’
Yulia Tymoshenko, the ex-Ukraine PM and one-time billionaire “Gas Princess” has been accused of everything from murder to forgery. More recently she has been outed in a leaked phone call. She is heard chatting with former government official Nestor Shufrych and venting about the situation in Crimea. In the course
Continue readingLeDaro: Harper Meets With Ukrainian PM
Great photo-op for Harper. He seems to give the impression that he is the leader to solve the world problems. First G7 leader to visit Ukraine.
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Israel, Harper back unelected Kiev government: anti-Semitism and far-right nationalism downplayed
Top: Svoboda leader Oleh Tyahnybok in group shot with Canada’s John Baird / Lower left: Tyahnybok in action / Lower right: Svoboda parade Stephen Harper’s visit to Ukraine this week is the first by any G7 leader since the coup that saw the overthrow of Yanukovych. Harper is a
Continue readingThe Right-Wing Observer: Actors on the world stage: Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk
Watching an actor nail their performance of an interesting, well-known, real-world persona is one of those movie moments that sticks with you awhile. One of my favourites (if not one of the scariest) is the performance Bruno Ganz gave in Downfall (2004), playing Hitler in his final days. It was
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Wall Divesting From Russian Liquor #skpoli
We've contacted the fed gov't & Ukrn-Cdn groups to determine best way to support freedom & democracy in Ukraine. We will act on that advice.— Brad Wall (@PremierBradWall) February 24, 2014 Premier Brad Wall says gov't is looking at options to pull Russian liquor products from provincial stores in response
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Watch: far-right Svoboda politicians beat Ukrainian TV chief, force him to resign
Video stills Kiev: According to Russian news sources, also this report in Huffington Post, politicians from the far-right Svoboda party have been involved in a brazen attack on a CEO of Ukrainian state television. Some of the reports claim the attackers are members in the new Ukrainian parliament. The action
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: On The Crimea Referendum
Okay, Crimea has had its referendum, and apparently over 95% of those who voted, chose to align with Russia. I don’t know the full context of the politics in Crimea. I do understand that Kruschev signed control over Crimea over to Ukraine back in the 1950s, so I’m sure that
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Massive turnout in Crimea: 96.77 vote for integration with Russia: jubilant crowds capture the mood
There was a massive turnout in the Crimea referendum, with 81.3 percent of eligible voters participating. When the final tally was in 96.77 percent voted “yes” to integration with the Russian Federation. The way it breaks down in terms of numbers is 1,233,002 votes for integration out of a total
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Vladimir Putin’s strategic crisis in 2014 sure looks a lot like John F. Kennedy’s in 1962
President John F. Kennedy signs the proclamation of the “Interdiction of the Delivery of Offensive Weapons to Cuba” on Oct. 23, 1962. The order imposed the U.S. naval blockade on Cuba that Mr. Kennedy had announced during his televised address the night before. Below: Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev, Russian
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Thoughts on Crimea
As the world prepares to accept the near inevitability of Crimea becoming part of Russia, the dominant feeling around the world is one best described as impotency. With the referendum coming in at 95% pro Russian, even if it skips over any official process and was boycotted by opposition groups,
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