Intervention Kills: Post-Coup Ukraine One Year Later

Written by RonPaul

This article is originally featured at Ron Paul Institute

It was one year ago last weekend that a violent coup overthrew the legally elected government of Ukraine. That coup was not only supported by US and EU governments -- much of it was actually planned by them. Looking back at the events that led to the overthrow it is clear that without foreign intervention Ukraine would not be in its current, seemingly hopeless situation.

By the end of 2013, Ukraine’s economy was in ruins. The government was desperate for an economic bailout and then-president Yanukovych first looked west to the US and EU before deciding to accept an offer of help from Russia. Residents of south and east Ukraine, who largely speak Russian and trade extensively with Russia were pleased with the decision. West Ukrainians who identify with Poland and Europe began to protest. Ukraine is a deeply divided country and the president came from the eastern region.

At this point the conflict was just another chapter in Ukraine’s difficult post-Soviet history. There was bound to be some discontent over the decision, but if there had been no foreign intervention in support of the protests you would likely not be reading this column today. The problem may well have solved itself in due time rather than escalated into a full-out civil war. But the interventionists in the US and EU won out again, and their interventionist project has been a disaster.

The protests at the end of 2013 grew more dramatic and violent and soon a steady stream of US and EU politicians were openly participating, as protesters called for the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. Senator John McCain made several visits to Kiev and even addressed the crowd to encourage them.

Imagine if a foreign leader like Putin or Assad came to Washington to encourage protesters to overthrow the Obama Administration!

As we soon found out from a leaked telephone call, the US ambassador in Kiev and Assistant Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, were making detailed plans for a new government in Kiev after the legal government was overthrown with their assistance.

The protests continued to grow but finally on February 20th of last year a European delegation brokered a compromise that included early elections and several other concessions from Yanukovych. It appeared disaster had been averted, but suddenly that night some of the most violent groups, which had been close to the US, carried out the coup and Yanukovych fled the country.

When the east refused to recognize the new government as legitimate and held a referendum to secede from the west, Kiev sent in tanks to force them to submit. Rather than accept the will of those seeking independence from what they viewed as an illegitimate government put in place by foreigners, the Obama administration decided to blame it all on the Russians and began imposing sanctions!

That war launched by Kiev has lasted until the present, with a ceasefire this month brokered by the Germans and French finally offering some hope for an end to the killing. More than 5,000 have been killed and many of those were civilians bombed in their cities by Kiev.

What if John McCain had stayed home and worried about his constituents in Arizona instead of non-constituents 6,000 miles away? What if the other US and EU politicians had done the same? What if Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt had focused on actual diplomacy instead of regime change?

If they had done so, there is a good chance many if not all of those who have been killed in the violence would still be alive today. Interventionism kills.

Russia to EU Envoy in India: “Mind your own business”

Ever since the start of the Ukraine crisis – a crisis created by US, EU and NATO by overthrowing elected government of Victor Yanukovych and installing the illegal regime of Poroshenko – the western world has done everything they can to force Russia to kneel before them and accept a blatantly anti-Russian regime in Kiev and their hegemony over the world. But Russia has not budged. On the contrary, the European economies – already on the verge of triple dip recession – have suffered most. Russia has reacted to sanctions by imposing its own counter sanctions on EU nations. In Poland, farmers have been hurt badly since Russia has banned its imports. German industries are suffering, too.

And, moreover, the murderous regime they are hell bent on propping up has suffered severe military catastrophes on the battlefield. It has lost more than half of its armor. It air force is non-existent after Novorossiyan armed forces shot few of them down early in the summer. The morale in the army has hit rock-bottom. The economy is on the verge of default. It has committed numerous war crimes against the civilian population of the Donbass. The Internet is full of videos and articles documenting these atrocities.

But, western leaders, instead of expressing outrage at these actions, have chosen to blame the people of Donbass who are simply fighting to protect their loved ones, their lifestyle and more importantly freedom from the Nazi freaks in Kiev. And, it is this regime the West is doing their damnedest best to keep in power by forcing others to accept it through the threats of sanctions.

Since sanctions on Russia are not having the desired effect, they are now exploring further avenues to pressure Russia. And, one of the avenues seems to be using the close relationship of Russia with other countries - especially India.

PRESS RELEASE OF THE EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION New Delhi, February 19, 2015 The reported call of the European Union’s envoy to India to ‘persuade’ Russia over events in Eastern regions of the Ukraine is a case of sheer duplicity and sly distortion of the core reasons which led to the intra-Ukrainian conflict. It must be reminded that those were not the people of Donetsk and Lugansk who unleashed the bloody fratricidal war but precisely the Kiev authorities who chose the all-out war against its own people instead of launching a nationwide dialogue and dutifully implementing the core principles of the Minsk Agreements – constitutional reform, decentralization and self-rule for Eastern regions. With tacit support of the US and EU a violent coup d’état took place in Kiev in February 2014. The European Union should retrospect on its own policy of appeasement instead of trying to seek India’s services in persuading Russia to do something. Such kind of “persuasion” is alien to Russia-India relations. Our special and privileged strategic partnership has no relation to the West’s blunders in their policies towards the Ukraine and Kiev’s self-induced crisis. We highly value India’s balanced and independent approach to this issue. The necessity of an inclusive Ukrainian dialogue, peaceful resolution of the conflict, through talks, and non-acceptance of the notorious and counterproductive sanctions – are not these components of India’s position consonant with the stand taken by Russia, and, partly, by the EU itself? The EU should better think how to pay that country’s bills for natural gas and bail out its economy from falling into the abyss. And, lastly, a piece of friendly advice – do not try to meddle in Russia-India relations. They are immune to such kind of unsolicited and impolite interventions from outside. [Emphasis mine]

One is simply marveled to see the heights to which these western leaders would go (or shall I say – the abyss these western leaders would touch?) – in spite of enormous costs in terms of innocent human lives - to keep their murderous puppet in power as he is playing their geopolitical game.

The morals of western world and its leaders have sunken so low that it is no longer surprising that they are condoning the atrocities committed by Poroshenko regime – all in the name of fighting Russian-backed “rebels”. In fact, the “hypocrisy and shamelessness” have become the accepted “morals” for the western world. The human rights and other applications of international law are being selectively and primarily used to further their own interest.

And, now western leaders are turning their attention to India in order to make them influence Russia.  The western leaders are clearly aware of the long-standing and strategic relationship between Russia and India which is “strategic and incomparable” in the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But, the attitude of western leaders is: “why not inject some poison in it”?

It is so stupid of them to think that India would come to the aid of Ukraine's Nazi freaks and, in particular Posroshenko the murderer, and spoil its relations with Russia. But, as we all know, the freaks in Kiev are certifiable psychos and so are their backers in the western world too. 

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that the India's relationship with Russia cannot be challenged. One has to be completely boneheaded to conjure up this stupid idea of trying to involve India to mediate in Ukraine's internal conflict.

No wonder, Russia felt complete disgust at this shameless maneuver by the EU envoy to India and had the simple message: “Mind your own business. And, do not poke your stinking nose in the India-Russia relationship”.

An astonishing parallel – History repeats itself.

The battle of Berlin was one of the bloodiest and the final phase of World War II. What started with operation Barbarossa to capture Russia, turned into a rout for German Wehrmacht, finally culminating in the battle of Berlin. As a final act of victory, the Red army hoisted the Soviet flag over Reichstag symbolizing victory over Fascism and Nazism.

The most iconic photo of the war:

"Reichstag flag original" by Khaldei - Flag on the Reichstag. Via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reichstag_flag_original.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Reichstag_flag_original.jpg

Who would have thought that history would repeat itself? But, yes history does repeat itself. Now, it is the turn of NAF (Novorossiyan Armed Forces) fighting the Nazi government in Kiev to repeat the same thing in Debaltsevo.

Here is the photo of NAF hoisting flag over Debaltsevo after the surrender of Ukrainian armed forces – symbolizing again victory over Fascism and Nazism.

Via @homo_viator

And here is the video from Новороссия NEWS

And here is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeHz7GMVE9c

India Cancels Rafale Deal??

According to a report appearing in Sputnik, it seems India – finally - has had enough of protracted negotiations with France over Rafale fighter aircrafts and decided to deep-six it by scrapping it.

Playing politics over Mistral has finally caught up to France with the cancellation of Rafale. India was perfectly justified in canceling the deal. And, who would not be? France's record regarding Mistral delivery to Russia speaks volumes.

Even though the contract was signed long back and the delivery was supposed to have started last November, France – in an exhibition of crass loyalty, also known as “boot licking”, to USA – decided to play games with the delivery schedule in order to force Russia to accept the odious and neo-nazi regime in Ukraine which came to power through violent coup, actively aided by US and its vassal states in Europe, by overthrowing legally elected government of Victor Yanukovych.

President Hollande kept on changing the goal post - citing frivolous reports regarding Russia's “alleged but unproven” role in Ukraine - which in reality amounted to demanding abject surrender of Russia to the masters of the planet earth, the western world and accepting the murderous regime of Poroshenko.

The recent example of such disgusting mentality was on full display just after the talks in Minsk, which produced a road-map for achieving the ceasefire in Ukraine and finding the lasting solution to achieve peace. Instead of thanking Russia for its effort for making the talks in Minsk negotiations possible, France still hedged on the delivery citing again its favorite mantra - “everything regarding delivery of Mistral depends on the conditions in Ukraine”.

So, what is the guarantee that the same would not be repeated by France with regards to Rafale deliveries to India and its future upgrades? In one word: NONE.

Whether this was the most overriding factor in the cancellation of the deal, nobody knows. But the unethical behavior of France regarding Mistral, must have been a topmost and significant concern for the Indian government. Other factors like high costs etc. - I think - are just a sideshow.

India Scraps Rafale Fighter Deal With France, Eyes Russian Alternative ….. India has scrapped a deal with France to buy 126 Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), after three years of negotiations, due to the high cost of the project. India has announced that a deal to buy 126 Rafale medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation is “effectively dead”. The reason is the announced high cost of the overall project, according to the country’s online newspaper Business Standard. Dassault Aviation has refused to take full responsibility for these 108 fighters to be manufactured in India, which automatically increased the overall cost of the whole project. Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has recently said that Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters, which had been built by Hindustan Aeronautics at its Nashik plant, could be substituted for them, according to the website IndiaSpend.

Rafale aircraft

French people must be kicking themselves for having elected such a spineless, feckless leader as their President, who places loyalty to USA, EU - and their hegemonic policies - above France's national self-interest and its economy.

In my earlier article, I have expressed the overwhelming possibility of India cancelling the Rafale deal. [France risk losing Rafale contract with India over Mistral row??] 

Poor Charles De Gaulle, the one who kicked NATO HQ out of the country and was against the dollar hegemony, must be moaning, turning and kicking in his grave.