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Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 18:01:39 fe4454 No.3373

File: 1425924099551.jpg (670.12 KB, 538x2000, 269:1000, History-of-Nuclear-Weapons.jpg)

>>3363
*were
————————————————–
Russia Responds To European Army Proposal: Rattles "Nuclear" Sabre: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-09/russia-responds-european-army-proposal-rattles-nuclear-sabre

>The European Union’s common armed forces, if they are ever created, may play a provocative role, first deputy chairman of the United Russia faction in the State Duma, Frants Klintsevich, told the media on Sunday.

>"In the nuclear age extra armies do not provide any additional security. But they surely can play a provocative role," Klintsevich said, adding it was regrettable that such ideas had already met with some support.

>He recalled that the idea of creating a European army had never occurred to anyone even in the years of the acute confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Treaty Organization.

>"These days, when the Warsaw Treaty is long gone, for some reason there has developed a need for that," he wondered.

>"One should presume that a European army is seen as an addendum to NATO. And in this kind of situation Western politicians are not shy to accuse Russia of some aggressiveness," Klintsevich said.
—————-
Putin says plan to take Crimea hatched before referendum: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/09/us-ukraine-crisis-putin-crimea-idUSKBN0M51DG20150309?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he ordered officials to start work on taking control of Crimea weeks before a referendum which, the Kremlin has asserted until now, prompted the region's annexation from Ukraine.

>Russian state television channel Rossiya-1 aired a brief extract of an interview in which Putin said he had called an emergency meeting in February last year to discuss the overthrow of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich hours earlier.

>Yanukovich, a Russian ally, had fled to the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk after being forced out by anti-government protests.

>"He would have been just annihilated… We got ready to get him out of Donetsk by land, by sea and by air," Putin said about his meeting in the Kremlin with commanders of special forces and defense ministry officials.

>"This was on the night of Feb. 22 through to Feb. 23. We finished around 7 in the morning. And, while saying goodbye, I told all the colleagues: 'We have to start the work on Crimea's return into Russia'."

>This account, broadcast on Sunday, appeared to be at odds with previous assertions from Russian officials that the annexation decision was taken only after the referendum on March 16, when Crimeans voted to become part of the Russian Federation.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 18:08:21 fe4454 No.3374

Anti-America cry now the loudest it has been in Russia in years:

>Thought that the Soviet Union was anti-American? Try today's Russia.

>After a year in which furious rhetoric has been pumped across Russian airwaves, anger toward the United States is at its worst since opinion polls began tracking it. From ordinary street vendors all the way up to the Kremlin, a wave of anti-US bile has swept the country, surpassing any time since the Stalin era, observers say.

>The indignation peaked after the assassination of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, as conspiracy theories started to swirl - just a few hours after he was killed -that his death was a CIA plot to discredit Russia.

>There are drives to exchange Western-branded clothing for Russia's red, blue and white. Efforts to replace Coke with Russian-made soft drinks. Fury over US sanctions. And a passionate, conspiracy-laden fascination with the methods that Washington has been supposedly using to foment unrest in Ukraine and Russia.

>The anger is a challenge for US policymakers seeking to reach out to a shrinking pool of friendly faces in Russia. And it is a marker of the limits of their ability to influence Russian decision-making after a year of sanctions. More than 80 per cent of Russians now hold negative views of the United States, according to the independent Levada Centre, a number that has more than doubled over the past year and that is by far the highest negative rating since the centre started tracking those views in 1988.

>Nemtsov's assassination, the highest-profile political killing during Vladimir Putin's 15 years in power, was yet another brutal strike against pro-Western forces in Russia. Nemtsov had long modelled himself on Western politicians and amassed a long list of enemies who resented him for it.

>The anti-Western anger stands to grow even stronger if US President Barack Obama decides to send lethal weaponry to the Ukrainian military, as he has been considering.

>"The United States is experimenting geopolitically, using people like guinea pigs," said Sergey Mikheev, director of the Kremlin-allied Centre for Current Politics, on a popular talk show on the state-run First Channel last year. His accusations, drawn out by a host who said it was important to "know the enemy", were typical of the rhetoric that fills Russian airwaves.

>"They treat us all in the same way, threatening not only world stability but the existence of every human being on the planet," Mikheev said.

>The list of perceived slights from the United States has long been building, particularly after the United States and Natobombed Serbia, a Russian ally, in 1999. Then came the war in Iraq, Nato expansion and the Russia-Georgia conflict.

>Putin cranked up the volume after protest movements in late 2011 and 2012, which he blamed on the State Department. It wasn't until last year, when the crisis started in Ukraine, that anti-Americanism spread even among those who once eagerly hopped on planes to Miami and Los Angeles.

>Fed by the powerful antagonism on Russian federal television channels, the main source of news for more than 90 per cent of Russians, ordinary people started to feel more disillusioned.

>The years of perceived humiliations have "led to anti-Americanism at the grass-roots level, which did not exist before", said Vladimir Pozner, a journalist who for decades was a prominent voice of the Soviet Union in the US. More recently, he has to explain the US inside Russia. "We don't like the Americans, and it's because they're pushy, they think they're unique and they have had no regard for anyone else."

Born too late to explore the Earth; born too late to explore the galaxy; born just in time to get killed by angry Slavs.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 18:16:13 fe4454 No.3375

File: 1425924972879.jpg (1.16 MB, 3000x2910, 100:97, ukraine crisis.jpg)

>>3374
*born too soon to explore the galaxy;
*Anti-America cry now the loudest it has been in Russia in years:http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1733624/anti-america-cry-now-loudest-it-has-been-russia-years

I need to lay off on trying to be witty.
———————–
Boots on the Ground: US Tanks, Humvees Arrive in Latvia: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150309/1019260431.html

>More than 120 pieces of military equipment, including Abrams main battle tanks, Bradley armored vehicles and Scout military Humvees were unloaded

>Monday at the Port of Riga, the Latvian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Some of the new arrivals will stay in Latvia and some are set to move on to neighboring Estonia and Lithuania.

>“This will further help to ensure the security of all three Baltic states and demonstrates solidarity with our fellow NATO members,” Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis tweeted on Monday.

>After Crimea’s rejoining Russia in March 2014 and the start of an armed conflict that flared up shortly afterwards in eastern Ukraine, the United States said it would deploy its troops in the Baltic countries and Poland. There are 150 US paratroopers currently stationed in Latvia.
—————-
Leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan to Discuss Situation in Ukraine: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150309/1019240579.html

>Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Astana on March 12-13 to meet with the leaders of Kazakhstan and Belarus following an invitation of his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kremlin press service said Monday.

>According to the Kremlin, the three leaders will discuss a range of issues, including the situation in Ukraine.

>Last month, it was announced that the Kazakh capital of Astana could hold the next meeting of leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany on Ukrainian reconciliation.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 18:25:41 fe4454 No.3376

Finnish Journalist Reportedly Beaten for Witnessing Kiev's Ceasefire Breach: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150309/1019238283.html

>A well-known Finnish journalist and politician Antero Eerola was beaten in Ukraine after registering ceasefire violation by Kiev forces, Vantaan Sanomat reported.

>During his trip to Ukraine in February, Eerola witnessed that the Ukrainian Forces positioned at Svitlodarsk, a government-controlled town, shelled Donbas self-defense troops despite the recently signed ceasefire agreement.

>“There, the government forces fired cannon fire on the rebel positions just 12 hours after the start of the ceasefire”, Eerola said.

>Later in the evening, Eerola and his photographer moved to the frontline from another direction and were just 10 miles away from Horlivka, controlled by independence supporters.

>After returning to Kiev-controlled Slaviansk, the two went to a local restaurant. Suddenly, a group of young men speaking Ukrainian in an aggressive tone, approached the reporters. Eerola answered he did not understand Ukrainian and spoke only Russian. The presence of foreign journalists in the area was undesired, Eerola concluded from what he could understand from the men’s words.

>One of the men hit the journalist in the face tearing his lower lip.

>The reporter said the freedom of speech was deteriorating in Ukraine. Moreover, he said Finland did not provide the complete picture of the Ukrainian conflict. The press and politicians have instilled the idea that external interference was the source of the crisis, which was not objective.
————————
Ukraine Says Rebels Violating Cease-Fire: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-rebels-violating-cease-fire/26889365.html

>The Ukrainian military has said that Russian-backed separatists violated a cease-fire several times overnight.

>The headquarters of the Anti-Terrorist Operation, as Kyiv calls the military operation againt rebels who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, said that separatist forces fired on government positions 16 times between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., mostly from mortars and grenade launchers.

>It said most of the attacks were launched in the Donetsk region, where the rebels fired at Avdiyivka and several other towns.

>Separatists in the Luhansk region, meanwhile, said that a railroad bridge linking rebel-held territory with government-held territory had been blown up.

>Fighting has eased substantially since the leaders of France and Germany brokered a deal on a cease-fire and steps toward peace in Minsk on February 12, rasing hopes for an end to the conflict that has killed more than 6,000 people since April.

>But Ukraine has expressed concern the rebels may be using the cease-fire to regroup for possible new attacks.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 18:54:44 fe4454 No.3381

Poll: Ukrainians support neutrality, disagree on war: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/08/ukraine-poll-support-neutrality-split-on-war/24620853/

>The survey authors did not define neutrality other than to point out that European countries have urged Ukraine to move closer to the EU, while Russia wants Ukraine aligned with former Soviet republics.

>The poll found wide differences on some questions between Ukrainians in different regions of the country, reflecting a split between the mostly Ukrainian-speaking north and west, which lean toward Europe, and the mostly Russian-speaking east and south, which lean more toward Russia.

>The results show that 63% of Ukrainians would find neutrality tolerable, while 31% find it unacceptable. Support for the idea was least strong in Ukraine's west, where 48% said they could tolerate the notion, and the same percentage said neutrality would be unacceptable.

>The poll of 1,409 respondents in February and March was developed by the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland, in collaboration with the Kiev International Institute of Sociology, a private Ukrainian company working with the National University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy.

>The survey involved face-to-face interviews of 1,005 people across the country, including rebel-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, and 403 additional phone interviews in those two regions.

>It comes as more of President Obama's advisers have voiced support for providing military aid to Ukraine's military. A slight 52% majority of Ukrainians support this move, with three-quarters of respondents supportive in the west, and three-fifths supportive in the north. In the east, 62% opposed U.S. military support, and the south is evenly divided.

>The poll also found that Ukrainians were almost evenly divided (48% in favor and 42% against) on the use of force to regain territory lost to the separatists.
———————
New 100-hryvnia note put in circulation in Ukraine: http://www.unian.info/economics/1053269-new-100-hryvnia-note-put-in-circulation-in-ukraine.html

>The new note features a portrait of Ukrainian national poet Taras Shevchenko, who was born 201 years ago on March 9.

>Deputy Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Yakov Smoliy said that with the introduction into circulation of the new 100-hryvnia banknotes, the central bank was starting an update of the previous issue of notes, which were issued from 2003 to 2007.
——————-
Militants attack Ukrainian forces in Shirokino, defenders hold positions - Mariupol defense headquarters: http://www.unian.info/war/1053285-militants-attack-ukrainian-forces-in-shirokino-defenders-hold-positions-mariupol-defense-headquarters.html

>“At 0930 the enemy began an assault on [Ukrainian] forces deployed in Shirokino, [and] clashes are continuing as of now,” the defense headquarters wrote just before midday.

>“According to recent reports, the Ukrainian forces are holding their positions. The enemy attacked with mortars and small arms.”

>The headquarters said the situation was under control, and that there was no danger to the city of Mariupol – which the militants have named as a key target for further advances.

>The press center of the government’s Anti-Terrorist Organization told UNIAN earlier that last night gunmen attacked the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces 16 times, in some places using heavy artillery.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 19:33:17 349240 No.3383

File: 1425929597188.jpg (137.27 KB, 1075x629, 1075:629, Shyrokyne_Front.jpg)

>>3381
>Shirokino
>defenders hold positions

Small town is cut in half right now, their vehicals are being destroyed and I predict Novorussiya will push through within the week. (of this town.)

Here's an overview.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 20:02:12 fe4454 No.3384

Putin Awards Kadyrov With The Order Of Honor: http://www.rferl.org/content/putin-awards-kadyrov-with-order-of-honor/26889696.html

>Russian President Vladimir Putin has granted Ramzan Kadyrov a high state medal, in a move made public a day after the Chechen leader defended a suspect in the killing of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

>A decree signed by Putin and published on an official website on March 9 said that Kadyrov, among other Russian officials and celebrities, was awarded the Order Of Honor for "professional achievements, public activities, and many years of diligent work."

>On his Instagram account on March 8, Kadyrov called Nemtsov slaying suspect Zaur Dadayev "a true Russian patriot" and a pious Muslim who was shocked by cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

>Dadayev, a Chechen who Kadyrov said had been an officer in a Interior Ministry unit in Chechnya, was one of two suspects charged on March 8 with involvement in Nemtsov's killing.

>Nemtsov, who was shot dead near the Kremlin on February 27, had condemned the deadly January attack by Islamist gunmen on the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo.

>Putin has relied on Kadyrov to maintain control over Chechnya, where rights activists accuse him of condoning abuses and creating a climate of fear to keep an Islamist insurgency and separatism in check.
—————
Orban: Hungary does not want border with Russia: http://www.unian.info/world/1053356-orban-hungary-does-not-want-border-with-russia.html

>The conflict zone in the Donbas is far from the Hungarian border, but Hungary “has two hundred thousand reasons" to seek peace in Ukraine, said Orban, according to a BBC report.

>He said the survival and territorial integrity of Ukraine was in the fundamental interests of Hungary, which, according to Orban doesn’t want to have "a common border with Russia."

>Speaking about relations with Russia, Orban said that his country will always remain "a partner who pays on time."

>For a thousand years there have been three states that were of particular importance for the foreign policy of Hungary - Germany, Turkey and Russia, the prime minister said, asking Hungarian diplomats to remember this.

>Hungary shares a short stretch of border with Ukraine, and there are about 156,600 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine, mainly in Zakarpattia region according to the Ukrainian census of 2001.

>Hungary was the first country to recognize Ukraine's independence in 1991, and in that year signed a treaty with Kyiv on the preservation of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine's ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious identities, and for the provision of education at all levels in Hungarian.
——————
>>3383
Have they gained ground in the Shyrokyne recently?

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 20:23:04 349240 No.3385

File: 1425932583926.jpg (102.14 KB, 1045x665, 11:7, Shyrokyne_UAF_MORTARPOSITI….jpg)

>>3384
I think it remains 50/50 on the village, but obviously the small Ukrop detachment is being slowly pushed back unless Azov's commander decides to send more to reinforce the position.

We know there's heavy UAF vehicles there and Novorussiyan forces are armed with mortars and small arms, and they have taken a few vehicles down. But they might need a bigger force to capture the town.

That is, if Ukrainian intelligence isn't downplaying their forces there. (Which I think they are since they said the situation is under control, yet town is split down the middle.)

Here is video from the marked map on pic related:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNcmCiKbneo

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 20:43:07 fe4454 No.3386

File: 1425933787012.png (814.31 KB, 2000x2196, 500:549, Minsk protocol.png)

Russia's Most Notorious Hitman Claims Nemtsov's Killers Were Amateurs: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150307/1019193646.html

>Gunmen who killed Russian politician Boris Nemtsov last week in central Moscow were amateurs and the pattern of the murder indicates that it was carried out unprofessionally, former hitman Alexei Sherstobitov, currently serving a prison term for 12 assassinations, told Russian news site Gazeta.

>Every hitman, first and foremost, is concerned about one thing – how to carry out an assassination with the least amount of risk of being exposed. The most logical choice for a killer would have been to shoot the victim from as far as possible. In Nemtsov’s case, given where the killing took place, the simplest way to execute the assassination would have been to drive along the street, on which the victim was walking, park the car and wait until he approached.

>Once he was at a shooting distance, the shooter should have slightly opened the car’s window, shot the victim and escaped without putting himself at the risk of exposure. Even an average shooter should be able to hit a person’s head at the distance between 15 and 25 meters. The fact that Nemtsov’s killers made six shots, while only hitting him four times, at a close distance shows their unprofessionalism, Sherstobitov told Gazeta.

>“A confident shooter, who often uses his weapon, is unlikely to fire this many shots,” said the former assassin.

>Sherstobitov said the killing reminded him of incidents that frequently occurred during the 1990s, when gang members accidentally came across someone from a rival gang in a public place. In situations like that, killings were often carried out on short notice, without much preparation.

>Those, who spotted a member or members from a rival gang, made a phone call and killers would soon arrive, take positions near the victims’ car or outside of a restaurant, where their victims were. Assassinations like this were often ill-organized, chaotic and took place in public places, Sherstobitov explained.

>The former hitman concluded that Nemtsov’s killing was likely a non-political assassination.

>“In my opinion, this [Nemtsov] is not a politician who could really influence something. Many people had already forgotten about him,” Sherstobitov said, adding that there are more important and influential politicians out there to assassinate, if one really wanted to cause a real political chaos in the country.

>The killing of Nemtsov was not even carried out professionally, the former hitman said, ruling out the political version of the last week assassination.

>Sherstobitov was a member of one of Moscow’s organized crime groups during the 1990s, when he became known as one of Russia’s most notorious assassins. In 2008, he was found guilty of assassinating 12 people and currently serving a 23-year prison term.
————————
>>3385
Isn't artillery supposed to be outside of Mariupol due to the buffer zone? I don't think I've seen any news about OSCE mentioning Shyrokyne or Mariupol violations, so I'm wondering what they're doing that's more important than active fighting in Shyrokyne.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 20:48:42 349240 No.3387

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>3386
>Isn't artillery supposed to be outside of Mariupol due to the buffer zone? I don't think I've seen any news about OSCE mentioning Shyrokyne or Mariupol violations, so I'm wondering what they're doing that's more important than active fighting in Shyrokyne.

That is on the outskirts of Mariupol, obviously nobody gives a fuck about the ceasefire and it's all bullshit. Vid related is 19 hours ago, dating from March 5th to today.

Post last edited at 03/09/15 (Mon) 20:51:01

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 20:54:59 fe4454 No.3388

Prime suspect says Nemtsov killed over 'negative comments on Muslims' – report: http://rt.com/news/238945-nemtsov-murder-motive-islam/

>Zaur Dadaev, who had reportedly confessed involvement in Nemtsov’s murder, said he organized the crime in revenge for the opposition leader’s “negative comments on Muslims and Islam,” according to Rosbalt’s source in law enforcement.

>In January 2015, the suspect allegedly “learnt that Boris Nemtsov more than once allowed himself negative comments on Muslims living in Russia, prophet Mohammed and Islam,” according to the news agency.

>“As a matter of fact, Dadaev acknowledged having organized this crime,” Rosbalt’s source said.

>It has not been specified which of Nemtsov’s words in particular angered his alleged killers.

>Following the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, the politician wrote in his blog that the world was witnessing a “medieval Islamic inquisition.”

>He also said the Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, “made everyone sick with his threats” and should be “put in jail.”

>Hundreds of thousands in the Chechen capital of Grozny participated in a rally against the publication of Prophet Mohammed cartoons by the Charlie Hebdo magazine shortly after the terrorist attacks in Paris.

>The opposition has been skeptical of Islamist motives behind Nemtsov’s murder.

>Ilya Yashin, the co-leader of Nemtsov's liberal opposition party RPR-Parnas described the theory as “absurd.”

>“Nemtsov never said a bad word about Islam,” Yashin wrote on Facebook. “He was absolutely tolerant in terms of religion. Of course, he criticized terrorists who killed the Charlie Hebdo journalists in Paris. But many public figures were louder and tougher in their criticisms.”

>The president of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, earlier said he knew Zaur Dadaev “as a patriot of Russia,” who used to serve as deputy regiment commander in one of the Chechen Republic’s interior ministry units.

>“Everyone who knows Zaur says that he is a profoundly religious man and that he, as all Muslims, was shocked by what Charlie did and by comments in support of the cartoons,” Kadyrov wrote on Instagram.
———————
Obama, EU Chief Meet in Washington for Talks on Ukraine: http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-eu-chief-meet-in-washington-for-talks-on-ukraine/2673477.html

>U.S. President Barack Obama is meeting Monday in Washington with the head of the European Council for talks on strategy aimed at countering Russian efforts to redraw the borders of Ukraine.

>Ahead of the meeting, the White House accused Moscow and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine of blocking European truce observers from fully monitoring a cease-fire near the Russian border.

>In an interview with the New York Times, European Council chief Donald Tusk, the former prime minister of Poland, said Europe is not yet ready to further tighten sanctions against Moscow for its role in the rebellion, despite continuing provocations near the cease-fire line.

>In a related development, the Pentagon announced Monday that some 750 U.S. Army tanks, fighting vehicles and other armament has arrived in the Baltic nation of Latvia. About 3,000 troops from the army's 3rd Infantry Division are also set to deploy in the Baltics next week as part of a training mission with armed forces from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

>A Pentagon spokesman described the 90-day deployment as a training mission aimed at reassuring NATO allies worried the possibility of Russian aggression elsewhere in Europe.
———————–
>>3387
A little off topic, but, in your opinion, what are the odds this is the beginning of WW3?

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 21:01:41 fe4454 No.3389

Poroshenko: Quarter of Ukraine’s industry stopped because of war: http://www.unian.info/politics/1053369-poroshenko-quarter-of-ukraines-industry-stopped-because-of-war.html

>“There are conditions of war in the occupied territories – we have to face the truth,” Poroshenko said in an interview aired on Ukraine’s First National channel on Monday evening.

>“About 25% of the industrial potential of the country has stopped, and 10% has been physically destroyed. Defense spending as of today is more than UAH 90 billion.

>“All the same, the country has the strength to secure itself. [But] as long as there is war, investment will not come to Ukraine, and people need to speak the truth.”

>He said reforms could not be carried out quickly and that their implementation only really began after the parliamentary elections in late October last year.

>"We will build a different economy, overcome corruption. And overcoming corruption is not only about voting for an anti-corruption bureau or laws against corruption. Corruption has a specific name, the specific name of a person who should be in prison [for corruption]."

>"We can survive only if we are united - not only the government, parliament and the president – but all the people," Poroshenko said.
———————
Exclusive: IMF assumes Ukraine to get $15.4 billion from creditor talks: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/09/us-ukraine-crisis-imf-idUSKBN0M526D20150309?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>The International Monetary Fund's bailout program for Ukraine assumes Kiev will be able to get $15.4 billion from talks with its creditors, according to four sources familiar with the IMF's documents.

>The assumption is necessary to ensure Ukraine's sovereign debt can fall to 70 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, a level the IMF would deem sustainable, according to three people.

>Under its rules, the IMF cannot lend to countries unless it believes they will be able to pay back the money eventually.

>Targeting a particular level for debt renegotiation, considering debt talks have not yet begun, points to the uncertainty surrounding the $40 billion international rescue package for Ukraine announced last month.

>After a year of political upheaval and war, Ukraine's economy is in tailspin with a currency that just pulled back from record lows and the highest interest rates in 15 years.

>Under the IMF program, Kiev must make deep changes to its energy sector and banking system, and tackle decades of corruption, even as it battles pro-Russia separatists in its eastern regions.

>An IMF spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment. Last month, the IMF declined to share details of the financing package, and said it had not made any assumptions about a debt restructuring for private creditors.

Anonymous 03/09/15 (Mon) 21:17:07 349240 No.3390

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>3388
>A little off topic, but, in your opinion, what are the odds this is the beginning of WW3?

Implying it hasn't already begun. We've actively been poking Russia for the past several years, surrounding it with bases, attacking it's allies with proxy wars (Syria), attempting to destabilize it's economy with proxy wars (Ukraine). It's desperation, it's war.

Obama wants us to stay divided and stupid along with Zionists.

Cultural Marxists want disarray and chaos. Race war and destruction of people with the will to resist.

If this isn't already World War 3, then you could have fooled me. It's time for all of us to get serious about this. Hit the gym more, stock up on what you can, train yourself to be combat ready in whatever scenario you can.

We have been born in time for another earth shattering conflict. If you want to stand and fight for it, now is the time. Because with minds like ours, we are the only ones that know where and who to aim at.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 03:10:34 b2bb32 No.3394

>>3390

Shit, this scares me and i'm not even close to any conflict zone.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 04:33:56 fe4454 No.3395

>>3390
I live near Y-12 (nuclear manufacturer created in the Manhattan project); how far do I have to be from it to survive a low-yield nuke? Also, good speech.
—————–
Germany's ambassador to US says Obama agreed not to send lethal aid to Ukraine for now: http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/03/09/german-ambassador-obama-agreed-not-to-send-arms-to-ukraine

>President Barack Obama agreed last month not to send lethal defensive aid to Ukraine, a top German diplomat said Monday, as lawmakers from both parties continued to press the president to shore up Ukraine's beleaguered military in its fight against Russian-backed separatists.

>The German ambassador to the U.S., Peter Wittig, said in an Associated Press interview that Obama agreed to hold off during a White House meeting in February with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He said Obama had concurred with Merkel that it was important "to give some space for those diplomatic, political efforts that were underway."

>"The two leaders exchanged views on that issue and there was unity by them not to impose, or not to go forward with, the delivery of lethal defensive weapons at this time," Wittig told the AP.

>The Obama administration has maintained publicly that it's still debating whether to send anti-tank weapons and other defensive arms to bolster Kiev's ability to defend its territory and troops in eastern Ukraine. In remarks to reporters after his meeting with Merkel, Obama said that "the possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that's being examined" but added that "a decision has not yet been made."
———————-
Poroshenko Announces Visit to Berlin, Normandy Format Talks on Ukraine: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150310/1019277031.html

>Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Monday he plans to visit Berlin, Germany next week and that another round of phone talks in the Normandy format on Ukrainian reconciliation could take place soon.

>"Next week I will pay a visit to Berlin and meet with the president, the [German] Chancellor Angela Merkel," Poroshenko said in an interview with "First National" TV channel.

>He added that another telephone conversation in the Normandy format is expected soon.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 06:33:25 fe4454 No.3397

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>3390
>>3395
>I live near Y-12 (nuclear manufacturer created in the Manhattan project); how far do I have to be from it to survive a low-yield nuke?

I ask on the off chance you know if Y-12/Oak Ridge is a high priority target for nuclear strikes or not (in case you're wondering). If you don't know the answer, that's fine; I'm not really sure who to ask since nuclear experts aren't a dime a dozen (at least where I live, though the few that are nearby will probably tell me nothing if I ask).
——————————
In Ukraine, Tomorrow’s Drone War Is Alive Today: http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2015/03/ukraine-tomorrows-drone-war-alive-today/107085/

>At the Donetsk Airport, a handful of Ukrainian military men by Jan. 19 had been fighting off the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic, or DPR, for months. Much of the airport structure had been obliterated. The once-smooth runway was a lunar landscape of debris, craters and blast marks. A small eight-rotor drone rose up form the ruin and ascends out toward the battlefield, sending live video of DPR artillery positions to the Ukrainian military. A target enemy tank was selected. The men of the Aerorozvidka (air reconnaissance) project who piloted the drone from nearby Debalcevo watched as a missile hurled toward an enemy tank like a soccer ball to the net. “We need a goal! We need a goal!” they chanted and erupted with cheers as the shell destroyed the tank in a fireball.

>While drones have been an aspect of U.S. wars for a decade, the Ukrainian conflict represents the most significant use of drones in warfare on two opposite sides of a battlefield.

The article goes on over drone usage, so read the rest if interested.
———————–
US, EU to Maintain Pressure on Russia Over Ukraine - Obama: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150310/1019280266.html/

>The United States and the European Union will continue putting pressure on Russia to abide by the Minsk agreements, US President Barack Obama told journalists on Monday before his bilateral meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk in Washington DC.

>“Part of what we’ll be discussing is how do we make sure that we are able to monitor effectively what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine, and how do we continue to maintain pressure on Russia, on the separatists, to abide by these agreements,” Obama said.

>Obama noted the unity between the United States and the European Union on the issue of Ukraine.

>“We’ve been able to maintain strong unity with respect to sanctions,” Obama said. “We very much appreciate the work that’s been done by [German] Chancellor Angela Merkel and [French] President Francois Hollande to establish a Minsk process.”
———————–
Agence France-Presse: Ukraine president says 64 soldiers killed since Feb. 15 ceasefire: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/agence-france-presse-ukraine-president-says-64-soldiers-killed-since-feb-15-ceasefire-383009.html

>A total of 64 soldiers have been killed in eastern Ukraine since a ceasefire deal between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels took effect almost a month ago, President Petro Poroshenko said March 9.

Yeah, yeah, I know: Kiev Post. But no one else was counting the casualties besides them.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 10:40:17 349240 No.3398

>>3395
>Y-12

I don't think that place would ever be a priority unless we see a very unlikely invasion, so I think you would have enough time to bug out if we saw some shit.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 10:41:42 349240 No.3399

>>3394
Country?

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 10:45:09 b2bb32 No.3400

>>3399

heh, Brazil.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 12:45:23 349240 No.3401

>>3400
Ohlol, BR is kinda spooky to me, at least the bad parts. But yeah maybe if the West fails your country could keep its resources and blossom and perhaps fix a lot of the issues there

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 13:21:28 b2bb32 No.3402

>>3401

yeah, i hope so

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 16:49:58 fe4454 No.3404

Ukraine to protect human rights, assets in Crimea – Poroshenko: http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/254200.html

>Ukraine intends to protect human rights and its assets in Crimea and to eventually regain control over the peninsula, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.

>"There are a number of steps we need to take and on which we will be insisting with the purpose of regaining Crimea," Poroshenko said in an interview with Pershyi Natsionalnyi Channel on Monday night.

>The president said they would be protecting rights of Ukrainians residing in Crimea in the first turn. "We need to protect every Ukrainian tortured by Russian security services: a Crimean Tatar, a Ukrainian activist or a cleric of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate. This is the first priority I have set for the Foreign Ministry, the security services, the government and the others," the chief of state said.

>In addition, Ukraine will insist on protecting its assets in Crimea, both government-owned and corporate, he said. "On my orders, the Justice Ministry and the government will work out, in particular, with the assistance of foreign legal experts, and start to implement their tactics in legal defense of Ukrainian interests," the president said.

>It is also important to take away all Ukrainian weapons left in Crimea, the Ukrainian leader continued. "We need to take away all weapons left in Crimea, and we will be insisting on this," Poroshenko said.

>Kyiv will be reinforcing the border with Crimea in order to prevent incursions of saboteurs, reconnaissance groups, terrorists and other threats, he underlined.

>"Most importantly, we should demonstrate that life is much better on this side [of the border with] with occupied territory. People are already coming to realize [the true nature of the situation]," Poroshenko stated.
————————–
Kharkiv, Odesa unrest could cause more sanctions against Russia – Latvian foreign minister: http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/254228.html

>Any attempts to cause unrest in Kharkiv and Odesa, if any, may result in further anti-Russian sanctions, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics has said.

>"If there are attempts to somehow create unrest in these cities (Kharkiv and Odesa), it may become one of the issues that we could discuss. At the moment, the situation is very fragile. The discussion about what to do next in the EU relations with Russia will be held at the EU Council meeting in late March. Until then, broad consultation will take place," Rinkevics said after the informal meeting of foreign ministers of the European Union on Saturday in Riga.

>He noted that the situation in Ukraine has slightly improved since the time the agreements were reached on February 12.

>The Latvian minister stressed that the attacks in Kharkiv and Odesa certainly deserve condemnation. The EU hopes that investigators will establish the organizers of these attacks. Rinkevics does not link them to the issue of the implementation of the Minsk agreements, but believes that they can be considered in the context of destabilization.
——————————–
Russia Wants Explanation Of Call For EU Army: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-wants-explanation-on-eu-army/26891294.html

>Russia has asked European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to explain his recent proposal to establish a European Union army.

>"We would like to understand what this idea means because European politicians have already addressed this issue at different levels in the past 30 years. But it is difficult to guess what Juncker meant this time," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksei Meshkov said on March 10.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 20:18:24 fe4454 No.3406

Russia Suggests West Impose Sanctions On Ukraine: http://www.rferl.org/content/lavrov-sanctions-ukraine-kyiv-russia-minsk/26891519.html

>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has suggested the West should impose sanctions on Kyiv to further a deal to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

>Speaking on March 10, Lavrov accused Ukraine of reneging on commitments he said it made under the February 12 deal reached in Minsk for a cease-fire and steps toward peace between the government and Russian-backed rebels.

>Lavrov said that "full implementation of the Minsk agreements is essentially being blocked by the Kyiv authorities."

>"I don't know what instruments of pressure on Kyiv the Americans and Europeans have," he said. "But maybe [they should] impose their favorite mechanism of sanctions on Kyiv in this case."

>The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia over its interference in Ukraine and support for the separatists.

>Lavrov claimed Kyiv has cast doubt on what he said were obligations to organize an amnesty and create "working groups" including rebels to discuss economic, political, and humanitarian issues.
——————-
US Applies Pressure to States Opposing Anti-Russian Sanctions - Nuland: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150310/1019308000.html#ixzz3U0VI3r3L

>The United States government is applying pressure to European countries that oppose sanctions against Russia, US Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland said at a US Senate hearing on Tuesday.

>“We continue to talk to them bilaterally about these issues,” Nuland said of Hungary, Greece, and Cyprus, whose leaders have opposed anti-Russian sanctions. “I will make another trip out to some of those countries in the coming days and weeks.”

>Nuland noted that “despite some publically stated concerns, those countries have supported sanctions” in the European Union Council.

>Additionally, discussions between the United States and Europe have continued, Nuland said in her opening statements to the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.

>“We have already begun consultations with our European partners on further sanctions pressure should Russia continue fueling the fire in the east or other parts of Ukraine, fail to implement Minsk or grab more land,” she said.
————————–
IMF to decide loan program for Ukraine on March 11: http://www.unian.info/economics/1053641-imf-to-decide-loan-program-for-ukraine-on-march-11.html

>According to the plan of the IMF Board of Directors, on March 11 the fund will consider the Ukraine's application for the Enhanced Extended Fund Facility program and the termination of the current two-year Stand-by program.

>As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalia Jaresko wrote on her Twitter account that the IMF had confirmed the meeting of the IMF Board of Directors on March 11.

>"The first tranche that Ukraine may receive for the macroeconomic stabilization of the country will be a significant part of the total sum of $17.5 billion under the new program with the IMF," Jaresko wrote.

>"We expect that the fund will bring certainty to the currency market," she added.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 20:33:15 fe4454 No.3407

File: 1426019595466.jpg (200.32 KB, 1024x851, 1024:851, ukraine.jpg)

Ukraine to return artillery to frontline if militants attack – ATO spokesman: http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/254301.html

>The Ukrainian army will bring all its withdrawn artillery back to the frontline if pro-Russian militants mount an offense on their positions.

>"Our frontline units still have heavy infantry weapons which can stop an offensive of heavy armaments so that they are not endangered. If the militants move forward, all the artillery guns will be brought back to the frontline," spokesman for the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) Andriy Lysenko said at a press briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.

>In his words, the enemy is only simulating the pullout of its weapons.

>"In fact, they are relocating their hardware, coaching their soldiers, regrouping, and forming a main attack force," Lysenko said.
——————
US analysts say Russia may try to occupy whole of left bank Ukraine: http://www.unian.info/politics/1053681-us-analysts-say-russia-may-try-to-occupy-whole-of-left-bank-ukraine.html

>The claim was made in an analysis conducted by Stratfor, a U.S. geopolitical intelligence firm that provides strategic analysis and forecasting to individuals and organizations around the world, Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda has reported.

>Stratfor’s analysts believe that Russia could launch a series of short strikes in the east of Ukraine designed to intimidate and immobilize the Ukrainian military command.

>"However, such a move would likely be used in conjunction with any future military actions by Russia or pro-Russia separatists,” the report reads.

>Another limited option is a small expansion of current separatist lines to the north, incorporating the remainder of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while one of the most frequently discussed scenarios is the unification of the occupied territories of Donbass and the Crimea along the south coast of the Black Sea.

>For this scenario it is assumed there would be an offensive front broad enough to secure Crimea’s primary water supply, sourced from the Dnipro river.

>"In conducting such an offensive, an initial thrust would move forces rapidly through Ukraine toward the city of Kherson and Nova Kakhovka on the Dnipro River, where they would set up defensive positions," Stratfor said.

>One of the potential constraints to this scenario is the fact that lines of supply would extend along a thin stretch of land, which could be difficult to defend.

>Therefore, another possible scenario considered by the US analysts involves Russia seizing the entire southern coast of Ukraine to connect Russia and its security forces to the breakaway region of Transdniestria in Moldova.

>Thus Ukraine would be completely cut off from the sea, thereby securing all Russian interests in this region. However, this would require carrying out "a complicated and dangerous bridging operation over a large river, with an extended and vulnerable logistics train," the U.S. experts noted.

>To avoid possible risks of its forces being cut off from their supply sources, Russia may alternatively try to grab a large chunk of eastern Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia, while the last scenario considered by Stratfor sees Russia capturing the whole of the “left bank” of Ukraine.

>However, analysts say, this would require a significant number of Russian troops in the eastern Ukraine, many of whom would be required to suppress a possible Ukrainian insurgency in areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.

>The report by Stratfor can be found here [ https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/gaming-russian-offensive ].

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 20:45:48 fe4454 No.3408

Poland criticizes Switzerland for selling high-tech military fabrics to Russia: http://www.unian.info/world/1053661-poland-criticizes-switzerland-for-selling-high-tech-military-fabrics-to-russia.html

>"It must be condemned, and media has noted that the sale of such goods facilitates Russian aggression [on Ukraine]," Schetyna said during an interview on Tuesday with Polish Radio Zet, commenting on the sale of the high-tech fabrics, which can be used for military purposes.

>According to the spokesperson of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) on March 8, the export of the material was permitted because the contract for its supply was concluded before August 27, 2014, when Switzerland decided to join in the EU sanctions against Russia.

>The fabrics can be used to mask equipment from radar and infrared detectors, and can also be used for making camouflage nets or special uniforms, news agency AFP reported.

>At the same time, the SECO’s press secretary said that the customer was a Russian entrepreneur whose business is of a civilian nature, although no further information about the deal was given.

>According to the Swiss media, the deal is estimated to be worth CHF 91 million (EUR 85 million). Delivery took place in two stages: on October 16 and December 12 last year.
——————–
Hryvnia official rate strengthens to NBU’s ‘fundamental level’: http://www.unian.info/economics/1053717-hryvnia-official-rate-strengthens-to-nbus-fundamental-level.html

>The National Bank of Ukraine on Tuesday continued to strengthen the hryvnia official exchange rate, bringing the value of Ukraine’s currency to UAH 21.7357 to the dollar – within the "fundamental level" range of UAH 20-22 set by the NBU, according to the Web site of the central bank.
——————–
U.S. Says More Russian Tanks Have Crossed Into Ukraine: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-russian-tanks-cross-border/26891991.html

>The United States says Russia has transferred more weapons to separatists in recent days despite an ongoing cease-fire.

>"We can confirm new transfers of Russian tanks, armored vehicles, heavy artillery, and rocket equipment over the border to the separatists in eastern Ukraine," said Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland at a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on March 10.

>Moscow has continually denied sending weapons and troops to the pro-Russian separatists.

>Nuland said that the United States had begun initial conversations with European allies on more sanctions should Russia fail to implement the cease-fire or take more land.

>The cease-fire that took effect on February 15 does not give Ukraine control over its border until a decentralization and reform process becomes law.
—————
Obama Administration Admits It’s Done Almost Nothing to Protect Ukraine From Russia: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/03/10/obama-administration-admits-its-done-almost-nothing-to-protect-ukraine-from-russia/

>Senior Obama administration officials on Tuesday acknowledged that they have taken only minimal steps to protect Ukraine from ongoing Russian aggression, prompting senators from both parties to openly question when the Obama administration will start to help in light of what they called a Russian invasion.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 20:46:05 fe4454 No.3409

>>3408
cont.

>Officials testified at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where they said they’ve delivered only half of the non-lethal aid to Ukraine that the U.S. promised to deliver, and have yet to take much more important steps.

>For example, they admitted that sending lethal defensive weapons is still something being considered. They couldn’t provide a timeline for when they would start training Ukrainian soldiers. And they continued to say that Russia would still have several more “days” to comply with a ceasefire that was supposed to take effect on Feb. 15.

>“Pretty evident that we’re not going to do much,” Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said after hearing that assessment. “Pretty evident that the strong statements that we’ve made are statements.”

>The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), indicated that he largely agreed, and argued that while the U.S. is hoping the Russia will someday adhere to the ceasefire, Russia is slowly gaining control of the country.

>“We keep working on this aspirational basis, while Russia works effectively to take more and more Ukrainian land,” he said. “I don’t get it. Unless you change the calculus for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, this is going to continue.”

>Late last year, Congress passed legislation giving the Obama administration the authority to send defensive weapons to Ukraine. But when asked when the U.S. might start sending those weapons, a Defense Department official said no decisions have been made.

>“We’re still working in the interagency [process], reviewing a number of options including lethal defensive weapons, but I can’t give you a timetable on when we might have a decision on additional assistance,” said Brian McKeon, a deputy undersecretary of Defense.

>The U.S. has also pledged to send about $120 million worth of non-lethal aid, but McKeon said only half of that has been sent, in part because the U.S. can’t always quickly find the goods to send.

>“It’s a case of finding it in the stocks of the United States military,” McKeon said. “In the case of some equipment, we’re purchasing it off the production line.”

>And on the idea of training Ukrainian officials, McKeon said that’s also something that’s still being considered. “We have not had a decision, never had a decision on the final timing and scope of it,” he said. “We had talked about doing it this month, but it’s still under consideration.”

>Those comments prompted Corker to say it’s “incredibly frustrating” to hear these delays, given the urgent situation in Ukraine.

>“Russia has invaded Ukraine,” he said. “We agreed to protect their territorial sovereignty. In 1994, they gave up 1,240 nuclear weapons. We agreed to protect that.”

>“And now, as Russia has invaded, we’re still not willing to give defensive weapons,” he added.

>The most immediate issue facing Ukraine is the failure of Russia and Russia-backed separatists to adhere to a ceasefire agreement that was supposed to take hold on Feb. 15. But while the Obama administration has admitted that Russia is not in compliance, a State Department official said the U.S. would continue to give Russia even more time before considering tougher sanctions against Russia.

>“In the coming days, not weeks or months — here is what we need to see: a complete ceasefire in all parts of eastern Ukraine,” Victoria Nuland, assistant secretary of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

>Nuland’s comments followed similar comments from Secretary of State John Kerry from a week ago, when he said he wanted to see full compliance in “the next hours, certainly not more than days.” Kerry said that on March 2.

>Nuland seemed to resist the idea of saying Ukraine is still undergoing an invasion, and at one point called the takeover of Debaltseve, a rail hub city in eastern Ukraine, a state of “incomplete compliance” with the ceasefire agreement.

>“We’ve seen incomplete compliance in terms of OSCE access, including in Debaltseve, incomplete compliance in terms of OSCE being able to verify the pullback of separatists’ heavy weapons,” she said, referring to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 21:23:48 fe4454 No.3410

Over 20,000 Crimean residents forced to live on mainland Ukraine: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/over-20000-crimean-residents-forced-to-live-on-mainland-ukraine-383069.html

>As of March 1, 2015 a total of 20,267 Crimean residents who are Ukrainian citizens have been forced from the temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol to mainland Ukraine.
——————
Putin's Russia could be 'single greatest threat to Britain's security,' Philip Hammond warns: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11461324/Putins-Russia-could-be-single-greatest-threat-to-Britains-security-Philip-Hammond-warns.html

>Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has made some of the strongest comments by a minister since the start of the Ukraine crisis, warning that Russia under Vladimir Putin is potentially the "single greatest threat" to Britain's security.

>Mr Hammond said the Russian leader had decisively rejected efforts to draw his country into a "rules-based" international order and was now actively seeking to subvert it.

>He added that in the face of the "increasingly aggressive" stance of the Russian military, the effort to establish its intentions was now once again a "vital" element of the work of Britain's intelligence agencies – MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.

>"The rapid pace with which Russia is seeking to modernise her military forces and weapons combined with the increasingly aggressive stance of the Russian military including Russian aircraft around the sovereign airspace of Nato states are all significant causes of concern," he said in a speech to the Royal United Services Institute in London.

>"We are in familiar territory for anyone over the age of about 50, with Russia's behaviour a stark reminder that it has the potential to pose the single greatest threat to our security.
————————-
Ukraine raises defense spending four times: http://www.panorama.am/en/world/2015/03/10/ukraine-defense/

>Ukraine will spend four times more on weapons and military equipment this year, raising its the spending from last year’s 1.25% of GDP to 5.2% in 2015, said Finance Minister Natalya Yaresko, TASS reported.

>Budget allocation will top $3.8 billion, President Petro Poroshenko told state TV Channel One in a parallel announcement.

>"Higher spending is caused by the current military and political situation around Ukraine and poor conditions of certain weapons and equipment developed and built more than 30 years ago," defense sector spokesperson Viktoria Kushnir told reporters on Tuesday.

>Ukraine’s forces will buy more than 500 items of weapons and hardware, more than 300,000 "means of destruction" and 3,500 "other samples of weapons and equipment", she said.

>As for deals struck last year, the military will be supplied with 450,000 "means of destruction", 70 types of key weapons and more than 6,000 units of other armaments, she added.

>Thermal imaging devices would be delivered from US supplier American Technologies Network Corporation before April 30. Archer will supply binoculars.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 21:31:22 fe4454 No.3411

Dozens Continue 'Financial Maidan' Protest Near Ukrainian National Bank: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150310/1019297314.html

>The so-called “financial Maidan” has been on for more than two weeks now with the protesters demanding, among other things, measures to alleviate the plight of borrowers who took out loans denominated in foreign currency as the hryvnia's exchange rate is rapidly falling.

>These include a law enabling them to repay loans at the exchange rate valid at the time when they took them out.

>The demonstrators set up tents, brought chairs and installed a table for the distribution of food and drinks.

>No bank representatives have so far met with the protesters who are being protected by members of the Kiev-1 volunteer battalion following last month’s attempt by police to break up the protest.

>The hryvnia lost almost 40 percent against the US dollar in the first two months of 2015 and almost 90 percent over the past fourteen months.

>The national currency went into a tailspin in mid-February amid an escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine and the Central Bank scrapping currency support.

>The financial authorities then managed to somehow rectify the situation with currency interventions.

>On Friday NBU head Valeriya Hontareva once again denied rumors about her imminent resignation.
————————
Ukraine’s ‘Courageous’ Energy Reforms Meant to Erode Russia’s Leverage: http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/10/ukraines-courageous-energy-reforms-meant-to-erode-russias-leverage/

>Thanks to relentless prodding from the IMF, Ukraine seems poised to finally carry out the reforms of its energy sector that it has spent years chasing. Those changes, passed last week by Ukraine’s parliament, promise to do as much as anything else to help salvage Ukraine’s battered economy and help break Russia’s stranglehold over its energy and political life.

>Now that Kiev has started swallowing the bitter medicine the West has spent years urging, the IMF is widely expected to greenlight on Wednesday, March 11, a four-year, $17.5 billion bailout of Ukraine. Coupled with relief from international bondholders and loan packages from Europe and the United States, Kiev’s wheezing economy is set to receive an injection of about $40 billion.

>It comes none too soon. Ukraine’s currency reserves are dwindling and at current levels could pay for only about one month of imports. The currency was the world’s worst performer last year, though expectations of IMF aid have helped stanch the bleeding since late February. The country’s debt levels have jumped so high that it risks breaching borrowing agreements with Russia, which could put the screws to Kiev by demanding early repayment of $3 billion.

>The IMF package will give Ukraine a way to survive the short term. More importantly, to land the international assistance, Ukrainian lawmakers have done what previous leaders tried, and failed, to do on several occasions over the last decade: reform the notoriously distorted Ukrainian energy sector.

>The sweeping reform package passed by Ukraine’s parliament last week includes measures to cut the budget deficit, curb pensions, and battle corruption. “The package of reforms already put forward by the government, and enacted by the [parliament], is impressive in its scope and political courage,” said Victoria Nuland, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, according to prepared remarks for her congressional testimony on Tuesday.

>The centerpiece of the reforms will sharply jack up natural gas prices for businesses and households. Starting in April, the average rate for gas will jump nearly threefold. That sounds like a lot, but will still leave Ukrainian gas tariffs well short of what the fuel actually costs. Ukraine hopes to keep nudging up gas tariffs through 2017 until they reflect market prices. The reforms come after last summer’s government decree designed to reduce energy use at big, industrial concerns and among government firms.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 23:00:18 fe4454 No.3412

Eurosceptics playing into Vladimir Putin's hands, says Labour: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/10/eurosceptics-playing-into-vladimir-putins-hands-says-labour

>The willingness of Vladimir Putin to test European resolve has exposed the weakness of the Eurosceptic case and it requires a reinvigorated British membership of the European Union, according to the shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden.

>In a speech to the Fabian Society on Wednesday, McFadden will attempt to widen the case for the EU from trade to security and shared European values saying: “The changing geopolitical security situation is leaving Euroscepticism behind.”

>He will say: “Britain‘s debate about its future relationship with the EU risks almost entirely ignored the issue of our collective security. This is a mistake we can no longer afford.

>“It is utterly incoherent for our prime minister to call for tougher European action against President Putin in one breath and then threaten to leave the EU in the next. Security is the unspoken dimension of this European debate.

>“This is no time for democratic nations to consider breaking from their allies. While Eurosceptics crave the breaking of ties to the EU, the security situation demands common action and resolve.”

>His intervention was welcomed by Lord David Hannay, a crossbench peer and former British ambassador to the UN as “a breath of fresh air in a so far stagnant pre-election debate on European issues. He is right to argue that EU membership is about much more than simply trade and investment, important though these benefits are”.

>McFadden suggests: “If the EU were to splinter or split, no one would be more pleased than President Putin. It is not an accident that the political forces President Putin admires are those anti-EU forces of the populist left and right. Nor is it an accident that the Front Nationale in France has received loans of millions of euros from a Russian bank. And it is no accident either that Putin has been signalled out for admiration by Nigel Farage as an operator”.

>McFadden is not echoing the call from some EU leaders for a European army. He says the hard edge of Britain’s security in Europe will continue to be provided by Nato, but the commitment to the common values represented by the EU is crucial to future security of the UK.

>He attacks David Cameron’s retreat from the world stage: “Whenever the west has been tested in the past, it has looked to Britain. Today, such is the confusion and incoherence of the British government’s position, some are no longer looking.

>“As military chiefs have pointed out, on Ukraine and other towering issues of global security this government has been content to preside over a shrinking of Britain’s role, leaving us a more marginal player on the international stage.

>“The choice facing us at the election is not just about the deficit or public services. It is about Britain’s place in the world and our sense of ourselves. It is time those of us who want to maintain Britain’s role as a country with global reach, not shrinking from the world but helping to shape it, time we stepped up our case.”

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 23:09:32 fe4454 No.3413

Putin signs law on ratification of $100 billion BRICS New Development Bank deal: http://rt.com/news/238981-putin-signs-brics-bank/

>Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law ratifying the deal establishing the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), according to a document published on Monday on Russia's official website for legal information.

>The BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) was set up to challenge two major Western-led giants – the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. NDB's key role will be to serve as a pool of currency for infrastructure projects within a group of five countries with major emerging national economies - Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

>According to the Russian Finance Ministry, the New Development Bank is expected to start functioning fully by the end of the year, with the headquarters slated for opening in Shanghai. The chairmanship, with a term of five years, will rotate among the members.

>It's hoped the new bank will stamp the growing influence of the BRICS. The NDB is expected to become one of the world's key institutions, with a stated capital of $100 billion. Each of the five-member countries is expected to allocate an equal share of the $50 billion startup capital that will be expanded to $100 billion. Russia has agreed to provide $2 billion from the federal budget for the bank over the next seven years.

>The bank, which will be able to start lending in 2016, will be open to other countries that are members of the United Nations. The BRICS share is never to decline below 55 percent, however. The money will be used to finance development projects in the emerging economies.

>India will serve as the first five-year rotating president, and the first Chairman of the Board of Directors will be Brazilian.

>The bank was first proposed in 2012. The signing of the agreement to create the joint development bank by the heads of the five countries took place at the BRICS summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, in June 2014.

>The lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, ratified the agreement on the NDB establishment last month.
——————
‘We did what we had to do’: Putin opens up on Crimea reunification plan: http://rt.com/news/239197-putin-crimea-referendum-decision/

>The decision to give Crimea an opportunity to choose if it wants to be a part of Russia again was made after an unofficial survey showed the majority of Crimeans would back reunification, Vladimir Putin revealed in an interview to a Russian TV channel.

>The interview is part of a documentary, “Crimea. The Road Back Home,” scheduled to be aired by the Rossiya One TV channel. In the film, the Russian president has given new insights into the events leading up to last year's referendum in Crimea.

>The vote took place after days of violence on the streets of Kiev, which came to be known as the Maidan revolution. The government was overthrown in February 2014, and the Ukrainian president fled the capital.

>The highly volatile situation prompted President Putin to convene an urgent meeting with his national security and defense chiefs, during which a crucial decision was taken.

>“It was the night of the 22nd,” Putin told Rossiya One’s Andrey Kondrashov. “We were done by 7 am. And I won't conceal it, when we were saying goodbye, I told my colleagues – there were four of them – that the situation in Ukraine has evolved in such a way that we have to start work on returning Crimea to being a part of Russia. We couldn't abandon the territory and people who live there, couldn't just throw them under this nationalist bulldozer.”

>The Russian president went on to explain that the referendum, on joining Russia, would not have gone ahead without broad public support on the peninsula.

>So, he ordered an unofficial poll to be conducted there.

>“We found out that 75 percent of respondents there wanted [Crimea] to join Russia,” Putin said.

>Only then was the referendum was given the green light. There were two choices offered to the voters: to say yes either to the reunification of Crimea with Russia or to Crimea having more autonomy as a part of Ukraine.

>“The ultimate goal was not to seize Crimea or annex it,” Putin said. “The ultimate goal was to let people express their opinion on how they wanted to live further.”

>The president emphasized that he was ready to support any decision taken by the people of Crimea.

>“We know the results of the referendum. And we did what we had to do,” the Russian leader said.

Anonymous 03/10/15 (Tue) 23:59:25 fe4454 No.3416

Volunteer Ukrainian unit includes Nazis: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/10/ukraine-azov-brigade-nazis-abuses-separatists/24664937/

>A volunteer brigade with self-proclaimed Nazis fighting alongside government troops against Russian-backed separatists is proving to be a mixed blessing to its cause.

>Though the 900-member Azov Brigade adds needed manpower to repulse the rebels, members who say they are Nazis are sparking controversy, and complaints of abuses against civilians have turned some residents against them.

>A drill sergeant who would identify himself only as Alex wore a patch depicting Thor's Hammer, an ancient Norse symbol appropriated by neo-Nazis, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

>In an interview with USA TODAY, he admitted he is a Nazi and said with a laugh that no more than half his comrades are fellow Nazis. He said he supports strong leadership for Ukraine, like Germany during World War II, but opposes the Nazis' genocide against Jews. Minorities should be tolerated as long as they are peaceful and don't demand special privileges, he said, and the property of wealthy oligarchs should be taken away and nationalized.

>He vowed that when the war ends, his comrades will march on the capital, Kiev, to oust a government they consider corrupt.

>Russian media exploit such statements to describe the brigade in this port city in eastern Ukraine as a bunch of thugs who menace the population yet are embraced by Ukraine's national government.

>Andriy Diachenko, a spokesman for the Azov Brigade, said only 10% to 20% of the group's members are Nazis. "I know Alex is a Nazi, but it's his personal ideology. It has nothing to do with the official ideology of the Azov," Diachenko said. "He's a good drill sergeant and a good instructor for tactics and weapons skills."

>The brigade's deputy commander, Oleg Odnorozhenko, complained that Alex does not speak for the group. "If he has his own sympathies, it's his own matter," Odnorozhenko said in a former high school serving as a base. "But he has no right to make statements in a way they can be construed as the position of the regiment. He will be dealt with severely for his lack of discipline."

>Col. Oleksiy Nozdrachov, a member of the Ukrainian Armed Services' General Staff in Kiev, defended the brigade's members as patriots. "They are volunteers who decided to sacrifice their lives to the country," Nozdrachov said. "They are tough and fierce in battle who stand and fight and won't give up soil."

>He conceded that abuses by the brigade could hurt the nationalist cause among residents. "If any cases of misbehavior by Azov Brigade are brought by the local population, it will be investigated," he said.

>In one case of alleged abuse, shop owner Svetlana Gudina, 51, said Azov troops detained her two sons, ages 28 and 32, and seized their cars, cash, flash drives and documents while searching for separatists last September. The men were released, and she managed to recover the cars and money, but the experience destroyed her trust in Ukrainian authorities.

>"If they have come to defend us, let them defend," Gudina said. "But when they come to molest and humiliate civilians, it's wrong."

>Spokesman Diachenko said he was unfamiliar with the incident, but "such episodes happen because this is war."

>Nozdrachov offered to send an investigator to look into Gudina's claims, an offer she accepted.

>Similar incidents have been attributed to armed units on both sides of the war. A report March 5 by the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights described "credible allegations of arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearances, committed mostly by the armed groups but in some instances also by the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies."

>The brigade's recruits, ranging from teens to middle-aged men, come from the separatist-held eastern Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, the central city of Kirovograd and the former Soviet republic of Belarus. Several said they want to protect their homeland and Europe from the ambitions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they blame for the war.

>Deputy commander Odnorozhenko said the brigade preaches Ukrainian patriotism and independence, strong leadership and accountability. "Ideas like going to Kiev to change the government in an illegal way should be nipped in the bud," he said.

>Alex Borisov, 44, a trainer for Ukraine's military, said he spent two weeks teaching shooting and tactics to a group of brigade members who speak mostly Russian.

>"I didn't see any fascists or anti-Semites," Borisov said. "And I tell you this as a Jewish guy."

I'm not really much of a NatSoc kind of guy, but I figured you all might be interested.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 02:06:34 349240 No.3417

>>3416
>I'm not really much of a NatSoc kind of guy, but I figured you all might be interested.

Doesn't matter what you are, they're useful idiots, fake as fuck and just another tool.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 06:40:59 8aa46d No.3420

>>3408
Oh man…
>"Today Crimea remains under illegal occupation and human rights abuses are the norm, not the exception, for many at risk groups there," said Nuland.

So let me get this straight.
>Western Ukraine donesn't get what they want
>REVOLT
>Eastern Ukraine doesn't get what they want
>REVOLT
>Crimeans are terrorised daily, and there are human right abuses
>N-No revolt
Even a retard would see that if what they said was true, there would be atleast some minimal unrest.
They got a double increase of the minimal salary + pensions. And 70% of the population is Russian and yet they claim they don't want to be part of Russia, and they are living in fear for their lives?

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 06:58:14 fe4454 No.3422

>>3420
Well, there is the matter that Ukrainians are being pushed out of Crimea into the mainland:

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/over-20000-crimean-residents-forced-to-live-on-mainland-ukraine-383069.html

>As of March 1, 2015 a total of 20,267 Crimean residents who are Ukrainian citizens have been forced from the temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol to mainland Ukraine.

Kiev is likely using this as a basis for their claims that Crimeans are terrorized or fearing for their lives, unless there's some hardcore persecution going on that I haven't seen yet.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 10:43:47 349240 No.3429

>>3420
I guess average Americans are beyond retard then.. lol

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 10:50:36 b2bb32 No.3430

>>3416

Neonazi fuckers are not real NatSoc, just a bunch of kids trying to prove they are something.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 12:11:34 900052 No.3436

>>3420
People aren't critical thinkers by default, they'll eat up the propaganda they are given regardless of the sources.

Look at how the word "skeptic" is used as an insult today. Obamaskeptics are considered bigotted rednecks, climate change skeptics are considered like brainless creationnists, skepticism has become bad.

Doubt should be human nature

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 12:36:39 fe4454 No.3438

Japan slams ex-PM Hatoyama's Crimea visit: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/us-ukraine-crisis-japan-idUSKBN0M70JB20150311?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>The Japanese government sharply criticized a former prime minister on Wednesday for his visit to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, saying his action is at odds with Japan's stance on the Ukraine situation and calling him "grossly imprudent".

>Japan disapproves of Russia's annexation of Crimea, and is concerned that the entry into the peninsula by former premier Yukio Hatoyama, who was traveling on a Russian visa, could be taken as a gesture in support of Russian control of the region.

>Hatoyama said in Moscow before his entry into Crimea on Tuesday that he wanted to see for himself how Crimea residents were feeling about the annexation, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.

>"Russia's annexation of Crimea is in violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Japan by no means approves of such attempts to change the status quo with force," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

>"The government has been asking him to think twice about the visit, but he went ahead and did it anyway. His behavior is grossly imprudent and extremely regrettable for someone who experienced the office of prime minister."

>Hatoyama's Crimea visit came a day after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that any attempt to change the status quo in Ukraine with force should not be tolerated.
——————-
Norwegian Defense Minister: NATO Decision Making Process Too Slow To Deal with Emerging Crises: http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/norwegian-defense-minister-nato-decision-making-process-too-slow-to-deal-with-emerging-crises

>Western relations with Russia will never again be the same after the war in Ukraine, Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday.

>"We are faced with a different Russia. I want to warn against the fact that some people see this as something that is going to pass. The situation has changed. And it has changed profoundly."

>There is "no going back to some sort of normality or some sort of back to normal business. Because that normality does not exist."

>Norway, a NATO member country, shares a northern border with Russia….

>It is critical, she said, that Russia and Europe "avoid miscalculations" that could "easily happen in a situation like this.

>"NATO countries are required to come to the defense of each other – an attack on one is an attack on all – but Eriksen Søreide said the organization is ill-prepared to respond quickly.

>"The decision structure in NATO is working quite slowly if something was to happen."

>"That is something that we need to work."

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 12:49:21 fe4454 No.3439

Russia Says Has Right to Deploy Nuclear Weapons in Crimea: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russia-says-has-right-to-deploy-nuclear-weapons-in-crimea/517281.html

>Russia has the right to deploy nuclear arms in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine last year, a Foreign Ministry official said Wednesday, adding he knew of no plans to do so.

>"I don't know if there are nuclear weapons there now. I don't know about any plans, but in principle Russia can do it," said Mikhail Ulyanovsk, the head of the ministry's department on arms control, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
———————–
Putin could start new war in Europe, warns Landsbergis: http://www.unian.info/politics/1053991-putin-could-start-new-war-in-europe-warns-landsbergis.html

>According to Landsbergis, there is a distinction between modern Russia and the country that exisited under the presidency of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

>"This era was unique. Russia did not want to be an aggressive empire … Yeltsin treated our freedom with respect," Landsbergis said.

>"The democratic world still does not realize the changes that have happened over the 15 years of Vladimir Putin's presidency,” he said.

>“From 2000, history should recognize a new period called ‘the Putin Wars.’ And this is only the beginning."

Landsbergis was the first head of state of independent Lithuania, FYI.
——————–
NATO Naval Drills Start In Black Sea: http://www.rferl.org/content/nato-black-sea-drills-navy-ukraine/26891665.html

>Seven NATO members started a naval exercise in the Black Sea on March 10.

>The naval rapid reaction force in the drills comprises a U.S. flagship, the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg, and ships from the six other participating states – Black Sea countries Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria, plus Canada, Germany, and Italy.

>NATO has held a series of exercises in eastern Europe, aimed in part to reassure members concerned about Russian intentions following Moscow's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in March 2014 and its moves in support of separatists fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine.

>A Bulgarian navy spokesman said the training would include simulated antiair and antisubmarine warfare exercises, as well as simulated small boat attacks and basic ship handling maneuvers.

>Last week, the defense ministry in Moscow said it had begun large-scale military exercises in southern Russia and in disputed territories including Crimea and Abkhazia, a breakaway, Moscow-backed region of Georgia on the Black Sea.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 13:31:06 fe4454 No.3440

Meeting of Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh Leaders in Astana Postponed: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150311/1019333807.html

>A meeting of Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh leaders scheduled to take place later this week in the Kazakh capital of Astana has been postponed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

>Russian President Vladimir Putin was to visit Astana March 12-13 for the three-party meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

>The three leaders were to discuss mutually important economic and political issues, such as deeper trade cooperation and "global economic trends," a statement on the Kazakh president's official website said Monday. The agenda of the meeting also included the situation in Ukraine.
————————
US says about 500 Russian soldiers killed in eastern Ukraine: http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/181523/us-says-about-500-russian-soldiers-killed-in-eastern-ukraine.html

>"It's pretty difficult to have a completely accurate assessment, given Russia's efforts to mask its dead," said Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. "I can't speak to more than 400 or 500 at the moment.”

>Nuland testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee while Republican and Democratic continued to pressure the White House to support Ukraine with weapons to defend itself against pro-Russian separatists attacks.

>Crimea is suffering severe hardship, according to Nuland.

>"Today Crimea remains under illegal occupation and human rights abuses are the norm, not the exception, for many at risk groups there," she said.

>"Even as Ukraine is building a peaceful, democratic, independent nation across 93 percent of its territory, Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine are suffering a reign of terror," Nuland added.
————————–
Venezuela Protests Follow Ukraine Model, US Hand Evident – Socialist Party: http://sputniknews.com/latam/20150311/1019332155.html

>"The protest movements, the way we know them in Venezuela, are intended to burn the country down with their terrorist acts. This is the same tactic as we have seen in Ukraine, when the neofascist groups supported by North American media toppled the legitimate government, setting the country on fire socially," Faria said.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 13:36:56 fe4454 No.3441

NATO chief says Russia still equipping Ukraine rebels: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/us-ukraine-crisis-nato-russia-idUSKBN0M70W420150311?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that Russia was still arming and training rebel forces in eastern Ukraine and he called for the warring parties to help foreign monitors to reinforce a ceasefire.

>Asked at a news conference about a U.S. diplomat's remark that Russian tanks had crossed into Ukraine in recent days, he declined specific comment on that but said: "We … still see Russian presence and strong support for the separatists in eastern Ukraine. We see the delivery of equipment, forces, training. And so Russia is still in eastern Ukraine.

>"Therefore we call on Russia to withdraw all its forces from eastern Ukraine and to respect the Minsk agreement."

>On Tuesday, senior State Department official Victoria Nuland told a U.S. congressional hearing that Russian tanks and artillery had crossed into eastern Ukraine in recent days in breach of a ceasefire deal agreed in Minsk on Feb. 12.
——————-
Former Japanese PM Says Crimea Referendum 'Expressed Will of Its People': http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150311/1019341182.html

>“I have listened to a variety of points of view, and have discovered that the referendum in the Crimea was conducted in accordance with the Ukrainian constitution, peacefully, according to democratic procedure, and has expressed the real will of the Crimean people,” Hatoyama noted at a press conference in Simferopol, RIA Novosti reports.

>The former Prime Minister added that he believes that his task now is to offer "Japanese society the truth about the democratic nature of the Crimean population’s will to become part of Russia."

>Hotoyama, arriving in Crimea on Tuesday, explained before his visit: "I want to see with my own eyes how people in Crimea are feeling." He noted that in addition to gauging local opinion, he “could possibly promote the development of cultural and humanitarian ties between Crimea and Japan.”
——————
Russia Completely Withdraws From Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150310/1019309874.html

>Moscow has halted its participation in a consulting group on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), a statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry's site says.

>The suspension finalizes Moscow's unilateral moratorium on the implementation of the CFE treaty declared in a decree issued by President Vladimir Putin in 2007.

>"Russia made a decision to halt its participation in meetings of the consulting group from March 11, 2015. Thus, suspension of actions in the CFE declared by Russia in 2007 becomes full," the statement reads.

>The Russian Foreign Ministry added that "NATO countries actually prefer to bypass the provisions of the CFE Treaty by expanding the alliance."

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 13:51:41 fe4454 No.3442

Moscow Will Respond to NATO Military Buildup Near Russia's Border - Lavrov: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150310/1019290192.html

>NATO military buildup near Russia's border does not contribute to the restoration of trust in the Euroatlantic space, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

>"We have confirmed our stance that military buildup near our border does not contribute to the restoration of trust in the Euroatlantic," the Russian foreign minister said during a news conference with his Spanish counterpart.

>Lavrov added that "we are forced to react in an adequate way, but we are sure that these problems need to be solved through an equal dialog based on mutual respect."
———————-
Five High-Ranked Ukrainian Officials Die in String of Mysterious Suicides: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150309/1019274770.html

>A former first deputy chief of Ukrainian Railways, Mykola Serhiyenko had worked directly for former president Mykola Azarov, who is now wanted by Interpol for embezzlement and misappropriation. On January 26, Serhiyenko, 57, was found dead in his home in Kiev. He was alone, with all of his windows and doors locked from the inside. Apparent cause of death: a gunshot wound inflicted by his own hunting rifle.

>Three days after Serhiyenko’s death, Oleksiy Kolesnyk was found dead after apparently hanging himself. A former head of the Kharkiv regional government, Kolesnyk had resigned in 2004. He left no suicide note, leaving investigators to speculate, but several noted the date of his passing, which coincided with the birthday of his friend and fellow politician, Yevhen Kushnaryov. Kushnaryov died in 2007 after being accidentally shot during a hunting expedition with friends.

>After a relatively calm month, a former mayor of Melitopol, Serhiy Walter, was found dead on February 25. Walter had been forced from his position in 2013 and was under investigation for his connections to organized crime, in the face of which he maintained his innocence. Walter was found on the day he was set to appear before the latest of his 145 hearings. He had allegedly hanged himself.

>One day later, the body of Oleksandr Bordyuh, a former deputy chief with the Melitopol police department, was found in a garage. The official cause of death was listed as “hypertensive crisis,” though this is a term commonly used by police to refer to suicide. The municipality of Melitopol wasn’t the only thing linking Bordyuh with Mayor Walter. A former boss of Bordyuh was a lawyer involved in the mayor’s trial.

>Two days after Bordyuh was found, Mykhaylo Chechetov also allegedly committed suicide. He had been arrested for fraud charges on the same day as Bordyuh’s death, purportedly for his cronyism while working with the State Property Fund. Chechetov had been involved in low-balling corporate sales during post-Soviet privatization. Steel company Kryvorizhstal was sold to the son-in-law of former president Leonid Kuchma for only $850 million. That same company was later resold for a substantially larger sum of $4.8 billion. Lawmakers have speculated that Chechetov killed himself rather than implicate his collaborators during trial. “It’s a shame we’ll never get to learn all of the interesting things we would have heard from Chechetov’s evidence,” Anton Herashchenko, adviser to the Interior Ministry, wrote on Facebook. Chechetov leapt from the window of his 17th story apartment on February 28.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 18:57:15 fe4454 No.3445

US To Send Drones, Humvees To Ukraine, Boost Russia Sanctions As Moscow May "Deploy Nuclear Weapons In Crimea": http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-11/us-send-drones-humvees-ukraine-boost-russia-sanctions-moscow-may-deploy-nuclear-weap

>So much for the second Minsk ceasefire. A few hours ago, the US returned to its strategy of escalating Russian "costs" when it placed sanctions on eight Ukrainian separatists and a Russian bank, warning that recent attacks by rebels armed by Russia violated a European-brokered ceasefire in the war-torn country.

>"If Russia continues to support destabilizing activity in Ukraine and violate the Minsk agreements and implementation plan, the already substantial costs it faces will continue to rise," Adam Szubin, the Treasury Department's acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement announcing the sanctions.

>As Reuters adds [ http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/us-usa-ukraine-sanctions-idUSKBN0M71HP20150311 ] , "the sanctions signal Washington is ratcheting up pressure on Moscow a day after accusing Russia of sending tanks and heavy military equipment into Ukraine, which a top U.S. official also said breached the Minsk accord agreed on Feb. 12." What was not said is that this also comes a day after the US sent over 100 tanks and armors to Russia neighbor Latvia in a move that would, from the Kremlin's perspective, signal further NATO arms build up on its borders.

>Among the more prominent individuals sanctioned was Roman Lyagin, who chairs an election commission in separatist territory. The U.S. Treasury accused him of preventing voting in Ukraine's May presidential election.

>Lyagin said he was not a fighter and was playing a peaceful role in the separatists' activities.

>"It's the opposite, I do my best to stop the bloodshed," he said.

>The full list of sanctioned individuals, as well the Russian National Commercial Bank, can be found here [ http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20150311.aspx ].

>The Russian response to the latest sanction pending, but the response may have been hinted at earlier today when an official from Russia's Foreign Ministery said the nation has the right to deploy nuclear arms in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, however he added "he knew of no plans to do so."

>"I don't know if there are nuclear weapons there now. I don't know about any plans, but in principle Russia can do it," said Mikhail Ulyanov, the head of the ministry's department on arms control, was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

>And finally, indicating that the semi-hot escalation between the US and Russia is close to getting out of control, AP reported moments ago [ http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/us-send-aid-small-drones-ukraine-29552510 ] that Vice President Joe Biden told Ukraine's president Wednesday the U.S. will send more aid to the country, which U.S. officials said will include small drones and armored Humvees.

>The White House said in a statement that Biden delivered the news in a call to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, while expressing concern that Russian-backed separatists are violating cease-fire agreements in eastern Ukraine and keeping out international monitors.

>U.S. officials, speaking on a condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the aid on the record, said the aid includes some small Raven drones systems, which can be launched by hand. The U.S. will also send 30 heavily armored Humvees and 200 other regular Humvees, as well as radios, counter-mortar radars and other equipment. All of the aid is nonlethal, and the drones are not armed.

>AP adds that the drones and other equipment, not including the Humvees, are worth about $75 million. It's not clear how many drones would be sent or what the Humvees cost.

>The good news: unlike US Humvees in Iraq, there are no ISIS soldiers in Ukraine who will "confiscate" this latest US taxpayer funded gift. At least not yet.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 18:57:26 fe4454 No.3446

>>3445
cont.

>Finally, anyone curious why Joe Biden may have an extra special interest in preserving the Ukraine stats quo, here is a reminder [ http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-13/farce-complete-joe-bidens-son-joins-board-largest-ukraine-gas-producer ] :

>Burisma Holdings, Ukraine’s largest private gas producer, has expanded its Board of Directors by bringing on Mr. R Hunter Biden as a new director.

>R. Hunter Biden will be in charge of the Holdings’ legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: “Burisma’s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.”

>The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Burisma Holdings, Mr. Alan Apter, noted: “The company’s strategy is aimed at the strongest concentration of professional staff and the introduction of best corporate practices, and we’re delighted that Mr. Biden is joining us to help us achieve these goals.”

>R. Hunter Biden is a counsel to Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, a national law firm based in New York, USA, which served in cases including “Bush vs. Gore”, and “U.S. vs. Microsoft”. He is one of the co-founders and a managing partner of the investment advisory company Rosemont Seneca Partners, as well as chairman of the board of Rosemont Seneca Advisors. He is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s Masters Program in the School of Foreign Service.

>Mr. Biden has experience in public service and foreign policy. He is a director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, The Center for National Policy, and the Chairman’s Advisory Board for the National Democratic Institute. Having served as a Senior Vice President at MBNA bank, former U.S. President Bill Clinton appointed him an Executive Director of E-Commerce Policy Coordination under Secretary of Commerce William Daley. Mr. Biden served as Honorary Co-Chair of the 2008 Obama-Biden Inaugural Committee.

>Mr. Biden is a member of the bar in the State of Connecticut, and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the Court of Federal Claims. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

>R. Hunter Biden is also a well-known public figure. He is chairman of the Board of the World Food Programme U.S.A., together with the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the United Nations World Food Programme. In this capacity he offers assistance to the poor in developing countries, fighting hunger and poverty, and helping to provide food and education to 300 million malnourished children around the world.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 19:16:51 fe4454 No.3447

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Nigel Farage Rages At Juncker's "European Army" Proposal: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-11/nigel-farage-rages-junckers-european-army-proposal

>Earlier today, the leader of Britain’s UKIP, eloquent wordsmith and member of the EU Parliament, Nigel Farage, unleashed one of his most memorable and finest diatribes in recent years.

>"We ourselves in the European Union provoked the conflict through our territorial expansionism in the Ukraine. We poked the Russian bear with a stick, and unsurprisingly, Putin reacted. But this now is to be used as an opportunity to build a European army… And Mr. Juncker said, we must convey to Russia that we are serious. Who do you think you are kidding, Mr. Juncker?"
——————–
Statement by IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde on Ukraine: https://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2015/pr15105.htm

>Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today in Berlin, Germany:

>“I am pleased to announce that the IMF Executive Board today approved an Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of SDR 12.348 billion (about $17.5 billion, €15.5 billion) for Ukraine, based on a comprehensive economic reform program supported by the Fund as well as by additional resources from the international community. Building on the actions taken under the earlier stand-by arrangement, this new four-year extended arrangement will support immediate economic stabilization in Ukraine and a set of deep and wide-ranging policy reforms aimed at restoring robust growth over the medium term and improving living standards for the Ukrainian people.

>“The change in the IMF-supported program from Stand-By Arrangement to Extended Arrangement under the EFF, which is consistent with the more protracted nature of Ukraine’s balance-of-payment needs, will provide more funding, more time, more flexibility, and better financing terms for Ukraine. Other bilateral and multilateral financing is also being made available to support the reforms. In addition, the Ukrainian government has taken actions toward consultations with the holders of their public sector debt with a view to improving medium-term sustainability.

>“The Ukrainian authorities continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to reform. They have maintained fiscal discipline in very difficult conditions; allowed the exchange rate to adjust; and have increased retail end-user prices for gas. Many key measures are front-loaded under the new program—including further sizable energy tariff increases; bank restructuring; governance reforms of state-owned enterprises; and legal changes aimed at combating corruption and strengthening the rule of law.

>“To help cushion the impact of adjustment, especially for the poorest groups, measures are being taken to strengthen and better target the social safety net.”

>“The program is ambitious and involves risks, notably those stemming from the conflict in the east of the country. I am heartened that the cease-fire agreed last month in Minsk seems to be largely holding for now, and hope that a further loss of life can be avoided.

>“I wish the authorities well as they embark on this new economic reform program. With continued firm implementation, there is reasonably strong prospect of success.”

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 20:29:03 fe4454 No.3448

File: 1426105743169.jpg (125.88 KB, 460x817, 460:817, russukr.jpg)

Right-wing MEP advocates break-up of Ukraine: http://www.unian.info/politics/1054330-right-wing-mep-advocates-break-up-of-ukraine-photos.html

>French nationalist, MEP Jean-Luc Schaffhauser on Wednesday organized an event called the "Forum for Peace and Unity of Europe", depicting Ukraine divided between Europe and Russia as its logo.

>This was reported by Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda with reference to a blog of Ukrainian MP from the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko Oleksiy Honcharenko.

>Honcharenko also posted a video from a press briefing by Schaffhauser, where the Ukrainian MP was asking questions about the MEP's work for the Kremlin.

>Schaffhauser together with other right-wing radicals from Europe attended "elections" in the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk last autumn as observers. Schaffhauser described the elections as 'fair' and 'legitimate.'

>Among the forum's founder participants were also MEP from Latvia Tatiana Zdanoka, who was earlier accused of spying for the Kremlin, and Czech Communist Miloslav Ransdorf.
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Former Russian Prime Minister Warns The EU About Putin: http://www.rferl.org/media/video/kasyanov-russia-putin/26893846.html

>Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov says if President Vladimir Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, there will be "further targets of his policy." Kasyanov served as prime minister under Putin from 2000 to 2004. He spoke to RFE/RL Moldovan Service correspondent Ioanda Badilita on March 10 during his visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Video in link for those interested.
———————-
Nadiya Savchenko To Resume Hunger Strike Unless Ukrainian Doctors Are Granted Access: http://maidantranslations.com/2015/03/11/nadiya-savchenko-to-resume-hunger-strike-unless-ukrainian-doctors-granted-access/

>On 11.03.2015, Nikolay Polozov, Nadiya Savchenko’s lawyer, met with Nadiya, who gave him another letter addressed to the people. The letter, tweeted by Mark Feygin earlier today, reads:

>“To Ukrainians, to the people.

>Starting from March 5, 2015, I agreed to eat broth, to avoid getting hospitalized in a Russian hospital and force fed, and also in order to be visited by Ukrainian doctors, since German and Russian doctors already had the opportunity to examine me.

>Today is already 03.11.2015, and yet Russia still won’t grant Ukrainian doctors permission to examine me! Meanwhile, Russian doctors are taking me off the hunger strike by introducing more and more new products into my diet. They aren’t always good for me – in fact, they are already causing me acute pancreatitis! I understand that for the doctors here, as well as the Russian Federation’s investigative committee and the Russian government, the most important thing is switching me back to [eating from] the regular prison pot and shipping me off to jail again, to make sure the investigation can last forever!

>Unless Ukrainian doctors are granted access to me before the end of the week to correct the way I am being reintroduced to food, then, starting from Monday 03.16.2015, I am refusing food again and resume my hunger strike – until I can meet with doctors from Ukraine!

>I have submitted an appropriate statement to the FSIN [Federal Penitentiary Service] of Russia.

>03.11.2015
>Nadiya Savchenko

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 20:53:16 fe4454 No.3449

Merkel won't attend Moscow WWII Victory Day parade: http://www.dw.de/merkel-wont-attend-moscow-wwii-victory-day-parade/a-18307917?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-rdf

>Germany‘s Chancellor Angela Merkel will not attend Moscow's annual Victory Day parade on May 9, but will visit the Russian capital a day later, her office confirmed on Wednesday.

>Amid tensions over the conflict in Ukraine, Merkel declined an invitation to attend the Red Square commemoration of the Nazi capitulation to the Red Army in what has become an extremely popular public holiday for Russians. Last year's festivities (pictured above) came right on the heels on the controversial annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

>The Chancellor will however lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Solider together with Russian President Vladimir Putin the following day, on May 10. Putin has already agreed to the plan, Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

>Seibert told reporters in Berlin that Merkel wanted to commemorate the event "appropriately and with dignity." He added that "in view of the Russian actions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine participating in the military parade was not appropriate."

>Despite chilly relations, Seibert emphasized that "The chancellor considers it important to mark the joint remembrance of the end of the Second World War and the liberation from Nazism," and therefore would still travel to Moscow, if not to attend the parade.

>Many Western countries, including Germany, accuse the Kremlin of backing pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine by sending troops and equipment across the border. Many Western leaders are expected to boycott the parade, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is among the awaited guests.

>Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the refusal of certain Western leaders to take part in the celebration would not affect the essence of the day. According to Russian news agencies, leaders from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have already indicated they would not come.

>"This will not affect the spirit of the holiday, its emotional aspect and the scale of the festivities," Peskov told radio station Russkaya Sluzhba Novostei.
————————————
Media: Putin not seen in public since March 6: http://www.unian.info/world/1054337-media-putin-not-seen-in-public-since-march-6.html

>Russian President Vladimir Putin last appeared before reporters on March 5 when he was meeting with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

>After that meeting, Putin has had only one official event where he was seen not only by government officials – an official report dated March 8 on the Kremlin's website says that the Russian president met with women whose children have made outstanding achievements in various spheres, to congratulate them on the occasion of International Women's Day, Russian leading multimedia holding RBC reported.

>In fact, this event was recorded in advance by Putin's personal cameraman way back on March 5, a participant in the meeting told RBC.

>From March 6 and on, Putin has held only non-public meetings attended by government officials solely, and journalists have not been invited. The Kremlin's website says that on that day, the Russian president first held a meeting of the Security Council, and then communicated with the ministers of finance and defense Anton Siluanov and Sergei Shoigu, respectively. In the evening, he met with Vnesheconombank Chairman Vladimir Dmitriev.

>On March 10, according to the Kremlin, Putin met with Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug Dmitry Kobylkin. The meeting was also held behind closed doors. However, RBC's two sources close to the Kremlin claim that Kobylkin allegedly did not go to the Kremlin on that day, while the bank chairman's press service has denied that information.

>On March 11 Putin's press service released information about the president's meeting with Governor of Karelia Alexander Khudilainen. However, online newspaper vesti.karelia [News of Karelia] reported way back on March 5 that "Vladimir Putin had met with Alexander Khudilainen."

>"Yet, the Kremlin's press service for some reason still keeps silent and, as rumor has it, plans to inform about that meeting only next week. As we were told by a source in Karelia's government, it is an occasional practice," RBC wrote.

>Indeed, the report about the meeting between Putin and Khudilainen appeared on the Kremlin's website after the Reuters news agency, citing a source in the government of Kazakhstan, had reported that a meeting between the presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan scheduled for March 12-13 in Astana, Kazakhstan, would not take place. "The [Russian president's] visit has been cancelled. It looks like he (Putin) has fallen ill," Reuters reported, citing its source.

>Later, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied information about the illness of the Russian president.

Anonymous 03/11/15 (Wed) 23:14:12 fe4454 No.3450

Azov battalion: Mariupol preparing defenses against attack from sea: http://www.unian.info/war/1054257-azov-battalion-mariupol-preparing-defenses-against-attack-from-sea.html

>The Ukrainian military is erecting fortifications along the coast of Mariupol city in places vulnerable to an amphibious assault, according to the report by the Azov volunteer battalion posted in social media.

>"Two areas have been identified along the coast near Mariupol, Donetsk region, which are suitable for amphibious assault. Now they are being examined, fortifications are being erected, and military experts with necessary competences are working at the sites," the statement reads.

>Earlier, the Director of U.S. National Intelligence James Clapper said he assumed there is a possibility of militant attack on Mariupol this spring. According to Clapper, the militants are not hatching plans to seize the whole territory of Ukraine, they need only Luhansk and Donetsk regions, including Mariupol, as it has a strategically important position on the sea.
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Russia, North Korea Declare 'Year Of Friendship': http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-north-korea-declare-year-of-friendship/26894617.html

>Russia and North Korea have declared 2015 a "year of friendship."

>The Russian Foreign Ministry said on March 11 it agreed to start a program of cultural exchanges with the regime in Pyongyang aimed at taking ties between the once Cold War allies to a "new high level."

>Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to Moscow to take part in commemorations on May 9 marking the 70th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat.

>It would be Kim's first trip abroad since taking over following the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.
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'Crimea' Filmmaker's Propaganda Dreams Come True: http://www.rferl.org/content/crimea-filmmaker-propaganda-comes-true/26894483.html

>The filmmaker behind a Kremlin-backed program making headlines for its revelations about Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine is on the record asserting that propaganda and journalism are indistinguishable.

>Andrei Kondrashev appeared to have made the remarks to RFE/RL's Russian Service around the time he was embarking on the "full-length documentary" for Russian state TV whose promotional clips have garnered considerable attention in the past week.

>In the spots for Kondrashev's program, titled Crimea: Path To The Motherland, President Vladimir Putin appears to contradict the Kremlin's insistence that it has not been a party to what Russian officials have repeatedly described as Ukraine's "civil war."

>The clips have provided ammunition in the war of words over Russia's actions in Ukraine but offered few clues as to why Putin would choose to stray from the Kremlin's preferred narrative so far.

>Kondrashev, a Rossia-1 anchorman, is a household name in Russia.

>He told RFE/RL's Russian Service in May, when he was being decorated by Putin for his "objective" coverage of events in Crimea, that "Now any propaganda in the media is essentially journalism."

>In discussing the Kremlin award, Kondrashev said, "Soldiers and officers receive awards for combat. It is an absolutely identical situation for us, because war is now moving to the area of journalism. This fact is absolute and you can't argue with it."

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 00:18:44 fe4454 No.3451

U.S. asks Vietnam to stop helping Russian bomber flights: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/11/us-usa-vietnam-russia-exclusive-idUSKBN0M71NA20150311

>The United States has asked Vietnam to stop letting Russia use a former U.S. base to refuel nuclear-capable bombers engaged in shows of strength over the Asia-Pacific region, exposing strains in Washington's steadily warming relations with Hanoi.

>The request, described to Reuters by a State Department official, comes as U.S. officials say Russian bombers have stepped up flights in a region already rife with tensions between China, U.S.-ally Japan and Southeast Asian nations.

>General Vincent Brooks, commander of the U.S. Army in the Pacific, told Reuters the planes had conducted "provocative" flights, including around the U.S. Pacific Ocean territory of Guam, home to a major American air base.

>It is the first time that U.S. officials have confirmed the role of Cam Ranh Bay, a natural deep-water harbor, in Russian bomber plane activity that has increased globally.

>Brooks said the planes that circled Guam were refueled by Russian tankers flying from the strategic bay, which was transformed by the Americans during the Vietnam War into a massive air and naval base.

>Vietnam's willingness to allow Russia to use Cam Ranh Bay reflects Hanoi's complex position in a geopolitical tug-of-war that frequently pits China and Russia on one side and the United States, Japan and much of Southeast Asia on the other.

>Washington is keen to secure greater access itself to Cam Ranh Bay as part of its strategic "pivot" to Asia to counter China's growing strength in the region. U.S. ships have visited for repairs in recent years.

>Vietnam, in turn, has sought closer U.S. ties as a hedge against what it sees as China's aggression, but remains close to Russia in both defense and energy cooperation.

>Cam Ranh Bay is now host to three submarines bought by Vietnam's navy from Russia to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea, with two more expected by early next year.

>Brooks said in an interview the flights indicated that Vietnam's Cold War-era ally Russia was acting as "a spoiler to our interests and the interests of others."

>Asked about the Russian flights in the region, the State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington respected Hanoi's right to enter agreements with other countries.

>But the official added: "We have urged Vietnamese officials to ensure that Russia is not able to use its access to Cam Ranh Bay to conduct activities that could raise tensions in the region."

>The Vietnamese government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the U.S. request.

>Brooks declined to say when the flights he referred to took place. He did not say how many had been conducted and how many aircraft were involved. But he confirmed they had occurred since Russia's annexation of Crimea last March, which sparked a broader conflict with Ukraine and a surge in tensions between Russia and the United States.

>The head of U.S. air forces in the Pacific said last May that Russia's intervention in Ukraine had been accompanied by a significant increase in Russian air activity in the Asia-Pacific region in a show of strength and to gather intelligence.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 03:01:48 fe4454 No.3452

Obama Said to Resist Growing Pressure From All Sides to Arm Ukraine: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/us/politics/obama-said-to-resist-growing-pressure-from-all-sides-to-arm-ukraine.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

>As American intelligence agencies have detected new Russian tanks and artillery crossing the border into Ukraine in recent days, President Obama is coming under increasing pressure from both parties and more officials inside his own government to send arms to the country. But he remains unconvinced that they would help.

>Democrats joined Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday in unanimously pressing the administration to send weapons to Kiev. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly urged Mr. Obama to consider such a move last week, joining Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence.

>But the president has signaled privately that despite all the pressure, he remains reluctant to send arms. In part, he has told aides and visitors that arming the Ukrainians would encourage the notion that they could actually defeat the far more powerful Russians, and so it would potentially draw a more forceful response from Moscow. He also wants to give a shaky cease-fire a chance to take hold, despite a reported 1,000 violations so far, and seems determined to stay aligned with European allies that oppose arms for Ukraine.

>“If you’re playing on the military terrain in Ukraine, you’re playing to Russia’s strength, because Russia is right next door,” Antony J. Blinken, the deputy secretary of state, told an audience in Berlin last week. “It has a huge amount of military equipment and military force right on the border. Anything we did as countries in terms of military support for Ukraine is likely to be matched and then doubled and tripled and quadrupled by Russia.”

>That argument seems to most closely channel the president’s, according to people familiar with the internal debate. Mr. Obama continues to pose questions indicating his doubts. “O.K., what happens if we send in equipment — do we have to send in trainers?” said one person paraphrasing the discussion on the condition of anonymity. “What if it ends up in the hands of thugs? What if Putin escalates?”

>But while Mr. Obama’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, shares his skepticism, the president finds himself increasingly flanked inside and outside his government by others urging him to do more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves.

>Last week General Dempsey told lawmakers that “I think we should absolutely consider providing lethal aid.” Madeleine K. Albright, a secretary of state under President Bill Clinton; Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter; and Michael A. McFaul, who was Mr. Obama’s ambassador to Moscow, have all said the same.

>Representative Eliot L. Engel of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said last week that he was so “disappointed” in the administration for not using tools in past legislation authorizing more sanctions against Russia and arms for Ukraine that he was introducing a new bill to “dial up the pressure on Vladimir Putin.”

>A hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday made clear that the disappointment was becoming widespread and bipartisan. “There’s no question there’s strong consensus on this committee, and in the United States Senate, that the United States needs to do more to help the Ukrainians defend themselves,” said Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, a Maryland Democrat.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 03:04:58 fe4454 No.3453

>>3452
cont.

>The Obama administration has committed to sending Ukraine $118 million in nonlethal aid, like night-vision goggles and counter-mortar radar, but so far only about half has been delivered, officials told the panel. Brian P. McKeon, the principal deputy under secretary of defense, agreed that in some cases the aid has been “unacceptably slow” and said the administration was working to speed it up.

>An announcement of more deliveries of that equipment may be made as early as Wednesday, and the administration also plans another $120 million of similar aid.

>In resisting the pressure from advisers and fellow Democrats, Mr. Obama is adhering closely to European allies like Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who has strongly opposed sending arms to Ukraine. A senior administration official confirmed Tuesday an Associated Press report that Mr. Obama told Ms. Merkel when she visited Washington last month that he would hold off sending weaponry during negotiations for a cease-fire. After that meeting, European, Russian and Ukrainian leaders meeting in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, crafted a cease-fire.

>“We are all committed to making sure that we uphold the basic principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that have been threatened by Russian aggression,” Mr. Obama said before a meeting on Monday with Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council. “We’ve been able to maintain strong unity with respect to sanctions.”

>The senior administration official, who did not want to be identified describing Mr. Obama’s discussions with a foreign leader, said the president’s commitment to Ms. Merkel was temporary. “Going forward, we’ll have to make judgments based in part of our assessment of compliance with Minsk,” the official said. Other officials said no decision was likely anytime soon.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 03:54:48 fe4454 No.3455

Gas terms for Kiev to be eased if it pays E. Ukraine bills – Russian Energy Minister: http://rt.com/business/239737-gas-terms-for-ukraine/

>Russia could give Ukraine better terms provided Kiev pays for gas supplied to the Donbass region, said Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak adding that this would open the possibility for new discounts.

>"We are supplying [East Ukraine – Ed.] under the [2009] contract. Gazprom doesn't ship for free. Bills, invoices are being prepared," Novak said Wednesday quoted by Reuters. He added that no clarification has been made over the further payments of gas supplies to Donbass.

>Ukraine’s Naftogaz owes Gazprom $2.4 billion for deliveries, including $200 million in penalties, according to the minister's earlier estimates.

>The so-called ‘winter package’ terms for gas supply to Ukraine expires on March 31, along with a $100 discount per 1,000 cubic meters of gas and a suspension of a take-or-pay agreement that requires payment for gas no matter if Ukraine needs it by that date or not.

>Novak said Russia is open to extend those concessions even without signing a new deal after the ‘winter package’ expires.

>"A discount is possible under the contract as well. No separate packages are needed if Ukraine and Russia reach an agreement. Take-or-pay [suspension – Ed.]… is also possible, it depends on the talks between the companies," Novak said.

>Novak said the gas to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions is supplied at the same price as to the rest of Ukraine.
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John Boehner rips Obama’s military aid to Ukraine as weak: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/11/obama-provide-more-non-lethal-aid-ukraine/

>House Speaker John A. Boehner blasted President Obama Wednesday for providing non-lethal military equipment to Ukraine instead of arms, saying the aid will prove “completely ineffective.”

>“The Ukrainians are begging for help, and the Congress is begging the administration to provide the defensive, lethal assistance we authorized in December,” said Cory Fritz, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican. “Our allies deserve better.”

>Sidestepping a bipartisan call from Congress to send arms to Ukraine, the Obama administration said Wednesday it instead will provide an additional $75 million in non-lethal military equipment to Kiev in its fight against Russian-backed rebels.

>White House press secretary Josh Earnest would not concede that the move indicates the administration never will provide lethal arms to Ukraine.

>“The president, I think, in his own mind, is continuing to evaluate the situation in eastern Ukraine and continuing to assess the risk associated with providing additional lethal assistance to the Ukrainian military,” Mr. Earnest said.
———————–
Nemtsov Slaying Suspect Reportedly Retracts Confession; May Have Been Tortured: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-nemtsov-killing-suspects/26893166.html

>A chief suspect in the killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov has reportedly retracted his confession, suggesting it was made under duress, and a rights activist said there are signs he was tortured.

>The Russian daily Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK) quoted former Chechen police officer Zaur Dadayev as saying he confessed to killing Nemtsov because law enforcement agents promised to release a former colleague who was being held with him after his arrest.

>Dadayev also suggested he feared he would be killed if he did not confess to killing Nemtsov, who was shot dead near the Kremlin on February 27 in the highest-profile slaying of a foe of President Vladimir Putin in years.

>"They kept shouting, 'Did you kill Nemtsov?' I answered that I did not," MK quoted Dadayev as saying.

>Dadayev, who until recently was a deputy commander of an Interior Ministry unit in the volatile North Caucasus province of Chechnya, said he had been detained along with a former subordinate, Ruslan Yusupov.

>"They said if I confess, they will free him. I agreed. I thought, 'I'll save him, and they'll bring me to Moscow alive,'" Dadayev was quoted as saying.

>AFP news agency quoted Andrei Babushkin, a member of the Kremlin human rights council who visited Dadayev in his cell, as saying there were "reasons that lead us to believe Zaur Dadayev confessed under torture."

>He said he had seen "numerous wounds" on Dadayev's body.

>AP quoted Babushkin as saying that Dadayev had been "tortured by those who detained him" and later taken to the federal Investigative Committee, where "he was forced to confess."

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 06:09:01 fe4454 No.3456

In Eastern Ukraine, Civilian Casualties Push Men to Join Rebels: http://www.voanews.com/content/in-eastern-ukraine-civilian-casualties-push-men-to-join-rebels/2677067.html

>After months of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the presence of the Ukrainian military and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the rebellion.

>New recruits for Ukraine’s rebel army, part of a battalion of Don Cossacks, are on their way out of Donetsk to a piece of wasteland for weapons training.

>Their targets are the faces of western-leaning Ukrainian politicians, including Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

>It's been months since the Ukrainian government launched a so-called "anti-terrorism operation" to retake the east of the country. But these Cossacks have a long tradition of defending the Russian empire. To them, the offensive felt like an armed invasion by a new government they were already suspicious of.

>Sasha, their commander, was an economist and businessman before the war. He travelled to Kyiv and had friends there. But now, he said, no one there understands why he’s fighting.

>“They think that we are terrorists, and pro-Russian citizens. But I do not think like this. We were born as Russians in our blood, and we are living on our land. As a rule, we have no contact with 90% of our old friends on western Ukraine and there is a massive lack of comprehension between us and them,” said Sasha.

>The use of artillery and rockets in built up areas by both sides has led to many civilian deaths and huge damage to property. And instead of discouraging the rebellion, these men say it has obligated them to join up. One, who goes by “Spiker,” worked as a miner until his village was largely destroyed by shelling.

>“A lot of my neighbors were killed, a lot of my friends who I worked with before were killed. All the houses and church on my street were ruined. The children's playground and school were ruined,” he said.

>The men say they are most concerned about the volunteers coming east to fight for the government, some of whom are part of far right political movements. It’s here that one can see the lingering effect World War II has had on the region.

>“Many women and men were fighting on the side of the USSR and the coalition. The western part of Ukraine was under Hitler's coalition and that is the reason why today we still have a lot of far-right nationalist organizations,” said Sasha.

>Weapons training ends with grenade launchers and a demonstration of explosives using old equipment from the coal mines.

>Despite the cease-fire, these men say they expect the fighting will start again soon. In this war, one side thinks they are fighting terrorists, the other thinks they are fighting the Nazis. And the longer the fighting continues, the more polarized this region will become.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 06:48:49 fe4454 No.3457

HIV/AIDS and drug use on the rise in Ukraine: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/03/hivaids-drug-rise-ukraine-150312020108265.html

>Medics and charities working in Donetsk say dwindling supplies of methadone means addicts are not getting adequate help to rehabilitate.

>Not only is drug use on the rise in rebel-controlled Eastern Ukraine, but an upsurge in the sharing of needles has led to an increase in HIV infections.

>An estimated 238,000 people aged 15-49 are infected, making Ukraine the worst affected country by HIV/AIDS in Europe.
———————–
Poland to hold countrywide defense drills: resident's adviser: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/12/us-ukraine-crisis-poland-koziej-idUSKBN0M80DT20150312?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Poland will stress-test its defense capabilities with a series of countrywide drills involving the government, local authorities and the military in response to the Ukraine crisis, Polish president's chief security adviser said.

>A former eastern bloc country which became a NATO member in 1999, Poland is concerned that Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in Ukraine may be a foretaste of it reasserting itself in the rest of Eastern Europe.

>Since the beginning of the crisis, Polish politicians have regularly called for increasing NATO's military presence in the region. Poland has also speeded up its army modernization program, worth an estimated $33 billion.

>Poland will assess its overall readiness for a potential military conflict, General Stanislaw Koziej, head of National Security Bureau told Reuters in an interview authorized for release on Thursday, with drills likely to begin in the second half of this year.

>"It is a whole series of exercises, aimed at testing … all of the state's elements - the government, ministers, regional governors, local councils, boroughs - in a time of crisis and war," said Koziej, who advises President Bronislaw Komorowski on security.

>"These elements - including a candidate for wartime commander-in-chief, who should be appointed soon - need to be trained."

>Koziej said Russia was waging an "information war" on the West. "Without a doubt, Poland is already a target of Russian aggression in that respect … It involves television channels, radio stations, activities of various (Internet) trolls on social networks."

>"These are not spontaneous, individual activities, it's a coordinated and organized action, a managed campaign" he said.

>Asked whether Poland was ready to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons, Koziej, who this month said arming Ukrainian forces was in the interest of Europe and Poland, said no decision had been made.

>"Such talks are ongoing, the Ministry of National Defence frequently hosts Ukrainian representatives and experts."

>"There are intensive talks on different levels, but … decisions will be made only after the issue is thoroughly examined by the Polish and Ukrainian sides," Koziej said, adding that Poland was considering selling the weapons, but also in some cases supplying them for free.

>This month, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski told Reuters Ukraine's economy was starting to disintegrate, creating a risk of hundreds of thousands of immigrants flowing into Poland.

>That risk was real, but not large, Koziej said, adding that Poland had to be prepared for being neighbors with a country that could be "barely functioning".

>"Last year, we conducted special exercises, which tested … whether we are ready for a potential influx of refugees. In this respect we are prepared for various scenarios."

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 11:40:41 d8d5ec No.3458

Rumors that putin had a stroke are popping up

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 16:17:03 fe4454 No.3462

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

>>3458
You're right.

Vladimir Putin health fears: Kremlin denies rumours President is ill after he cancels second meeting in two days: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/vladimir-putin-health-fears-kremlin-denies-rumours-president-is-ill-after-he-cancels-second-meeting-in-two-days-10102967.html
——————————–
Bloomberg: Savchenko may die of acute pancreatitis: http://www.unian.info/politics/1054734-bloomberg-savchenko-may-die-of-acute-pancreatitis.html

>Her lawyers are afraid that she may die if the disease worsens and Ukrainian doctors are not allowed to visit her.

>In particular, one of her lawyers, Ilya Novikov, told Bloomberg that Savchenko knew about her diagnosis from the doctors in a Moscow prison, according to Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli.

>"There is a very serious threat to her life. Savchenko says that she will resume her hunger strike in protest, if by March 16 Russia doesn’t allow an international medical commission to visit her, which will include the doctors from Ukraine," he said.

>"If Nadia again refuses to eat, this could accelerate the inflammatory processes and worsen her disease," Novikov said.
——————
Ukraine Today: Bomb explodes in southern port city of Odesa: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-today-bomb-explodes-in-southern-port-city-of-odesa-video-383260.html

>A bomb exploded at a business centre in the southern port city of Odesa in the early hours of March 12, Ukrainian news agency TSN reports.

>The blast badly damaged the facade, broke windows, there were reportedly no injuries or fatalities.

>Attack beleived to have targeted pro-Ukraine activists.

>The blast badly damaged the facade, broke windows, there were reportedly no injuries or fatalities.

>It is the second explosion that has struck the business center called 'Admiral' where pro-Ukrainian activists, beleived to be the target, have an office.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 16:28:05 8aa46d No.3463

>>3457
I see Poland is doing their best to become the number 1 Goyim.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 19:08:57 a38733 No.3464

>>3462
It would be bad news bears for Russia if Putin really did have a stroke

There'd likely be a struggle for power if he had to step down

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 19:24:47 7ba2a0 No.3465

>>3464

Agreed. It could get really chaotic and that chaos would be the perfect Russian Maidan opportunity.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 23:09:46 fe4454 No.3466

Damn, a lot of shit happened today.

European Parliament calls for independent international investigation into Nemtsov’s murder: http://www.unian.info/world/1054718-european-parliament-calls-for-independent-international-investigation-into-nemtsovs-murder.html

>MEPs have adopted a resolution calling on Moscow to allow an independent international investigation into the murder of the opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, who was shot in the center of Moscow on February 27, the BBC reported on Thursday.

>According to the resolution, this murder is one of a growing number of unresolved politically motivated crimes and suspicious deaths that have happened in Russia since 1998.

>As reported earlier, a similar resolution was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate.
———————
Germany Again Warns Against Lethal Weaponry for Ukraine: http://www.voanews.com/content/germany-again-warns-against-lethal-weaponry-for-ukraine/2678067.html

>Germany's top diplomat has warned against supplying Ukraine with lethal weaponry in its fight against pro-Russian separatists, saying such a move could trigger a "dangerous, permanent escalation" of the crisis facing Kyiv and Moscow.

>Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke Thursday in Washington after talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. He told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that giving such weapons to Ukraine could send the ongoing conflict spinning "out of control."

>Steinmeier also predicted that pressure within and outside the United States to arm Ukraine will increase if pro-Russian rebels attempt to seize the strategically important Ukraine seaport of Mariupol.
————————–
Germany Calls Ukraine Conflict a Threat to Europe, but Says No U.S. Weapons Needed: http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/12/germany-calls-ukraine-conflict-a-threat-to-europe-but-says-no-u-s-weapons-needed/

>There’s little doubt that the months-long war in eastern Ukraine is taking its toll on the rest of Europe — and in particular, Germany. But if the West is serious about ending the fighting, said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, it cannot send more arms to the front — as Washington is weighing.

>“It might only take days to spark a crisis but it could well take years to resolve it,” Steinmeier said Thursday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

>Instead, he said, preserving transatlantic unity is key to checking Russian President Vladimir Putin, and NATO allies need to have “strategic patience” to allow diplomacy and financial pressure to work.

>German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s close relationship with Putin has placed Berlin squarely in the middle of the standoff over the fight between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists.

>But because of its violent history and public opposition to any step that could lead to a wider war, Germany is firmly opposed to sending weapons. President Barack Obama told Merkel during a meeting in February that he did not plan to arm Kiev, a pledge that drew the ire of a bipartisan coalition in Congress.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 23:18:06 fe4454 No.3467

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Russian mercenaries from Yekaterinburg heading for Donbas: http://www.unian.info/war/1054885-russian-mercenaries-from-yekaterinburg-heading-for-donbas-photo.html

>About 50 mercenaries departed from the Russian city of Yekaterinburg for Ukraine late on March 12, Yekaterinburg news portal 66.ru reported.

>They are to join the separatist gang led by Oleksiy Mozgovy, a leader of illegal armed formations in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic and commander of the Prizrak ('Ghost') brigade, the portal said.

>The video of the mercenaries before departure is available here: [embed related]

Keep in mind I am not saying this is true, so feel free to blast the article instead.
——————
Kremlin Says Ukraine Moving Too Slowly to Fulfill Peace Deal: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/kremlin-ukraine-moving-slowly-fulfill-peace-deal-29591228

>Russia accused Ukraine Thursday of dragging its feet on implementing last month's peace deal, citing a wide range of areas in which Kiev is allegedly failing to meet its obligations.

>President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told The Associated Press that Ukraine was failing in its pledge to declare an amnesty for fighters and to set the stage for local elections in the east. He also accused Ukrainian authorities of being reluctant to restore financial and social services to the east.

>"Unfortunately, we witness unwillingness," Peskov told the AP, "and we are concerned about that."

>He said that while hostilities in eastern Ukraine have abated thanks to the Feb. 12 peace deal, Russian-backed separatists and the Ukrainian government are still blaming each other for a slow and incomplete withdrawal of heavy weapons. He said "we do expect both sides of the conflict to fulfill their obligations, and to withdraw completely and timely all the heavy armaments."
——————
Yanukovych ally Peklushenko in new Ukraine mystery death: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31855700

>Oleksandr Peklushenko, former head of Zaporizhzhya, had suffered a gunshot wound to the neck and authorities said initial inquiries pointed to suicide.

>A member of Ukraine's Party of the Regions, he was being investigated over the dispersal of protesters last year.

>Five other officials also died in mysterious circumstances this year.

>All of them supposedly took their own lives in the past six weeks:

>Stanislav Melnyk, 53, an ex-MP was found shot dead in his bathroom on 9 March

>Mykhaylo Chechetov, former party deputy chairman, died after apparently jumping from a window in his 17th-floor flat on 28 February; he had been accused of abuse of office and fraud

>Serhiy Valter, a mayor in the south-eastern city of Melitopol, was found hanged on 25 February; he too had been accused of abuse of office

>Oleksandr Bordyuh, a former police deputy chief in Melitopol linked to Mr Valter, was found dead at his home on 26 February

>Oleksiy Kolesnyk, ex-head of Kharkiv's regional government was found hanged on 29 January

>An interior ministry source told Interfax Ukraine news agency Mr Peklushenko, 60, had committed suicide in the village of Sonyachne, near Zaporizhzhya city.

>However officials said other theories were being investigated including murder.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 23:28:15 fe4454 No.3468

File: 1426202895866.jpg (42.4 KB, 569x378, 569:378, mh17.jpg)

OSCE will extend Ukraine mission one year, may expand its size: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/12/us-ukraine-crisis-osce-idUSKBN0M825020150312?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will extend its observer mission to Ukraine for one year, until March 2016, and may double its size to 1,000 observers, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

>Ukraine's military said on Tuesday pro-Russian rebels were amassing heavy weapons in depots around separatist-held Donetsk city despite last month's ceasefire deal, which calls for the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line.

>The OSCE said then that it could not confirm the withdrawal of weapons by either side, because it had not been given access to all locations where weapons might be stored.
———————-
From 'Red October' village, new evidence on downing of Malaysian plane over Ukraine: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/12/us-ukraine-crisis-airliner-idUSKBN0M81XF20150312?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Villagers in eastern Ukraine have told Reuters they saw a missile flying directly overhead just before a Malaysian airliner was shot out of the sky on July 17 last year, providing the most detailed accounts to date that suggest it was fired from territory held by pro-Russian rebels.

>The accounts from four villagers of Chervonyi Zhovten, which was then, and is now, controlled by the rebels, are significant because they indicate the rocket was in the early stages of its flight path.

>That would mean it must have been launched from rebel ground nearby, challenging the suggestion of Moscow and the separatists that the plane was brought down by the Ukrainian military. At the time, the nearest Ukrainian-held area was about 6 km (3.7 miles) away.

>Ukraine and its Western allies have said it was the rebels who shot down the airliner, using a Russian-made BUK anti-aircraft missile system. All 298 people on board were killed.

>Until now, videos, photographs and accounts from residents have pointed to a BUK battery being delivered to the rebel-held town of Snizhne, 7 km north of Chervonyi Zhovten, on July 17, and then driven away from the area some time later. Its precise location at the time the plane was shot down has never been confirmed.

>Now one of the villagers has told Reuters that a missile battery was positioned in a field near Chervonyi Zhovten on the day the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed to earth. A former rebel fighter corroborated this.

>Ukraine's defense ministry declined to comment for this story. A top rebel commander, Andrei Purgin, said the separatists did not have any weapon capable of downing a plane at cruise altitude.

>"You can come up with whatever you want. The most that we, the rebels, were operating is the PZRK (shoulder-launched missile system). The ceiling for the PZRK is up to 4 km," he said.

>Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was up to a Dutch-led international investigation to determine what happened. "The Russian side awaits that information impatiently," he said.

See the original article for the villagers' testimonies.
—————————
Yatseniuk doubts Minsk Agreements will succeed: http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/254824.html

>Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatseniuk has said he has doubts on whether the Minsk Agreements will succeed as Russia's plans towards Ukraine remain the same.

>"I wish to believe that the Minsk Agreements will have a positive end. There are not many reasons for such a belief since I think that Russia and its president haven't changed their plans concerning Ukraine," Yatseniuk said, after finishing the presentation of his public report on the first 100 days of the Ukrainian government's work in Kyiv on Thursday.

Anonymous 03/12/15 (Thu) 23:32:38 fe4454 No.3469

The West's Plan To Drop Russia From SWIFT Hilariously Backfires: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-12/wests-plan-drop-russia-swift-hilariously-backfires

>If Vladimir Putin is remotely capable of laughter (the jury is out on that one…) then he’s probably doing so right now.

>Russia is once again Arch-Enemy of the United States. It’s like living through a really bad James Bond movie, complete with cartoonish villains.

>And for the last several months, the US government has been doing everything it can to torpedo the Russian economy, as well as Vladimir Putin’s standing within his own country.

>The economic nuclear option is to kick Russia out of the international banking system. And the US government has been vociferously pushing for this.

>Specifically, the US government wants to kick Russia out of SWIFT, short for the Society of Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications.

>That’s a mouthful. But SWIFT is an important component in the global banking system because it lays the foundation for banks to communicate and transfer funds with one another.

>It’s a network protocol of sorts. Whenever a bank in Pakistan does business with a bank in Portugal, the funds will clear through the SWIFT network.

>According to the SWIFT itself, they link over 9,000 financial institutions worldwide in over 200 countries, which transact 15 million times per day.

>Bottom line, being part of SWIFT is critical to conducting business with the rest of the world. And if Russia gets kicked out of SWIFT, it would be a disaster.

>Now, SWIFT is technically organized as a ‘Cooperative Society’ and governed by a board of directors.

>There are 25 available board seats, and each seat is allocated for a three-year term to a specific country.

>The United States, Belgium, France, Germany, UK, and Switzerland each hold two seats. A handful of other countries hold just one seat. And of course, most countries don’t hold any seats at all.

>Here’s what’s utterly hilarious—

>On Monday afternoon, not only did SWIFT NOT kick Russia out… but they announced that they were actually giving a BOARD SEAT to Russia.

>This is basically the exact opposite of what the US government was pushing for.

>Awkward…

>But this story is even bigger than that.

>Because at the same time that the US government isn’t getting its way with SWIFT, the Chinese are busy putting together their own version of it called CIPS.

>CIPS stands for the China International Payment System; it’s intended to be a direct competitor to SWIFT, and a brand new way for global banks to communicate and transact with one another in a way that does NOT depend on the United States.

>We’ll talk about CIPS in more details in a future letter. But in brief, it addresses some serious weaknesses, inefficiencies, and technological challenges of SWIFT.

>And it should be ready to go later this year.

>Make no mistake, this is the beginning of the end of the US dollar’s global hegemony. It’s time to stop hoping that it won’t happen and time to start preparing for it.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 01:18:07 9e0c5f No.3471

>>3469
SWIFT knows Russia can make a parallel system, thus threatening SWIFT monopoly.

They're panicking.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 04:37:40 fe4454 No.3472

Ukraine Continues to Strengthen Its Army Despite Ceasefire - Poroshenko: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/ukraine/2015/ukraine-150312-sputnik01.htm

>Ukraine continues to build up its military potential while strictly observing the ceasefire regime in the contested south-eastern regions of the country, President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday.

>'Simultaneously with the implementation of the Minsk agreements, Ukraine is strengthening its positions, building up its defense capability,' Poroshenko said at a meeting of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.

>Poroshenko also announced the resumption of regular training of Ukrainian armed forces and participation of NATO instructors in this process.

>'We have resumed the training of the Ukrainian military, including with participation of our partners from several NATO countries,' he said addressing the council.

>Polish Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna said earlier in March that his country will provide training to Ukrainian troops as part of the NATO program. However, he did not tie this mission to the events unfolding in eastern Ukraine.

>In late February, UK Prime Minister David Cameron also said that Britain would send military instructors to Ukraine to train local forces throughout March, as well as develop an infantry training program with Kiev.

>On top of that, Washington said it was preparing to send 300 troops to train Ukrainian soldiers in western Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed last week that US servicemen were already at the Ukrainian base.

>Ukraine has been building up its military muscle using funds and non-lethal aid from the United States, although it has so far been denied any arms deliveries for fear that more guns in the conflict zone will escalate tensions.
——————-
Massive Rocket Artillery Drills Begin in Crimea, Abkhazia, South Ossetia: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150312/1019386267.html

>Over 8,000 Russian army artillery personnel began exercises in Crimea, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Armenia as well as other areas on Thursday, the Southern Military District's press service announced.

>The artillery exercises will be conducted against both individual and group targets. Both the newest 2S34 Hosta self-propelled guns and 9K51M Tornado-G multiple rocket launcher systems will be used in the exercises.

>In addition, commanders of rocket forces in the Central Military District began a five-day training course in Russia's Sverdlovsk region on Thursday. Commanders will be trained on the use of Iskander and Tochka systems, among others.
———————-
Ukrainian Forces Holding Military Drills Near Line of Contact: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150312/1019384650.html

>The Defense Ministry of the eastern Ukrainian self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said Ukrainian forces have begun military exercises very close to the line of contact.

>“According to an announcement from a competent source in the Security Service of Ukraine, today, March 12, 2015, Ukrainian forces began exercises with live fire in the village of Maiorsk to the northwest of [the city] of Horlivka,” a DPR Defense Ministry source was quoted by the Donetsk News Agency as saying.

>This comes after Luhansk People's Republic negotiator Vladislav Deinego warned about possible “conscious disruption” of implementing the February 12 Minsk agreements by Kiev.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 16:11:19 fe4454 No.3476

File: 1426263079370.jpeg (58.75 KB, 650x434, 325:217, putin 1.jpeg)

Russia again lambasts US for accusations on Ukraine: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/ukraine/2015/ukraine-150312-presstv01.htm

>Russia has slammed the United States for making unfounded claims on Moscow's presence in east Ukraine, another sign of deepening war of words between the two countries over the armed conflict in Ukraine.

>Spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday called claims by US officials on the alleged presence of Russian troops in the conflict in east Ukraine as "improbable accusations.'

>'We are no longer surprised even at the most improbable accusations representatives of the US Department of State and the Pentagon have been making … with regard to the 'involvement' of Russian troops in the civil war in Ukraine," said Igor Konashenkov.

>The Russian officials said the relative stability in east Ukraine has led to a "spike" in accusations leveled against Russia by Washington. He described the allegations as totally unfounded which could not be substantiated by the other parties involved in the conflict.

>"Ukrainian General Staff Chief Viktor Muzhenko does not see them [Russian troops] there. The OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] does not see them…but Washington does,' Konashenkov added.

>The Russian general regretted that the US officials keep making unsubstantiated claims and asked them to name a location, if there is any, for the alleged presence of the Russian troops in east Ukraine.

>However, he added that people like Victoria Nuland, a US assistant secretary of state, and Pentagon generals, Philip Breedlove and Ben Hodges, keep trying to convince everyone that Russia does have a presence in there.

>'Guys, you have to believe in miracles,' the general said, referring to a famous song.
———————-
Kremlin Rejects Rumor Of Putin Illness, Shows Footage Of Today's Meeting: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-13/kremlin-rejects-rumor-putin-illness-shows-footage-todays-meeting

>Following reports that after unexpectedly rescheduling two preannounced high level meetings, the social networks erupted with a cornucopia of theories and "confirmed" reports that the Russian president is sick, had a stroke, or has outright died. To be sure this is not the first time the 62-year-old's health has been put into question, the last time being 2012 when rumors swirled again. However this time it got so bad even Bloomberg felt it was relevant to ask "Where is Vladimir Putin." This morning the Kremlin answered.

>Earlier today, Russian state television broadcast footage which it said was of Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting Supreme Court chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev on Friday at Putin's residence near Moscow. The Kremlin released more detail on the meeting, along with photos taken today:

>Meeting with President of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev

>Vladimir Putin met with President of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev to discuss the court’s work since the merger of the Supreme Court and the Higher Arbitration Court.

>And then just to make sure this latest iteration of "Putin is officially dead" fades into memory, the Kremlin also noted that "Vladimir Putin will meet with President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev in St Petersburg on March 16.

>The main subject on the agenda will be continued steps to develop bilateral cooperation, particularly trade and investment ties, cultural and humanitarian contacts, and relations in the energy sector. The two presidents will also have a detailed exchange of views on cooperation in connection with Kyrgyzstan’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union."

>So with rumor of Putin's death greatly exaggerated, the trolls decided to promptly latch on to another, even more tabloidy rumor spread by, sure enough, the Swiss Blick.ch tabloid, according to which Putin's 32-year-old "girlfriend" Alina Kabaeva checked into the maternity ward at the Clinica Sant'Anna in Switzerland, where she is due to deliver Putin's child any minute.

>Because the rumors must go on.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 17:18:50 fe4454 No.3477

International Monitors: Ukraine Cease-Fire Holding but ‘On Thin Ice’: http://dailysignal.com/2015/03/12/international-monitors-ukraine-cease-fire-holding-thin-ice/

>As the Ukraine cease-fire goes into its second month, international monitors say the fragile truce is still holding despite daily fighting and growing distrust on both sides about pledges to pull heavy weapons from the front lines.

>Speaking to reporters here Thursday, Alexander Hug, deputy chief monitor of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, discussed the status of the 1-month-old cease-fire.

>“The OSCE deems that the cease-fire holds broadly,” Hug said. “But this relative stability is on thin ice.”

>While both sides appeared to have pulled their heavy weapons back from the front lines and the number of serious cease-fire violations has declined, fighting continues across the conflict area.

>Ukraine said pro-Russian separatists violated the cease-fire 50 times in a 24-hour period beginning Wednesday in a wave of attacks across the country’s eastern territories. Military spokesperson Andriy Lysenko said no Ukrainian troops were killed or injured in the attacks.
——————–
Two suspects in March 12 Odesa blast detained in Illichivsk - Ukraine Security Service: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/two-suspects-in-march-12-odesa-blast-detained-in-illichivsk-ukraine-security-service-383323.html

>Two men accused of involvement in a series of terrorist attacks in Odesa, southern Ukraine, including an explosion at the Admiralsky business center, were detained in Illichivsk, Odesa region, on Thursday evening, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said in a press release.
———————-
Ukraine Requests UN Peacekeeping Mission: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ukraine-requests-peacekeeping-mission-29607545

>Ukraine says it has placed a formal request with the United Nations for a peacekeeping mission to be deployed in its eastern regions, where a cease-fire between government and Russian-backed separatist forces is in place.

>Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevhen Perebiynis said Friday that the size and scope of the proposed mission would be worked out in consultation with the U.N.

>A mission would need backing from all five permanent members of the Security Council, however, and Russia is likely to resist the move.

>Perebiynis says the preliminary request for the mission has been submitted to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and that another would follow after Ukraine's parliament approves the proposal.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 17:34:07 fe4454 No.3479

Poll: Most Russians think Euromaidan couldn’t, shouldn’t happen in Russia: http://www.unian.info/world/1055028-poll-most-russians-think-euromaidan-couldnt-shouldnt-happen-in-russia.html

>The majority of Russians, or 76%, believe that the mass protests, like the Ukrainian Euromaidan of 2014, are now impossible in principle in the Russian Federation, while only 15% of respondents thinks the opposite, and another 9% were undecided, according to the results of a survey carried out by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, Russian news agency Lenta.ru reported on Thursday.

>In general, the Russians with high income (80%) and higher education (79%) believe that a Russian Euromaidan is impossible. People with low income (71%) and less educated (65%) are more likely to believe that such a scenario could occur in the country.

>In addition, 94% of respondents said they did not want a repeat of Euromaidan in Russia. This opinion was expressed by respondents of all ages, different levels of wealth, both the townspeople and villagers. Only 2% of respondents said the opposite.

>The survey also showed that the opinions of Russians have not changed in the year since a similar study was conducted.
—————————
EU energy chief: still no confirmed date for Ukraine-Russia gas talks: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/13/us-ukraine-crisis-gas-eu-idUSKBN0M90X820150313?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>The European Union has yet to receive confirmation that Ukraine and Russia will meet on March 20 to discuss gas supplies, the bloc's Energy Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Friday.

>Speaking to Reuters at a meeting of foreign ministers in the Slovak mountain resort of Strbske Pleso, Sefcovic said it had been agreed previously that a meeting should take place before the current "winter package" expires at the end of March.

>This deal on Russian gas for Ukraine, brokered and part-financed by the EU, runs out at the end of the month. After Kiev and Moscow accused each other of reneging on the deal, amid tensions over the pro-Russian revolt in eastern Ukraine, EU officials are mediating to try to arrange summer supplies.

>"So far the (meeting) date is standing but I don't have confirmation from both sides concerning this date," he said, adding he believed it was a scheduling issue, not a political one.
—————————–
US insists on deployment of OSCE mission in occupied Crimea: http://www.unian.info/politics/1055061-us-insists-on-deployment-of-osce-mission-in-occupied-crimea.html

>US Representative to the OSCE Daniel Baer has insisted that the organization also needs to monitor the situation in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory of Crimea, his press service has said.

>"Ambassador Baer called upon Ukraine, Russia, and the Russia-backed separatists to ensure that the members of the Special Monitoring Mission have unfettered access throughout the entire territory of Ukraine, including access to Crimea, and to guarantee the safety and security of the monitors as they carry out their duties," the press service said in a statement.

>It is emphasized that the United States reaffirms its firm commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity of its internationally recognized borders, and again called for the complete implementation of the Minsk agreements.
———————–
Journalists In Annexed Crimea Under Pressure: http://www.rferl.org/content/crimea-journalist-under-pressure/26899212.html

>Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers on the annexed Crimean Peninsula have detained an investigative journalist in the regional capital, Simferopol.

>Colleagues of Natalya Kokorina, who works for the Center of Journalist Investigations in Simferopol, told RFE/RL that FSB officers searched her parents' apartment and detained her.

>Her lawyer, Dzhemil Temishev, was not allowed to enter the apartment during the search.

>Also on March 13, FSB officers searched apartment in Simferopol that belongs to the parents of another local journalist, Anna Andriyevska, and confiscated a computer belonging to Andriyevska's father.

>Andriyevska moved to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, after Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March last year.

>The officers told Andriyevska's father she was being investigated over an article published last year which investigators claimed called for the overthrow of the Moscow-backed government in Crimea.

Shit McCain Says Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 17:46:49 fe4454 No.3480

McCain says Steinmeier ‘in the Neville Chamberlain school of diplomacy’ on Ukraine: http://www.unian.info/world/1055055-mccain-says-steinmeier-in-the-neville-chamberlain-school-of-diplomacy-on-ukraine.html

>U.S. Republican Senator John McCain has sharply criticized German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German government for their position on the Ukraine conflict, comparing Steinmeier to Neville Chamberlain, the former British prime minister noted for his policy of appeasement of Nazi Germany.

>"The foreign minister of Germany is the same guy that refuses - and his government - to enact any restrictions on the behaviour of Vladimir Putin, who is slaughtering Ukrainians as we speak," McCain said in Washington on Friday, according to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

>"He doesn't have any credibility in any way to me," McCain said.

>McCain was responding to criticism from Steinmeier of a letter written by McCain and other 46 Republican senators.

>According to the letter, which was sent to the Iranian leadership, the senators warned that without the ratification of the U.S. Congress a possible agreement on Tehran's nuclear program might be canceled after the end of Barack Obama’s presidential term in 2017.

>However, Steinemier said that the letter of the Republicans could undermine the credibility of Tehran to six international mediators.

>"The talks are quite difficult, so we do not need an additional uncertainty factor," he said.

>In turn, McCain accused Steinmeier of being "in the Neville Chamberlain school of diplomacy,” referring to the former British prime minister noted for his policy of appeasement in the late 1930s.

>At that time, London unsuccessfully tried to prevent war in Europe by making concessions to German dictator Adolf Hitler, which resulted in the carving up and absorption of Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1939 by the Third Reich.
——————————-
McCain: Russian troops may attack Odesa: http://www.unian.info/politics/1055272-mccain-russian-troops-may-attack-odesa.html

>The Russian armed forces may attack Odesa from Moldova by order of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. Republican Senator John McCain said in an interview with Ukrainian news broadcaster TSN on Friday.

>According to McCain, Putin has already gained the east of Ukraine, so now we can expect further attacks, in particular, on Mariupol.

>"If he thinks that he can get away with it and won’t have to pay a price, he will try to attack Odesa from Moldova. He has 1,400 Russian troops or so-called peacekeepers in Transnistria," he said.

>As UNIAN reported earlier, former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Mykola Malomuzh said that Russian troops were unlikely to attack Mariupol.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 17:58:40 fe4454 No.3481

Number of Internet queries in Russian about how to save on food doubles: http://www.unian.info/economics/1055074-number-of-internet-queries-in-russian-about-how-to-save-on-food-doubles.html

>Around 10,000 to 12,000 search queries from Russian Internet users on economizing are recorded on Yandex every day, which is twice as many as a year ago, Russian newspaper Izvestia writes, saying Russian are looking for ways to save on almost everything - food, clothing, cosmetics, and wedding costs.
————————-
Ukrainian doctors can’t visit Savchenko, despite agreements: http://www.unian.info/society/1055266-ukrainian-doctors-cant-visit-savchenko-despite-agreements.html

>Ukrainian pilot, MP and member of the Ukrainian delegation to PACE Nadia Savchenko is not allowed to be visited by Ukrainian doctors despite agreements with Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service having been reach on this, the press service of the State Affairs Department told an UNIAN correspondent on Friday.

>According to Andriy Strokan, the deputy chief physician on medical issues of the Feofania hospital, the delegation of physicians that arrived in Moscow on Friday morning is still standing outside the jail.

>"Nobody came out to us, and it is unknown whether we can visit Nadia Savchenko," he said.
——————–
Russia drops charges against woman accused of treason over Ukraine: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/13/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-treason-idUSKBN0M91QZ20150313?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Russia has dropped treason charges against an activist accused of phoning the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow last year to warn that Russian solders might be heading to eastern Ukraine, her lawyer said on Friday.

>Svetlana Davydova was arrested at her home west of Moscow in January on suspicion of making the call after overhearing a soldier's conversation about troops from a nearby military base being sent to Ukraine.

>Davydova's lawyer Ivan Pavlov said prosecutors had dropped the charges, which could have put her in prison for 20 years if she had been convicted.

>"Criminal proceedings against Svetlana Davydova have been dismissed for lack of evidence. She is completely cleared of charges of treason," Pavlov wrote on Facebook.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 18:04:48 fe4454 No.3482

Survey: most Ukrainians support concessions for the sake of ending war: http://www.unian.info/politics/1055269-survey-most-ukrainians-support-concessions-for-the-sake-of-ending-war.html

>One third of Ukrainians aged over 16 years think that in order to stop the bloodshed in the Donbas the Ukrainian authorities should be ready to make concessions, according to a poll carried out by Ukrainian research company GfK Ukraine in February 2015.

>A third of respondents over the age of 16 years (32%) said that the authorities have to make all necessary concessions to stop the bloodshed.

>Some 29% of respondents believe that negotiations are possible and certain concessions could be made, if appropriate. Another 21% of respondents believe that the government should not make any concessions, and it needs to mobilize the population to seek help from the West and free the Donbas by military means. At the same time 18% could not answer the question.

>Among residents of Kyiv and the central regions there is an opinion that negotiations are possible and certain concessions can be made - if they are appropriate (44% of Kyiv region residents and 36% of central region residents). But almost as many, 42% and 34%, respectively, would oppose any concessions from the government, supporting further mobilization of the population and assistance from the West in order to free the Donbas by military means.

>At the same time the residents of the south and east say the authorities should make all the necessary concessions to stop the bloodshed (44% and 54%).

>When asked to outline the concessions the Ukrainian authorities should make to stop the war in the Donbas, 21% of respondents support granting the territories controlled by the DNR and the LNR a special status for a certain period with partial control from Kyiv (as stipulated in the Minsk Agreement). Another opinions most frequently voiced by the respondents are recognition of the Russian language as the second official language in the territory of Ukraine (12%) and a refusal to join NATO while providing a constitutional guarantee of Ukraine’s neutrality (11%).
—————————-
Ukraine Says Rebels Violating Truce as First IMF Money Arrives: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-13/ukraine-says-rebels-violating-truce-as-first-imf-money-arrives

>Ukraine accused pro-Russian rebels of breaching the cease-fire agreement as the government prepared to start debt restructuring talks after the arrival of the first international financial aid.

>Insurgents attacked Ukrainian troops 61 times in the past 24 hours, firing mortars, with most violations near the city of Donetsk, military spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov said in Kiev on Friday. Shyrokyne near the port city of Mariupol was also attacked, he said. Rebels in Donetsk have said government forces are violating the truce daily, according to news service RIA Novosti.

>The International Monetary Fund approved a four-year, $17.5 billion loan program for Ukraine on Wednesday. An immediate $5 billion disbursement allows the government to start talks with creditors even as skirmishes between the army and militants continue in the country’s east. The cabinet will hold a videoconference with holders of Ukraine’s debt on Friday, with Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko expecting talks on outstanding liabilities to last until at least May.
————————-
Lysenko: Two Ukrainian soldiers wounded in Donbas conflict zone in last day: http://www.unian.info/war/1055161-lysenko-two-ukrainian-soldiers-wounded-in-donbas-conflict-zone-in-last-day.html

>No Ukrainian soldiers were killed but two were injured in the Donbas conflict zone over the last 24 hours, National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 21:23:10 fe4454 No.3486

>>3482
AP Interview: Serbia says Russia ties don't hamper OSCE role: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-serbia-says-russia-ties-dont-hamper-163141728.html

>Serbia's foreign minister said Friday his country's close ties with Russia are not hampering Belgrade's chairmanship over the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe which has a key monitoring role in Ukraine.

>Ivica Dacic told The Associated Press in an interview that Serbia's close-knit relationship with traditional Slavic ally Russia "most certainly is not a handicap" when it comes to remaining unbiased in the Ukrainian crisis.

>Dacic said "even the Ukrainian foreign minister told me … they see it as an advantage if it is used for de-escalation" of hostilities.

>Serbia took over the OSCE chairmanship in January amid some concern in the West because of Belgrade's refusal to impose Western-backed sanctions against Moscow over its role in Ukraine.

>"Many have said that it will be a big challenge for us," Dacic said. "Our role is not to take sides, but to help achieve goals that the OSCE has in the conflict areas, one of which is Ukraine."
———————–
Kerry meets Serbian FM on OSCE role in Ukraine crisis: http://news.yahoo.com/kerry-meets-serbian-fm-osce-role-ukraine-crisis-175508297.html

>US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday welcomed his Serbian counterpart for talks on the conflict in Ukraine, and called for greater transparency in trying to implement a fragile ceasefire.

>Serbia took over the presidency of the multinational body OSCE, which has hundreds of monitors in Ukraine trying to observe whether Russia, pro-Moscow rebels and the Kiev government are sticking by a second truce agreed earlier this month.

>"Serbia is taking on an increasingly important role," Kerry said as he met with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic.

>Belgrade's chairmanship of the Vienna-based OSCE came as the world waits to see whether the ceasefire deals reached in the Belarus capital of Minsk will be implemented.

>"We will all be looking for accountability in the process of trying to stabilize the eastern part of Ukraine and see if we can't get on a different road," Kerry said.
———————–
Murder claims in London tycoons’ court battle: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/murder-claims-in-london-tycoons-court-battle-10106343.html

>Some of the most extraordinary allegations of violence and murder ever seen in a London commercial legal dispute have emerged in documents filed into the High Court.

>The allegations have emerged as part of the $2 billion (£1.34 billion) legal action by Viktor Pinchuk, a Kensington and Kiev-based oligarch friend of Tony Blair, against two other Ukrainian billionaires over a takeover deal.

>One of them, Belgravia-based Gennadiy Bogolyubov, recently accused Pinchuk of witness tampering in the case, and sought permission to bring contempt of court proceedings. One witness alleged to have been coerced was the former chief prosecutor of Ukraine. But Pinchuk’s team hit back with explosive allegations in the High Court that the witness had previously helped cover up attempted murders ordered by Bogolyubov’s business partner, Igor Kolomoisky. Pinchuk is also suing Kolomoisky in his $2 billion legal action.

>The court heard that Kolomoisky, through his lawyer Freshfields, denies all the allegations, which it must be stressed were not considered by the judge and formed part of what Mr Justice Flaux described as “mudslinging” between the parties — claims, denials and counter-allegations.

>The Pinchuk team’s witness statement alleges Kolomoisky ordered a Ukranian lawyer be attacked for refusing to leak details from a client. Accidentally, the attack gang first savagely beat up one of the lawyer’s colleagues in a case of mistaken identity before assaulting the “right” lawyer.

>Kolomoisky “then arranged the killing of the gang members who botched the attacks… and sought to cover up these murders,” the statement says.

>It cites an official Ukraine prosecutor’s office resolution that “I.V. Kolomoisky threatened [the lawyer] with murder, a few days later, when [the lawyer] had not complied with I.V. Kolomoisky’s demands, the latter decided to murder [the lawyer] out of revenge for failure to comply with his instructions”.

>“To implement his criminal intent, he asked S.Y. Nikitin, his personal security officer, to organise the assassination… Thus, I.V. Kolomoisky entered into criminal collusion with S.Y. Nikitin and ordered [the lawyer’s] pre-meditated murder.”

>An application seeking an order for Kolomoisky’s arrest was drafted, but the chief prosecutor quashed it after being asked to by an intermediary working for Kolomoisky, the Pinchuk team claim.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 21:32:30 fe4454 No.3488

File: 1426282350418.jpg (25.52 KB, 600x450, 4:3, ukr.jpg)

US and Germany warn Russia of possible new sanctions: http://www.unian.info/world/1055067-us-and-germany-warn-russia-of-possible-new-sanctions.html

>The United States and Germany have warned Russia they will impose new sanctions if Moscow continues to violate the Minsk agreements on Ukraine, White House National Security Advisor Susan Rice and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Thursday during a meeting in Washington, the BBC’s Ukraine Service has reported.

>According to the press service of the White House, the two sides agreed on the need to fully implement the Minsk agreements by all parties of the conflict, including the cessation of all hostilities, and cooperation with the OSCE observers so that they can confirm the full withdrawal of heavy weapons.

>They also called for the release of all prisoners.

>"According to Rice and Steinmeier, the price for Russia will increase significantly if it continues to violate the Minsk agreements and if the Russian-backed militants try to occupy new territories," the BBC report says.

>The diplomats also agreed on the need to support Ukraine, which is taking steps to stabilize its economy.

>As reported earlier, last week British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also said new sanctions would be put in place against Russia if it violated the Minsk agreements.
—————–
EU Council ‘not to discuss Ukraine or new Russian sanctions’ at next meeting: http://www.unian.info/politics/1055191-eu-council-not-to-discuss-ukraine-or-new-russian-sanctions-at-next-meeting.html

>The EU’s Foreign Affairs Council will make a statement on the anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea on March 16, but will hold no discussions on the Ukrainian issue or on further sanctions against Russia, a senior European diplomat has told UNIAN’s Brussels correspondent.

>"It will be the first anniversary of the illegal annexation of the [Ukrainian territory of] Crimea, and there will be a statement from the 28 EU member states on this issue, but without any conclusions," the diplomat said.

>According to the official, the EU will reiterate its position regarding the annexation of the Crimea, demonstrating "that we have not forgotten about it, and our positions remains unchanged from a year ago."

>At the same, no separate debates are expected on the Ukrainian crisis, according to the diplomat.

>However, the Ukrainian issue is included in the agenda of the European Union summit that will be held a few days later, the diplomat said.

>"The Ukrainian issue will be discussed a few days later at the EU Council meeting, and there will be a debate on sanctions. But as of today, I do not see the unity [required to agree on] further sanctions," the European official said.

>In addition, the foreign ministers will discuss the EU initiative regarding "Eastern Partnership" on the eve of the summit in Riga.

>"A draft declaration will be sent to member states in the near future, in which we confirm our commitments to our partners", the diplomat added.

>The official also said that at a meeting of Foreign Affairs Council would be attended by six foreign ministers of the "Eastern Partnership" countries.
———————-
Miltiant leaders call on Merkel and Hollande to ‘put pressure on Kyiv to fulfill Minsk deal’: http://www.unian.info/politics/1055097-miltiant-leaders-call-on-merkel-and-hollande-to-put-pressure-on-kyiv-to-fulfill-minsk-deal.html

>The leaders of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, Ihor Plotnytkiy and Oleksandr Zakharchenko, have urged French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to “put pressure” on Kyiv to fulfill the Minsk agreements, the BBC’s Russian Service reported on Friday.

>"We have to address you, as the guarantors of the Minsk agreements, to put pressure on the Ukrainian government, up to the introduction of personal and economic sanctions in order to force its leadership to implement a set of measures approved by the Tripartite Contact Group on February 12 in Minsk with your active participation," the statement says.

>According to the leaders of the militants, the Ukrainian authorities are disrupting the schedule of the withdrawal of heavy weapons.

>In addition, Plotnytkiy and Zakharchenko asked the leaders of two European countries to deny entry to the EU countries of a number of Ukrainian leaders, including Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak and NSDC Secretary Oleksndr Turchynov.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 21:42:51 fe4454 No.3490

Bulgaria, United States to start military drills amid Ukraine crisis: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/13/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0M91MW20150313?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>NATO allies Bulgaria and the United States will stage a series of joint military drills over the next three and a half months, the Bulgarian defense ministry said on Friday, amid increased tensions with Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

>Some 350 U.S. Army officers will arrive in the Balkan country to take part in the bilateral drills, which begin on Sunday and will be conducted at the Novo Selo training range in southeastern Bulgaria.

>The exercises will also involve U.S. armored personnel carriers, helicopters and tanks.

>"The Bulgarian Army will use the drills to test its ability to react in crisis situations," a defense ministry official told Reuters. "Of course, we cannot underestimate what is happening in Ukraine."

>Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev said the United States would spend about $30 million to modernize the infrastructure at and around the training range of Novo Selo.
——————
Russian Envoy: Aggression in Baltics, Poland Not Possible: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-envoy-aggression-baltics-poland-29614009

>Russia's ambassador to Poland says it's "not possible" for Russia to repeat the incursion it made into Ukraine in the Baltic states or in Poland.

>Ambassador Sergei Andreyev told Polish state Radio 1 late Thursday that Russia's actions in Crimea were an "exceptional situation" and "transferring that to other countries and other regions is not possible."

>Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 after sending troops in several weeks earlier.

>The envoy said that if Polish politicians "say there is a threat from Russia to Poland or to the Baltic states, the basic question is why would Russia threaten these countries?"

>He rejected suggestions that Russia could want to expand its area of influence. The Baltic states and Poland border Russia.

>Poland's President Bronislaw Komorowski and Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak see Moscow's actions as a threat to the region's security. They are making efforts to boost the country's defense by calling on Poles to go through military training, planning arms purchases and by hosting major NATO exercises with the participation of some 10,000 foreign troops this year.

>Andreyev said Russia's current tense relations with Poland eventually "will pass and we will be back to normal."
———————————-
Poroshenko: Ukraine to import lethal arms from EU: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/poroshenko-ukraine-to-import-lethal-arms-from-eu-383401.html

>Ukraine has signed contracts to import lethal weapons from the European Union, President Petro Poroshenko said in a television program on March 13 evening.
———————–
Nemtsov's report on Ukraine "Putin. War" could be published by mid-April: http://www.unian.info/world/1055354-nemtsovs-report-on-ukraine-putin-war-could-be-published-by-mid-april.html

>
World
Nemtsov's report on Ukraine "Putin. War" could be published by mid-April
13.03.2015 | 19:59
5 0 9 0 0
Ilya Yashin, co-founder of recently killed Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov's party, says that skilled experts, including government officials and investigative journalists, have been engaged in finalizing the late politician's project.

>Yashin pledges on his Facebook page that the report on war in Ukraine entitled "Putin. War," which Nemtsov had been working on before he was killed, will be published by the middle of April.

>"Despite searches conducted in Nemtsov's apartment and office when investigators took away his computers and documents, we've managed to restore the bulk of [his] materials. Some documents were kept in the party's headquarters, which investigators couldn't have reached; part of the materials was stored at Boris' assistants. All in all, the backbone of the report is in our hands," he wrote.

>According to Yashin, skilled experts, including those with experience of working in government, and journalists known due to notorious investigations have been engaged in the project.

>"We've scheduled several trips to gather additional materials for the report. Yet, I won't disclose all the details – but these will be the trips Nemtsov had been planning to go on.

>Yashin said he hopes that the project will be completed within in a month, and the "Putin. War" report will be published by the middle of April.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 21:49:39 fe4454 No.3491

>>3490
My bad, I fucked up the UNIAN section.

Anonymous 03/13/15 (Fri) 23:13:37 fe4454 No.3493

File: 1426288417835.png (393.71 KB, 541x464, 541:464, donetsk airport.png)

NATO Chief: Ukraine Not Our Responsibility: http://news.sky.com/story/1444723/nato-chief-ukraine-not-our-responsibility

>Jens Stoltenberg also told Sky News the UK must maintain its military contributions to the organisation, which is set at 2% of GDP.

>But, asked if NATO would do anything stop Vladimir Putin's forces in Ukraine, he said: "Our main responsibility is to defend and to protect all NATO allies and no NATO ally has been attacked.

>"So deterrence is working because everyone sees that NATO is a very strong alliance and we are now implementing the biggest reinforcement of our collective defence since the end of the Cold War.

>"Ukraine is not a member of NATO, so there is a difference between Ukraine and NATO members, because the security guarantee is for NATO allies.

>"But we don't respect or accept in any way what Russia is doing in Ukraine and that's the reason why we provide strong political support for Ukraine.

>"The most important thing now is to support the implementation of the Minsk agreements, meaning respecting the ceasefire, making sure that all their weapons are withdrawn from the frontline and to make sure that happens we need proper monitoring."

>Asked about military leaders' concerns that Britain may not maintain defence spending at the target of 2% of GDP, Mr Stoltenberg said: "At the same time I know that Britain is next to the US as the country that invests most in defence.

>"I count on the UK to do so as I count on all other allies to implement and honour their pledges."

>Mr Stoltenberg's comments are likely to be seen as further evidence of the fears within the alliance that none of the main political parties has committed to meet the target beyond the next financial year.
———————-
Poroshenko: Ukraine will immediately get lethal weapons with new round of Russian aggression: http://www.unian.info/politics/1055380-poroshenko-ukraine-will-immediately-get-lethal-weapons-with-new-round-of-russian-aggression.html

>He announced this in an exclusive interview on 1+1 TV Channel, the presidential press service reported.

>"If there is a new round of aggression against Ukraine, I can surely say that we will immediately receive both lethal weaponry and new wave of sanctions against the aggressor. We will act firmly and in a coordinated manner," the president told 1+1 TV Channel.

>Poroshenko says he is confident that the European Union, the United States and other countries will continue supporting Ukraine in its struggle for sovereignty and territorial integrity, inter alia, with weapons in case of need.

>The president said that Ukraine had contracts with some EU countries on the supply of weapons, including lethal ones. He said that the official embargo of the EU on arming Ukraine had been lifted.

>Poroshenko described a decision by U.S. President Barack Obama to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine as crucial. According to him, this armament will increase preciseness and efficiency of the Ukrainian weapons. In addition, thermal imagers and radars that detect motion help counteract reconnaissance and subversive groups of the enemy.

>"What is the difference between Ukraine's and Russia's positions? Ukraine is trustworthy, for it clearly and steadily fulfills all the undertaken agreements," Poroshenko said. He also stressed that Ukraine had promised to cease fire and withdraw heavy artillery and our country had fulfilled that.

>At the same time, the president noted that Ukraine would not decrease its defense capacity. "We are using this time to repair damaged equipment. Currently, intensive combat training is being held. We are planting mines in the most dangerous tank directions and building engineering structures under the new plan and projects," he added.

Anonymous 03/14/15 (Sat) 00:13:48 fe4454 No.3494

Militants in Donbas violate ceasefire 20 times on Friday – ATO press center: http://www.unian.info/war/1055415-militants-in-donbas-violate-ceasefire-20-times-on-friday-ato-press-center.html

>The enemy violated the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine 20 times from 0600 to 1900 Kyiv time on Friday, the press center of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) wrote on its Facebook page.

>Militants in the ATO zone shelled the Ukrainian troops from 122mm caliber howitzers and 120mm caliber mortars, which should have been withdrawn as far as 25 km from the line of contact in early March.

>Illegal armed formations in the Donetsk sector used 120mm caliber mortars to shell a fortification locality near the village of Pisky from 1120 to 1210 Kyiv time today, whereas artillery attacks on the town of Avdiyivka lasted from 1130 to 1200 Kyiv time. Moreover, the villages of Opytne and Mykolaivka suffered from mortar shelling.

>Pro-Russian separatists have continued firing at the Ukrainian troops near the village of Shyrokyne in the Mariupol sector. During the day the Ukrainian side has registered six cases when small arms and grenade launches were used to shell the ATO troops, the press center said.
———————–
Donbas will hold local elections when their conditions meet OSCE requirements: http://www.unian.info/politics/1055410-donbas-will-hold-local-elections-when-their-conditions-meet-osce-requirements.html

>Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says that new local elections in Donbas should be held when conditions for their holding meet OSCE requirements.

>He announced this in an interview on 1+1 TV Channel on Friday.

>"We're doing our best to restore Ukrainian sovereignty to bring Ukrainian authority back onto those territories. The key element of the specific character of local self-government should be new elections, which must be held when conditions for their holding meet OSCE requirements. They should be free, they should be democratic, all foreign armed formations should be withdrawn from those territories. Ukrainian television and radio broadcasting should be restored there; political parties should start working there again, a full-scale election campaign and the presence of foreign observers should be ensured there. And as a result, the Ukrainian authorities will in turn guarantee special powers of self-government," the president said.

Highlighted because it sounds as if Poroshenko is implying that he needs to invade/exert Kiev's influence onto Donbass in order to enact the Minsk protocol (which misses the point of the ceasefire entirely).

Anonymous 03/14/15 (Sat) 03:25:03 fe4454 No.3495

U.S. admiral raises alarm over Russian military threat: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/12/politics/us-russia-military-threat-alarm-norad/index.html

>The ability of the U.S. and Canadian military to defend North America could be jeopardized by stepped up Russian military activity, according to the commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

>Adm. William Gortney told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that Russia is continuing to work on its program to deploy "long-range conventionally armed cruise missiles," that can be launched from its bomber aircraft, submarines and warships. This is giving the Kremlin "deterrent" options "short of the nuclear threshold," Gortney said.

>"Should these trends continue over time, NORAD will face increased risk in our ability to defend North America against Russian air, maritime and cruise missile threats," he said.

>Gortney's remarks came in written testimony submitted to the committee.

>"This past year has marked a notable increase in Russian military assertiveness," on the world stage, he said. Russian heavy bomber aircraft flew more patrols outside Russian airspace "than in any year since the Cold War," though he did not offer a specific number. There have also been increased Russian air patrols across the coastlines of Europe.

>The NORAD commander later said that Russian flights, even down the English Channel, are at a pace "that has not been what they've done in the past, even back with the Soviet Union."

>Under NORAD operations, the U.S. and Canada routinely send fighter jets into the skies to monitor any Russian military aircraft approaching the U.S. coastline. The Russian operations have not extended to actually flying into U.S. or Canadian airspace, but in the last year Russia is clearly trying to keep a closer eye on NORAD.

>"We have also witnessed improved interoperability between Russian long-range aviation and other elements of the Russian military, including air and maritime intelligence collection platforms positioned to monitor NORAD responses," he said.

>Gortney said the Russian air patrols, in part, are designed to "communicate its displeasure with Western policies, particularly with regard to Ukraine."

>One of the security challenges for the U.S. is to determine whether the cruise missiles on its bomber aircraft, submarines and warships are indeed conventional or may be nuclear tipped. When carried aboard submarines, ships and in the internal bays of bombers it's nearly impossible for U.S. intelligence to know with certainty. The concern remains that the Russian deployments of aircraft and ships into Crimea and the Kaliningrad region could give Moscow a platform for the deployment of the weapons that concern the U.S.

>"They can range critical infrastructure in Alaska and in Canada that we rely on for a homeland defense mission," Gortney told senators, explaining the reach of the long-range of the Russian cruise missiles.

Anonymous 03/14/15 (Sat) 03:25:53 fe4454 No.3496

>>3494
Russia to provide $13.75mn as part of first IMF loan for Ukraine – finance minister: http://rt.com/business/240517-russia-ukraine-imf-tranche/

>Russia will participate in financing the first tranche of IMF aid to Ukraine in the amount of $13.75 million; the Bank of Russia will deliver the payment on March 13, said Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

>"The program [IMF $17.5bn package –Ed.] will be financed via the IMF quota resources, and the funding from shareholder countries in the framework of their participation in the so-called New Borrowing arrangements,” Siluanov said.

>“As such, the Russian Federation will participate in the funding in accordance with its obligations as a participant, and deliver the first tranche of the IMF program for Ukraine in the amount of $13.75 million dollars. The Bank of Russia will carry out the payment on 13 March 2015,” he added.

>The first tranche is 3.546 billion in special drawing rights (around $5 billion) and will be made available to the account of the National Bank of Ukraine, he said.

>On March 11 the IMF approved a $17.5 billion rescue package for Ukraine that has created a lot of criticism. The bailout comes with strict terms which have already made Kiev make huge cuts to its 2015 budget. Ukraine’s austerity measures include cuts in social spending and the price of utility services almost tripling.

>Given the country’s economy is expected to shrink 5 percent in 2015, and inflation has already reached 34.5 percent in February, the situation in Ukraine where the majority of population already lives on the breadline, may become even worse.

>The ex-head of Ukraine’s National Bank Sergei Arbuzov described the IMF loan is “involuntary servitude,” that’ll pull the country into a debt pit.
———————–
Russia to provide $13.75mn as part of first IMF loan for Ukraine – finance minister: http://rt.com/business/240517-russia-ukraine-imf-tranche/

>Russia will participate in financing the first tranche of IMF aid to Ukraine in the amount of $13.75 million; the Bank of Russia will deliver the payment on March 13, said Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov.

>"The program [IMF $17.5bn package –Ed.] will be financed via the IMF quota resources, and the funding from shareholder countries in the framework of their participation in the so-called New Borrowing arrangements,” Siluanov said.

>“As such, the Russian Federation will participate in the funding in accordance with its obligations as a participant, and deliver the first tranche of the IMF program for Ukraine in the amount of $13.75 million dollars. The Bank of Russia will carry out the payment on 13 March 2015,” he added.

>The first tranche is 3.546 billion in special drawing rights (around $5 billion) and will be made available to the account of the National Bank of Ukraine, he said.

Anonymous 03/14/15 (Sat) 03:27:57 fe4454 No.3497

>>3496
I….. What. Fucking christ, I repeated the same story.

Anonymous 03/14/15 (Sat) 05:41:53 349240 No.3498

>>3497
Where's Putin btw

Anonymous 03/14/15 (Sat) 19:42:49 fe4454 No.3502

>>3498
No idea, but a structure is being made in front of the Kremlin: Russia is preparing for something at the Kremlin while Putin's absence baffles everyone: http://www.businessinsider.com/whats-happening-with-putin-and-russia-2015-3

>Kremlin-controlled TV informed millions of Russians about a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Kyrgyz counterpart Almazbek Atambayev. Nothing unusual about that, right?

>Wrong.

>The meeting between the two leaders of the former Soviet republics isn’t due to take place until Monday. But that didn’t stop the newsreader on the Rossiya 24 channel reading out the following item – all in the past tense.

>“The Kremlin also reports that Vladimir Putin met with Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev on Monday. They talked about cooperation in investment and humanitarian spheres, as well as the energy sector. They also discussed the possibility of Kyrgyzstan joining the Eurasian Economic Union.”

>Before we get to Monday, as most of you are undoubtedly aware, we have to get past the weekend first. A spokesperson for Rossiya 24 quickly announced the news item had been a mistake. And, on a normal day, that would have been that.

>But these are not normal times in Russia. Putin hasn’t been seen in public for over a week. This prolonged absence has sparked rumors that Russia’s long-serving national leader is ill. Or has been deposed in a coup. Or is dead. Or is visiting his alleged lover, the “extremely flexible gymnast,” Alina Kabaeva, who reportedly gave birth to a baby Putin in Switzerland today. Take your pick.

>Rossiya 24’s inadvertent act of fortune-telling has already been labeled “Guests from the Future” on social media, a reference to a well-loved Soviet children’s film. But beneath the laughter, there is concern that Russia could be on the edge of another one of the cataclysmic events that seem to swing around these parts every few years.

>Was Rossiya 24’s report on Putin’s meeting prepared in advance, because the Kremlin knew he would not be attending? Was it part of a cover up that was inadvertently aired ahead of time? Either way, it’s added to a general atmosphere of confusion and apprehension in Russia right now. “I was dreaming of Putin all night,” a friend in Moscow told me. “I dreamed he’d been kidnapped and was being marched off somewhere.”

>True, the NTV channel aired images Friday of Putin meeting with supreme court president Vyacheslav Lebedev at his Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence outside Moscow. But as there was no proof the footage was actually filmed Friday, that did little to stop the rumors. After all, the Kremlin has already been caught out once before this week, when it tried to pass off old photographs as new ones as evidence of Putin’s activities.

>So when a line of mysterious trucks was photographed outside the Kremlin’s walls Friday evening, and seating for hundreds of people was laid out on Red Square, the rumor mill went into overdrive again. Someone quickly spliced together footage of Putin saying “and snuffed it,” over a grimy hip-hop beat, and uploaded the clip to YouTube.

>“Has he really snuffed it?” asked one Facebook user. But the trucks and seating, it turned out, are for a concert to celebrate the first anniversary of the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea. “What are you all on about?” asked another Facebook user. “Putin’s fine, don’t you know? He’s already met the president of Kyrgyzstan on Monday.”

>Will Putin finally show on Monday? Or will the mystery deepen? All will be revealed after the weekend. That is, of course, if there are no twists in this story before then. Keep watching Russia.

MONDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

BE THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEReeerrrRRE

Thoughts on this? Shit's getting weird.

Anonymous 03/14/15 (Sat) 21:29:18 fe4454 No.3503

Germany wants Russia to comply with Ukraine peace deal before sanctions eased: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/14/us-ukraine-crisis-sanctions-idUSKBN0MA0T820150314?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

Germany and other countries want European Union leaders to endorse a declaration saying that EU sanctions on Russia will not be eased unless Moscow complies with a Ukraine ceasefire deal, two officials said on Saturday.

>EU leaders, who meet in Brussels next Thursday and Friday, will discuss the sanctions imposed on Russia's financial, energy and defense sectors last July over Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in Ukraine.

>The ceasefire deal, which was signed last September in Minsk, called for an end to hostilities between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line.

>"It is the plan to have a political declaration to link sanctions to fulfillment of Minsk," said one of the two officials, who asked not to be named.

>Germany and some others EU countries were in favor of such a declaration, the officials said, without giving further details.

>If EU leaders decide to back this stance, it would effectively extend the sanctions, which expire in July, to the end of the year, as the ceasefire deal requires the restoration of Ukrainian border controls with Russia by year-end.

>EU leaders have to be unanimous in their decision to extend sanctions, but a senior EU official said on Friday that they were unlikely to reach a decision at next week's summit.

>Some EU governments have only reluctantly backed tough EU sanctions and most want to leave them as they are while they assess the impact of the ceasefire agreement.
————————-
Poroshenko happy with results of fourth mobilization: http://www.unian.info/society/1055576-poroshenko-happy-with-results-of-fourth-mobilization.html

>Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says he is satisfied with the results of the fourth round of mobilization in Ukraine.

>He announced this at a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Ministry's civil volunteers in Kyiv, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

>"The fourth round of mobilization is the first mobilization campaign organized at an acceptably high level," he said.

>According to him, unlike previous rounds of mobilization, the current one has considerably fewer dodgers, better materiel support and training.

>The president also stressed that Ukraine " shouldn't let the enemy shift to the next level of destabilization under any circumstances today: they don't need Luhansk and Donetsk regions – they need the entire Ukraine."

>Poroshenko expressed confidence that the government and local authorities must do everything possible to ensure that Ukrainian soldiers who are returning from war be met as real heroes. Proper psychological rehabilitation should be organized for them while the procedure for issuing certificates of anti-terrorist operation participants and for allocating free plots of land to them should be simplified. The president also asked the authorities to facilitate employment of demobilized soldiers.

Anonymous 03/15/15 (Sun) 10:58:42 31b1df No.3509

Stage in front of the Kremlin was for a Jose Carreras concert.

http://josepcarreras-tenor.blogspot.nl/p/schedule.html

Anonymous 03/15/15 (Sun) 18:18:08 fe4454 No.3512

>>3509
Still doesn't explain Putin's absense or why the Kremlin told the press to stick around after the weekend, though. We'll likely get an answer to all that Monday at noon (which is in 16 hours for Moscow). At least we can rest assured that the Russians aren't building something to the effect of a creepy monolith outside of the Kremlin.
—————————
Ukraine Activists Unveil Putin 'Tombstone' By Russian Embassy: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-kyiv-protest-putin-tombstone/26902247.html

>Ukrainian activists have erected a mock tombstone to Russian President Vladimir Putin outside the Russian embassy in Kyiv, playing on speculation about his prolonged absence.

>The protest was carried out by the Automaidan group, which organized antigovernment car processions on Kiev's Maidan Square during the pro-Europe protests that forced Russian-backed president Viktor Yanukovych from power in 2014.

>On March 15, around a dozen vehicles flying Ukrainian and Automaidan flags pulled up outside the embassy building in the southwest of the capital.

>The activists proceeded to pour liquid cement on the pavement and then fix in place a black marble headstone.

>The plaque, depicting the Russian president with a Hitler-style moustache, read "Khu#lo V.V. 12.03.2015," referring to Putin by his first name and patronymic Vladimir Vladimirovich, prefaced by an obscenity, with the supposed date of death.

>"Don't let us down," the plaque, which was stamped with a swastika, urged Putin.
———————————
Chinese Premiere Won't Say If Crimea's Annexation Was Illegal: http://www.rferl.org/content/china-statement-crimea-annexation-anniversary/26901691.html

>Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on March 15 that his government respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, but would not be drawn on whether China considers Crimea to be part of Ukraine or Russia.

>Speaking at a news conference at the end of an 11-day meeting of the ruling party’s nominal parliament, the National People’s Congress, Li said: “On the issue of Ukraine, China has adopted an objective and just position. We respect Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

>But he said: "At the same time, the Ukraine issue has added to the complexity of the geopolitical situation and has affected the process of the global economic recovery. We still hope that this issue can be resolved via dialogue, negotiations, and consultations."

>His remarks came as Moscow prepares for celebrations marking last year’s March 18 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

>The annexation by Russia has been deemed illegal by the United Nations General Assembly, the United States, the European Union, and NATO.

Anonymous 03/15/15 (Sun) 19:19:42 fe4454 No.3513

File: 1426447182880.jpg (124.77 KB, 1200x597, 400:199, ukrruss.jpg)

Ukraine's president says truce not working, urges more Russia sanctions: newspaper: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/15/us-ukraine-crisis-ceasefire-idUSKBN0MB0OY20150315?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Ukraine's president accused Russian-backed separatists in the east of failing to respect a ceasefire with Ukrainian troops and called for further sanctions on Russia in comments to a German newspaper to be published on Monday.

>Attacks have become less frequent since the latest ceasefire came into force in mid-February, but both sides accuse each other of violations. Ukraine's military said last week that pro-Russian rebels were using the truce to amass heavy weapons.

>An agreement signed in Minsk in September called with the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line.

>"Ukraine has fulfilled every single point of the Minsk agreement. The ceasefire has been implemented immediately on our part, but the Russian fighters have done the exact opposite," Petro Poroshenko told the Bild newspaper.

>"Every day, there is shooting from the Russian side, often more than 60 times a day. In total, the ceasefire has been broken 1,100 times," he said. "The truth is that the agreement is not working."

>Poroshenko also called for additional sanctions against Russia for breaking the ceasefire.

>At a summit in Brussels next Thursday and Friday, European Union leaders will discuss the sanctions imposed on Russia's financial, energy and defense sectors last July over Russia's annexation of Crimea and supporting the separatists in Ukraine.

>Germany and other EU member countries want to push for a declaration that will not allow sanctions to be eased unless Moscow complies with the Minsk agreement, two officials said on Saturday.
————–
Putin says Russia put nuclear weapons on alert; helped ousted Ukraine President flee: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/03/15/putin-says-russia-put-nuclear-weapons-on-alert-helped-ousted-ukraine-president-flee.html

>Russia was ready to bring its nuclear weapons into a state of alert during last year’s tensions over the Crimean Peninsula and the overthrow of Ukraine’s president, President Vladimir Putin said in remarks aired on Sunday.

>Putin also expanded on a previous admission that the well-armed forces in unmarked uniforms who took control of Ukrainian military facilities in Crimea were Russian soldiers.

>Putin’s comments, in a documentary being shown on state TV, highlight the extent to which alarm spread in Russia in the weeks following Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s ouster in February 2014 after months of street protests that turned increasingly violent.

>The documentary comes as speculation swirls about Putin’s 10-day absence from public view. On Monday, he will meet with the president of Kyrgyzstan in an event covered by the news media, which would be his first appearance before journalists since March 5.

>After Yanukovych fled Kyiv, eventually surfacing in Russia, separatist sentiment soared in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula dominated by ethnic Russians.
———————–
Kremlin declines to comment on report on Putin's absence from Moscow: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/15/us-russia-putin-peskov-idUSKBN0MB0LR20150315

>Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on a report from the independent news outlet Dozhd on Sunday that said Russian President Vladimir Putin had not been in Moscow for the last several days.

>Putin, who has not been seen in public or on live television broadcasts for more than a week, postponed a meeting with Kazakh and Belarussian leaders last week.

>Sources told Dozhd that the president was at his residence on Lake Valdai in Novgorod province. Peskov declined to comment when contacted by Dozhd.

>A Kazakh government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Putin may have canceled the summit with the Belarussian and Kazakh leaders because of illness. Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, however, Peskov gave assurances that the 62-year-old president was in good health.

>Putin's silence in the past week has fueled feverish speculation on everything from the state of his health to his grip on power and whether he went to Switzerland to watch his girlfriend give birth.

>The Kremlin has denied the rumors.

>Putin has a scheduled meeting with Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev in St Petersburg on March 16, the Kremlin said in a statement on Friday.

Anonymous 03/15/15 (Sun) 20:05:37 fe4454 No.3514

File: 1426449937399.jpg (32.52 KB, 615x409, 615:409, Ukraine-Map.jpg)

More than 100 Germans fighting for separatists in eastern Ukraine: http://www.dw.de/more-than-100-germans-fighting-for-separatists-in-eastern-ukraine/a-18316900

>Pro-Russian rebels were being supported by more than 100 German citizens in their war against Kyiv, German weekly "Welt am Sonntag" reported on Sunday. Most of these were ethnic Germans from Russia who were repatriated by Berlin following World War II.

>Unlike German jihadis who went to fight with the "Islamic State" in Syria, German citizens participating in the conflict in eastern Ukraine did not have to worry about facing prosecution back home, but this could soon change.

>"When Germans participate in such conflicts, they should be punishable for organizing terrorist activities," Stephan Meyer, internal affairs expert for Germany's ruling coalition told Welt am Sonntag. Meyer demanded that German citizenship be revoked for people who participated in the separatist struggle and had double citizenship.

>In Latvia, for example, soldiers fighting for foreign troops could face up to 10 years of imprisonment. This law was valid for all Latvian citizens who fought against the sovereignty of an internationally recognized state, the German weekly reported.

>Meanwhile, Ukraine has its own misgivings with the "war tourism" from Germany. Andrej Melnik, Kyiv's ambassador in Berlin, told Welt am Sonntag he had asked the German government to ensure that German citizens "did not move towards the east [of Ukraine] or participate in the murders and deaths."

>The German government expressed surprise at Kyiv's claims of its citizens moving to fight in the Ukraine conflict. The Attorney General, however, did not have sufficient evidence, the govenrment's statement said.

>The German Interior Ministry however said there was evidence of individual German citizens participating in the Ukraine conflict, but that there were no clues about their motivations. "In case there was any information about a possible trip by persons intending to participate in the conflict in Ukraine, the knowledge would be used to prevent the persons' journey or make it difficult," the Welt am Sonntag reported the interior ministry as saying.

>There are currently many German youths who post pictures of themselves with weapons and uniforms in the Internet, boasting of their participation in the Ukraine struggle. One German has lost his life fighting for the separatists on February 12, research by the German weekly revealed.
————————
Putin in film on Crimea: US masterminds behind Ukraine coup, helped train radicals: http://rt.com/news/240921-us-masterminds-ukraine-putin/

>The Ukrainian armed coup was organized from Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview for a new documentary aired Sunday. The Americans tried to hide behind the Europeans, but Moscow saw through the trick, he added.

>“The trick of the situation was that outwardly the [Ukrainian] opposition was supported mostly by the Europeans. But we knew for sure that the real masterminds were our American friends,”Putin said in a documentary, 'Crimea - The Way Home,' aired by Rossiya 1 news channel.

>“They helped training the nationalists, their armed groups, in Western Ukraine, in Poland and to some extent in Lithuania,” he added. “They facilitated the armed coup.”

>The West spared no effort to prevent Crimea’s reunification with Russia, “by any means, in any format and under any scheme," he noted.

>Putin said this approach was far from being the best dealing with any country, and a post-Soviet country like Ukraine specifically. Such countries have a short record of living under a new political system and remain fragile. Violating constitutional order in such a country inevitably deal a lot of damage to its statehood, the president said.

>“The law was thrown away and crashed. And the consequences were grave indeed. Part of the country agreed to it, while another part wouldn’t accept it. The country was shattered,” Putin explained.

>He also accused the beneficiaries of the coup of planning an assassination of then-President Viktor Yanukovich. Russia was prepared to act to ensure his escape, Putin said.

>“I invited the heads of our special services, the Defense Ministry and ordered them to protect the life of the Ukrainian president. Otherwise he would have been killed,” he said, adding that at one point Russian signal intelligence, which was tracking the president’s motorcade route, realized that he was about to be ambushed.

Anonymous 03/16/15 (Mon) 03:17:03 fe4454 No.3516

‘Didn’t know they watch Fox in Russia’: Defiant ‘kill Russians’ US ex-general insists he told ‘truth’: http://rt.com/usa/240829-kill-russians-fox-general-defiant/

>Seemingly unfazed by the outrage his comments on Fox Business Channel have caused, the former US general who thinks the only solution to the Ukraine conflict is to “start killing Russians” has defended his stance, again speaking to Fox.

>Robert H. Scales, the retired United States Army major general whose outburst was aired by Fox on Tuesday, did not have to justify his comments as such, as he was invited for a cozy conversation with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren to jokingly discuss the reaction to his remarks.

>Responding to the news that the Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal probe into his statements on charges of public calls for starting an aggressive war made in the media, and that his remarks violated article 20 of the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that bans any propaganda of war and instigation of discrimination, hatred or violence, Scales shrugged it off by branding it “a Russian form of war.”

>“It’s the Russia version of the First Amendment – five years in prison if you say something that makes [Russian President] Vladimir Putin angry,” Scales told Fox News.

>The only thing that appeared to bother the military analyst is that he is not going to try any vodka or borsch in Russia due to the criminal investigation.

>“I’m not concerned at all, I just kind of wish I could take a vacation in Russia but I can guarantee, that’s not going to happen,” he said.

>Scales was seemingly surprised by the fact that his words reached the Russians at all: “I got emails today from people in Russia I never heard of before. I didn’t know Fox News was watched in Russia.”

>In the end, he insisted that everything he told Fox was “the truth.”

>“Fox is not Vladimir Putin’s favorite network, because as you saw me on the clip you ran, we’re trying to tell the truth about what’s going on in places like Ukraine and places like Iran,” the former major general said.

>According to him, “we all know that sanctions don’t work, negotiations don’t work, we can’t push the red ‘reset’ button, and the bottom line is, only military action by the Ukrainians that we support will turn the tide.”

>In the new interview, uploaded by Fox News on Friday, Scales used a slightly milder rhetoric than in his previous appearance – which, however, was partly repeated on air before the conversation. Earlier, he alleged that “the only way the United States can have any effect in this region and turn the tide is start killing Russians…killing so many Russians that even Putin’s media can’t hide the fact that Russians are returning to their motherland in body bags.”

>Washington has failed to provide any proof of the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine – which Moscow categorically denies – except for a handful of fuzzy satellite images of alleged Russian hardware that the Russian Foreign Ministry has branded “fake.”

>Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich earlier condemned Scales' statements, calling them “Russophobic” and stressing that “the tone of the rampant anti-Russian propaganda is being set by Washington officials.”

Just a heads up, the US is a signatory of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and it is not "a Russian form of war." There are some issues concerning the constitutionality of article 20, however. Also, the US seems to be generally non-compliant concerning the Covenant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Covenant_on_Civil_and_Political_Rights

Anonymous 03/16/15 (Mon) 12:56:04 e876cb No.3520

Goddamnit, Putin.

‘It’s boring without rumors’: Putin appears in public after week of MSM hysteria: http://rt.com/news/241069-putin-rumours-back-alive/

>Life would be boring without rumors, Vladimir Putin said after appearing on public in St Petersburg on Monday.

>Earlier, western media succumbed to hysteria, asking “Where is Putin?” and suggesting that the Russian president might have fallen ill.

>Putin met his Kyrgyz counterpart Almazbek Atambayev on Monday in his first public meeting open to the press since March 5.

>Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov mocked all the rumors about his boss’s alleged disappearance.

>“Have you seen the president [Putin] crushed with paralysis and captured by the generals?" Peskov asked the journalists, smiling,” [He] just arrived from Switzerland where he was delivering babies, as you know.”

>When a representative of western media asked Peskov about a foreign doctor arriving to Russian President, the spokesman said the doctor in question “was among the generals who captured Putin.”

>The Kremlin is not going to comment on Putin’s state of health, Peskov said Monday.

>“We’ve said 10 times, we can’t comment anymore,” he told journalists, adding that the more comments that are released, the more fantastic theories are being invented.

>Earlier social media were boiling with tweets and blogposts about the mysterious alleged disappearance of the Russian leader. After Putin canceled a meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel on March 11, sympathetic users suggested he may have been ill. This theory was denied by the Kremlin.

>Other users who joined the ‘Russian-invasion-is-coming’ mood wrote that Putin was preparing for a full-scale war.

It would appear that's that. However…

Russia starts nationwide show of force: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/16/us-russia-military-exercises-idUSKBN0MC0JO20150316

>More than 45,000 Russian troops as well as war planes and submarines started military exercises across much of the country on Monday in one of the Kremlin's biggest shows of force since its ties with the West plunged to Cold War-lows.

>President Vladimir Putin called the Navy's Northern Fleet to full combat readiness in exercises in Russia's Arctic North apparently aimed at dwarfing military drills in neighboring Norway, a NATO member.

>"New challenges and threats to military security require the armed forces to further boost their military capabilities. Special attention must be paid to newly created strategic formations in the north," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said, quoted by RIA news agency.

>Shoigu said the order came from Putin, who has promised to spend more than 21 trillion rubles ($340 billion) by the end of the decade to overhaul Russia's fighting forces.

>Putin made his first public appearance since March 5 on Monday, an absence from view that had fueled feverish speculation over his health as well as his grip on power. He was meeting Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev at the Constantine Palace outside Russia's second city of St. Petersburg.

>Norway is currently holding its "Joint Viking" drills involving 5,000 troops in Finnmark county, which borders Russia in the resource-rich Arctic circle where both countries are vying for influence.

>Russia's drills would include nearly 40,000 servicemen, 41 warships and 15 submarines, RIA reported.

>Norway said its military drills had been planned before the Ukraine crisis.

>"However, the current security situation in Europe shows that the exercise is more relevant than ever," Lieutenant General Haga Lunde said in a statement.

>The Russian exercises are due to last for much of the week during which Russia will celebrate its annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, carried out with the help of special forces.

>Other drills involved 5,000 troops in Russia's eastern military district, while another exercise included another 500 troops from Russia's troubled North Caucasus region of Chechnya, the site of two separatist wars, wires reported.

>The exercises were meant to focus on fighting Islamist insurgents, whose movement to create a Muslim state has spread across the predominantly Muslim North Caucasus, fueled by religion and anger at local abuse of power.

Anonymous 03/17/15 (Tue) 01:21:41 d8d5ec No.3523

Police have reportedly been allowed to use live rounds as tensions flare in the eastern Ukrainian town of Konstantinovka, where an eight-year-old girl was killed in a hit-and-run accident by an Ukrainian forces’ armored vehicle.

Warning shots have already been heard in the city, according to some reports.

Following the incident on Monday, in which an armored vehicle has run over and killed an eight-year-old child, enraged people gathered in front of the military unit stationed in the local school building, demanding for the military to surrender those who were involved in the hit and run accident, Sputnik reported. The crowd has also reportedly set fire to the entrance of the dorms of the Ukrainian forces.

http://rt.com/news/241293-ukraine-army-konstantinovka-violence/

Anonymous 03/17/15 (Tue) 17:14:04 8016df No.3535

>>3523
Fucking christ.
————————–
Supersonic strategic bombers heading to Crimea for drills – military source: http://rt.com/news/241441-strategic-bombers-crimea-redeployment/

>Russia’s Air Force is deploying an unspecified number of strategic nuclear-capable supersonic bombers to Crimea, according to a source. The major drills also include deployment of tactical Iskander ballistic missiles to the Kaliningrad exclave in Europe.

>Several Tu-22M3 (NATO designation ‘Backfire’) variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike rocket aircraft are due to arrive to Crimea as part of global training exercises for the Russian military in the European part of the country.

>“In the course of snap combat readiness drills of the armed forces strategic rocket Tu-22M3 aircraft are going to be deployed to Crimea,” a source in Defense Ministry told TASS.

>Armed with a variety of air-to-sea cruise and ballistic missiles, high-precision bombs, the bomber’s specialization is the elimination of valuable seaborne targets, such as aircraft carriers and their escorts, convoys and operational squadrons

>A squadron of 22 Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers was operating from Veseloe Airfield in the central Crimean Peninsula from 1985, but with the fall of the Soviet Union the base was abandoned

>Russia’s Central Command is also beefing up its presence in Kaliningrad. The task force in Kaliningrad Region is set to be bolstered with Iskander-M tactical ballistic missile complexes and additional fighter jets and bombers.

>“The task force in the Baltic region will be enhanced with Iskander missile complexes of the Western military district, the delivery of complexes is going to be carried out by large landing ships of the Baltic Fleet,” said the source.

>The Iskander-M (NATO designation name SS-26 Stone) is a highly mobile system with exceptional operational readiness.

>The system is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 400km to a precision of around 30cm. It can strike an adversary’s troops or underground command centers, depending on the warheads placed on the rockets. If necessary, its missiles can also be armed with nuclear warheads.

Anonymous 03/17/15 (Tue) 17:37:00 8016df No.3537

IMF $17.5bn package not enough to revive economy – Ukrainian finance minister: http://rt.com/business/241465-ukraine-more-financial-aid/

>The current bailout package of financial assistance to Ukraine is not enough to stimulate economic growth in the country, so it will need more aid from the West, said Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalia Jaresko.

>“The package that we have is going to stabilize the financial banking system, but it’s not enough to seriously restart growth and promote growth,” said Jaresko after meeting US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Monday. "I'm looking for more support," she added.

>Ukraine will receive $17.5 billion from the IMF as part of the expanded bailout program until 2018. On March 13 the National Bank of Ukraine got $5 billion, the first tranche of financial aid from the IMF.

>Jaresko said the government coalition must be united in overcoming the difficulties Ukraine is going through.

>“Right now the coalition seems to be unified,” she said. The governing parties know “there is no other way, that the half-fulfilled or half-implemented reforms have been a big part of the reason why we’re in this very difficult situation.”

>During the meeting with senior US officials and lawmakers Jaresko said supporting Ukraine will bring other powers geopolitical benefits.

>“No one is paying more to protect the world from a nuclear power that is an aggressor than Ukraine,” she said, referring to Russia. “If, for whatever reason, one of our partners is not willing to come up with, or not able to come up with defensive military support, then provide us with financial support.”

>Jaresko accepts the possibility the bailout program is at risk from violations of the ceasefire agreement, runs on banks, or “a serious blowback to the reforms we’re undertaking.”

>Those risks could even increase the amount of debt relief the program requires, she said. “Before we finish the debt operation, we’ll have to come back and see where we are.”

>US authorities, in turn, are ready to step up sanctions against Russia should it violate the Minsk agreements, said US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew during the meeting with the Ukrainian finance minister.

>He said the US will continue to work with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the EU and other partners in order to provide support to Ukraine. However, nothing was said about providing direct financial assistance.

Anonymous 03/17/15 (Tue) 17:38:25 8016df No.3538

Deployment of peacekeepers should be agreed with both sides of Ukrainian conflict – Lavrov: http://rt.com/politics/241065-russia-un-peacekeepers-ukraine-pointless/

>Russia is ready to discuss the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission to Ukraine but only on condition that it is agreed both with Kiev and self-proclaimed republics in Donbass, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

>“The agreement must be reached by participants of the conflict about the forms of monitoring every point of the reached agreement that they both find acceptable,” RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying Monday.

>The minister added that Moscow was ready to consider deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine if both sides in the conflict express their interest in this.

>“To be honest, we see no arguments against looking into any suggestions. But for this we must talk to the sides of the conflict,” he said.

>Lavrov refuted the allegations that more members of the UN Security Council should have secured the Minsk peace accords. “Of course not all of the UNSC members participated in Minsk talks, but Russia, together with France and Germany, submitted all necessary documents in this body and the Security Council approved of all these documents in a unanimously passed resolution. So it is not quite correct to say that not everyone who must decide on a peacekeeping operation took part in the Minsk talks,” RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying.

>Earlier in the day, Lavrov’s first deputy, Gennady Gatilov, told reporters that Russia was aware of Kiev’s appeal to the United Nations seeking to bring peacekeepers to the Donbass, but did not consider such steps reasonable.

>“We are acting on the basis of Minsk accords that name the OSCE as the main monitor of the ceasefire observation. We see no use in sending any new units [to the southeastern parts of Ukraine],” the official was quoted as saying by Interfax. He added that the OSCE had just decided to increase its monitoring mission to 1,000 observers.

>Gatilov also said that in the UN the deployment of peacekeeping forces is decided by the Security Council, not its secretariat.

>“The Secretariat of the United Nations can only develop technical parameters of such peacekeeping mission after a principle decision is made by the Security Council,” he said.

>Gatilov also said that the issue of deploying peacekeepers was very complicated as it required agreement on the mandate, the numbers and the national composition of contingents and, most importantly, their tasks and licensed activities.

>Both Russian comments came shortly after international media quoted Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevhen Perebiynisas as saying that his nation had sent a preliminary request to the UN seeking a peacekeeping mission to the war-torn regions in the Donbass. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday submitted to parliament the draft address to the UN Security Council seeking the deployment of an international mission for sustaining peace and security on the Ukrainian territory.

>The document has already been approved by the Ukrainian Security Council. When this happened in late February, Gatilov promised that Russia would veto the move in the UNas it considered the Minsk accords a sufficient basis through which an effective resolution of the conflict could be secured.
————————–
Russians accuse Kiev of ceasefire violations, poll shows: http://rt.com/politics/241385-russia-poll-ukraine-ceasefire/

>The research conducted by the major government owned public opinion center VTSIOM has shown that 53 percent of the Russian public think the Minsk agreements on ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons from the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine are not being observed.

>Of these people, 68 percent said that the blame for the continuing military action lies on the Ukrainian authorities and military and only 2 percent of the public incline towards blaming the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Republics. Twenty percent of respondents who hold that the ceasefire is not being observed maintain that both parties of the conflict are responsible.

Anonymous 03/17/15 (Tue) 19:38:02 fe4454 No.3540

Greek PM brings forward Russia Putin trip: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31919441

>The visit to Moscow, confirmed by officials, was initially reported by Ta Nea newspaper, which said that the Athens government had sought to bring forward the meeting, originally planned for 9 May, because of "stifling economic conditions" set by Europe's creditors.

AND SO IT BEGINS.

>Greece is desperate for cash, and already the government is paying only for essentials, such as wages and pensions, while other expenses have been frozen. The government needs €1.7bn this month alone, and €4bn in total by the end of April.

>Mr Tsipras will make a final effort at the EU summit later this week to convince creditors to release part of the remaining bailout tranche, or at least convince the ECB to allow Greek commercial banks to buy more Treasury bills, giving in return some reforms he can safely pass in parliament.

>If no progress is made, his trip to Russia may come in handy, since Moscow has already said it would be willing to consider a request for a loan by Athens.

>The Greek leader could also play the Russian card in another way. He could tell Mrs Merkel that he will give the green light to Russian investment, in state railways, the port of Thessaloniki and other state assets that Moscow has publicly shown an interest in. These are steps the EU would be keen to avoid.

Anonymous 03/17/15 (Tue) 19:54:02 fe4454 No.3541

>>3540
Damnit, forgot to mention the meeting was moved from May 8 to April 8 (roughly 3 weeks from now).

Anonymous 03/18/15 (Wed) 13:56:41 fe4454 No.3553

Sweden security forces fear Russian military operations: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/us-sweden-espionnage-russia-idUSKBN0ME1H620150318?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Sweden's security services said on Wednesday they feared possible Russian military operations against their country following a big increase in espionage activity since the Ukraine crisis erupted a year ago.

>In their annual report, the security services identified Russian espionage as the biggest intelligence threat facing neutral Sweden. The Nordic region has seen a sharp increase in Russian naval and airforce activity during the Ukraine crisis.

>"We see Russian intelligence operations in Sweden - we can't interpret this in any other way - as preparation for military operations against Sweden," security police chief analyst Wilhelm Unge told a news conference called to present the report.
—————-
Latvia says NATO jets intercepted seven Russian planes over Baltic: http://www.unian.info/world/1056869-latvia-says-nato-jets-intercepted-seven-russian-planes-over-baltic.html

>Patrol aircraft from the Baltic Air Policing mission on March 17 intercepted seven military aircraft of the Russian Federation over the Baltic Sea, the National Armed Forces of Latvia reported on Twitter on Wednesday.

>"NATO Baltic Air Policing QRA ITA, ESP Typhoon jets on 17 MAR scrambled to intercept RU AF 4x Su-27, 2x An-26, 1x An-12 over the Baltic Sea," the Latvian armed forces' tweet reads.

>As reported earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a massive redeployment of the Russian Air Forces.

>The aviation of the Russian Air Forces was ordered to start a redeployment to alternate airports as part of a sudden inspection of the Northern Fleet and several components of the Western Military District, Russia’s defense ministry said.

>Latvia’s air force has no air combat capabilities, and the country relies on fighter jets from other NATO countries to defend its skies.
——————–
Almost 33% of debris from Malaysian Boeing shows signs of missile strike: http://www.unian.info/society/1056956-almost-33-of-debris-from-malaysian-boeing-shows-signs-of-missile-strike.html

>A third of the wreckage of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 shows signs of the plane being hit by a powerful ground-to-air missile, with counter-intelligence data indicating that the weapon used came from Russia, Chief of the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyliy Vovk said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday

>He also said numerous Web pages on the Internet examined by investigators have provided valuable information about the incident.

>“Based on the counterintelligence data, the weapon [used to shot down the aircraft] was transported from the Russian Federation,” Vovk said.

Anonymous 03/18/15 (Wed) 14:02:31 fe4454 No.3554

Ukraine rebels warn they could abandon cease-fire: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/18/ukraine-rebels-cease-fire/24948117/

>Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine threatened Wednesday to abandon a cease-fire following changes to a law granting their regions self-rule.

>Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky said in a statement that legislation giving areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions special status has been weakened by the amendments.

>"We agreed to a special status for the Donbass within a renewed Ukraine, although our people wanted total independence. We agreed to this to avoid the spilling of fraternal blood," the statement said.

>But Ukraine did not renew itself," it continued. Rebels have pushed for revisions to the constitution to decentralize power, but argue that authority is still held by powerful businessmen.

>A law on granting autonomy to eastern territories was approved by parliament Tuesday, but with a number of changes that have drawn sharp criticism from Moscow-backed rebels and Russia alike.

>Foremost among the rebels' objections is a requirement for elections — to be held under Ukrainian laws — to take place before the special status can come into effect.

>A Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman said in an emailed statement that enacting the special status law without elections approved by Kiev would result in the legitimization of what Ukraine considers unlawful rebel governments.

>Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine's parliament had undertaken a wholesale rewriting of the agreement.

>"What comes out of parliament's decree is that only when these territories are led by somebody suitable for Kiev will the law on special status come into effect," he said. "That is an attempt to turn everything that was agreed upon on its head."

>Ukraine has also drawn anger from separatists with its plans to seek deployment of United Nations and European Union peacekeeping missions in the east. Parliament voted Tuesday to back a formal request for the mission.

>Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky said placement of a peacekeeping contingent had not been agreed at cease-fire negotiations concluded between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France last month in the Belarusian capital, Minsk.

>"The manipulation of good intentions for coverage is another attempt to get out of the Minsk agreement," the rebel leaders' statement said.

Anonymous 03/18/15 (Wed) 14:09:53 fe4454 No.3555

One Ukrainian soldier killed, five wounded in Donbas conflict zone in last day: http://www.unian.info/war/1056921-one-ukrainian-soldier-killed-five-wounded-in-donbas-conflict-zone-in-last-day.html

>One Ukrainian soldier has been killed and another five injured in the Donbas conflict zone over the last 24 hours, National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.

>"Over the last day, we have lost one Ukrainian soldier, and another five were injured as a result of military clashes," Lysenko said.

>As reported earlier, on March 17 three Ukrainian soldiers were killed, and another five wounded in the Donbas conflict zone.
————————-
OSCE reports use of heavy artillery near Donetsk airport: http://www.unian.info/war/1056823-osce-reports-use-of-heavy-artillery-near-donetsk-airport.html

>The Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE in Ukraine has again recorded a violation of the ceasefire regime near Donetsk airport with the use of heavy artillery, according to an OSCE report of March 16, Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli has reported.

>"From 0917 to 0957 SMM representatives heard from their location in the center of Donetsk (controlled by DNR) at least 16 mortar attacks, presumably of the 82-mm and 122-mm caliber. SMM members concluded that the incident occurred about 10 kilometers north-west of their location, near Donetsk airport," the statement reads.

>At the same time, in the vicinity of the airport in Donetsk OSCE observers heard the sounds of more than 100 rounds (incoming and outgoing).

>According to the mission, the rounds were fired from different types of weapons, including heavy mortars, tanks, artillery and guns.

>In addition, the OSCE mission said it was continuing to record violations of the ceasefire regime in the area near Shyrokino, next to Mariupol, and in Donetsk region.
———————–
Yatseniuk to fly to Brussels to discuss additional financial aid for Ukraine: http://www.unian.info/economics/1056920-yatseniuk-to-fly-to-brussels-to-discuss-additional-financial-aid-for-ukraine.html

>Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk is to visit Brussels on March 19 to report on the work of the Ukrainian government and to discuss the amount of financial assistance that the EU could provide to Ukraine.
———————–
EU confirms March 20 for Ukraine-Russia gas talks: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/us-ukraine-crisis-gas-eu-idUSKBN0ME0VV20150318?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>The European Commission confirmed on Wednesday that Brussels would host talks on Friday with Ukraine and Russian officials to discuss Russian gas supplies to Ukraine.

Anonymous 03/19/15 (Thu) 00:41:09 fe4454 No.3561

File: 1426725669627.png (290.97 KB, 571x502, 571:502, atlantic resolve ops 3 18 ….png)

Info about USA's Operation Atlantic Resolve: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0514_atlanticresolve/FactSheet_OperationAtlanticResolve_3Jul14.pdf
——————-
Foul stench in rebel-held east Ukraine as war hits water treatment: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/us-ukraine-crisis-east-water-idUSKBN0ME2G720150318?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Fighting in east Ukraine has interfered with water treatment, producing a foul stench from the taps that aid workers say could bring health risks.

>"The water has gone bad," said Raisa Prilipko, head of a Donetsk orphanage that gives shelter to 21 pre-school children. "We remove sediment and boil water, we filter it to minimize any risks to the children's' health."

>The water supply system in the Donetsk region of east Ukraine has suffered repeated damage during almost a year of fighting between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatist rebels that has killed more than 6,000 people.

>The regional water company, Donbas Water, says it is still safe to drink. The smell is a result of a shortage of purification chemicals like chlorine, which have not arrived from territory under Ukrainian government control and are being used in smaller amounts than normal.

>The International Rescue Committee, an aid organization looking into the water situation, said it believes the water may no longer be chlorinated at all.

>"I wouldn't drink it and I would not advise anyone to drink it without further treatment," Bibi Lamond, the IRC's Senior Environmental Health Coordinator, said earlier this week. Bacteria numbers were bound to increase as temperatures were warming, she added.

>"In the last two weeks we've seen quite a substantial deterioration in the turbidity of water and there is this very strong fishy, earthy smell…. People are being quite heavily impacted by this dramatic change in the quality of water."

>The main filtering station for Donetsk, a rebel-held city with a pre-war population of 1 million, has been out of order since mid-January, Donbas Water says.

>However, there has been anecdotal evidence of an improvement, with the smell less overpowering in recent days.

>A person familiar with the matter who declined to be identified said chlorine supplies had started arriving under strict security from Russia. This would be sensitive, because Russian support for the rebel areas is a point of contention in the war.

>The utility's headquarters are located in Donetsk and 70 percent of its water usage is in rebel-held areas, but it also serves government-held territory. Its water supply is fed from open channels and pipes located mainly in territory held by the Kiev government.

>According to the company, eight of its workers have been killed and 10 wounded in fighting as they ventured out to fix damage to water infrastructure.

Anonymous 03/19/15 (Thu) 00:44:57 fe4454 No.3562

Biden, Ukraine's Poroshenko agree Russia sanctions must be tied to Minsk: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/18/us-ukraine-crisis-usa-idUSKBN0ME31320150318?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko agreed in a telephone call on Wednesday that sanctions against Russia must be tied to the full implementation of the Minsk peace plan, the White House said.

>"As long as Russia continues to fuel violence and instability in Ukraine, the international community must be prepared to increase the costs to Russia for pursuing such actions," it said in a statement.

>Biden also welcomed the decision by the Rada (Ukrainian parliament) to confer special status on rebel-controlled eastern regions and grant them limited self-rule - but only once local elections had been held under Ukrainian law, which caused anger in Moscow.
————————-
European Parliament head: Putin wants to split Europe: http://www.unian.info/politics/1057122-european-parliament-head-putin-wants-to-split-europe.html

>Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to break the unity of the European Union and influence its individual members, but Europe must resist this by all means.

>Chairman of the European Parliament Martin Schulz said this in an interview with German weekly Die Zeit, Deutsche Welle reported.

>"We have to by all means resist Putin's attempts to split the EU and exert influence within the European Union," he said.

>He also mentioned that the unpredictability of the Russian side had increased.

>According to Schulz, the EU's common policy in introducing sanctions against Moscow over the Donbas conflict is in fact a significant foreign policy success. "However, Russian propaganda among some Europeans seems to have been successful," he added. Schulz cited France's far-right National Front party as an example, which receives loans from Russian banks. He also mentioned "these or other prime ministers who more or less openly seek to be in Putin's good graces."

>The first step to solving the Ukrainian conflict, according to Martin Schulz, is to make it a European rather than Russian-U.S. subject. This, he believes, would allow Putin to save face in the current situation. Then the Russian president could say that it was an internal European problem and he was negotiating its settlement with Europe, rather than with the United States. Schulz stresses that the United States is unable to "solve the problem" - on the contrary, the "hawks, primarily the opposition-minded Republicans, are trying to fuel it."

>Despite the conflict in Ukraine, the EP head insists on the need to maintain good relations with Russia. "A European Union with peaceful, stable neighbors would have been much stronger in relations with the United States or China than a European Union that is constantly absorbed by its neighbors' crises," Schulz said.

Anonymous 03/19/15 (Thu) 16:48:58 8016df No.3566

Lavrov: Washington is pushing Kiev to military solution of Donbass conflict: http://rt.com/news/242273-lavrov-washington-kiev-military/

>The US is inciting Kiev to end the crisis in eastern Ukraine by force, said the Russian foreign minister citing US support of the recent Ukrainian law on the special self-governing status of Donbass, which Moscow says undermines the Minsk-2 deal.

>“If Washington welcomes the action, which undermines the Minsk agreements, then we can only conclude that Washington is inciting Kiev to resolve the issue by military means,” said Lavrov at a media conference in Moscow on Thursday.

>His comments were a reference to the telephone conversation between US Vice-President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Wednesday, during which Biden welcomed the decision by the Ukrainian parliament to give special status to Donbass.

>On March 17, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament), passed a law granting the self-proclaimed Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk special self-rule status, but Moscow said the law violated the peace agreement.

>Self-rule for Donbass was one of the key conditions of the Minsk agreements, but the law passed by the Rada postpones the introduction of the new status until the regions hold new elections under Ukrainian laws. Until then the Ukrainian MPs said that the two republics will be recognized as ‘temporary occupied territories’ and voted that the status should remain until the Ukrainian military fully restores control. The leaders of the Donetsk and Lugansk Republics said these decisions were not agreed with them.

>Lavrov said: “The Ukrainian leadership…basically terminated their commitments to engage in direct dialogue and negotiate with south-eastern Ukraine, including on the issue of elections, on the implementation of the law on the special status…"

>Speaking on these matters Lavrov urged the mediators of the Minsk-2 deal – France and Germany – who invested their authority in the document, to react to Kiev’s actions.

>The Russian foreign minister also called for another round of negotiations in the Normandy Four format (Kiev, Moscow, Berlin, Paris) on the settlement of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.He said it is necessary to prevent "further deterioration of the situation.”

>"I believe it’s high time for the Normandy Four talks," Lavrov said. "I turned to my colleagues - the foreign ministers of Germany and France - with a proposal to take urgent steps to prevent the situation from taking a nosedive."

Anonymous 03/19/15 (Thu) 17:02:10 8016df No.3567

Lubkivskiy: Militants preparing sabotage in Donetsk and Luhansk ahead of fresh attacks: http://www.unian.info/politics/1057498-lubkivskiy-militants-preparing-sabotage-in-donetsk-and-luhansk-ahead-of-fresh-attacks.html

>Russian-backed militants are preparing acts of sabotage in Donetsk and Luhansk on March 20 with the aim of violating the Minsk agreements and unilaterally resuming military actions, the spokesman for Ukraine’s SBU security service Markian Lubkivskiy wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.

>"On Friday, March 20, a special operation called ‘Anthill’ is to be carried out in Donetsk, which is aimed at disrupting the Minsk agreements. This information was confirmed by the sources of the SBU in the leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic," Lubkivskiy said.

>According to Lubkivskiy, a number of diversions are being prepared in Donetsk and Luhansk.

>"The events are to be immediately covered by the Russian and separatist propaganda media in order to blame the Ukrainian authorities. As conceived by the Russian special services, the next step should be the destabilization of the situation in several major Ukrainian cities in the east," he said.

>"This provoked situation is to be a starting point for a unilateral resumption of military actions by the militants. As the Ukrainian security service, we have full information about the situation in the temporarily occupied territories and we clearly see that the militants can’t and don’t want to live in peace," Lubkivskiy said.
————————————
Poroshenko: Ukraine expects more sanctions on Russia if it doesn’t leave Crimea: http://www.unian.info/politics/1057437-poroshenko-ukraine-expects-more-sanctions-on-russia-if-it-doesnt-leave-crimea.html

>Ukraine expects the global community to increase its sanctions against Russia if the Russian authorities don’t implement the Minsk agreements and don’t leave the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in an interview with the Euronews television channel on Thursday.

>"The European Union is going through an important challenge because they talk about money, and Russia talks about money, about the price of sanctions, and so on,” Poroshenko said.

“But with Ukraine the European Union talks about values, and these are completely two different issues: values and money. And I'm absolutely sure that the European Union and the leaders of the member countries will pass this test.

"And what do we expect? We expect that the EU will remain united, and this unity will not be only within the EU. We expect that the whole world will demonstrate its unity: with the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Switzerland… We expect the whole world to come together and to show a responsible attitude. We expect a very strong statement about Russia; that if it does not implement the Minsk agreements and doesn’t leave the territory of Crimea, the sanctions against it will be continued or expanded."

You read that right: Crimea. The same Crimea Putin was willing to nuke over.

Apparently Poroshenko thinks that Crimea is part of the Minsk protocol.

Anonymous 03/19/15 (Thu) 17:14:35 8016df No.3568

File: 1426785275672.jpg (40.91 KB, 765x510, 3:2, 531231cdd2b5e.jpg)

>>3567
>“But with Ukraine the European Union talks about values, and these are completely two different issues: values and money. And I'm absolutely sure that the European Union and the leaders of the member countries will pass this test.

>"And what do we expect? We expect that the EU will remain united, and this unity will not be only within the EU. We expect that the whole world will demonstrate its unity: with the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Switzerland… We expect the whole world to come together and to show a responsible attitude. We expect a very strong statement about Russia; that if it does not implement the Minsk agreements and doesn’t leave the territory of Crimea, the sanctions against it will be continued or expanded."

Forgot to proofread.
———–
Kremlin: Crimea will not return to Ukraine: http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/181911/kremlin-crimea-will-not-return-to-ukraine.html

>Russia said on Tuesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine, despite warnings by the United States and European Union that they will not drop sanctions over the Black Sea peninsula's annexation a year ago.

>“There is no occupation of Crimea. Crimea is a region of the Russian Federation and of course the subject of our regions is not up for discussion,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a conference call.

>U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Monday Washington would keep economic sanctions in place on Russia over the annexation as long as Crimea remains under Russian rule.

>EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the 28-nation bloc would stick to its policy of not recognizing the annexation, including through sanctions.

>Ukraine, for its part, used the anniversary to once again harshly condemn Russia’s annexation of Crimea, calling it an “illegal occupation” that has created an unprecedented crisis.

>“In committing this international crime, Russia violated the basic principles of international law and European order, destroyed the existing balance of power in the region, and provoked [what has become] the most serious security crisis in post-World War II Europe,” says a statement issued Tuesday by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.

>Accusing Russia of having created on the peninsula an “atmosphere of fear, lawlessness and repressions,” Kyiv insists that Crimea “was, is and will remain an inalienable part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine.”

>The statement adds that Russia, as “aggressor and occupier,” will be “held accountable for all crimes committed.”

Anonymous 03/19/15 (Thu) 17:37:35 8016df No.3569

File: 1426786655183.jpg (59.87 KB, 690x361, 690:361, 536456786578.jpg)

Future Russian army could deploy anywhere in the world – in 7 hours: http://rt.com/news/242097-pak-ta-russian-army/

>In the future, a fleet of heavy transport aircraft will reportedly be capable of moving a strategic unit of 400 Armata tanks, with ammunition, to anywhere in the world. And probably at hypersonic speed, enabling Russia to mount a global military response.

>According to a new design specification from the Military-Industrial Commission in Moscow, a transport aircraft, dubbed PAK TA, will fly at supersonic speeds (up to 2,000 km/h) and will boast an impressively high payload of up to 200 tons. It will also have a range of at least 7,000 kilometers.

>The PAK TA program envisages 80 new cargo aircraft to be built by 2024. This means in a decade Russia’s Central Command will be able to place a battle-ready armored army anywhere, Expert Online reports, citing a source in the military who attended the closed meeting.

>“With the development of a network of military bases in the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia, which is expected to be completed during the same time period (by 2024), it’s obvious that Russia is preparing for a full-scale military confrontation of transcontinental scale,” Expert Online says.

Anonymous 03/20/15 (Fri) 04:57:22 fe4454 No.3579

File: 1426827442036.jpg (281.08 KB, 638x830, 319:415, cluster ukraine.jpg)

Ukraine: More Civilians Killed in Cluster Munition Attacks: http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/03/19/ukraine-more-civilians-killed-cluster-munition-attacks/

>Government and Russia-backed rebel forces repeatedly used cluster munitions in eastern Ukraine in January and February 2015, killing at least 13 civilians, including at least two children, Human Rights Watch said today. The use of cluster munitions in populated areas violates the laws of war due to the weapon’s indiscriminate nature and may constitute a war crime.

>“Using cluster munitions shows utter disregard for civilians,” said Ole Solvang, senior emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Neither side should use these widely banned weapons; they affect a large area, endangering nearby civilians, and unexploded submunitions pose a risk to civilians long after the attack.”
——————-
Media Expose EU Rift Over Russia Sanctions As Leaders Meet in Brussels: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150319/1019734702.html

>Several EU media outlets have acknowledged a divide over anti-Russia sanctions running across the 28-nation bloc, whose leaders are meeting in Brussels for a major summit.

>In an interview with the Zeit newspaper, European Parliament President Martin Schulz, of Germany, warned the 28-nation union against splitting over their stance on Russia, as the EU appears to be cracking at the seams.

>"We must stand united against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's attempt to split the EU and to influence it from the inside," Schulz said, citing France's Front National, a right-wing party which he said is seeking Putin's backing. The EU parliament chief blamed the divide on Russia's effective media campaign.

>The issue of European sanctions against Moscow is expected to dominate the two-day EU summit on Thursday and Friday. The economic restrictions on Russia's energy, defense and banking sectors are currently scheduled to end in July 2015.

>Speaking ahead of the EU summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel linked the lifting of sanctions to the implementation of the ceasefire deal in Ukraine, agreed on by Russia, Ukraine and two EU leaders in Belarus in February.

>According to France's Les Echos newspaper, the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has prompted Italy and Spain to call for an end to anti-Russia sanctions, while the United Kingdom and United States are urging to prolong them.

>Ties between Russia and the European Union have soured over the past year after Brussels introduced several rounds of sanctions against Moscow over its alleged interference in the Ukraine crisis.

<This move has created a rift in the European Union, with officials in Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic voicing their skepticism of its efficiency.
—————-
Russia wants Ukraine to talk to separatists on elections: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11420511&ref=rss

>Russia has circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Ukraine to immediately start discussions with separatists in eastern Ukraine on holding local elections.

>The draft, obtained Thursday, expresses concern at delays in implementing a provision of the February cease-fire calling for questions related to local elections to be "discussed and agreed upon with representatives of certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions."

Anonymous 03/20/15 (Fri) 05:23:08 fe4454 No.3580

File: 1426828988325.gif (136.71 KB, 865x534, 865:534, tsar bomba chart.gif)

Russia, China, others snub U.N. meeting on Crimea human rights: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/19/us-ukraine-crisis-un-idUSKBN0MF2PZ20150319?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Russia, China, Venezuela and Angola snubbed an informal United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday on human rights in Crimea a year after Russia seized the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine, diplomats said.

>Russia's parliament approved the annexation of Crimea on March 21 last year after Russian forces took control of the peninsula, which is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, and residents backed joining the Russian Federation in a referendum.

>"We consider this event counterproductive and provocative. It doesn't fall within the purview of the U.N. Security Council," said Russian U.N. mission spokesman Alexey Zaytsev.

>A deadlocked 15-member Security Council has held more than 30 meetings on Ukraine since the seizure of Crimea. Fighting between Russia-backed separatist rebels and Ukrainian government troops in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced more than 1 million people, the United Nations says.

>Lithuania's U.N. Ambassador Raimonda Murmokaite, who organized the informal meeting, said it was unfortunate that Russia, China, Venezuela and Angola had not attended.

>"Russia is normally very quick to criticize Ukraine on alleged human rights violations, but completely ignores human rights violations happening under its own rule or under its proxy's rule," she told reporters.
———————–
U.S. to move ahead with training Ukrainian guardsmen: Pentagon: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/19/us-ukraine-crisis-usa-training-idUSKBN0MF2KM20150319?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>About 290 U.S. Army paratroopers will travel to western Ukraine next month to train three battalions of Ukrainian national guard troops, the Pentagon said on Thursday, moving ahead with a long-planned mission that was delayed due to a peace deal.

>Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said 290 members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade based at Vicenza, Italy, would carry out the training at the Yavoriv training center in western Ukraine, probably sometime in late April.

>An exact date has not been finalized but the training, which was announced last August, had been due to start in mid-March and was delayed after being placed under review.

>Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the head of U.S. Army troops in Europe, told reporters this week the training mission had been delayed in part to avoid giving Moscow a reason to back out of a peace deal agreed last month between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists.
———————–
Any Takers? Ukraine Seeks Volunteers After Mobilization Fails Again: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150319/1019742867.html

>Ukraine's Defense Ministrer Stepan Poltorak announced plans to create a network of centers to seek people who are willing to voluntarily join the Ukrainian military.

>Ukraine's military has been struggling with both recruitment and quality of personnel, as four waves of mobilization succeeded in recruiting what an advisor to the Ukrainian President called "alcoholics and dodgers, drug addicts and morons." On Monday, the Ukrainian-controlled town of Kostiantynivka rose up after drunk Ukrainian solders on an armoured vehicle ran over and killed a child and severely injured the child's mother.
————————-
US Strategic Command Calls Russian Show of Nuclear Capability ‘Provocative’: http://sputniknews.com/world/20150319/1019743111.html

>Demonstrations of Russia's nuclear capability during a time of crisis with the West are provocative and concerning, US Strategic Command Commander Admiral Cecil Haney said on Thursday.

>"The demonstration of their capability during crisis such as long-range strategic aircraft flights, their violation of the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), etc., really shows where we are as a world, including the United States, and where Russia is trying to ascribe to be in terms of coercion including using weapons of mass destruction," Haney stated.

>Haney explained that Russia's use of "various signaling" through statements and media reports "associated with their strategic nuclear capabilities… is very provocative."

>Russia has upped the number of long-range strategic aircraft flights penetrating United States and ally air defense identification zones, he added.

Anonymous 03/20/15 (Fri) 17:41:28 fe4454 No.3586

File: 1426873288791.jpg (108.53 KB, 900x385, 180:77, eura-euro.jpg)

>>3580
Russia says sanctions 'destructive', will act in own interests: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/20/us-ukraine-crisis-sanctions-russia-idUSKBN0MG0U320150320

>Russia described "sanctions rhetoric" as destructive on Friday and said it would do what is in its national interests after European Union leaders kept economic sanctions in place over the Ukraine crisis.

>In comments to reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also accused Kiev of violating the terms of a peace deal for eastern Ukraine that was agreed in the Belarussian capital Minsk.

>"We prefer to engage in creative matters, not destructive matters such as sanctions rhetoric. So we do not discuss sanctions and the Russian Federation will do what is in its national interests," he said.
———————-
Polish MP: Poroshenko Has 'Lost Control Over His Country and Over Himself': http://sputniknews.com/analysis/20150320/1019778134.html

>Polish parliamentarian and national football legend Jan Tomaszewski came out with an extremely sharp criticism of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, telling Polish tabloid Super Express that the Ukrainian president has lost control of his country and himself, and noting that the world community must not allow Poroshenko to lead the world to the precipice of a Third World War.

>Tomaszewski's angry outburst toward Poroshenko began over a question about the president's appeal to countries to boycott the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi. A former goalie for the Polish National Football Team at the 1974 World Cup, Tomaszewski was unequivocal in his criticism.

>"President Poroshenko has lost control not only over Ukraine, but over himself as well," Tomaszewski exclaimed. "Among other things, he started the civil war in Ukraine…and now he wants the whole world to pull hot coals out of the fire for him. Besides, didn't Ukrainian athletes compete in Sochi?"

>"Now I hear that Mr. Poroshenko in his dirty boots wants to trample the flag of FIFA and the IOC," Tomaszewski continued. "It seems to me that this man should contact a doctor. Ukrainian athletes won medals in Sochi despite the civil conflict at home, and good on them! Poroshenko should not mix sports with politics."
————————
Time to Discuss Currency Union Between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan – Putin: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150320/1019767794.html

>The time has come for Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan to look into creating a currency union, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

>“We think the time has come to talk about the possibility of forming a currency union. Working shoulder to shoulder, it’s easier to react to external financial and economic threats and protect our joint market,” Putin said after a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in the capital of Kazakhstan.

>The three leaders discussed the perspectives of mutual trade cooperation. They also talked about world economic trends and the situation in Ukraine.

>Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are long-time economic partners and founding members of the Eurasian Economic Union, a bloc to enable the free flow of goods, capital and labor between the member nations. The union came into being January 1, 2015.

Anonymous 03/20/15 (Fri) 21:20:14 fe4454 No.3588

File: 1426886414198.jpg (445.48 KB, 806x605, 806:605, malaysia-airlines-mh17.jpg)

Dutch dismiss reports alleging MH17 downed by Buk missile: http://rt.com/news/242449-netherlands-downed-buk-missile/

>The Netherlands has denied reports that the Malaysia Airlines plane was downed by a Buk missile, killing all 298 passengers and crew last July.

>The Dutch Safety Board (DSB), which is investigating the cause of the crash, responded to reports released earlier by Netherlands broadcaster RTL alleging that the flight MH17 was downed by a Russian-made anti-aircraft missile system.

>“The investigation into the cause of the accident is in full progress and focuses on many more sources than only the shrapnel,” the DSB stated.

>"Additional investigation material is welcome, but it is imperative that it can be indisputably shown that there is a relationship between the material and the downed aircraft," the agency emphasized Thursday in a statement.

>Spokesman for the Dutch Public Prosecutor, Wim de Bruin, echoed Dutch Safety Board’s comments after being contacted by RT.

>“I can tell you the same thing I told RTL yesterday – that our criminal investigation is still ongoing,” de Bruin said.

>“We’re investigating many things. And it’s not a secret that we’re also investigating the possibility that MH17 was downed by a Buk missile. But it’s much too early to draw any conclusions – that’s why we have to wait,” he added.

>De Bruin also said that RTL channel handed its evidence to the Security Board of the Netherlands to be examined.

>RTL claimed on Thursday that a metal fragment from the crash site of the plane allegedly matches a surface-to-air Buk rocket. The piece was recovered by a Dutch journalist from the village of Grabovo several months ago, close to where the plane was brought down last year.

>Earlier this month Ukrainian media made a gaffe, misquoting Dutch investigators as having accused Russia of shooting down the Malaysian Airlines flight.

>The potpourri of reports by Ukrainian media, including those by major outlets like TV channel TSN or Segodnya daily, all claimed that the Dutch team had already come to the conclusion it was a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile that shot down the Boeing airliner.

>“I can say for sure they are not correct,” Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) spokesman Wim de Bruin told RT. “We are not yet ready to take any conclusion,” he pointed out.
———————
Dutch investigators return to Ukraine to collect more MH17 crash evidence: http://www.unian.info/society/1058185-dutch-investigators-return-to-ukraine-to-collect-more-mh17-crash-evidence.html

>Dutch experts have returned to Ukraine to inspect the site where a Malaysia Airlines MH17 Boeing 777 passenger plane was downed in July 2014.

>The investigators plan to reach the areas previously with limited access because of fighting in Donbas, Radio Svoboda reported.

>The Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice on Friday reported that the team consisted of 12 members – police officers and military experts, who will remain at the crash site until March 28.
—————
Germans Fighting Alongside Kiev Forces May Lose Citizenship: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150320/1019793815.html

>According to the country's laws, Germans lose their citizenship in the event of serving in the army of a foreign state, according to the head of Bundestag's Interior Committee.

>Germans fighting on the side of the Kiev army run a high risk of losing their German citizenship, Wolfgang Bosbach, head of the Bundestag's Interior Committee told Sputnik Friday.

>"According to German laws, a German citizen automatically loses his German nationality, in the event of serving in the army of a foreign state," Bosbach told Sputnik adding that the armies of the EU and NATO member states are an exception to the rule.

>He specified that the data available puts the number of Germans fighting in Ukraine at 100.

>However, Bosback stressed that if they were fighting alongside independence supporters, Germans would not lose their citizenship because the militias are not regular units of the Ukrainian army.

Anonymous 03/20/15 (Fri) 21:35:03 fe4454 No.3589

File: 1426887303735.png (121.67 KB, 2000x880, 25:11, Current_Major_Military_All….png)

Lysenko: Three Ukrainian soldiers wounded in Donbas conflict zone in last day: http://www.unian.info/war/1057966-lysenko-three-ukrainian-soldiers-wounded-in-donbas-conflict-zone-in-last-day.html

>No Ukrainian soldiers were killed but three were injured in the Donbas conflict zone over the last 24 hours, National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Friday, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
——————–
UK troops start training Ukraine’s army, US confirms own mission: http://rt.com/news/242257-uk-us-ukraine-training-mission/

>UK military personnel have arrived in Ukraine and are beginning their training mission there, Britain’s Ministry of Defence has announced. Meanwhile the US will send nearly 300 paratroopers to start training the country’s national guard next month.

>The deployment of foreign troops has started amid a barely holding cease-fire in the country’s east.

>With the aim of helping Kiev’s army to fight anti-government forces, according to the UK MoD, its training mission is now operating in Ukraine, with the numbers of involved personnel “depending on the schedule.”
———————
Stoltenberg: Ukraine's bid for NATO membership, if submitted, to be processed in standard way: http://www.unian.info/world/1058193-stoltenberg-ukraines-bid-for-nato-membership-if-submitted-to-be-processed-in-standard-way.html

>NATO is ready to consider Ukraine's bid for organization membership if it decides to submit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the Brussels Forum on Friday.

>According to him, it's up to Ukraine to decide on NATO membership. If Ukraine submits its application, it will be processed the way any other country's bid is handled, Russian Federal Information and Analytical Agency Rosbalt reported with reference to Stoltenberg.

>Responding to questions from Forum attendees, Stoltenberg said he saw no contradiction between the "strengthening of collective defense" of NATO member countries and their "desire to restore constructive and predictable relations with Russia."

Anonymous 03/20/15 (Fri) 21:45:27 fe4454 No.3590

File: 1426887927102.jpg (142.4 KB, 690x750, 23:25, gas_in_europe__blue_stream.jpg)

May 9 boycott calls defile Russian dead, shame American survivors: http://rt.com/op-edge/242541-us-ww2-ukraine-parade-moscow/

>For the last 14 months the world has witnessed an international relations debacle the likes of which no history book has yet recorded. The latest relations ruination tale unveils three more US ambassadors to Ukraine bereft of their senses.

>This is a story some of you will not believe, and one some will be ashamed to hear. As for this American, I am outraged.

>This asinine LA Times Op-Ed [ Kiev, not Moscow, should be the choice for marking V-E Day: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0316-pifer-ve-day-kiev-moscow-20150316-story.html ] will have framed for you most of what is wrong in our world. When I heard that three former US diplomats had suggested moving the victory in Europe (VE Day) celebrations from Moscow to Kiev, Ukraine, I choked from laughter. I thought it was a joke, to be honest.

>Then I read the piece, the madness in it sank in, and my dead ancestors whispered "Foul, this will not stand." Here is a quote from the piece, to save you the reader some time. Now remember, 20 times more Russians died that Americans or Brits in World War II.

>"Western leaders could not sit in a reviewing stand on Red Square and watch parading Russian troops, whose comrades had recently waged… war in eastern Ukraine."

>Let that sink in for a moment. They cannot pay their respects to an ally in the fight to end a planned 1000-year Reich that would have subjugated a billion people and exterminated an entire race? When your head is done wobbling, recall 100 other insipid ideas spewed from the mouths of such as these the last months. Whether or not you believe CNN or Fox News, rerouting history and debauching the honored dead is insufferable.
————————
Putin getting ready for new large-scale advance – Turchynov: http://www.unian.info/war/1058202-putin-getting-ready-for-new-large-scale-advance-turchynov.html

>Russian President Vladimir Putin is getting prepared for a new large-scale military operation, so Ukraine should do its best to counter it.

>This was announced by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov at an official ceremony of awarding officers and men from the Kulchytsky volunteer battalion on the occasion of the its 1st anniversary, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

>"Firing [in eastern Ukraine] has significantly reduced, but it continues. And we're well aware that the enemy hasn't stopped – the enemy is getting prepared for new aggression. For the first time since the Minsk agreement was signed, those on the other side in the past 24 hours started moving their multiple rocket launcher systems forward. We know that there isn't much time, that Putin is getting ready for a new large-scale military operation. And that is why our task is not to waste neither a day or an hour when strengthening our army, the National Guard, and building a strong line of defense," Turchynov said.
—————————-
Naftogaz makes $15mn advance payment - Gazprom: http://rt.com/business/242521-russia-ukraine-gas-prepayment/

>Naftogaz, Ukraine's state gas company, has sent another $15 million installment to Gazprom for March supplies, which follows the same prepayment made on March 17, Gazprom said.

>Gazprom has confirmed the new gas prepayment from Ukraine, which Naftogaz says was made on Thursday.

>Gazprom spokesperson Sergey Kupriyanov on Friday said the company received the $15 million advanced payment for Russian gas which is enough to keep gas supplies flowing through March 27.

>Ukraine, now on the brink of bankruptcy, has recently been making small $15 million advance payments. Should the country fail to pay on time, it faces the risk of another delivery disruption, similar to that seen last June. In summer Gazprom switched off Ukraine’s supplies citing a ‘chronic’ failure to pay the huge debt, then standing at over $5 billion.

Anonymous 03/20/15 (Fri) 23:00:57 4cbcef No.3595

>>3590
Does that map say that Sweden is reliant on Russian gas?

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 05:41:32 fe4454 No.3604

File: 1426916491939.jpg (82.93 KB, 633x384, 211:128, eu russia gas.jpg)

>>3595
It does, but it doesn't provide any definitive numbers for each country. Here's a more detailed map (though Sweden isn't shown for some reason). However, if Finland and the Baltic states are 100% for both maps (and Sweden 100% for one), it's highly likely that Sweden would be on that map as well. Both of the maps seem to correlate well together.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 11:37:53 4cbcef No.3605

>>3604
Sweden isn't shown in that map because Sweden doesn't import any Russian gas.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 16:08:43 fe4454 No.3608

>>3605
Interesting. Any sources, please? For example, I found the following: http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/Sweden2012_OSS.pdf

>In 2011, Sweden imported nearly 18.8 Mt of crude oil, or an average of roughly 380 kb/d,
primarily from Russia (50%), Norway (20%), and Denmark (15%). Additionally, Sweden imported some 0.5 Mt of feedstocks in 2011. Russia’s share in Sweden’s total crude imports has risen significantly over the past decade, having represented less than 10% of total crude imports in 2000.

Proof by contradiction would help find the truth here.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 16:30:47 fe4454 No.3609

File: 1426955447151.jpg (75.33 KB, 634x383, 634:383, donetsk air.jpg)

>>3608
* >In 2011, Sweden imported nearly 18.8 Mt of crude oil, or an average of roughly 380 kb/d, primarily from Russia (50%), Norway (20%), and Denmark (15%). Additionally, Sweden imported some 0.5 Mt of feedstocks in 2011. Russia’s share in Sweden’s total crude imports has risen significantly over the past decade, having represented less than 10% of total crude imports in 2000.

Also accidentally saged.
———————————
Two Ukrainian soldiers killed in rebel attacks in past 24 hours: Kiev military: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/21/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0MH0C220150321?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed in attacks by Russian-backed separatist rebels in the east of Ukraine in the 24 hours up to Saturday morning despite an agreed ceasefire, the Kiev military said.
——————————-
Pro-Russian militants shelling Pisky, Shyrokyne at night: http://www.unian.info/war/1058263-pro-russian-militants-shelling-pisky-shyrokyne-at-night.html

>Nine attacks to fire on the Ukrainian troops in eastern Ukraine have been registered since Fright night.

>Pro-Russian illegal armed groups continued provocative attempts to fire on the positions of Ukrainian military forces in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in the night from March 20 to March 21, the ATO press center reported on its Facebook page.

>Militants were using grenade launchers and 82mm caliber mortars to shell the village of Pisky near the destroyed Donetsk airport six times, the report said. At 2335 Kyiv time on Friday they started using 120mm caliber mortars to shell the village.

>At 0230 Kyiv time on Saturday, ATO servicemen near the village of Opytne revealed a reconnaissance group who were trying to move deeper into Ukrainian territory. The sides entered a fight during which the enemy was forced to retreat.

>It was militants' second unsuccessful attempt over the past 24 hours to bypass the Ukrainian ATO positions near that village, the ATO press center said.

>The Mariupol sector saw militants firing from small arms and 120mm mortars in the direction of the village of Shyrokyne from 2130 to 2220 Kyiv time on Friday.

>No attacks in other directions were registered overnight.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 16:36:21 fe4454 No.3610

File: 1426955781115.jpg (25.47 KB, 624x371, 624:371, missile system.jpg)

>>3609
Moscow Says Kiev Violated Minsk Agreements by Failing to Withdraw Weaponry: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150321/1019824196.html

>Kiev has once again seriously violated the Minsk agreements as the claims by Ukrainian authorities that all the heavy weapons have been withdrawn from the contact line in Donbass are proving to be incorrect, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

>"Reuters agency journalists shot a video showing heavy weaponry of Ukrainian army by the line of contact at Ukraine's southeast," the ministry said in a statement.

>The ministry added that according to the Reuters video, the Azov battalion of the National Guard of Ukraine employed howitzers banned by the Minsk agreements in Schyrokyne, a village in Donetsk Region, that should have been among the areas monitored most closely by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

>"The Russian Foreign Ministry has to emphasize that we are speaking of another serious violation of Minsk agreements that stipulate the withdrawal of heavy weaponry from the contact line… The claims of Ukrainian authorities that all of its heavy weapons have been withdrawn are once again proving to be bluff," the ministry added.
——————–
Russian Envoy Warns Denmark Not to Join NATO Missile Shield: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150321/1019826213.html

>Danish warships may become targets for Russian nuclear missiles if Denmark decided to join the NATO missile defense shield, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Mikhail Vanin said, according to the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Poste.

>"I do not think that the Danes are fully aware of the consequences if Denmark joins the US-led missile defense shield. If that happens, Danish warships become targets for Russian nuclear missiles," Vanin said.

>He added that Denmark would become "part of the threat to Russia and [its] relations with Russia will be damaged."

>Vanin also cautioned that joining NATO's defense shield would be "Denmark’s decision", and that the country would "lose both money and security."

>Danish Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard reacted angrily to what he described as "unacceptable" remarks.

>"Russia knows very well that NATO’s missile defense system is defensive. We disagree with Russia on many important things, but it is important that the tone between us remains as positive as possible," Lidegaard said.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 19:37:55 fe4454 No.3611

File: 1426966675788.jpg (79.43 KB, 620x350, 62:35, Ukraine-Border-Wall-085356….jpg)

Good article on Ukraine: http://www.emergingfrontiers.com/article/20319-no-longer-quiet-on-the-eastern-front-part-2
———————
Russia wants proof of its military presence in Ukraine: http://www.unian.info/politics/1058339-russia-wants-proof-of-its-military-presence-in-ukraine.html

>A Russian representative at the Brussels Forum says that Moscow asks Kyiv to demonstrate any proof of Russian military presence in Ukraine.

>Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachev says that Russia asks Ukraine to demonstrate proof of Russian military presence in Ukraine.

>He announced this at the Brussels Forum, an UNIAN special correspondent reported.

>"You would remember how Mr. [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko presented five or six passports, Russian passports, for the audience. The same day, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs sent an official request to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: Please, give us any details, names, numbers, copies, anything. Until now, there is no answer. So everybody believes that that was evidence, but that was not evidence," he said.

>"Same goes for very many other reports delivered by Mr. [Gen. Philip] Breedlove [who is Commander of the Supreme Allied Command Europe and U.S. European Combatant Command] or other Americans who are very much in favor of proving that Russia is involved. Russia is not involved with regular forces in southeastern Ukraine," he said.

>U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, who was also attending the Brussels Forum, said in turn that it is impossible to have "win-wins without trust."

>"We all want win-wins, that's what we've devoted our professional lives to, that's what we need for our populations, but without trust you can't do it and you're not going to have trust if you don’t have truth. So when you have a country denying that it has troops in another country's territory, there's no trust," she said.
————————–
Building work continues on 'Great Wall of Ukraine' to defend against Russia: http://www.unian.info/society/1058041-building-work-continues-on-great-wall-of-ukraine-to-defend-against-russia-video.html

>The construction of a new segment of a massive fortification project nicknamed the “Great Wall of Ukraine,” which will stretch along two thousand kilometers of Ukraine’s land border with Russia, will start this week in Kharkiv region next to Luhansk region, which is partially occupied by Russian-backed militants.

>Ukrainian officials say that the Wall is to enhance national security and bring Ukraine closer to NATO membership, while Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk claims that it would serve as Europe’s de-facto eastern border, Ukraine Today reports.

>The government plans to allocate over $1 million in the project by the end of March.

>Oleh Slobodyan, of Ukrainian State Border Service said that the first phase of equipping the Ukrainian-Russian border will start in areas under government control, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv and Luhansk regions.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 19:48:56 fe4454 No.3612

File: 1426967336476.png (454.27 KB, 2000x2454, 1000:1227, gaugazia.png)

Mogherini: EU to review Minsk accords implementation in July: http://www.unian.info/politics/1058336-mogherini-eu-to-review-minsk-accords-implementation-in-july.html

>EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini says that the EU will late in July review the implementation of the Minsk agreements in connection with further sanctions against Russia.

>She announced this at the Brussels Forum while commenting on EU's recent decision to peg the EU sanctions against Russia to the full implementation of the peace accords, an UNIAN special correspondent in Brussels reported.

>"Sanctions are related to this, because we have decided yesterday night that the lifting of the sanctions or keeping the sanctions will be linked only to the full implementation of the Minsk agreement. So the decision of the heads of state and government is that in the coming months, as you know, we don’t have to take decisions these days because the sanctions we have in place are expiring at the end of July. Before the end of July we will make an assessment of where we are with the implementation," she said.

>According to her, the Minsk agreements foresee that the control of the border, for instance, goes back to the Ukrainian authorities by the end of the year." If everything goes well, I would expect that sanctions will be linked to this and so would not be lifted before the full implementation of the Minsk agreement, but the decision formally will be taken later on," she added.
———————
Is Gagauzia next on Russia's list?: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/03/gagauzia-russia-list-150318052557225.html

>Gagauzia, a tiny autonomous region in Moldova, checks most of the boxes for Russian meddling. It is ethnically Turkic, religiously Christian Orthodox, and the main language spoken is Russian. The region is a byproduct of imperial rivalry between the Ottoman and Russian empires typically found in the Black Sea basin in the 19th century. Like Crimea, it was taken by Russia from the Ottoman Empire. In this case, Russia acquired Gagauzia after the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812) as part of the 1812 Treaty of Bucharest.

>Today, it is the poorest region of Moldova and Gagauzians blame the westward orientation of the central government for many of their problems. Local politicians regularly use separatists and pro-Russian slogans to drum up local support. Events in eastern Ukraine have only encouraged this.

>Russian meddling in Moldova is nothing new. One only has to look at the breakaway republic of Transnistria and the 2,000 Russian troops that are based there to keep the conflict "frozen".

>Pro-Russian sympathies run deep in Gagauzia. During last year's national elections in Moldova, the pro-Russian Socialist Party got their best result in Gagauzia. While the rest of Moldova is targeted by Russian economic sanctions, both Transnistria and Gagauzia enjoy exemptions.

>In February 2014, as the crisis in Crimea was reaching a peak, and eastern Ukraine was starting to simmer, the regional government in Gagauzia held two referenda.

>One asked voters to decide their preference between closer relations with the European Union or the Russian backed Eurasian Customs Union. The vote was not even close: 98.5 percent of the voters supported Moldova's integration with the Eurasian Customs Union.

>The second referendum asked about support for a so-called "deferred independence" bill being proposed in Gagauzia's legislative body. This proposed bill would allow the autonomous region to become automatically independent if Moldova ever lost its national sovereignty. Again, the outcome was a landslide: 98 percent voted in favour of the motion.

>Moldovan authorities said that the referenda in Gagauzia were unconstitutional, calling it an attempt to undermine the country's foreign policy. Unsurprisingly, Moscow backed these referenda. Russian media widely reported the results. The voting was monitored by a Transnistrian-born member of Russia's State Duma, Roman Khudyakov. Less than 24 hours after the voting ended, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin welcomed the turnout and the outcome.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 19:51:24 fe4454 No.3613

File: 1426967484464.jpg (28.2 KB, 267x330, 89:110, Bessarabia.jpg)

>>3612
cont.

>To understand Russia's motives in Gagauzia it is important to understand Vladimir Putin's view of Russia's role in the world. What the world is witnessing today is not a resurgent Cold War or Soviet-style Russia as commentators frequently claim, but an Imperial Russia. Putin's behaviour is like that of the Russian Tsars who built the Imperial Russian Empire nation by nation, khanate by khanate, and kingdom by kingdom.

>In the eyes of Russians at the time, the 17th and 18th century territorial gains that, in part, defined Imperial Russia were regarded not as "annexations" but as taking what was already theirs. At the time, Russia's imperial conquests in eastern Europe were popularly characterised as acts of liberation of fellow Orthodox Christians from Polish Catholic or Muslim rule.

>Take out the religious dimension and replace it with the need to protect - to paraphrase Vladimir Putin - Moscow's fraternal ties with Russian speakers, and there is a similar situation today.

>During imperial times, what is today known as Transnistria and Gagauzia in Moldova was once known as Bessarabia. In the same way those in the Kremlin fantasise about re-creating Novorossiya (the Tsarist-era name for southern Ukraine) there are many around Putin who would like to see the historical region of Bessarabia brought back under Russian control.

>Transnistria, with its estimated 2,000 Russian troops, shares a 400km border with western Ukraine. Therefore, bringing Gagauzia under Russian influence would almost complete Russia's control of Ukraine's western border. It would also place Ukraine's Odesa Oblast under further threat from Russian aggression. This fits in line with Putin's imperial vision of the region and his designs on Ukraine.

>On March 22, Gagauzians go to the polls to elect their Bashkan, or governor. Already, Moldovan politicians have accused Moscow of meddling in the run up to election day. In response, prominent Gagauzians have warned the central government to stop criticising Gagauzia's "strategic partner, the Russian Federation" or otherwise they will have no choice but to take to the streets. No doubt, Putin would see such a scenario as a very convenient pretext for Russian intervention.

>Whether it is South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Donbas, Crimea, or Transnistria, Russian leaders today see themselves as taking what is already theirs to have, just as their ancestors did in the 19th century.

>There is no reason to believe that Gagauzia is viewed any differently.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 20:16:58 fe4454 No.3614

File: 1426969018863.jpg (73.94 KB, 610x397, 610:397, osce.jpg)

Just would like to point out one of the shittiest articles on politics I've read in a while. I have no idea why I still check CNN, honestly.

Why Putin's hosting Kim Jong Un http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/20/politics/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-russia-north-korea/index.html

I mean, "Screw you" policy? Oh, he's not solidifying relations with close allies - he's just trying to piss everyone off! Chrissake.
———————————-
Donbas Battalion Commander Expects Trouble in Odessa During May Holidays: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150321/1019836680.html

>The commander of the Donbas Battalion expects trouble in Odessa and Kharkiv during the May holidays, saying authorities should prepare to rush to the regions to assist police and security forces.

>Ukrainian parliamentarian and Donbas Battalion Commander Semyen Semenchenko told Ukrainian television on Friday that he expects disturbances in the cities of Odessa and Kharkiv during the May holidays, and that MPs must be ready to assist security forces in case of trouble.

>Speaking on the Shuster Live television program on Ukraine's Channel 112 Friday evening, Semenchenko noted that he has "reason to believe that in the upcoming May celebrations, the situation in Odessa and Kharkov may be turbulent." The combatant-turned-parliamentarian added that "MPs must also go to these cities, because only through joint efforts, through the raising of patriotic responsibility, through assisting police and the Ukrainian Security Service, can we rectify this situation."

>The MP likewise hinted that "there are existing problems with the local authorities."

>Deputies from the Kharkiv City Council had twice refused to read a document adopted by Kiev's Verkhovna Rada considering Russia an aggressor nation in the conflict in Donbas. Kharkiv Mayor Gennady Kernes likewise noted that Kharkiv a border city with Russia, and that he is against raising such politicized questions. Zoryan Shkiryak, advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, responded to Kernes that in due time, authorities "will get at those who pose a threat to Ukraine today."

>In late February, President Petro Poroshenko announced that security forces had uncovered a terror plot in Odessa. Earlier this month, a bomb exploded in the city in a building belonging to the ultra-nationalist Right Sector party. Last month, a bomb had exploded in Kharkiv during a meeting marking the anniversary of Maidan, killing four.
Semenchenko's remarks sent chills up the spines of Russian-speaking social media commentators, who instantly recalled the events of May 2 in Odessa, where dozens of anti-government activists were burned alive in the House of Trade Unions Building by pro-Kiev radicals.
————————-
New OSCE Report on Ukraine Says Ukrainian Forces Obstruct Monitors Movement: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150321/1019837084.html

>OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission said on Saturday it was denied access to an east Ukrainian territory controlled by Ukrainian armed forces.

>The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)'s Special Monitoring Mission said on Saturday it was denied access to an east Ukrainian territory controlled by Ukrainian armed forces, according to OSCE's fresh situation report.

>The SMM said it was stopped Saturday at a government-controlled checkpoint on the northwestern edge of Luhansk.

>"After 15 minutes the SMM was told that the battalion commander did not grant the SMM permission to proceed," the report said, adding the mission contacted the Ukrainian chief of staff at the government's Joint Center for Control and Coordination, who agreed to investigate.

>In two separate instances, Ukrainian troops stopped OSCE monitors at the entrance to the city of Mariupol and at a checkpoint near the town of Pervomaiske. They were eventually allowed to proceed, although one case required interference from the checkpoint commander.

>The mission complained it is "restrained in fulfilling its monitoring functions by restrictions imposed by third parties and security considerations."

>It also pointed at a "fluid" security situation in the entire Donbas region, saying ceasefire does not hold everywhere.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 20:37:42 4cbcef No.3616

>>3605
>>3608
>Crude-oil
>Natural-gas

Read the map, then read my comment.

Sweden imports oil but hardly any natural-gas. Also, Sweden's consumption of natural-gas has increased six-fold of what i thought i was (though it still only accounts for 3% of Sweden's energy production), all of this information is in the pdf you linked.

Anonymous 03/21/15 (Sat) 21:14:36 fe4454 No.3618

>>3616
Ah, my bad. Just woke up and thought I saw gas; that's what I get for skimming while drowsy.
———————————————
With currency tumbling, Georgians march against government: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/21/us-georgia-opposition-idUSKBN0MH0KW20150321?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Tens of thousands of Georgians marched on Saturday in one of the biggest anti-government rallies of recent years, blaming the authorities for economic crisis and worsening crime.

>The former Soviet republic has been battered by a plunge in the Russian rouble and the conflict in Ukraine. Lower exports and remittances are also contributing to a rising current account deficit.

>A fall of nearly 30 percent in Georgia's lari currency over the past year has hurt many, especially those with dollar loans.

>Protesters, led by activists and leaders of the opposition United National Movement (UNM), marched down Tbilisi's main avenue waving the national flag as well as the European Union flag and holding posters that read "Resign".

>"We are watching how they destroy our country for almost three years … It's our obligation to stop this process," Giga Bokeria, one of the UNM leaders, told the crowd at the capital Tbilisi's central Freedom square.

>Many protesters said they wanted the government, initially formed under the premiership of tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, to resign.

>"We want this government to leave peacefully and then we will find the way out. It's a horrible government," Darejan Sanaia, a pensioner from Tbilisi, said.

>The opposition also accuses the government of using the justice system to settle political scores with the former government of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

>Dozens of former officials, including the prime minister, defense and interior ministers, have been arrested on charges including abuse of power and corruption since Saakashvili's party lost an election in October 2012.

>Saakashvili, who has been charged with exceeding his authority during his years in office, addressed the crowd from Brussels.

>"Georgia had been paused two years ago … Georgia is heading to the abyss and everyone feels it," Saakashvili said via live broadcast on the huge screen in front of the crowd.

>Saakashvili left the South Caucasus country of 4.5 million after his second presidency in November 2013.

>The present government says it is continuing Saakashvil's pro-Western course but also wants better relations with Georgia's giant neighbor, Russia.

Georgian Maidan, anyone?
———————
Russian Military Urges to Rebuild Trust With Neighbors Amid Ukraine Crisis: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150321/1019831319.html

>The Russian Defense Ministry urges neighboring nations to return to the pre-crisis level of transparency, in an attempt to ease mistrust that has caused a rift with Europe after the start of the Ukraine conflict, a senior Russian General Staff official said Saturday.

>"We want to return to the level of trust and transparency that we enjoyed with our neighbors and partners not so long ago. We suggest that all countries respond to real threats that exist in the modern world," Lt. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov, Deputy Head of the Russian Armed Forces' general staff, said.

>Lt. Gen. Kartapolov met Saturday with foreign military attaches in Moscow, where he spoke on the week-long snap drills. The military exercises to test Russian troop's combat readiness, wrapped up earlier in the day.

>On Monday, thousands of Russian troops were brought to full alert ahead of a snap combat readiness check that involved all branches of the Russian Armed Forces. Additionally, hundreds of aircraft were scrambled across the country.

Anonymous 03/22/15 (Sun) 06:05:26 fe4454 No.3624

File: 1427004326689.jpg (48.24 KB, 600x574, 300:287, clinton foundation donatio….jpg)

Clinton Foundation’s Deep Financial Ties to Ukrainian Oligarch Revealed: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-21/clinton-foundation%E2%80%99s-deep-financial-ties-ukrainian-oligarch-who-pushed-closer-ties-e

Not posting text from it here, but it goes lengths into campaign donations into Clinton from a Ukrainian oligarch.
—————————-
Militants continue blowing up railway tracks: http://www.unian.info/war/1058356-militants-continue-blowing-up-railway-tracks.html

>Illegal armed groups in Donbas continue destroying Donbas' railway infrastructure: railway tracks in Volnovakha district in Donetsk region and the town of Popasna in Luhansk region were blown up by Russian-backed militants on Friday.

>Press secretary of the anti-terrorist operation Andriy Lysenko announced this at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday.

>"Militants have blown up railway tracks in Volnovakha district and near the town of Popasna," Lysenko said.

>"One of the reasons for committing acts of terrorism is an attempt by militants to break any communication between the occupied and free areas in Donetsk and Luhansk regions," he added.

Anonymous 03/22/15 (Sun) 06:30:39 8aa46d No.3626

>>3624
I really like how its always just a few words, and they make one side look bad.

>between the occupied and free areas

A non-biased reported would've said , between the Novorussian and Ukrainian areas, or between the Ukrainian and rebel areas. But just look how the use the "occupied" and "free".
Occupied implies that they were invaded and were kept in that territory against their will…
Just by changing 2 words, they've made one side innocent and the other side evil.

Anonymous 03/22/15 (Sun) 12:57:28 57815a No.3627

>>3626
That mainstream media for you tho.

Anonymous 03/22/15 (Sun) 13:51:30 4cbcef No.3628

>>3627
>That mainstream media for you tho.
>for you tho
>tho
Though, learn how to spell to though.

Anonymous 03/22/15 (Sun) 15:36:42 57815a No.3629

>>3628
No i typed it correctly. Learn how to say type instead of spell this isn't paper.

Anonymous 03/23/15 (Mon) 00:46:29 fe4454 No.3640

File: 1427071589514.png (26.01 KB, 832x266, 416:133, goddamnit pol.png)

Ukrainian oligarch Kolomoysky barricades Ukrnafta HQ in Kiev: http://rt.com/news/243061-kolomoysky-ukrnafta-barricade-poroshenko/

>The governor of Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk region Igor Kolomoysky has reportedly barricaded in the Ukrnafta oil and gas extracting company’s HQs in Kiev. It comes just days after the oligarch tried to regain control of Ukraine’s oil transportation company.

>“The Ukrnafta building on Nesterovskoye Lane is being barricaded with metal barriers,” Ukraine MP Sergey Leschenko wrote on his Facebook page. “On the street there are two members of an unknown battalion. Inside, through darkened windows, another ten fighters of an unknown battalion are visible. The guards refuse to show their permit for the new fence,” Leschenko noted.

>According to him, the men are all members of the Dnepr-1 battalion. However, the head of the group – “in a black helmet” – refused to say “what the battalion of the Dnepropetrovsk’s territorial defense was doing in Kiev.”

>Police have reportedly come to the building, but no details have yet been provided.

>“Kolomoisky is challenging [President] Poroshenko,” Leschenko assumed.

>All of this, the MP wrote, is the oligarch’s “reaction on the signing into law of the law on joint stock companies in reducing the quorum. Ukrnafta, now barricaded, has a government share of 50 percent plus one share, but now for the first time in 12 years it will be possible to ensure government management.”

>Leschenko has also stressed that the current situation at Ukrnafta should not be mistaken with Ukrtransnafta in Kiev, another company that Kolomoysky and another several dozen of his armed “lawyers” raided on Thursday in order to “drive out the new chief from the office and forcefully reappoint his own manager, Mr. Lazorko.”

>Earlier the same day, the board of Ukrtransnafta relieved Kolomoysky’s protégé Aleksandr Lazorko of his post and appointed Yuri Miroshnik as CEO.

>Lazorko refused to leave his post, protesting the decision, and barricaded himself in the office until Kolomoysky and his men entered the office and took it by force calling Lazorko’s resignation a corporate raid. Later in the evening Interior Minister Arsen Avakov reported the building was under control of the police.

>On Saturday, Ukrainian media reported that Kolomoysky’s Privatbank had blocked Poroshenko’s account of $50 million. However, bank officials say that it was just a glitch.

>Ukrnafta is the biggest oil company of the country which deals with over 86 percent of Ukraine's oil production, 28 percent of gas condensate production and 16 percent of gas production. The controlling stake of the company belongs to the state-owned Naftogaz company, while 42 percent of shares belong to Igor Kolomoysky.

>According to Leschenko, this is the first moment in Ukrnafta’s history when government management in the company can be established.

>Kolomoysky is one of the richest men in Ukraine with an estimated wealth of up to $6 billion. According to Forbes his net worth is $3bn. Some of his wealth is rumored to have emerged from numerous hostile takeovers of his competitors.

>Amid last year’s coup and the turmoil surrounding it Kolomoysky used his wealth to secure political power. Then-acting President Aleksandr Turchynov appointed him as a governor of Dnepropetrovsk region. The oligarch used his newly gained powers to stem the so-called “Russian influence” in his area.

>Kolomoysky also is believed to have created the ultra-nationalist Dnipro Battalion. Basically forming his own personal army, Kolomoysky also funded the Aidar, Azov, Dnepr 1, Dnepr 2, and Donbas volunteer battalions, which were accused of carrying out mass atrocities.

>In Russia the oligarch is sought for “organizing the killing of civilians,” as last summer a Russian District Court authorized his arrest in absentia.

Anonymous 03/23/15 (Mon) 05:10:16 4f1496 No.3642

Here's the list of all the weird death of the former leadership of Ukraine.

January 26th: Mykola Serhiyenko, former Ukrzaliznytsia (Railways State Administration) boss appointed by Yanukovich's PM Azarov. "Shot himself with a rifle"
January 29th: Oleksiy Kolesnyk, Kharkov regional government head. "Hanged himself"
February 25th: Sergey Walter, Party of Regions mayor of Melitopol. "Hanged himself"
February 26th: Oleksandr Bordyuh, chief police deputy of Melitopol. "Hanged himself"
February 28th: Mykhaylo Chechetov, deputy chairman of Party of Regions. "Jumped from his apartment window"
March 10th: Stanislav Melnik, Party of Regions deputy. "Shot himself with a rifle"
March 12th: Oleksandr Peklushenko, former Party of Regions governor of Zaporizhia. "Shot himself with a rifle"
March 22th: Viktor Yanukovych Jr. "drowned in a passenger mini-bus… Only passenger dead."

I didn't really watch out for such news on mid-march… That might explain the gap.

So yeah the opposition in Ukraine is literally dropping like flies.

But remember kids, they only kill opponents in Russia and there is no such thing as conspiracy and political assassination cover-up.

Anonymous 03/23/15 (Mon) 23:37:28 797ccf No.3647

>>3640
More about this guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrfKZUttEwE&feature=youtu.be
It's not that he's saying anything specific, but his attitude regarding the fallen plane is.. disturbing.

Anonymous 03/24/15 (Tue) 08:30:10 780cba No.3650

>>3642

I have known this for a while (not the 22nd) but I think there was even more…

This is almost as obvious as the RFK cover-up.

Anonymous 03/24/15 (Tue) 16:33:28 8016df No.3655

File: 1427214808428.jpg (62.47 KB, 736x490, 368:245, ukraine-crisis-russia.jpg)

Sweden intercepts Russian planes over Baltic amid regional tensions: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/us-ukraine-crisis-baltic-idUSKBN0MK12S20150324?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Swedish fighters intercepted four Russian planes flying in international air space over the Baltic sea with their transponders turned off, the country's military said on Tuesday.

>Relations between the West and Russia have soured as a result of Moscow's role in the conflict in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea, while increased Russian military activity in the Baltic has added to tension.

>Sweden, which is not a member of NATO, said it had intercepted two Russian Backfire bombers which were being escorted by two Flanker fighter jets.

>"The threat level to Sweden has not increased, but the Swedish armed forces track, as always, … the increased activity in our neighborhood," the country's military said in a statement.

>Russia has stepped up flights near Europe's borders over the last couple of years forcing jets from NATO countries and allies like Sweden to scramble hundreds of times.

>In December, Sweden and Denmark summoned Russia's ambassadors to the two countries to complain about an incident in which a Russian military jet flew with its transponder - a communications device that makes it easier for an airplane to be located - off and nearly collided with a commercial jet.

>Russia denied its aircraft had posed any hazard to the airliner.
—————————
US House votes to provide lethal aid to Ukraine: http://www.dw.de/us-house-votes-to-provide-lethal-aid-to-ukraine/a-18335605?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-rdf

>The United States House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly late Monday to approve a resolution urging President Barack Obama to deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine to fight pro-Russian separatists.

>The measure urges Obama to provide Ukraine with "lethal defensive weapon systems" that would better enable Ukraine to defend its territory from "the unprovoked and continuing aggression of the Russian Federation."

>The resolution passed with broad bipartisan support by a count of 348 to 48.

>"Policy like this should not be partisan," said House Democrat Eliot Engel, the lead sponsor of the resolution. "That is why we are rising today as Democrats and Republicans, really as Americans, to say enough is enough in Ukraine."

>Engel warned that Russia under President Vladimir Putin has become "a clear threat to half century of American commitment to an investment in a Europe that is whole, free and at peace. A Europe where borders are not changed by force."

>The vote puts additional pressure on the Obama administration, which is considering providing lethal aid to Ukraine. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Martin Dempsey said we would "absolutely consider" providing lethal aid, sentiments that were echoed by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who said that he was also "inclined" in that direction.

>NATO's top military commander General Philip Breedlove said Sunday that the West should "consider all our tools" to assist Ukraine, including sending defensive weapons to areas held by pro-Russian rebels.

>"Without action from this administration, Russia's aggression will continue to be left unchecked," Republican House Speaker John Boehner said after the vote was taken.
———————
Ukraine makes fresh plea for more money: http://www.dw.de/ukraine-makes-fresh-plea-for-more-money/a-18335955

>Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko called for greater financial assistance from the West Monday.

>In an interview for the "Financial Times," she said her country needed a much bigger shot in the arm to keep the conflict-stricken nation away from disaster.

>"I believe strongly that the G7, and frankly speaking, the broader G20, has a responsibility right now to support Ukraine in a much bigger way financially," Jaresko said, adding that "the cost of a failed state will be so much greater."

>The minister said she expected gross domestic product (GDP) to drop by 5.5 percent this year, following a 7-7-percent contraction in 2014. First-quarter growth in 2015 was predicted to be down by 7-10 percent, Jaresko warned.

>The International Monetary Fund had reported Ukraine's debt-to-GDP ratio would most likely hit some 94 percent this year before declining to little over 70 percent by 2020.

>Despite the problems at hand, the finance minister expressed confidence that Ukraine's national currency, the hryvnia, could stay in the 22-24 range against the dollar over the next four years, should vital structural reforms be implemented according to schedule.

Anonymous 03/24/15 (Tue) 16:46:39 8016df No.3656

File: 1427215599224.jpg (80.25 KB, 690x388, 345:194, reuters ukraine.jpg)

Turkey Sees Russia as 'Rising Power' – Turkish Economist: http://sputniknews.com/business/20150324/1019934954.html#ixzz3VK0POS6Y

>Turkey considers Russia to be a "rising power" as the two countries look to extend their cooperation despite different stances on the Syrian Civil War, Turkey's leading economist and EU expert told Sputnik Tuesday.

>"Turkey, despite its economic difficulties mainly due to the sanctions, has the tendency to regard Russia as a rising power, especially when compared with the West," Nilgun Arisan Eralp, director of the EU Institute at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, said.

>Turkey did not join the United States, the European Union and a number of their allies in imposing economic sanctions on Moscow after the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea voted to break away from Ukraine and rejoined Russia in March 2104.

>Eralp also said that the European Union remained Turkey's biggest trade and investment partner, but cooperation with Russia was also growing.

>"For the moment energy seems to be the main area where there can be real big-scale cooperation, especially after Russia's recent abandonment of South Stream in favor of Turkish Stream," the expert said.

>In December 2014, Russia closed its long-time South Stream project, citing Brussels' opposition to the gas pipeline. Instead, Russian energy giant Gazprom and Turkish pipeline corporation Botas agreed to construct a Black Sea gas pipeline with an annual capacity of 63 billion cubic meters.

>The first leg of the Turkish Stream pipeline is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016.

>Turkey is a NATO member and supports "moderate" Syrian opposition, fighting against President Bashar Assad, unlike Moscow.
——————-
Ukraine retakes most of Donbass region, claims president: http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/182257/ukraine-retakes-most-of-donbass-region-claims-president.html

>Petro Poroshenko tells commanders that '70 percent' of Donbass has been retaken from pro-Russian forces in more than 40 operations in August.

>Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has claimed that “70 percent” of the country’s Donbass region has been retaken from pro-Russian separatists.

>Speaking on Monday during a meeting of military commanders in Ukraine's National University of Defense, Poroshenko said more than 100 residential areas had been retaken in more than 40 operations between 5 and 23 August last year.

>The president said that the Ukrainian army had gained experience during the fighting, claiming that government forces are among the five strongest armies in Europe.
——————–
Russian Parliamentarians Warns U.S. Not To Arm Ukraine: http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-us-arming-ukraine/26917633.html

>Pro-Kremlin lawmakers say the Russian parliament should reinstate President Vladimir Putin's formal authority to send troops into Ukraine if the United States provides Kyiv with lethal weapons.

>The lawmakers spoke on March 24, a day after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution urging President Barack Obama to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons to defend itself against Russian "aggression."

>A Just Russia party lawmaker Mikhail Yemelyanov told the State Duma, the lower parliament house, that if the "the United States actually starts to deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine we should openly back militias…with weapons, and reinstate the president's right to send troops to Ukrainian territory."

>He was referring to Russian-backed separatists whose war with government forces has killed more than 6,000 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014.

>Frants Klintsevich, a ruling United Russia party lawmaker, said U.S. supplies of lethal weapons would "in a second" destroy the fragile cease-fire deal now in place.

>Parliament gave Putin the formal authority to send troops to Ukraine in March 2014 , a move that sent a warning signal to the West following the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

>The authority was later withdrawn, and Russia denies sending troops into eastern Ukraine despite what Kyiv and NATO say is overwhelming evidence.
—————-
One Ukrainian soldier killed in rebel attacks in past 24 hours: Kiev military: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/24/us-ukraine-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0MK10Z20150324

>One Ukrainian serviceman has been killed and eight were wounded in attacks by Russian-backed separatist rebels in the east of Ukraine in the past 24 hours despite an agreed ceasefire, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said on Tuesday.

Anonymous 03/24/15 (Tue) 17:36:18 8016df No.3657

File: 1427218578184.jpg (81.64 KB, 610x403, 610:403, original_big.jpg)

‘24 hours to disarm’: Kiev on verge of violence as oil dispute between govt, oligarch escalates: http://rt.com/news/243313-ukrnafta-kolomoysky-poroshenko-barricade/

>The Ukrainian government has given the private army of billionaire Dnepropetrovsk governor Igor Kolomoysky a day to lay down their weapons, after they occupied and erected a fence around the headquarters of the national oil company.

>“We won’t have armed personal security forces of businessmen and politicians on the streets of our cities. This applies to every single one of them,” Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on his Facebook page.

>“All security forces have 24 hours to comply with the letter of the law.”

>President Petro Poroshenko has also dispatched two battalions of the elite National Guard to Dnepropetrovsk, to diffuse “rising tension in the region.”

>“There will be no more pocket armies for each governor. Any regional armed forces must fall in with the national military hierarchy,” the president warned.

>Arriving in unmarked armored trucks, dozens of camouflaged men barricaded themselves in the head office of majority state-owned oil producer Ukrnafta in central Kiev on Sunday afternoon. Kolomoysky, whose net worth is estimated at $1.3 billion by Forbes but may be much greater, according to local sources, was inside, issuing orders to build an impromptu barrier around the office. The government says no permit has been issued to allow this.

>Kolomoysky’s companies own about 43 percent of Ukrnafta, and the government controls just over half the shares. According to previous legislation, the state needed 60 percent ownership to exercise active control over a part-private company, which meant that Kolomoysky could treat Ukrnafta as his own property, including withholding dividends from the state, and sabotaging quorums at board meetings. The conflict erupted after the Rada passed a law on Thursday, stipulating that the state could manage any company in which it had a majority share.

>Kolomoysky has taken the news badly. After the government fired his protégé from Ukrtransnafta – another energy company in which he has a stake, but a transporter, not a producer – Kolomoysky also occupied its office on Friday. Accusing the government of being “Russian saboteurs” and “corporate raiders” in an expletive-filled rant to the media, he reportedly threatened to “bring 2,000 volunteer fighters to Kiev,” before being persuaded to stand down.

>He also allegedly temporarily froze bank accounts owned by companies affiliated with Petro Poroshenko, himself an oligarch.

>Until the recent fallout, the oligarch, who additionally holds Israeli and Cypriot citizenships, was considered one of Kiev’s most effective allies. As well as espousing strongly nationalist rhetoric, Kolomoysky has funded several large units fighting against the rebel forces in the east of the country.

>But taking on the entire state apparatus may cost the oligarch more than just financial influence.

>On Monday, Valentin Nalivaichenko, the head of Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, directly accused the Dnepropetrovsk authorities of “financing criminal gangs.”

These have been operating near the eastern conflict zones.

>“A single criminal gang has been carrying out kidnappings, murders and violence against officials in Donetsk and Dnepropetrovsk. That gang has been in contact, and even received financing from Dnepropetrovsk officials,” he said during a press conference in Kiev.

>“Those officials are now intimidating our investigators by threatening to use illegal armed units against them in the region,” said Nalivaichenko, specifically naming the threat posed by ‘Sich’, the very same “security firm” that has occupied the Ukrnafta head office in Kiev.

>Four of Kolomoysky's allies in the Rada said on Monday that they were quitting Poroshenko's bloc, and called for a demonstration in Dnepropetrovsk, to show support for the embattled oil baron.
———————-
Lavrov says Normandy four officials to meet in Paris on March 25: http://www.kyivpost.com/content/politics/lavrov-says-normandy-four-officials-to-meet-in-paris-on-march-25-384229.html

>The meeting between political directors in the Normandy format on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine will be held in Paris on March 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Anonymous 03/24/15 (Tue) 21:38:30 75a40a No.3658

>>3657
Oh that corrupted infighting dividing the already losing and bankrupt Ukraine.

We all saw it coming.

The next few day are going to bring a new surge of interesting news I reckon.

Anonymous 03/25/15 (Wed) 22:00:51 8016df No.3665

File: 1427320851539.jpg (27.62 KB, 640x360, 16:9, Igor-Kolomoisky1.jpg)

Ukraine leader fires powerful oligarch Kolomoisky as regional chief: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/25/us-ukraine-crisis-oligarch-idUSKBN0ML0CG20150325?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Ukraine's president fired powerful tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky as a regional governor on Wednesday in a risky move that could affect the internal balance of power and Kiev's fight against Moscow-backed separatists.

>The 52-year-old Kolomoisky has been at the center of a political storm since armed and masked men, apparently loyal to him, briefly entered the offices of the state-owned oil monopoly UkrTransNafta in the capital Kiev last Thursday night after its director, his ally, was summarily replaced.

>As governor of the eastern industrial region Dnipropetrovsk region, Kolomoisky, a banking, energy and media tycoon with a fortune that Forbes put at $1.8 billion last year, has been a valuable ally to the Kiev government in arming and financing militia groups and volunteer battalions there to hold off pro-Russian separatists.

>Commentators said dismissing Kolomoisky was a tough decision for Poroshenko who was under pressure from radical deputies to curb what they said was a dangerous power play in Ukraine's capital city still gripped by political tension as an uneasy ceasefire holds in the east.

>Russian officials have increasingly portrayed Poroshenko as weak and suggested he faces a major challenge trying to rein in the oligarchs, as well as what it calls the “party of war”.

>A statement on Poroshenko's website said the President had dismissed the hard-nosed, tough-talking mogul during a meeting on Tuesday after the oligarch had offered to step down.

>Kolomoisky is, alone among the so-called oligarchs, credited with taking firm action against separatism in the east - successfully snuffing out rebel attempts to seize control of Dnipropetrovsk last year. As such, he has been a pivotal figure.

>There was no immediate word from Kolomoisky's camp on what his next step would be and whether his sacking as governor would affect his support for volunteer battalions that have fought alongside regular army in the east. The situation remains volatile with key cities such as Mariupol seen as under threat.

>Some say Poroshenko may have been motivated reluctantly to take a tough line with Kolomoisky to demonstrate to the International Monetary Fund and other of Ukraine's Western creditors that he was determined to clean up the chaotic loss-making state energy sector.

>In a separate move partly intended to impress Ukraine's creditors, two high-ranking state officials were detained in a glare of publicity at a televised government meeting in Kiev on Wednesday and accused of involvement in high-level corruption.

>But by alienating Kolomoisky, a highly influential figure in a sensitive region, Poroshenko has taken a risky step as he seeks to win back the diplomatic initiative in the crisis with Russia over the separatist conflict, commentators said.

>Some commentators suggest it could mark the start of an internal power struggle between Poroshenko and the powerful tycoon who has emerged from political upheaval and war in Ukraine to be the most dominant of the big business oligarchs controlling key parts of the economy.

>In what most commentators took to be an indication of growing alarm over Kolomoisky's funding of volunteer armed battalions, Poroshenko said on Monday he would not allow governors to run their own "pocket armies".

>"Sacking Kolomoisky was the most difficult, but the truest, decision that Poroshenko has made in staffing policy," said Serhiy Leshchenko, one of those deputies who had pressed for the President to take action against the recalcitrant oligarch.

>And though Kolomoisky was not Poroshenko's principal backer in his campaign for president last May, he is known to have the allegiance of about 15 deputies in Poroshenko's political bloc in parliament, Ukrainian media say.

Anonymous 03/25/15 (Wed) 22:13:02 8016df No.3666

File: 1427321582123.jpg (47.66 KB, 751x436, 751:436, 1984-putin.jpg)

Ukraine's Nationalists Demand Yatsenyuk's Resignation: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150325/1020008358.html

>Almost 400 protestors from Ukraine's far right nationalist Svoboda party held a meeting in front of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine building, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

>Ukraine's far-right nationalist party VO Svoboda held a protest rally in Kiev demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

>The demonstrators held signs and chanted slogans such as "Oust oligarchs from power" and "Senya [Arseniy], remember Maidan."

>In addition, apparently to convey a strong impression on Ukrainian policy-makers, and particularly, on Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the protesters brought a symbolic gold-colored bullet with the phrase "a bullet in the forehead" written on it.

>The sign referred to Yatsenyuk's own words that he said during the Euromaidan turmoil in winter 2014. While urging the protesters to storm government buildings, Yatsenyuk claimed that he would never agree to "live with shame" preferring to die with honor with a bullet in his forehead.

>The protesters remained peaceful throughout the rally.
—————–
‘Putin is behaving like a terrorist': Cabinet minister’s speech on Ukraine sparks social media battle with Russia: http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03/25/chris-alexander-vladimir-putin-speech/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20NP_Top_Stories%20(National%20Post%20-%20Top%20Stories)

>Conservative cabinet minister Chris Alexander says the situation in Ukraine is the biggest security issue facing the world today, even as his government debates expanding its military actions in the Middle East.

>Alexander’s comments, made to Ukrainian Canadians during a speech in Toronto Feb. 22, are being shared on the internet as the Conservative government prepares to extend its Iraq military mission and expand it into Syria.

>The video of the immigration minister’s speech has also sparked a twitter argument between Alexander and the Russian Embassy in Ottawa.

>In his speech, Alexander denounced Russia’s Vladimir Putin as behaving like a terrorist and warned the situation in Ukraine affects all countries.

>“This is the biggest issue facing the world today in my view, I think in the view of our prime minister, and our team,” he told the audience. “Yes there is terrorism. Vladimir Putin is behaving like a terrorist.”

>Alexander said that the ongoing wars in Syria and Iraq are serious issues and Canada can’t forget what is going on in those countries.

>“But the buck stops in Ukraine; there is absolutely no scenario going into the future that leads to peace and security for this world, that leads to prosperity in Europe globally that does not include a full international effort to give Ukraine the tools it needs to drive Russian forces from their borders and to secure its borders for good,” he told the audience.

>The Russian Embassy challenged Alexander on Twitter this week, linking to the video of his speech on YouTube: “Sounds like Orwellian ‘five minutes of hate.’ Hardly the artwork of diplomacy,” the embassy tweeted.

>Alexander fired back with the response: “Your invasion of Ukraine brought 14 months of death.”

>Ukrainians have been fighting each other for more than a year, with government troops battling rebels who want to separate. Russia has provided support to the separatist forces and Canada and NATO have accused Russia of sending troops and equipment to take part in the war. Russia denies that.

>Canada has been one of the most vocal nations condemning Russia’s action. Canada has also provided Ukraine with non-lethal military equipment.

>Prime Minister Stephen Harper has also pledged $400 million in loans to help Ukraine’s near-bankrupt government.

>Some former Canadian diplomats, however, have suggested the Conservative government’s position on Ukraine is aimed mostly at winning votes from Ukrainian-Canadians in the next federal election.

>During his Toronto speech, Alexander also denounced the Russian government and the country’s media for reporting that fascists and Nazi sympathizers are involved in Ukraine’s government and among its supporters.

Anonymous 03/25/15 (Wed) 22:14:03 8016df No.3667

>>3666
cont.

>Extreme right-wing supporters did play a role in the protests, which forced the end to the regime of then-Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych last year, touching off the current crisis in the country.
Some of Ukraine’s most effective fighting units, such as the Azov Battalion, include among their ranks Nazi sympathizers and anti-Semites.

>Last year, members of the Azov Battalion were shown on German television wearing helmets with Nazi insignia. Some of its members have also made anti-Semitic comments.

>Spokesmen for the battalion, which uses a symbol similar to the insignia used by some Nazi SS units, have repeatedly denied Neo-Nazi links. They say the unit is made up Ukrainian nationalists.

>In his Toronto speech, Alexander suggested that the situation in Ukraine may have been caused “because of mistakes that the United States and others made with regard to our policy jointly in Syria.” But he did not provide further details on what he meant by that statement.

>Asked to comment, his press secretary, Kevin Menard, emailed the statement, “We have nothing further to say at this time.”

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 03:39:15 fe4454 No.3668

File: 1427341155784.png (135.03 KB, 621x446, 621:446, falkland_islands_maritime_….png)

>>3666
>>3667
Sorry for any mistakes, I was in a hurry.
————————
Kiev Refuses to Conduct Dialogue With 'Illegitimate' Donbas Authorities: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150325/1020011317.html

>Kiev has no intentions to hold direct talks with 'illegitimate authorities' in self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said Wednesday.

>"Maintaining dialogue with people who are de-facto field commanders and not even 100 percent Ukrainians does not make any political sense," Prystaiko said after a 'Normandy format' meeting on Ukraine at the level of deputy foreign ministers in the French capital.

>The leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk do not represent people and their decisions are not legitimate from the point of view of people residing on that territory, Prystaiko added, noting that Kiev will get a legitimate negotiation partner only after elections in eastern Ukraine will be carried out.

>"We hope to find a formula, according to which the elections will be conducted," he said.

>Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said that Kiev's unwillingness to negotiate with breakaway regions' representatives breaches the attempts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
——————
Fearing Russia may be arming Argentina, Britain beefs up Falkland Islands defences: http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/03/25/fearing-russia-may-be-arming-argentina-britain-beefs-up-falkland-islands-defences/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20NP_Top_Stories%20%28National%20Post%20-%20Top%20Stories%29

>Britain will send two troop-carrying Chinook helicopters and new surface-to-air missile system to the Falkland Islands, amid fears Russia could be arming the Argentine government.

>Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, said the islands will be ready to repel “any potential threat” after reports the Kremlin is preparing to lease 12 Su-24 long range bombers to Buenos Aires in exchange for beef and wheat.

>It came as Russia questioned the legitimacy of Britain’s claim to the islands.

>Alexander Yakovenko, the Russian ambassador in London, compared the referendum held in 2013 that found 99.8% of the Falkland Islanders wanted to remain a British territory to that held in Crimea last year.

>The snap Crimean poll, used to justify Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, has been widely seen as a sham.

>David Cameron, the prime minister, added his reassurance, “We will always be there for them, we will always defend them.”

>The Russian riposte follows weeks of rhetoric from pro-Kremlin newspapers and leading Russian MPs denouncing Britain’s “colonial occupation” of the islands, dubbed the “Crimea of the Atlantic.”

>Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Duma’s committee of international affairs, tweeted, “Information for London: Crimea has immeasurably more reason to be a part of Russia than the Falkland Islands to be part of the UK.”

>Cristina de Kirchner, the Argentine president, has also backed Mr. Putin.

>“The Malvinas has always belonged to Argentina, the same way that Crimea also belonged to the Soviet Union until it was given to Ukraine,” she said last year.

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 03:50:20 fe4454 No.3669

File: 1427341815132.gif (49.33 KB, 742x283, 742:283, NATO.gif)

Passenger bus gets into landmine trap outside Horlivka: 3 dead, 9 injured: http://www.unian.info/society/1059973-passenger-bus-gets-into-landmine-trap-outside-horlivka-3-dead-9-injured.html

>A passenger bus with 26 people on board has got into a landmine trap outside the separatist-held town of Horlivka.

>This information was confirmed by chief of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's main department in Donetsk region Viacheslav Abroskin on his Facebook page.

>"At 2030 Kyiv time on Wednesday Artemivsk police have received a call informing that a passenger bus heading from Artemivsk to Horlvika had tripped a landmine in the field near the town of Mayorsk," he wrote.

>According to him, a preliminary report says that the bus driver decided to bypass a roadblock and was driving along an earthy track towards Horlivka.

>"Driving across the field, the bus struck a landmine with its backward wheel. As of now, the death toll is three people. The total number of the bus passengers is 26 people. <…> Police officers from the Artemivsk police department are now working on the scene," he wrote.

>Deputy chief of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's regional branch in Donetsk region Ilya Kiva wrote on his Facebook page that six passengers had been severely injured.

>Donetsk Regional State Administration's press service in turn reported that nine injured passengers were on their way to hospital.
———————-
Brzezinski: Putin’s next targets may be Baltic States, Moldova and Poland: http://www.unian.info/world/1059867-brzezinski-putins-next-targets-may-be-baltic-states-moldova-and-poland.html

>"I do not want to be a prophet of doom, but there is a risk that the Russian aggression in Ukraine will not end. A analysis of the sequence of actions in Putin’s policy indicates this," he said.

>According to Brzezinski, further developments depend on how the conflict develops in Ukraine.

>"If the war in Ukraine becomes a light military success for Russia, or a victory, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of something like it in the Baltic States," he said.

>"The next hot spots may appear in Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan. This could be the logic of events. And later, Poland could be the target of Russian aggression," Brzezinski said.

>"Russia is now carrying out an expansive policy, and each [of these] scenarios is, unfortunately, realistic."
—————————–
Ukraine in NATO? 'Unnecessary and Harmful' – Brzezinski: http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150325/1020010339.html

>Ukrainian membership of NATO is not only unnecessary but may turn out harmful, former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski said in an interview with Polish newspaper Gazeta Prawna on Wednesday.

>In December 2014, Ukraine canceled the country's non-aligned status, confirming its intentions to join NATO.

>"Ukraine definitely needs to be helped, provided with equipment. Should [Ukraine] join NATO in future? It is generally not necessary. Perhaps even harmful," Brzezinski said.

>Earlier in March, Brzezinski said that the United States should ensure that even if Ukraine joins the European Union, it will not become a member of NATO.

>Despite Kiev's aspirations to become part of the alliance, NATO officials have repeatedly stressed that the country needs to implement a wide range of reforms before pursuing bloc membership. Accession to NATO requires unanimous approval by all 28 members of the Alliance.

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 04:16:18 fe4454 No.3670

File: 1427343378460.png (63.84 KB, 1075x584, 1075:584, C8isDWW.png)

Right Sector volunteers ordered to leave Mariupol zone: http://www.unian.info/war/1059965-right-sector-volunteers-ordered-to-leave-mariupol-zone.html

>Commander of the 8th separate company of the Right Sector Ukrainian military volunteer corps Andriy Cherven said that his troops had been ordered to leave the town of Shyrokyne outside Mariupol before March 27, and the anti-terrorist operation zone itself before April 1.

>According to him, the order says that all the troops that are not part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard should be withdrawn from the zone. Cherven added he couldn't disobey the order.

>He said that the withdrawal of military volunteer units would be detrimental to the defense of the city of Mariupol. He said he had appealed to the community of Mariupol, asking to influence the decision so that the volunteer units could remain in Shyrokyne.

>"Let people protect us politically, and we'll continue protecting them physically," he said.

>The chief of the staff of the 8th Aratta [named after an ancient civilization that allegedly lived in the Danube and Dnieper region during the Neolithic period] separate company of the Right Sector Artem Lutsak (nom de guerre 'Doctor') confirmed this information. He said that Cherven had been presented with an ultimatum that either the volunteer corps "become subordinate to the official military structure or that they leave the ATO zone." According to Lutsak, Right Sector volunteers are now leaving the red zone and heading for their base.

>"They're depriving us of our right to fight. Immobilizing the volunteer battalions is a betrayal," Lutsak said. He said that the volunteers fight more effectively than the regular troops, as their motivation is stronger.

"We do what they're unable to do," he added.

>The Azov and Donbas battalions and the National Guard are now stationed in Shyrokyne, Press Officer of the M sector Oleh Sushinsky said. Speaking about the Right Sector fighters, he said: "They are civilian people who believe they are helping the Donbas battalion."

>Sushinsky confirmed that volunteers had been offered either to join the regular ATO forces or to leave the military zone.

>"They want to fight, but it's not right. There are civilians and there are military. If they consider themselves to be professionals, let them join [the army] officially," he added.
————————
Right Sector spokesman: order for volunteers to leave Mariupol not feasible: http://www.unian.info/politics/1059989-right-sector-spokesman-order-for-volunteers-to-leave-mariupol-not-feasible.html

>Head of the Right Sector Information Center Artem Skoropadsky claims that the Right Sector Ukrainian military volunteer corps "does not consider it possible to execute an order to withdraw from Mariupol."

>Skoropadsky announced this in a comment at UNIAN's request when clarifying information about alleged orders by the Mariupol 'M' sector's command control that military volunteer battalions should leave the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone by April 1, and the Right Sector was ordered to withdraw from the town of Shyrokyne outside Mariupol.

>"We are unlikely to withdraw from any of the land we have been defending for long and where Ukrainian blood has been shed," he said.

>According to Skoropadsky, the Right Sector has cooperated with the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the Security Service of Ukraine, or the SBU. "But to execute such an order… That land – every inch of it is blood-soaked. It's yet strangely enough to carry out such an order," he added.

>Only Right Sector leader Dmytro Yarosh is authorized to issue orders to the Right Sector, Skoropadsky emphasized. "We've got a free-standing structure. We work both with the National Guard and the Defense Ministry at the frontline, rather than with the General Staff or the Defense Ministry [high-ranking officials], we work with majors, lieutenant colonels – we cooperate with them: they help us, we help them," he added.

>Responding to a question whether the volunteer battalions were given an order to leave the ATO zone, he said: "As far as I understand, such an order exists."

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 04:32:09 fe4454 No.3671

File: 1427344328733.jpg (1.65 MB, 4961x3508, 4961:3508, encirclement_0_3.jpg)

Poland Requests US Patriot Missiles - US Missile Defense Commander: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150326/1020020782.html

>Poland has made requests for US Patriot surface-to-air missiles as it moves to complete a $10 billion integrated air and missile defense program, US Army Space and Missile Defense Command Commander David Mann said at a US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on missile defense.

>“They [Poland] talk to us not about additional capabilities along the lines of Aegis Ashore [ballistic missile defense system], but they’ve talked to us about Patriots,” Mann stated on Wednesday.

>Poland is expected to complete its Aegis Ashore system by the end of 2018, an investment Mann described as “a big program, a big buy, upwards of $10 billion dollars in integrated air and missile defense.”

>Mann said Poland has made the request because the surface-to-air missiles are highly accurate, and are “competitors” to other ballistic missile defense systems.

>“We don’t have a lot of spares in the inventory,” the Missile Defense Commander noted.

>Mann also said Poland was informed about the low US stockpile, and the United States offered instead the possibility of rotating Patriots into Poland, as well as conducting exercises on the systems.

>“In fact, there’s an exercise going on this month involving the Patriot Unit,” he said.
——————–
Lithuania Awaits Territorial Claims From Moscow, Prepares for War: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150325/1020007219.html

>Lithuania is gravely worried about the possibility of a "Russian invasion", and fears that Moscow may claim certain territories to establish a "corridor", linking Russia with its Kaliningrad region, according to the Austrian newspaper “Kurier”.

>Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite once again made a critical statement about the Kremlin’s foreign policy and demanded harsher sanctions against Russia, saying that all negotiations with an "aggressor country" are meaningless.

>Lithuanian authorities fear that Russia could make certain territorial claims to create a “corridor” to its Kaliningrad exclave, Lithuanian expert Marius Laurinavicius explained.

>Grybauskaite also stated that it would take NATO troops three days to arrive and counter any possible Russian aggression in the region. For these three days Lithuania would have to defend itself, the Lithuanian President claimed, arguing that the more soldiers that are deployed, the less likely Russia would want to attack the country.

>Lithuanian schools went so far that they started distributing brochures with instructions on how to behave in the event of a bombing, and organizing classes on defense, according to the newspaper.

>Grybauskaite called Russia a “terror state” and demanded an increased presence of NATO troops. She also openly insisted that NATO start arms sales to Ukraine.

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 07:18:33 8aa46d No.3673

>>3666
>>Alexander fired back with the response: “Your invasion of Ukraine brought 14 months of death.”
>tfw there are idiots who think Ukraine can lost more than 1 week if Russia invades

Russian Military Advancements Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 16:51:19 8016df No.3683

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

Russia’s Top-Secret Battle Tank Captured on Video: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150324/1019930115.html

>The first photos of Russia’s top-secret tank have appeared on the Internet. Moreover, the all-new T-14 Armata tanks were captured as they were being transported by rail to a range outside Moscow ahead of the May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square.

>Even though the tanks were partially camouflaged to hide their silhouette and size, the seven-track design was clearly visible.

>The tanks apparently feature a new generation 125mm extended-length smoothbore gun.

>Also taking part in the May 9 parade in Moscow will be advanced Kurganets 25 and Bumerang tracked armored vehicles, Taifun-U armored cars, Coalitsia-SV self-propelled artillery pieces and Kornet-D missile complexes.

>After five years of development, the Uralvagonzavod Research and Production Corporation finalized manufacture of the first batch of Armata tanks and heavy personnel carriers. They have been included in Russia’s 2015 defense order.
—————————-
Russia Rolls Out All-New Armored Vehicle: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150324/1019920141.html

>A photo of the new Russian tracked armored vehicle Kurganets-25, made during Monday’s rehearsal of the upcoming May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square, is now available on the Web.

>The tryout in Alabino, just outside Moscow, featured a group of partially camouflaged armored vehicles rolling past. The Kurganets-25 provides a high degree of commonality with the new T-14 Armata heavy battle tank, whose photo earlier appeared online, Military-informant.com reported.

>The Kurganets-25 will evolve into various models, gradually replacing BMP and BMD and MT-LB and other types of tracked armored platforms. It will have modular armor that can be upgraded for specific threats, a 2A42 30 mm cannon, and four Kornet-EM anti-tank guided missile launchers.

>The Kurganets-25 is fully amphibious, propelled in the water by two water-jets at the rear of the hull.

>The vehicle uses a new technology for amphibious operation which increases the speed in the water up to 10 km/h.

>The vehicle will be equipped with automatic fire control system which is able to automatically select targets.

>Standard equipment of the Kurganets-25 could include a thermal imager, eye-safe laser rangefinder, GPS / inertial navigation system and computerized fire control system.

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 16:57:40 8016df No.3684

Russia may break Gazprom and Rosneft‘s Arctic monopoly: http://www.unian.info/economics/1060240-russia-may-break-gazprom-and-rosnefts-arctic-monopoly.html

>Russia's largest private oil company LUKOIL may be granted access to the Arctic shelf, which will significantly weaken the position of the state-owned companies Rosneft and Gazprom.
——————-
West holds off on Ukraine aid pledges, seeking reforms: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/26/us-ukraine-crisis-eu-donors-exclusive-idUSKBN0MM1ZD20150326?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>International lenders are delaying plans to offer Ukraine billions of dollars on concerns Kiev cannot yet prove the cash will not vanish into a corrupt economy which EU officials fear could remain a "bottomless pit".

>Ukrainian authorities are still preparing a much-anticipated donor conference for April 28 but EU officials told Reuters that Western governments and agencies are now expected to meet in Kiev only late in the year, giving Ukraine longer to draw up more detailed proposals for how it would spend the money efficiently.

>The European Commission said on Thursday that its president, Jean-Claude Juncker, would visit Kiev on Monday ahead of a newly announced EU-Ukraine summit there on April 27.

>EU officials said leaders hoped the summit would help agree an agenda for economic and other reforms as the bloc tries to bolster its ally President Petro Poroshenko, who was elected in May last year, in the face of hostility from Russia.

>"Major economies, Germany, the United States, are going to pledge billions of dollars in long-term loans and they want to know what their money is to be spent on," one EU official said.

>Another said that while Ukraine was still hoping to host a donor conference from April 28, the day after the EU meeting, there was little prospect of major institutions attending.

>Western powers see the aid package to rebuild near-bankrupt Ukraine as their most effective tool against Moscow in a tug-of-war for influence in the country. But they are wary of investing in one of the world's most corrupt states.

>Last month, European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who is responsible for the EU's neighborhood policy, told Reuters: "We have to avoid a bottomless pit. We want to have a precise plan."

>A Ukrainian government source said authorities were still preparing for a conference in April: "But we also know some people in the EU want to postpone it to the end of this year."

>Despite the delay, officials say the conference will go ahead at some point because Kiev's $17.5-billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund sets the stage for donors, such as the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Canada, to come in.

>The European Parliament this week approved 1.8 billion euros in EU loans to Ukraine over the next two years.

>In all, the IMF money, a $15.3 billion debt restructuring, previous pledges and an international donors' conference could mean some $65 billion going into Ukraine, in one of the world's biggest aid programs in recent times.

>As agreed with the European Union, Ukraine has submitted a reform plan by a March deadline, officials told Reuters. There are still doubts about how many roads, power plants, schools and hospitals Ukraine needs and how far judicial reforms will go to avoid money being siphoned off by corrupt bureaucrats.

>At the EU-Ukraine summit next month, Commission president Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk and Poroshenko, will seek a "comprehensive road map for reform", according to EU officials briefed on the preparations.

>Hahn said in February the West was also looking for funds to deal with the humanitarian crisis in the country stemming from the country's conflict with Russian-backed separatists.

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 17:13:13 8016df No.3685

File: 1427389993252.jpg (4.93 MB, 4608x2592, 16:9, Lysychansk_16.jpg)

>>3684
Damn, different resolutions on computers make me misjudge how much info I can fit.
—————————–
Moody’s downgrades Ukraine heralding imminent default: http://rt.com/business/243825-moodys-ukraine-rating-default/

>International rating agency Moody's has downgraded the long-term issuer rating of Ukraine to the second lowest Ca grade from Caa3, leaving the outlook negative and a high possibility of the country’s imminent default.

>“Although negotiations over the specific details of the restructuring are only now getting underway, Moody's believes that the likelihood of a distressed exchange, and hence a default on government debt taking place, is virtually one hundred percent,” Moody’s said in a news release Tuesday.

>Another reason for downgrading Ukraine’s rating is that foreign private lenders are expected to incur substantial losses due to the government's plan of restructuring the bonds it has issued or guaranteed, the agency said.

>In the future the recovery of their value will depend on the terms of the debt exchange that is now being discussed with creditors. The terms could include a grace period on principal repayments during the term of the IMF program, and a reduction in the existing bonds' current coupons, which average 7.1 percent.

>The negative outlook reflects the agency’s expectation that the level of Ukrainian external debt will remain very high, despite plans to restructure the debt and carry out reforms.

>The Ukrainian authorities are trying to agree a restructuring plan for the country’s $15.3 billion debt with international lenders over the next four years.

>Moody's leaves open the possibility of downgrading Ukraine another step lower if the bondholders suffer greater losses than the Ca level permits, or if the default spreads to other of country’s obligations.

>At the same time, the outlook could become stable should the geopolitical and financial situation in Ukraine improve.

>Apart from downgrading Ukraine’s issuer rating the agency also lowered the country ceiling for long-term foreign currency debt to Caa3 from Caa2, and its country ceiling for long-term domestic currency debt and deposits to Caa2 from Caa1 – all highly speculative with little prospect for recovery.
———————–
Fired Ukrainian governor [Kolomoskiy] taped threatening to ‘take over’ power plant: http://rt.com/news/243933-dnepropetrovsk-kolomoysky-taped-threatening/

>Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoysky has allegedly threatened to send volunteer battalions from eastern Ukraine to Kiev to seize a leading energy firm and power plant. The ex-governor’s gamble comes after one of the companies was shut for non-payment.

>The audio recording of a conversation, in which a man sounding like Kolomoysky, the former Dnepropetrovsk governor fired by President Petro Poroshenko at the weekend, is heard voicing threats to the head of Naftogaz, has been posted by Ukrainian journalist-turned-MP Sergey Leshchenko on his Facebook page.

>Kolomoysky tells Naftogaz chief Andrey Kobolev that he is not going to pay the debts "as a matter of principle."

>“We will not pay with a gun to our temple, you hear me?” he tells Kobolev in the alleged conversation. “If you move the valve, give the command, we will take over this plant and the case is over,” Kolomoysky warns.

>“And if you *** [show off], we’ll grab your Tsentrogaz or as it’s called Transgas [apparently meaning Ukrtransgaz]. We can transfer people to Kiev from the ATO area,” he adds, referring to the Kiev government’s so-called “anti-terrorist operation” in eastern Ukraine.

>Kolomoysky concludes: "No need to experiment with your own country."

>It was not immediately clear when the alleged conversation had taken place.

>Late Wednesday last week, Poroshenko signed a decree firing Kolomoysky as Dnepropetrovsk governor. According to the presidential website, Kolomoysky decided to hand in his resignation, which the president accepted.

>“Such behavior was not just a slap in the face to the legitimate authorities. It was a kick in the teeth to a country that has gone through the Maidan. And Kolomoysky’s dismissal is the weakest punishment that he could bear," Leshchenko wrote on his Facebook page, referring to Kolomoysky's threats.

Anonymous 03/26/15 (Thu) 17:41:32 8016df No.3686

Putin Is Becoming A "Vulture" Bond Investor: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-26/putin-becoming-vulture-bond-investor

>With Washington throwing its full faith and credit behind a new Ukrainian bond issue, it appears it’s time for Moscow to play spoiler to current debt restructuring talks between Kiev and its creditors. Russia is the country’s second-largest creditor after buying $3 billion in bonds back in the days of Viktor Yanukovych (who was once the victim of an attempted assassination by egg and who famously fled the country amid widespread protests last year) and now the Kremlin wants its money and isn’t likely to be amenable to any haircuts imposed on private creditors. Here’s more from Bloomberg:

>Ukraine, after gaining a lifeline from the International Monetary Fund, included Russia’s bond among the 29 securities and enterprise loans it seeks to renegotiate with creditors before June. Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko has promised not to give any creditor special treatment. The revamp will include a reduction in the coupon, an extension in maturities as well as a cut in the face value, she said.

>Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergey Storchak said March 17 that the nation isn’t taking part in the debt negotiations because it’s an “official” creditor, not a private bondholder.

>Should Russia decide to stick with a hardline stance on the negotiations (and it’s likely they will) it could not only embolden other prospective holdouts, but may indeed force Ukraine into a default:

>Holding out can lead to two outcomes: Russia gets paid back in full after the notes mature in December, or Ukraine defaults. The former option is politically unacceptable in Kiev, according to Tim Ash, chief emerging-market economist at Standard Bank Group Plc, while the latter would likely start litigation and delay the borrower’s return to foreign capital markets, which Jaresko expects in 2017.

>“Russia will be holdouts, to try and force a messy restructuring,” Ash said by e-mail on March 19.

>If Russia holds out and litigates, there is a “real threat” that Ukraine will deem the Eurobond an odious debt, Lutz Roehmeyer, a money manager at Landesbank Berlin Investment GmbH, said by e-mail on March 23. This refers to a legal theory that a nation shouldn’t be forced to repay international obligations if they don’t serve the best interests of the country and its citizens.

>Clearly, this is an opportunity for Russia to turn the restructuring talks into political leverage as it wrangles with Washington and the West over the fate of Eastern Ukraine. This is set against a particularly contentious situation in Eastern Europe that’s recently been characterized by a show of NATO force along the Russian border and the usual sabre-rattling out of Moscow (with the latter getting much louder this morning). As a reminder, just yesterday Vladimir Putin’s Security Council condemned what it called an “anti-Russian” US security strategy that it says is aimed at Russian containment by way of military posturing and the use of puppet governments. As far as Putin’s stance on Ukraine’s debt is concerned, well, he can always go the “nuclear route”:

>The Russian bond has a covenant allowing the holder to call it if Ukraine’s public debt tops 60 percent of economic output, which the IMF said took place last year.

>"It’s a kind of nuclear option, evaporating their leverage,” Rogge’s Ganske said. “If Russia accelerates, then Ukraine has to pay or default on it – i.e. game over."

Anonymous 03/27/15 (Fri) 20:40:38 fe4454 No.3709

>>3338
>OP vid down

Well fuck.

Anonymous 03/28/15 (Sat) 11:39:40 b877e9 No.3716

>>3338
>>3709
Did anyone save the OP vid for a reupload?

Anonymous 03/28/15 (Sat) 19:06:43 fe4454 No.3718

File: 1427569603210.jpg (192.61 KB, 1000x541, 1000:541, ukr tank snow.jpg)

>>3716
No idea.
—————————————–
CIA Refuses to Share Updated Intelligence on MH17 Crash - US Journalist: CIA Refuses to Share Updated Intelligence on MH17 Crash - US Journalist

>The US Central Intelligence Agency will not release an updated assessment of the Malaysia MH17 flight crash because it would exonerate the Russian government from involvement, US journalist Robert Parry, known for helping expose the Iran-Contra affair, told Sputnik.

>On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines aircraft Boeing 777 crashed in Ukraine’s eastern region, killing all 298 people on board. Kiev was quick to accuse independence supporters in eastern Ukraine of shooting the plane down using Russian-made missiles.

>“Obviously, there have been updates they [CIA] just don’t want to say what they are,” Parry said. “I’ve been told the intelligence points in a different direction… there’s no evidence that the Russian government gave these missiles to the rebels. There’s even evidence that points to someone besides the rebels being implicated.”

>Parry said when he asked the CIA for an update they provided him with the July 22 assessment, which was released just five days after the disaster and is now over eight months old.

>Reliable sources told Parry that the CIA has indeed conducted more assessments of the crash based on fresher intelligence. However, he said the CIA responded to his pleas by maintaining that there were no updates.

>“They [CIA] have a great deal of intelligence on MH17. They not only had satellite images, they also had intercepts. Not giving away secrets, but the United States does have capabilities to pry into people’s phone calls and other things,” Parry stressed. “And they’ve evaluated this information. But, they won’t share it.”

>On March 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Western media have ignored officially documented information from eyewitnesses previously obtained by Russian media and investigators, including those indicating the presence of a Ukrainian military jet in the vicinity of the doomed flight.

>A final investigation report is expected to be published by the Dutch Safety Board by mid-2015.
————————-
Crimea Ready to Deploy Nuclear Weapons Systems on Russian President's Order: http://sputniknews.com/russia/20150327/1020078568.html

>Crimea will welcome the deployment of nuclear weapons in the republic if Russian President Vladimir Putin deems it necessary, Crimean head Sergei Aksenov told Sputnik.

>“If there is such an order from the supreme commander, we would support it,” Aksenov said.

>On Wednesday, the chair of Russian State Duma Defense Committee, Vladimir Komoyedov, said that needed, Russia was ready to place nuclear weapons in Crimea.

>Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed on Wednesday speculations by US billionaire Donald Trump and the Western media of “nuclear rhetoric” in Putin’s remarks in a documentary on Crimea's reunification with Russia that was aired last week. The media claimed that Putin had said in the documentary that Russia was ready to put its nuclear forces on alert to protect Crimea and the Crimeans against potential aggression.
———————–
Ukrainian Military Violated Ceasefire 27 Times in One Day – Donetsk Militia: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150328/1020133372.html

>Ukraine's armed forces have violated the ceasefire in Donbas 27 times over the course of one day, a representative of the command staff of the militia of the DNR told RIA Novosti on Saturday.

>"In the course of the past 24 hours, we have recorded 27 violations of the ceasefire, resulting in the injury of one militia volunteer in the town of Gorlovka. The Ukrainian military fired 82 and 120 millimeter caliber mortars, and used tanks, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles in fire aimed at militia. The main sources of violations were recorded near the village of Spartak (northern outskirts of the city of Donetsk), at the Donetsk airport, the district of Gorlovka and the village of Shirokino," the representative noted.

Anonymous 03/28/15 (Sat) 19:27:57 fe4454 No.3719

File: 1427570877010.jpg (76.63 KB, 700x665, 20:19, nato expansion.jpg)

Ukraine rebels hand over bodies of 22 govt soldiers: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11424511&ref=rss

>Separatists in eastern Ukraine have handed over the bodies of 22 government soldiers killed during the fierce, months-long battle over the airport near the rebel stronghold of Donetsk.

>The bodies were given Friday to a Ukrainian volunteer organization working to recover soldiers killed in a conflict that has claimed more than 6,000 lives. Workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross oversaw the handover.

>Volunteers gave the Russia-backed rebels two bodies, but it was not immediately clear whether they had been fighters or civilians.
———————–
Syria's Assad says West wants to weaken Russia: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/27/us-syria-crisis-assad-russia-idUSKBN0MN0GQ20150327?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

>Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has accused the West of trying to weaken Russia by turning Ukraine into a puppet state, a tactic he said had also been used against his own country.

>"I keep coming back to the fact that there is a connection between the Syrian crisis and what is happening in Ukraine," he told Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta in an interview, excerpts of which were published on Friday.

>"Firstly because both countries are important for Russia, and secondly because the goal in both cases is to weaken Russia and create a puppet state."
————————-
Separatists In Eastern Ukraine Say 'Lawmaker' Killed: http://www.rferl.org/content/seperatists-in-ukraine-say-lawmaker-was-killed/26923773.html

>Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region say a member of their legislative body and an aide have been shot dead.

>Andrei Purgin, the senior member of the separatist legislature in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, said on March 27 that Roman Voznik and an aide were killed late on March 26 in the rebel-controlled provincial capital, Donetsk.

>Voznik was also commander of a rebel battalion called Mirazh (Mirage).

>Another separatist leader, Aleksandr Kofman, said the two men were shot dead at around 11:00 p.m. in a car.

>Purgin said it was "too early to draw conclusions" about who killed them.
———————
Stoltenberg: It's not NATO moving east—it's the east wanting to join NATO: http://www.unian.info/world/1060930-stoltenberg-its-not-nato-moving-eastits-the-east-wanting-to-join-nato.html

>"I think that’s a completely wrong statement. It's independent nations that have knocked on the door and wanted membership. It's not NATO in any way moving east—it's the east wanting to join NATO and/or the European Union. And that's the sovereign right of every sovereign nation to decide," Stoltenberg said.

>According to him, "the idea that this is something that is lost for Russia and gained by the European Union is the wrong concept."

>"No one has been forced to become a member of the European Union or NATO; everyone who has joined the European Union and NATO has joined because of their own free democratic will," he added.

Anonymous 03/28/15 (Sat) 19:33:39 fe4454 No.3720

File: 1427571219876.jpeg (57.7 KB, 620x372, 5:3, grad.jpeg)

Chinese Tour Operators to Assess Opportunities in Crimea During Visit: http://sputniknews.com/business/20150327/1020112155.html

>Some 15 tour operators from China will visit Crimea to assess the tourism and recreational opportunities on the peninsula, the Crimean Ministry of Tourism and Resorts said in a statement Friday.

>“An informational tour of Crimea will be carried out between March 28 and April 1, for 15 major Chinese tour operators,” the statement published on the ministry’s website read.

>The informational tour will be held to promote Crimean tourism opportunities on the Chinese market.

>In October 2014, Crimea’s envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Georgiy Muradov, said that the peninsula’s authorities count on developing direct tourist routes with China.
———————-
Right Sector Insignificant? President Offers Neo-Nazi Defense Ministry Post: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150327/1020084689.html

>Right Sector leader Dmitri Yarosh is said to have been offered a post in the Ministry of Defense in exchange for the integration of the movement's volunteer battalions into the Ukrainian armed forces, Ukrainian media have reported, citing MP and Ministry of Interior advisor Anton Gerashchenko.

>"I can confirm that Dmitri Yarosh has received a proposal from the president to take up a position in the ministry of defense. I personally would welcome it if Yarosh were to come to work in the public sector," Gerashchenko said Thursday evening, speaking on Ukraine's Channel 5.

>"I'll say, moreover, that Yarosh feels bored in the parliament. Plus, he was seriously wounded in battle. I would love to work with him in creating a voluntary defense association in Ukraine along the lines of the Estonian, Finnish or Swiss systems," Gerashchenko added.

>The Right Sector leader, who was wounded in combat in January in Donetsk, has yet to confirm whether or not he will accept Petro Poroshenko's offer, although Ukrainian media have speculated that his appointment is a foregone conclusion. His responsibilities are to include the coordination of volunteer units with the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine.

>President Poroshenko has promised to place all voluntary fighting units under the formal command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Earlier this week, Right Forces battalion leaders confirmed that they have been offered to join the Ukrainian National Guard, agreeing on the condition that their units' structure and leadership would be preserved intact, Expert.ru explains. Plans to integrate radical right extremist battalions into the country's armed forces, aimed at reducing the risk of political destabilization in Kiev, have been criticized by experts, who note that initiative will only lead to the radicalization of the armed forces.

>Right Sector's Ukrainian Volunteer Corps includes two battalions operating in eastern Ukraine, as well as eight reserve battalions throughout the rest of the country.

>In November 2014, the Russian Supreme Court declared Right Sector to be an extremist organization, and its activity has been banned on the territory of the Russian Federation. Earlier, in March, 2014, Russian authorities issued an arrest warrant against Dmitri Yarosh for incitement of terrorism, and for his organization's combat operations in the First Chechen War against the Russian military.
————————-
NATO Secretary-General: It would be wrong to speculate about Ukraine's NATO membership: http://www.unian.info/world/1061045-nato-secretary-general-it-would-be-wrong-to-speculate-about-ukraines-nato-membership.html

>"It would be wrong of me to speculate. Ukraine has emphasized that this will take some time," he told Canada's Maclean's.

>"Some years ago, they [Ukraine] applied for membership, and I respected that. Then they decided to be a non-bloc country. Now they have started the process of reforming with the aim to apply for membership later on. If and when they apply, we will assess that application," he added.

>Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada on December 23, 2014, amended Ukrainian laws to give up non-bloc status. The Ukrainian authorities believe that non-bloc status was unable to guarantee the country's security.

Anonymous 03/28/15 (Sat) 19:38:39 fe4454 No.3721

Ex-deputy of emergencies service head arrested with right to bail worth over UAH 1 mln: http://www.unian.info/politics/1061044-ex-deputy-of-emergencies-service-head-arrested-with-right-to-bail-worth-over-uah-1-mln.html

>The court has arrested former deputy chairman of the State Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine Vasyl Stoyetsky with the right to be released on bail worth UAH 1.182 million.

>This court order was announced by judge of Kyiv's Pechersk district court Ihor Kozlov, an UNIAN correspondent reported.

>In keeping with the court ruling, the suspect or other person could put up bail until May 23, after which the suspect should be released immediately.

>In case of release, Stoyetsky is obliged to visit investigators on demand and not to leave his permanent place of residence.

>Justifying the decision, the court announced the suspect should be arrested as he may influence witnesses when out of prison.

>The current court ruling could be appealed within 5 days in Kyiv's court of appeals.

>What is more, the court turned down the defense's claim to remove two judges from the case.
——————
Militants in Luhansk region fire Grad first time after Minsk truce – Moskal: http://www.unian.info/war/1061007-militants-in-luhansk-region-fire-grad-first-time-after-minsk-truce-moskal.html

>A reconnaissance and sabotage group of militants made an attempt to infiltrate into the town of Novotoshkivka in Popasna district, Luhansk region, in the early hours of Saturday.

>This was announced by the press service of Hennadiy Moskal, the head of Lugansk regional military and civil administration.

>At night, militants again used Grad multiple rocket launchers in Luhansk region after a long break, the press service said.

>At 2300 Kyiv time on Friday, they were shelling the 29th roadblock at the Bakhmutka motor road and the dislocation of the Ukrainian forces in the town of Novotoshkivka. "Rockets exploded near a coalmine facility and Kuibyshev Street. As a result of a direct hit, a garage facility was burnt, some districts of the village were cut off the power grids. More detailed information about damage and casualties among civilians is being verified," the press service said.

>What is more, from 0000 to 0330 Kyiv time on Saturday, a battle with the use of automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades continued on the outskirts of Novotoshkivka, not far from a bus stop, as a reconnaissance and sabotage group of Russian-backed militants was attempting to enter the town.

>During the night there were skirmishes between the Ukrainian troops in Krymske and Russian "Cossacks" groups in Sokilnyky. Krymske remained out of the reach of firing, no destruction was reported. From 2100 to 2300 Kyiv time on Friday, the village of Stanytsia Luhanska was seeing automatic and machine gun fire with occasional explosions of shells. As a result, a power failure blacked out the central part of the village. There is no report about casualties yet.

>"The use of Grad systems for the first time after the Minsk agreements were reached indicates that the terrorists cannot be trusted," Moskal said.

>"Over the past month and a half, our repair teams have done titanic work to restore life supporting infrastructure in the villages along the line of contact. Civilians have even started to return home in the hope that the war was finally over. And now again: Grad [rockets], mortars, new destruction," he added.

Anonymous 03/28/15 (Sat) 19:59:11 fe4454 No.3722

File: 1427572751007.jpg (68.39 KB, 512x381, 512:381, russ nuc bunk.jpg)

Why Is Russia Building Massive Underground Bomb Shelters?: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-26/why-russia-building-massive-underground-bomb-shelters

>Did you know that the Russians have a massive underground complex in the Ural mountains that has been estimated to be approximately 400 square miles in size? In other words, it is roughly as big as the area inside the Washington D.C. beltway. Back in the 1990s, the Clinton administration was deeply concerned about the construction of this enormous complex deep inside Yamantau mountain, but they could never seem to get any straight answers from the Russians. The command center for this complex is rumored to be 3,000 feet directly straight down from the summit of this giant rock quartz mountain. And of course U.S. military officials will admit that there are dozens of other similar sites throughout Russia, although most of them are thought to be quite a bit smaller. But that is not all that the Russians have been up to.

>For example, Russian television has reported that 5,000 new emergency nuclear bomb shelters were scheduled to have been completed in the city of Moscow alone by the end of 2012. Most Americans don’t realize this, but the Russians have never stopped making preparations for nuclear war. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has essentially done nothing to prepare our citizens for an attack. The assumption seems to be that a nuclear attack will probably never happen, and that if it does it will probably mean the end of our civilization anyway.

>Needless to say, the Russians are very secretive about their massive underground facility at Yamantau mountain, and no American has ever been inside. The following is what Wikipedia has to say about it…

>Large excavation projects have been observed by U.S. satellite imagery as recently as the late 1990s, during the time of Boris Yeltsin’s government after the fall of the Soviet Union. Two garrisons, Beloretsk-15 and Beloretsk-16, were built on top of the facility, and possibly a third, Alkino-2, as well, and became the closed town of Mezhgorye in 1995. They are said to house 30,000 workers each. Repeated U.S. questions have yielded several different responses from the Russian government regarding Mount Yamantaw. They have said it is a mining site, a repository for Russian treasures, a food storage area, and a bunker for leaders in case of nuclear war. Responding to questions regarding Yamantaw in 1996, Russia’s Defense Ministry stated: “The practice does not exist in the Defense Ministry of Russia of informing foreign mass media about facilities, whatever they are, that are under construction in the interests of strengthening the security of Russia.” Large rail lines serve the facility.

See the rest of the article for more. Shit's interesting as fuck.
——————————-
Ukraine Unity Holds Up as Backers of Ousted Governor Hold Rally: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-28/ukraine-unity-holds-up-as-backers-of-ousted-governor-hold-rally

>Allies of former regional Governor Igor Kolomoisky pledged their support for Ukrainian unity in the face of a pro-Russian rebellion to the east, even as they criticized moves in Kiev this week that led to his departure.

>Several thousand residents of Dnipropetrovsk, a city adjacent to rebel-controlled Donetsk, packed into the central square on a rain-drenched Saturday, dancing to music and singing patriotic songs. Still, some felt wronged by President Petro Poroshenko’s pressure for the governor to quit.

>Kolomoisky, 52, a billionaire and who has funded volunteer troops fighting insurgents just to the east in Donetsk, was forced out this week in a spat with President Petro Poroshenko. Support from the magnate, whose net worth is estimated at $1.36 billion by Forbes, was crucial for the government in Kiev to maintain power over industry-heavy Dnipropetrovsk.

>“We were arming battalions, treating the wounded and rescuing captives,” said ally lawmaker Borys Filatov, during a speech at the evening rally. “We did a lot. So yes, we are angry, we are prickly, we aren’t comfortable.”

>While demonstrators noted their frustration with the manner in which Kolomoisky left office, many declared their support for Ukrainian unity.

>Ukraine’s two eastern regions remained tense across all front lines, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said during his daily briefing in Kiev on Saturday.

>“In general, tension persists along all front lines, from the Azov Sea to the Ukrainian-Russian border near the village of Stanytsya Luhanska,” Lysenko said.

>Local residents at the rally said they were worried the dispute would threaten the security of the region, so close to the fighting.

>“I want to believe that there is no threat to the Dnipropetrovsk region anymore,” Lynska, the medical worker, said. “But I don’t think that the situation will change for the better. That’s why I am very-very concerned.”

Anonymous 03/29/15 (Sun) 17:34:05 fe4454 No.3734

File: 1427650445634.jpg (114.17 KB, 690x388, 345:194, yarosh.jpg)

Kiev Says Situation Stabilized in East Ukraine As Ceasefire Holds: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150329/1020167044.html

>Ukrainian military operation forces in the country's east report no new clashes with local militias there, operation spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Sunday, as the renewed ceasefire deal appears to hold.

>"The situation in the area of anti-terrorist operation appears to have stabilized," Lysenko told journalists at a press conference.

>Positions of troops loyal to the Ukrainian government in Kiev were not attacked even once throughout the night, he said, adding there were no reports of artillery gunfire or armored vehicles movement.

>Tensions remain along the line of contact on the stretch from the Sea of Azov in the south to the center of the Luhansk region, according to the Ukrainian operation headquarters. "The flashpoint now is the village of Shirokine near the Donetsk airport," Lysenko said.
———————-
Ukraine's Right Sector Leader Wants Donbas Residents Deported: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150329/1020179851.html

>In an interview for Ukrainian newspaper Obosrevatel published on Sunday, Ukrainian Right Sector leader and Rada deputy Dmitri Yarosh stated that the unruly residents of eastern Ukraine should be deported and deprived of their civil rights.

>Yarosh noted that much of Donbas is populated by 'Sovoks', an insulting slang term in Ukrainian and Russian derived from the word 'Soviet'. Yarosh stated that the region "is populated by Sovoks –real Sovoks. And they should be deported. We have to deal with those who do not want to live by the rules and the laws of the state in a very harsh manner. This includes deportation, the deprivation of civil rights, and so on. Without force, it will not be possible to do anything with the region, to turn the tide so to speak."

>The Right Sector leader added that the region's "unruly" residents must also be 'dealt with'. "If we get rid of the unruly ones, everything will be fine, quiet and peaceful. And then, of course, a program of affectionate Ukrainianization can begin." The MP noted that "spiritual rebirth" can begin only if authorities act in a consistent and forceful manner.

>Yarosh cited Ukrainian authorities' response to events in Konstantinovka, Donetsk, controlled by the Ukrainian military, where an inebriated Ukrainian armored vehicle driver crashed into a crowd of people and crushed and killed an eight-year-old girl in a hit and run incident.

>"The events in Konstantinovka are an example of what I mean. If we had shown even a little bit of weakness…Right from the beginning a whole bunch of 'heroes' began crawling out of the woodwork, using the tragedy in their own separatist interests. And when our guys came out and began shooting into the air and arresting the instigators of riots, everything ceased at once. This is the rule….The rowdy ones were dealt with, and everything is fine," Yarosh explained.

>The MP noted that in his view, there are still many "real patriots" of Ukraine in the region, and that the present anti-Kiev attitudes are the result of many years of Russian propaganda and the removal of genuinely Ukrainian spiritual values. Yarosh explained that the "guys from Donetsk and Lugansk regions" fighting for the Ukrainian army "should become the [new] elite, on whose basis a qualitatively new society can be built…And those Vatnik [slang for Russians blindly loving their country], criminal oligarchic attitudes sitting in the minds of ordinary people for one reason or another must be removed."

>The extreme nationalist leader noted that he has accepted the president's invitation to come work in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, adding that he has chosen to do so on a volunteer basis.

>Speaking about the Ukrainian army's recent losses on the battlefield, Yarosh recalled that "we faced a route near Ilovaisk…On the one hand, we have learned to fight, with morale at a high level. But things are very bad when a pride of lions is led by sheep. They cannot lead us to victory, and only roll us back…Speaking about the current situation on the front, our forces are still threatened by several encirclements. And I don't know, again, whether the sheep will react to this, or whether they are playing some sort of geopolitical game."

Anonymous 03/29/15 (Sun) 17:48:46 fe4454 No.3735

File: 1427651326240.png (849.4 KB, 820x610, 82:61, dank.png)

Dragoon Ride’s crossing through Czech Republic sparks anti-American protest: http://www.stripes.com/news/europe/dragoon-ride-s-crossing-through-czech-republic-sparks-anti-american-protest-1.337282

>Anti- and pro-American protesters squared off in Wenceslas Square on Saturday, a day before a large convoy of American troops was scheduled to pass through the Czech Republic on its way to Germany.

>The crossing will mark the tail end of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment Dragoon Ride, an 11-day trek of roughly 120 vehicles across eastern Europe aimed at reassuring allies concerned about Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine.

>The stated aim of the exercise rankled members of the Czech Republic’s Communist Party and sparked a series of protests across the country. The largest took place in Prague, the capital, where some 1,000 anti-American demonstrators gathered .

>“This definitely won’t contribute to peace in Europe because the situation is very, very dangerous and very tense. We’re of the opinion that steps like this definitely don’t help,” said Lubomir Ledl, a protest organizer and lawyer from Prague.

>The anti-American demonstration called forth a response by pro-American Czechs, approximately an equal number of whom came out on Wenceslas Square. Heated debates between the two sides caused police to separate the two sides, and the pro-American demonstrators held their own rally in Peace Square later in the day.

>Many of those in the pro-American camp said they would be meeting the U.S. soldiers as they crossed into the country to show that not all Czechs oppose Dragoon Ride.

>“It’s a discussion we are all having right now about which way the Czech Republic is going right now,” said pro-American protester Pavel Cerna, a Prague resident. “It’s important that we show the world that it’s not only the communists [fucking wot] that are dictating opinions here.”

>The Dragoon Ride is the culminating event for the 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s participation in Operation Atlantic Resolve, the ongoing multinational training event now headed up by the 3rd Infantry Division.

>The Stryker-heavy convoy will be entering the Czech Republic at Nachod, Harrachov and Vyskov and will eventually m near Prague before heading back to its home base in Vilseck, Germany.

>Ledl said the chief concern of those opposing the convoy was that this and other show-of-force exercises would provoke Russia and lead to a further deterioration of the situation in Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since early last year. Preventing that conflict from spilling over to the Czech Republic is a major concern, he said.

>“This topic of peace, calming down the situation and warning against the danger that can come from the Ukraine is bringing the people together,” Ledl said.

>Some doubt the sincerity of the protesters’ motives.

>Jiri Pehe, a political scientist and director of New York University’s Prague branch, described the protests as political theater organized by the Czech Communist Party. He believes that many of the protestors may be Russian agents or people who are secretly getting money from Russia.

>“If you take into account that the Communist Party has about between 10-15 percent in public support, you can see where these protests are coming from,” he said. “So, it’s a very vocal minority.”

>Pehe cited a recent poll by the STEM agency that found that Czechs overwhelmingly support the government’s decision to allow the Dragoon Ride within their borders. Of those polled, 82 percent said they supported the convoy, while only 17 percent opposed it.

>One of the protest organizers was Jiri Vyvadil, founder of the Friends of Russia activism group. In a statement released earlier, he suggested the United States had ulterior motives in supporting Ukraine.

>“American troops who will pass through here are a symbol of the same scenario: Americans cause military tension then intervene to alleviate it,” he said.

Anonymous 03/31/15 (Tue) 19:19:16 bf916d No.3758

I have a feeling that we're going to see a new phase in WW3 pretty soon. Should we have a Yemen/M.E. thread on this board to compliment the Ukraine thread?

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 01:31:01 cea0c2 No.4675

>>3758
I, as a lurker who learns a great lot from these threads, would greatly appreciate that, for I know close to nothing about Yemen.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 01:33:03 96788b No.4677

Now that the shills and shitposters are gone, for now, I have a question to ask /polpol/. Is this really the great happening of our time or is it being blow out of proportion?

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 02:20:04 11543c No.4713

Right now it's a conventional war over Yemen, but from here on out unless something happens right now to cause it to get hot it'll be a cold war that will steadily escalate until nukes are fired.

By the way:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32139637

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 02:28:50 559d84 No.4714

>>4677
I say it's not going anywhere, if only because it looks like the major financial interests in Germany and France are getting pissed off at the sanctions and the other disruptions the conflict caused.

This wasn't supposed to be a long war, I get the feeling that the west didn't even expect Russia to fight after the Ukrainian government was ousted. It's become messy and painful and businesses want a return to the status quo.

The whole thing seems like it's running on politician's pride at the moment, the sensible realpolitik decision would be to redraw Ukraine's borders, end the war so things can get back to normal and maybe someone can try and fix the basket case that is Ukraine's economy.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 03:25:55 ab0c87 No.4730

>>4677
I'd say it's a prelude to the Happening. The geopolitical earth shaking as forces build up.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 03:56:37 000000 No.4747

>>4714
>fix the basket case that is Ukraine's economy
Never going to happen, not with Russian irredentists everywhere there's a factory - if East Ukraine goes, then you've got a failed state in the West.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 04:02:52 4903d2 No.4751

>>4713
>Right now it's a conventional war over Yemen, but from here on out unless something happens right now to cause it to get hot it'll be a cold war that will steadily escalate until nukes are fired.

The kikes are beginning to get nervous, what do they have planned? Perhaps a little gift for Tehran which they are preparing retaliation for?

>Israel test-fires ‘David’s Sling’ missile defense system
>The joint U.S.-Israel air defense system known as David’s Sling has passed a set of tests that potentially clears the way for full-scale deployment.
http://rt.com/news/246093-israel-tests-david-sling/

also

>Palestine gets ICC membership, opening door to Israel war crimes prosecution
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/palestine-formally-joins-international-criminal-court-150401073619618.html

BRICS leadership has been passed to Russia

>As Russia assumes the chairmanship of the BRICS business council, the launch of the New Development Bank for its members will begin as an alternative to the US-dominated International Monetary Fund (IMF).

http://rt.com/business/245905-brics-russia-bank-economy/

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 04:07:50 000000 No.4753

>>4751
>kikes getting nervous about BRICS
I somehow doubt that, considering how deep they've got their claws into Russia and China, and that batshit insane communists run SA and Brazil.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 04:10:30 4903d2 No.4756

>>4753
>I somehow doubt that, considering how deep they've got their claws into Russia and China
That's true, I was referring mainly to their hasty missile shield tests which apparently were done ahead of schedule.

They may be prepping for an ugly end to the Iranian nuclear talks.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 04:14:11 4903d2 No.4759

>>3338
By the way OP, are there any plans for a Middle East general thread? The happenings in Yemen and the recent surge in ISIS activity in Lebanon is putting Assad's current position in peril, we could be seeing something major in the coming days.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 04:24:31 677b19 No.4764

>>4759
I'm not OP, but trying to comb through news and get an OP filled with yemen war info, but it seems pretty hard to cut through the fat and into the real news in regards to this shit. Maybe I'm just not used to the realities of today's news.

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 13:42:24 bb9466 No.5406

>>4764
Just recreated a thread with all of the links that had been gathered on the /pol/ thread

Anonymous 04/02/15 (Thu) 13:42:44 bb9466 No.5408

>>5406
Not OP, by the way, and I probably have missed some

Anonymous 04/03/15 (Fri) 15:41:12 3acb79 No.6425

YouTube embed. Click thumbnail to play.

From SouthFront

Donetsk pensioners get payments in Russian roubles
Pensioners in the Donetsk region started receiving pension payments in roubles on Wednesday following a decree by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR/DPR). Some of them said they hadn't been paid in months by the Kiev government.

Anonymous 04/03/15 (Fri) 16:48:19 a36313 No.6460

>>3569
What's with Russian planes lately abandoning manufacturer names and being named PAK (like the FA)? Is it similar to how the F-35 is a "Joint Strike Fighter", not a Lockheed plane?

Anonymous 04/04/15 (Sat) 10:56:59 6d043c No.6997

>>3569
How many of those would they have, and with what logistical capacity? Does anyone have any /k/ type information on their real feasability?

Either ways, interesting situation in the Ukraine.

Anonymous 04/07/15 (Tue) 07:25:45 4f827e No.9044

Crossposting from /k/

U.S Forces Building In Eastern Europe To Counter Russia

https://archive.today/clq5p

Anonymous 04/07/15 (Tue) 08:33:02 399491 No.9064

>>6460
Yes. (П)Prospective (А)Airborne (К)Complex of (Ф)Frontline (А)Aviation
Also today some of russian ISP's blocked hatechan, so if you will not notice less amount of "RIDF shills" maybe that would mean that they are not payed shills at all. (because real shills are fucking stupid)

Anonymous 04/08/15 (Wed) 20:46:56 8aa46d No.10328

Was checking the news lately, and want to show how the propaganda still continues. Check the way they manage to throw a few words or sentences here and there:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/08/un-paid-russian-air-charters-hundreds-millions-while-putin-invaded-ukraine/

>while Putin invaded Ukraine
>Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea and sent proxy fighters to invade eastern Ukraine
>despite Putin’s aggressive behavior abroad
>Moscow’s aggression

You know whats the worst thing? Just look at the comments. I really don't understand how can americans, and some of us Europeans be such retards.

>West and Central Ukraine isn't happy
>Revolts

>East Ukraine isn't happy
>B-But they haven't revolted, they've actually been invaded by Russians… and we must save them!

Furthermore how can there seriusly still be people who think that Ukraine can manage to protect itself for more than a week if Russia really attacked? For 6 times in a row the Ukrainian army got encircled, because they cut too deep and didn't realised it. 6 fucking times in a row they couldn't understand that they're making the same mistake, and there are still retards who believe that they can fight against an actual army?

Anonymous 04/08/15 (Wed) 22:22:20 b3d38a No.10366

>>9064
Are there any other threads on 8chan right now about the Russian ISPs blocking this site?

Anonymous 04/09/15 (Thu) 01:41:03 2fbac4 No.10453

>>10366
Did they? Source? Why would they do that?

Anonymous 04/09/15 (Thu) 01:57:57 677b19 No.10460

>>10453
Some thread on a bestiality board hit the russian degeneracy sensors, asked hotwheels to take it down, hotwheels replied aggressively and 8chan got blocked almost immediately as opposed to the long time it usually takes.

Anonymous 04/09/15 (Thu) 02:03:09 2fbac4 No.10462

>>10460
Makes sense considering they have been trying to censor degeneracy for a while now.

It sucks that the whole network is locked from Russia, though. I guess it's the price to pay for HW's free-speech policy.

Anonymous 04/09/15 (Thu) 23:22:51 3acb79 No.11150

http://rt.com/news/248365-ukraine-bans-communism-nazism/

Ukraine bans Communism & Nazism, celebrates UPA nationalists as 'freedom fighters'

>Ukrainian MPs have passed a law banning communist and national-socialist totalitarian regimes, and all their symbols. Another bill celebrates 20th-century nationalists accused of links to Nazi Germany, granting them social benefits.

>Social benefits for nationalist 'freedom fighters'
>At the same time, another law passed by 271 Rada MPs on Thursday officially recognizes Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with Nazis in the 20th century as "freedom fighters". Members of several official, underground and paramilitary groups, including the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), operated from 1917 till 1991. They fought "for the country's independence," and are now granted social benefits by the new law.

Post last edited at 04/09/15 (Thu) 23:24:44

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 07:53:57 8aa46d No.11318

File: 1428652437046.jpg (64.41 KB, 548x438, 274:219, 1407061290827.jpg)

So… Any movement or something? Do you think a new conflict will happen? I mean the Separatists said that they're fighting for complete independence from Ukraine, and won't accept being a special/autonomous zone, which is exactly what the current truce is trying to make them.

Also anyone have an achrive of the last 2 Ukraine war threads?

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 08:59:33 a29447 No.11339

File: 1428656372583.gif (3.72 MB, 347x244, 347:244, 1408711444808.gif)

>>11150
Hilarious. To think that there are "national socialists" right now who support those hohol fuckers.

Ukrops are nothing but anglokike attack dogs against Putin's national Russia.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 09:51:30 0bd869 No.11345

File: 1428659490437.jpg (705 KB, 1704x2200, 213:275, Putin failed.jpg)

>>11339
So popol is home to Russian Soviet shills?

I thought this place was supposed to be shill free.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 10:37:34 8aa46d No.11352

File: 1428662254206.png (76.97 KB, 297x288, 33:32, 1405008828202.png)

>>11345
>So popol is home to Russian Soviet shills?
Leave.
First time seeing your ID here, and your only post is accusing this place for being Russian shills. Which I find very strange, since Russia blocked this place, but I guess there will always be retards who yell "ridf".

There are 3 threads, with over hundreds links and citation on why we support the Novorussian and Russian side of the civil war. If you don't agree, then say why and try to back it up, BUT if you are just gonna scream the same thing over and over you are better off at /pol/.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 10:51:12 8bfeb7 No.11357

>>11345
>So popol is home to Russian Soviet shills?
/polpol/ was home to a lot of Pro-Russians prior to the latest wave.

The only semi active thread here was about Ukraine and was about as unbiased as an RT presenter, which is not surprising since a lot of the links posted were in fact from RT.

They most likely fled to here as they were having difficulty coping with getting BTFO when presented with the facts surrounding Putin's love of Jews.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 11:01:00 7054d0 No.11358

>>11345
>>11357
Jewtin/RIDF spam is not really BTFOing anything.
I personally have not seen any pro-Ukrainian articulate his stance that is not just "Jewtin is aggressive and is a kike puppet". Take it to the Ukraine threads and go 'BTFO them there if it's so crystal clear', would definitely welcome another perspective on the conflict.
Ukraine is incredibly more ZOG than Russia.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 11:02:59 7054d0 No.11360

>>11358
>Take it to the Ukraine threads…
My mistake, thought this was in another thread.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 11:10:01 ff0b56 No.11362

File: 1428664201723.png (133.94 KB, 800x406, 400:203, 1984_Fuck_Orwell.png)

>1984
Looks like Orwell, off by thirty years or so, wins by a nose! Huxley conceeds defeat and the dystopian reckoning of the world is finally known.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 11:16:33 8aa46d No.11363

>>11357
>BTFO
Since when?
Neither that guy, nor you are trying to argue.

The 1st guy just said that this place is RIDF, and you said we got BTFO. Non of you are trying to have a discussion.

>when presented with the facts surrounding Putin's love of Jews.
At /pol/ whenever there was a thread about Ukraine, 1 guy started to spam pictures about Putin with jews, not allowing any kind of discussion. Is that what you call BTFO and facts?

Listen, this place is quality over quantity.
If you have a different opinion, just say it , tell us why you think so, and if you can provide some links with evidence.

If you want to just scream Ridf, talk about unrelated stuff, and straight up lie , because you can't express yourself like a white person - feel free to go back to pol.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 11:17:09 8bfeb7 No.11364

>>11358
>I personally have not seen any pro-Ukrainian articulate his stance
>Ukraine is incredibly more ZOG than Russia.
That's the whole point. Both sides are kike infested shitholes that no sane man would want to support.

I haven't seen many Ukies claiming porky is a saint, even on /pol/. There are however noticeably more Putin fans trying to claim he's some messiah sent to save europe when in reality he's just Russia's own neocon fraud who not even Russian nationalists have much love for.

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 11:29:24 7054d0 No.11368

>>11364
Well, the whole point with the Ukraine threads is also not about Putin worship but supporting the right of self determination of Novorossiya. That is basically the stance of the "pro-russian" supporters here on /polpol/. And yeah they will probably be incorporated by Russia just like Crimea for protection from USA hegemony.

Novorossiya sympathisers wanted a place to discuss the conflict without being bombarded with unrelated onesentence Jewtin RIDF shilling. If you can't understand that, you need to reevaluate why you've come to this place instead of sticking to freezepeach/pol/

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 12:46:27 7aa50f No.11431

>>10366
Honestly, I don't know. I'm mostly lurker and write here on rare occasion. But yeah, for me it's been blocked for a week already (yeah the same way they blocked halfchan before, when simple proxy can help you to open the threads and when you need to post something - just temporarily turn the proxy off)

Anonymous 04/10/15 (Fri) 23:57:44 b3d38a No.11651

File: 1428710263993.jpg (129.84 KB, 653x916, 653:916, OdessaIndepedence.jpg)

Just some various news collected from Twitter. Apologies for propaganda stories, but everything reported on Ukraine is propaganda for one side or the other.

>Belarus Helps Ukraine with Military Equipment
This article is pretty interesting, talks about Belarussian cooperation wth Kiev and some other stuff
(via belarusdigest.com)
https://archive.today/ay24Q
——–
>Russian fighter 'admits killing 15 Ukrainian prisoners of war' as Amnesty International urges investigation into 'war crimes'
>Arseny Pavlov, also known as Motorola, has been accused of shooting dead Ukrainian soldier Ihor Branovytsky
(via independent.co.uk)
https://archive.today/xFQAP
——–
>S&P downgrades Ukraine credit rating by one notch to CC
http://f24.my/1Eijk0V
——–
>Kiev’s Economic Blockade Boosts Bitcoin Usage in Separatist East
I just thought this was kind of interesting, I suppose Bitcoin could be pretty useful in unstable parts of the world
(via cointelegraph.com)
https://archive.today/Jp5jI
——–
>Odessa People's Republic declares its independence and secession from Ukraine
>A parallel government was formed in Odessa, declaring its secession from Ukraine and the formation of the Odessa People's Republic. This information was distributed by the "Agency of Information Reports".
>According to the publication, the editorial office is in posession of a document entitled the "Declaration on the State Sovereignty of the Odessa People's Republic". The document is dated on April 6, 2015
(via fortruss.blogspot.it and vg-news.ru)
https://archive.today/Rio4b