Acting Prosecutor General of
Ukraine Oleh Makhnytsky reported that law enforcement authorities have detained
nine suspects in the February 18-20 shootings of Maidan activists. Among
the detainees is the leader of the sniper squad. All of the detained are
officers of the Kyiv City Berkut special police. Yanukovych, now in Russia,
denies that he and his government (allies) are responsible.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Health
reports that, beginning February 18, a total of 1,528 persons were injured as a
result of clashes in downtown Kyiv. 103 participants in anti-government
protests have been killed, and 166 protesters remain missing.
NATO’s top commander said on
Wednesday that the 40,000 troops Russia has within striking distance of Ukraine
are poised to attack on 12 hours’ notice and could accomplish their military
objectives within three to five days. While some, including Merkel, have said
Russian troops are moving out, so far only 400 to 500 troops have been
seen to actually move away from their position at the Ukrainian border.
The European Commission in
Brussels warns the economic consequences of the sanctions to Russia. It has
been reported that the EU GDP will fall due to less exportations and reduce
access to Russian energy (oil and gas). The new energy alternatives will take
years to be realised. However, many in Ukraine continue to fight for their
voices to be heard.
What has happened in Ukraine
is, in simple terms, Putin has invaded another sovereign nation-state and the
world is ‘powerless’ to stop him, seemingly because they are afraid of
‘economic consequences’. According to an article published in the New
Statesman, ‘what we are witnessing is the biggest crisis of the European order
since the cold war, with the potential to shred the reputations of the
governments and national security establishments of Europe and the US.’ The
territorial integrity of Ukraine has been entirely disregarded, Budapest
accords of 1994 completely ignored, and Putin’s revival of geopolitical power
charges ahead.
The UK, like Germany and
other European nation-states, is so far showing itself unwilling to tackle the
‘Russian lobby’: oilmen, estate agents, bankers, managers, lawyers, advisors
and media. Is the European Union an ‘expensive youthful prank that the
continent played in its dotage’? Are the Ukrainians to ‘die clutching the blue
flag of Europe’, while Europe is exposed for the limit of its power? (quoting from Brendon Simms, NS).
But Ukrainians are not
clutching the flag of Europe. Neither are they jumping at the IMF funding
package or feeling ‘saved’ by Russian protection. No, Ukraine and Ukrainians
know that they are, to a large extent, on their own. Many previously
un-political civilian Ukrainians are now ready to join the military, ready to
lose their lives. Ukrainians have become even more fierce. But where do they
turn? Whom do they trust, or what institution will truly stand for them? And
who in the world is listening? Ukraine does not have strength, militarily, nor
the funds for a massive English-language information campaigns.
Meanwhile Russia continues to
launch its propaganda war, calling out all Ukrainians as ‘fascists’. This
language harkens to the old Soviet ‘with us or against us’ vocabulary.
Following the Second World War, Ukrainians who were not willing to become
members of the Soviet Union and Party were automatically labelled as German,
Nazi collaborators. ‘Fascist’ is now used with the addition of 21st
century fear-mongering that adds to the ‘fascist neo-nazi’ label, the label of
‘terrorist’.
Today, a group of Ukrainians,
apparently photographing Russian troop movement near the border, were detained
in Russia based on claims that they were an ultra-right terrorist group
plotting to bomb the nation. And the West stops to ponder this possibility.
Russian blanket demonization of Ukrainians conveniently gives the West an ‘out’
and an excuse to continue prioritising their economic interests. An excuse to
turn a blind-eye to Ukrainians and voices struggling to be heard from Ukraine –
journalists, commentators, activists and government officials.
Excerpt
from an interview with Valeriy Sushkevych, a member of the Ukrainian
parliament for 15 years, chairman of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Committee on
the Affairs of Pensioners, Veterans and the Disabled. Also president of
Ukraine's Paralympic Committee:
‘It astonishes me how many
patriotic Ukrainians there are who used to be so indifferent to politics; the
government, the constitution, parliament, those people who said 'I only want to
think about myself, my own problems,' and that’s it. Today, those same people
are saying 'I’m ready to join the Ukraine army, I’m ready to fight for
independence and freedom for Ukraine, I am ready to take a weapon in my hand,
and stand up to the aggressor.'
A friend of mine, a
business man, politically he’s indifferent, he said to me, I can’t be like that
anymore, not at a time like this. What astonishes me is that this man was on
Maidan on that tragic night. He took his own weapon and went to Maidan and shot
at the police and the Berkut [special police force] and he fought against the
Yanukovych police. In the past, people hadn’t thought about politics, or the
political future of our country, but today, people are very nervous, but ready
to fight for the territory and sovereignty of the motherland – Ukraine, and
they’ll fight against the aggressor and for a democratic future in our
country.’
[translation of words in photo: ‘The
Revolution will be’]
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