As many Ukrainians predicted, the threat of invasion by
Russian troops in Ukraine has increased after the negotiations in Geneva.
According to the Ukrainian Deputy Head of the Presidential
Administration, ‘the number one assignment for Putin is to destroy the process
of stabilization in Ukraine and destroy the presidential elections.’
Yet Russia claims that they are ‘responding’ to Ukrainian
aggression in order to ‘protect’ Russian speakers and Ukrainians against the
Kyiv government. This statement is an outright lie. If military exercises had
started just now, what were 50,000 Russian troops doing at the borders for a
month and a half?
Putin stated today, ‘if
it’s true that the current regime in Kiev sent the army against citizens inside
its country, then it is a very serious crime against its own nation.’
The Ukrainian government is continuing it’s
‘anti-terrorist operations’ (ATO) in Donetsk (mainly all attention is in
Slovyansk) in response to the seizure of government buildings by armed groups.
The ATO is dealing with a situation of hostages being taken (targeted against
Ukrainian politicians as well as foreign and national journalists),
kidnappings, racially-targeted violence (during the last week there were
seven incidents of attacks on the local Roma population) and murders. The connections of
these criminal events and Russia (a foreign country) have been verified.
The heads
of six broadcasting stations in Ukraine wrote an open letter to acting
president Turchynov appealing for protection for their employees. In their
appeal, the executives expressed concern about threats of violence against
journalists working in different cities in Eastern Ukraine. Also, they claim the
intermittent interruptions and partial cessations of broadcasts of Ukrainian
channels in these areas.
The Ukrainian Chief Spokesperson said to Catherine Ashton (High Representative of the Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European Union), that the ATO is not a violation of the Geneva agreement.
The European Union recognizes the right of the Ukrainian authorities to take
forceful measures to protect the sovereignty of their state. The Ukrainian government
through the ATO are taking these measures, for better or worse, within their
own country.
But how quickly has everyone forgotten that Yanukovych, ousted
President of Ukraine, ordered snipers to fire against civilians in Maidan
between Feb. 18th, 19th and 20th? Has anything
been done to address this very serious crime? What was the position of Russia
then? How is Russia now in a position to accuse the interim Ukrainain
government?
It is important to point out that Maidan was not about the
United States of America. The interim government is not ‘pro-Obama’. Rather, they
are an assortment of opposition leaders and new leaders emerging from the
Maidan movement. Some of these leaders maintain links with the previous corrupt
regime. For instance, it emerged today that Tymoshenko signed a document
with Yanukovych in 2009 outlining how they would share and divide Parliamentary
power until 2029.
The discourse of the interim government, although concerned
with changing the decayed political and judicial structure of Ukraine and re-gaining
the trust of Ukrainians. It is being always about re-building Ukraine. Yes,
many politicians, economists, Ukrainian oligarchs and business leaders want
closer ties with the EU. But Russia’s claim that Kyiv is a puppet of the United
States caters into a Cold War mythology, where there is Russia and there is the
USA and everyone else is either with us or against us. Russia wants again a game
where there is West and there is East, pick a side.
So long as we continue to try and fit Ukraine into either
‘camp’, we, the observers, writers, academics and interested/concerned
citizens, are guilty of allowing and participate in the perpetuation of the
imperialist, totalitarian myth that both Russia and the US cling to.
Today a phone call between ‘Order
of Russian’ special operations soldier, Strelkov, and V. Ponomariov, the self-proclaimed
mayor of Slovyansk was made public by Ukrainian media. In the conversation they
discuss the measures to bury the body of Vladimir Rybak, MP of Horlivka.
Finally, an excerpt from an
interview with V. Ponmariov by Gazeta.ru about the situation in Slovyansk:
Even policemen stood and smoked with your guys. Are they on
your side too?
Well, they have no other options. They are living here, and
if, God forbid, any of them were to go against us… pffff! (smile)
Even
among common people, even if it’s just one in a hundred, there can be those who
stand for other beliefs! What do you plan to do with them?
Come
on! There are no more than 40 such people here! There are always apes. People
go to the zoo to see them. Let’s say they will be a separate coalition, but we
will control them. I’ll tell you how operative work is done. You light the
lantern and wait for butterflies to come. But if they want to fly away – you
have flypaper. Or you can just strike them with swatter.
The
next question is not about bodies, but about Ukraine’s presidential election,
planned for May 25th.
There
won’t be any elections.
In
the Donbas region, or just in Sloviansk?
Nowhere.
Trust me. Nowhere.
You
won’t allow it or someone else won’t? Explain, please.
We
will take all necessary measures to ruin the elections in the southeast region.
Where’s
the border of these measures?
We
can take some prisoner and hang him by the balls. Literally.
Oh
my God, how scary are the things you’re talking about…
No-no,
trust me. I’m kind man, really kind. But sometimes my kindness is seen as a
weakness, and this is a mistake. I love my children, my mom…
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