Friday 15 May 2015

Headlines - 05/14/2015

News from Russia – and World Conflict



The World Economic Forum has just published its Human Capital Report 2015, and there’s good news for Russia, which has jumped from 55th place to 26th place on the back of its strong education system.


The fate of Ukraine’s agricultural sector is on shaky ground. Last year, the Oakland Institute reported that over 1.6 million hectares (ha) of land in Ukraine are now under the control of foreign-based corporations. Further research has allowed for the identification of additional foreign investments. Some estimates now bring the total of Ukrainian farmland controlled by foreign companies to over 2.2 million ha;1 however, research has also identified important grey areas around land tenure in the country, and who actually controls land in Ukraine today is difficult to ascertain.


Ukraine's president has said the Minsk peace roadmap – recognized by international powers as the only way out to the conflict in Donbass - is a "pseudo-peace", for which Ukraine is paying too high a price.

"We will fight to the last drop of blood," Petro Poroshenko said in an interview to the German TV channel ZDF. He said his forces would do so to protect the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol from "Russian aggressors."

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved privatization in the current year of Odesa Portside Plant, Sumykhimprom, a number of sea ports, Centrenergo and the remaining state shares in thermal generation and power companies


NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance is going to increase its activity at its eastern borders, with more air and sea patrols, amid non-stop exercises.


A Former Commander of GDR Army warns of a military escalation in Europa in the face of the crisis in Ukraine. A conversation with Horst Stechbarth, a former colonel general of NVA, the armed forces of GDR that were dissolved 25 years ago. From 1972 until 1989 he was deputy minister of defence and commander of the army. He celebrated his 90th birthday on April 13.


The Canadian government, under Prime Minister Harper, is signaling that it intends to use Hate Crime laws against those that would boycott Israel, meanwhile the blockade of Gaza remains intact and this empty suit says nothing. What this boils down to is the fact that the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) coalition has been too effective in placing pressure on Israel for their actions in the occupied territories.


President Barack Obama committed the United States to providing the Gulf nations with technical assistance against external attacks and to supporting efforts to develop region-wide ballistic missile defense capability.


As the US Marine Corps prepares to host a first-of-its kind Leadership Symposium with foreign nations, officials and planning documents reveal that China will be excluded from the conference

Just days after Japanese PM Shinzo Abe leaves Washington (having stepped up his nation's military assertiveness), The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Secretary of Defense has asked staff for military options in the South China Sea (as we have detailed China's land reclamation efforts):

*U.S. MAY USE MILITARY TO CONFRONT CHINA IN SPRATLY ISLANDS DISPUTE: WSJ

Ukraine SITREP May 14th, 2015 by Scott






For these two days it’s the Nutcracker come to life. Russia returning home from her Olympic celebrations is attacked from all sides by genetically mutated rats. They ran from under this Maidan Christmas tree. They brought The Plague with them a la Albert Camus. The rat army swells like a tsunami wave. At this moment, China’s fleet all in white uniform enters the Black Sea, and the NATO rats start to run about as though scolded with boiling water.
Russia should ask the Chinese fleet to stay in Crimea. Europe will become agreeable and manageable like silk. Never, in their worst nightmares, did the Europeans imagine to have Chinese armies at their gates. Looks like an angel rewriting the ancient history with some magic quill, making all the wrongs right. Punishing the wicked. They will pay for their coup d’état with their raison d’être. The Europeans have never seen the Chinese warriors so up-close and personal, but they have watched many movies.
TACO ‘s Puttin’ On The Ritz is so 20th century. Watch NATO – Running of the Rats across the Minsk Field.
Our dearest readers. How vital is it for you to know that you and your dog are not the only intelligent life form on this planet?
This week news on the block that the Moscow Times, a wicked yellow press vomit produced by a company in Finland and by Ripper Murdock was sold to a Russian company for what looks like just its debts.
Here comes the punch line, “Finland’s rabidly anti-Russian propaganda media group – calling for sanctions and war against Russia – is losing readers and advertisers, and making heavier and heavier losses. Many [Finns] say that they have stopped subscribing because they cannot stand to open the paper to a fresh load of hate propaganda every day. “ [Source]
The Northern Europeans refusing to absorb even more hatred? How is this even scientifically possible?
Ukraine
1. Across the Minsk field [Source]
The possible scenarios of the development of the situation in Ukraine by Georg Mirzoyan

Plan A: Keep Ukrainian territorial integrity (without Crimea). With full reformatting of the Ukrainian national project (federalization, neutral status, etc.). This is the primary goal.

Plan B: Big Novorossia (from Odessa to Kharkiv).

Russia is still stick to Plan A. Minsk agreements are favorable for Russia and chapters 4, 11, 12 are in line with this plan.

If anything goes wrong Plan B will be in place (chapters 4, 9). So Russia will press to enforce Minsk agreements and block any attempts to alternatives like peacekeepers.

This article is highly recommended, but I couldn’t find English translation yet.
2. As Poroshenko visits, Merkel says Minsk still flaunted [Source]

Ahead of a meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Minsk ceasefire is still being violated. The talks come just days after Merkel’s return from a visit to Russia.

Is the West looking for a new format in ties with Moscow, at least when it comes to problems related to international security?
3. Kerry, Poroshenko discuss talks in Russia [Source]

Kerry has updated Poroshenko about his talks in Russia, agreed further actions on de-escalation and discussed steps to fully implement the Minsk agreements. This is a Kiev press release in English, note the use of words like ‘informed’, kind of shows who is accepted as ‘boss’.
4. Merkel, Poroshenko to Hold Talks in Berlin [Source]

Then, following that, it looks like Poroshenko has been summoned to Berlin, to meet his ‘local boss’, where the two plan to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine and the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements.
5. US admits for the first time that Kiev fails to honor Minsk accords — lawmaker [Source]

Meanwhile, the Russian take is that the US has acknowledged for the first time that Kiev doesn’t comply with the Minsk agreements.
6. NATO secretary general calls for urgent implementation of Minsk accords [Source]

Stoltenberg called for the full implementation of the Minsk accords, observance of ceasefire regime and heavy weaponry withdrawal.

Whilst down in Turkey ahead of a NATO meeting Stoltenberg, seemingly neutral as to blame, has called for the full implementation of the Minsk accords saying that “now is the time to act… there is urgency when it comes to fulfilling the Minsk agreement,” the NATO secretary general said.
Donbass Novorossia

1. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics published a list of proposed amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution [Source]

Республики Донбасса опубликовали свой вариант изменений в конституцию Украины

May 13, 2015: The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics published a list of proposed amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution. The amendments cover six main articles of the document.

There is a proposed supplement to Article 17 or 18, “Ukraine will not join any military bloc or alliance, it will be neutral, and will not take part in military action outside its territory”.

It proposed to make the law on the special status of the Donbass permanent (instead of the current temporary status of three years only).

It made eight amendments to Article 139, in particular, to crea
te a separate autonomous Donbass region, with its own election commission.
The DPR and LPR could form people’s militia, with powers defined in separate legislation. Local officials would appoint and direct the militia.

Local authorities would create and abolish courts, regulate their activities, and appoint and dismiss judges and procurators.

The authorities of Donbass would monitor regional natural resources, oversee construction, tourism, transport, culture (including construction and protection of monuments, obelisks, and memorials), and education (mandating use of the Russian language).

Ukraine, for its part, would set aside a part of its annual budget to finance the development in the DPR and LPR, promote cooperation between regions, fix adequate sources of financing, and introduce a special economic régime. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukraine would have the duty to contribute to the socioeconomic and cultural development of the Donbass.
2. First Shelling of Donetsk Airport Reported in Three Days [Source]

3. Two schools in ‪‎Gorlovka‬ were damaged as ‪‎Ukrainian‬ artillery again terrorized Donetsk People’s Republic yesterday [Source]

4. OSCE: May 9 parade in Donetsk was a “violation of Minsk.”

5. “Ghost” brigade installed a children’s playground in Alchevsk. 
The foreign guests, who’d come to the Lugansk People’s Republic to take part in the International antifascist forum, also participated in the installation [Source]
Poland watch

Since the last Poland SITREP, I did not find any proof of increased activation of the parts of the Polish politicians’ brains normally engaged during reasoning.
Poland’s foreign affairs are not planned in Warsaw, but directed from Washington, and that is a fact.

Polish anti-Russian propaganda is just as the Polish proverb says: Thief yelling “Catch a thief.”

What makes US influence over Poland so powerful? In case you’ve forgotten, it’s a threat of the U.S. and Israel to demand Poland to pay the wartime crimes retribution in accord of $65 billion.
1. The matter of the importance of Poland as a country within EU rises some doubts considering disturbing but largely unnoticed news that Poland (its minister of culture and national heritage) has withdrawn documents and archives describing Volhynia-Galicia massacre from UNESCO, massacre of thousands of ethnic poles which was conducted by Ukrainian insurgent army (UPA). According to sources it came from Germany (directly from F-W. Steinmeier) and it was done because otherwise it would have been heavily detrimental to EU’s “united” stance over Ukrainian conflict. Though Poland was promised that EU economic cooperation project will remain. [Source]

And I don’t even mention polish claim for recognition of those OUN and UPA as fighters for Ukrainian independence.
2. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Grzegorz Schetyna has done the following [Source] Schetyna: Absurd przesłania tragedię

He publicly supported the initiative of Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada to recognize the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists as freedom fighters. For information, militants from those organizations have been officially blamed for the Volhynia massacre. To make matters worse, Schetyna did this on the order from US Ambassador to Warsaw Mull, which caused ‘soaring discontent among both the people and politicians of Poland’. And now he is compelled to beg his American patron John Kerry for protection.
Quoting the copy of the letter obtained by the respectable hackers from cyberguarilla.org,

“Dear Secretary Kerry, Adhering to our agreement with you, I have granted the request of Ambassador Mull and have openly supported the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine legislation to recognize the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists as freedom fighters, regardless of their direct participation in the genocide of ethnic Poles during the years of WWII. The initiative of mine has triggered soaring discontent among both the people and politicians of Poland, including the Civic Platform party, I am a member of. I have received death threats and calls for a voluntary resignation from the Office of Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I ask you to respond with the gesture of goodwill and use the different leverages available to the U.S. State Department so as to reduce the pressure put on me and my team. This will enable us to preserve the current level of trust and continue our cooperation as before. ”
And that is not the first time when EU countries are pressed to abstain from any claims regarding crimes conducted by new heroes of current power in Kiev during WWII as Nazi collaborators and on their own accord. Czech republic and its president are typical examples, IIRC Hungary has also received some “advices.”
Schetyna means hog hair in Russian. I can see that his letter worked quite well. Look where he is now. With Kerry in Turkey:
3. Ukraine on the agenda as Foreign Minister Schetyna attends NATO summit [Source]

May 13, 2015: Antalya – Foreign Minister of Poland Grzegorz Schetyna is taking part in a two-day summit in Turkey with his counterparts from fellow NATO member states.
4. Polish Presidential Election Expresses Growing Hostility Towards Russia
Campaign has been characterized by agitation against Russia and the promotion of a military build-up, despite the fact the two leading candidates barely differ in this respect
5. Neocon Writer Anne Applebaum Covers Up the Role West Played in Looting Russia [Source]

Anne Applebaum, is a rabid professional Russia hater and a wife of Radosław Tomasz “Radek” Sikorski, a Polish politician and journalist, and the current Marshal of the Sejm. Eager to pile the looting of Russia in 1990s on Vladimir Putin and his KGB friends Applebaum omits the role played by western reformers and banks.
6. Just a gentle reminder what Polish newspapers were saying before the Victory Day? “Russia is planning bloody provocation in 9th may as a reason to invade Ukraine”

Kijów: Rosja planuje krwawą prowokację 9 maja [
Source]

C’mon, regular Poles, tell me: Schetyna and his western overlords do their actions make you more sympathize with Russia, or less?
7. 10 thousand NATO Soldiers To Be Involved In Training Within The Polish Ranges This Year[Source]

May 7, 2015: – The Polish General Command of the Armed Forces published a plan of the joint, multinational exercises for the year 2015. In total, ca. 10 thousand soldiers of the allied forces would be involved in the operational activities related to the scheduled events. The fact that the scope of the exercises is so wide, stems from the bolstered NATO presence in the Mid-Eastern European region, in the light of the Ukrainian crisis.

8. Polish Citizen Faces Two Years in Prison for Anti-Ukrainian Banner [Source]

Russia and Beyond

1. New Economic School seminar on ‘Demand for Constitutional Decentralization’ with the Koch Brothers [Source]
Meanwhile in Moscow, old tired Soros is being replaced by the Koch Brothers money.

“On May 14 a research seminar on political economy will take place at HSE. The event is organized by the HSE Faculty of Economics and the New Economic School. Eric Alstom (Charles Koch Institute) will speak on ‘Demand for Constitutional Decentralization’.

The focus lies upon the link between factors that are likely to increase citizen demand for decentralization, and whether these factors can be linked to an increase in constitutional decentralization provisions.”

Let’s see what Koch brothers’ money have to say about Russia:

” Andrei Illarionov of the Koch Brothers’ libertarian Cato Institute says that the first among “the crimes that have been committed or are being committed by the Kremlin — stealing Crimea” can be rectified only by rejecting “Russia’s aggression in Crimea,” which means to replace the current Russian government by “a free democratic state with the rule of law”: i.e., overthrowing it in order to establish that very thing, “a free democratic state with the rule of law.” [
Source]
The people who are calling openly for the putsch, for the “replacement of the current Russian government” are having a public seminar in center of Moscow today with the young people, the college students. You are welcome.

2. More than 40% of U.S. honeybee colonies died in past 12 months: USDA [Source]

For the first time since the survey began five years ago, the summer loss rates exceeded the winter loss rates, suggesting bees are becoming vulnerable during a time of the year they were thought to be healthy and robust.


The Last, But Not Least

Puttin’ on the Ritz… In Russia [
Source]

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