Spot the Fascists

Mr Poroshenko (C) said the pact was a "symbol of faith and unbreakable will"

Russia it seems is all in favour of self-determination, but gets its knickers in a terrible twists any time countries like Ukraine, Georgia or Moldova decide to strengthen their ties with the European Union (EU).

Now this is not just hypocritical if you ask me, in  my view it's also highly irresponsible and dangerous even because calling fellow Europeans 'Nazis' is an insult to all those who fought against fascism in the Second World War including many Russians, of course.  

Europe has been at peace for 60 years and part of the reason for that is the stability offered by the European Union and for an advisor of President Putin to be calling  neighbouring countries and politicians 'Nazis' is a complete disgrace.

It's no wonder that so many central and eastern European countries, that were previously satellite states of the old Soviet Union, are now looking to the west and the EU to build a peaceful future for their citizens.          

Ukraine crisis: Putin's senior aide brands Poroshenko a 'Nazi' ahead of 'illegitimate' EU deal signing


Comments come as thousands lined up to cross the border into Russia as a shaky cease fire is due to end today

By HEATHER SAUL - The Independent

One of Vladimir Putin’s senior advisors branded Petro Poroshenko a “Nazi” ahead of the signing of a controversial EU deal, straining the relationship between Russia and Ukraine even further.

Sergei Glazyev’s comments came shortly before the Ukrainian president signed the full association agreement at the EU summit in Brussels amid a precarious ceasefire between government troops and pro-Russian rebels.

Mr Glazyev, Mr Putin's presidential adviser on regional economic integration, also described Mr Poroshenko’s endorsement of the deal as “illegitimate” and accused Europe of attempting to push Ukraine to sign the agreement, which is expected to take place later today “by force”.

He told the BBC: "They organised [a] military coup in Ukraine, they helped Nazis to come to power. This Nazi government is bombing the largest region in Ukraine."

When asked if he believed Mr Poroshenko was a Nazi, he replied "of course", adding: "I think after the signing of the agreement with EU, [the] European public will be... surprised when this Nazi Frankenstein, which was born by the Euro bureaucrats and some politicians, will knock on the European countries' doors."

His inflammatory remarks follow news that four members of the Vienna-based Organisation for the Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) had been released in what Alexander Borodai, head of the Donetsk People's Republic, claimed was part of a goodwill gesture.

"We don't expect anything in return - we freed them without any pre-conditions," he said.

The OSCE said four other members were also kidnapped by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine a month ago. Spokesman Steffen Seibert said leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France had agreed on Wednesday in a telephone call that the hostages should be freed without delay.

Thousands of Ukrainians are reported to have lined up at the border with cars stuffed with their belongings to cross into Russia as the shaky cease fire entered its final hours today.

Russia claims tens of thousands of Ukrainians have come in the two-and-a-half months since Ukraine's government began fighting separatists in the east, a heavily industrial region with a large population of ethnic Russians, many of whom feel strong ties to Moscow.

Air strikes and artillery attacks by the Ukrainian military have infuriated many residents. Many crossing the border said they were fleeing the fighting, which has killed more than 400 people since mid-April by the United Nations' estimate.

Talks to possibly extend the truce in Donetsk and Luhansk are set to take place on Friday. It will be the second round of talks since Monday in which the rebel leaders have participated.

Mr Poroshenko has urged Russia to support his peace plan "with deeds, not words" a call echoed by the US Secretary of State John Kerry ahead of the summit of EU leaders, who will be considering a new round of sanctions against Russia.

Spot the Fascists (30 May 2014)

Here's a remarkable report from the BBC which shows two Ukrainian women scolding and chasing away armed pro-Russian separatists whip hide their identities (unlike regular soldiers) by wearing balaclavas.

Even in the face of a vile threat that "We'll get out and put you face down in the fucking dust" the women refuse to be intimidated, stand their ground and force the thugs to drive off.

One of the woman tells the armed group, "If every monkey starts walking around with a machine gun. What kind of world would this be?"

Spot the Fascists (31 May 2014)

Here's another disturbing report from the BBC about the men in balaclavas in Ukraine who have appointed themselves as protectors of the people while disguising their identities from fellow citizens and the wider world.

Now unless these people are not who they claim they are, I can't think of a good reason for them to hide their identities or be so evasive about their background. 

Ukraine crisis: Meeting the little green men

By Steven Rosenberg
BBC News, Donetsk

Pro-Russia activists have occupied government buildings with relatively little difficulty

Nikolai stood near the local council building in Konstantinovka, leaning on his walking stick and shaking his head at the scene in front of him.

Masked gunmen in camouflage had seized the building and were guarding the entrance. Meanwhile, Pro-Russia activists were building barricades with concrete blocks and sandbags and singing along to а pop song about the Soviet Union.

Back in the USSR, Nikolai had worked for Soviet military intelligence. He's convinced that the men with guns here are from Russia.

"I went up to them," Nikolai told me. "They had modern Russian automatic rifles. I told them: I don't believe you are Ukrainians. You're from Russia. From GRU Military Intelligence. You can't cheat me. I'm from the same system."

"One of them replied: 'Ah, there's no tricking an old wolf, is there?' I'm sure they've been sent here and paid to make revolts and calamities."'We're all Russian'

I asked one of the armed "men in green" where he came from.

"Ukraine," he replied curtly. Then he smiled: "Actually, there's no such nationality as Ukrainian. That's an Austria-Hungarian deception. We're Russian. We're all Russian. And this land isn't Ukraine: it's Novorossiya - and we will defend it."

Thirty kilometres (19 miles) away in Kramatorsk, pro-Russia militants have occupied the administration building there, too. Inside I met Vadim Ilovaisky.

Vadim Ilovaisky says he has progressed from PR consultant to military commandant

He introduced himself as the town's new 'Military Commandant'.

He was sitting in army fatigues in the office of the deputy mayor, poring over maps of the region (the deputy mayor, he informed me, was on sick leave). The Military Commandant pointed out the aquarium in the corner and assured me that he was taking good care of the deputy mayor's fish.

I asked Vadim where he was from.

'I'm a Cossack," he told me, "my grandfather and great-grandfather were from Stavropol region (in southern Russia)."

"In civilian life, I'm a PR consultant. But as a Cossack commander I took part in the Crimea campaign. I'm a citizen of Ukraine."

When asked where he lives now, he was evasive: "My home," he replied, "is the building I'm sitting in."'Taped conversations'

Like the veteran military intelligence officer I met in Konstantinovka, the West, too, is convinced that there is a direct link between Moscow and the pro-Russia militia that has been seizing government buildings and police stations with impunity across Eastern Ukraine.

According to The Daily Beast, in a recent closed door meeting, the US Secretary of State John Kerry revealed that the US had obtained "taped conversations of intelligence operatives (in Ukraine) taking their orders from Moscow".

Kiev alleges that Igor Strelkov (right) is a Russian officer from Moscow

Washington had already accused Russia of continuing "to fund, co-ordinate and fuel a heavily armed separatist movement" in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government alleges that the commander of pro-Russia militants in eastern Ukraine - Igor Strelkov - is a Russian military officer. Kiev claims that his real name is Igor Girkin and that he is from Moscow.

This week he was among the 15 individuals sanctioned by the European Union. The EU identified him as "staff of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU)".

In an interview with the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda last weekend, Commander "Strelkov" claimed that "more than half, or maybe two-thirds" of his force were Ukrainians. "Many of them," he said, "had battle experience, many had fought in the Russian army…"

Evaporating power

Russia denies having troops or operatives on the ground in Ukraine. Moscow maintains that the militias and "self-defence forces" which have sprung up in eastern Ukraine are spontaneous demonstrations of people power sparked by fear of "fascists" in power in Kiev.

But if Russia is orchestrating this revolt, what does that tell us about Moscow's influence in eastern Ukraine and the level of control Kiev has?

Judging by the ease with which pro-Russia groups have been seizing key buildings, in many cases simply walking in and taking over, the power of central government has been evaporating here.

The power of Kiev's government has been rapidly deteriorating in eastern Ukraine

Even Ukraine's acting President Olexander Turchynov has admitted that in Donetsk and Luhansk regions security personnel "tasked with the protection of citizens" were "helpless."

Even worse, "some units," he claimed, "either aid or co-operate with terrorist groups".

If President Putin's plan is to weaken, or even split Ukraine, he may not need to send in Russian tanks.

Amid the chaos, the violence and the fear in eastern Ukraine, deep divisions have already emerged.

And, for now, Kiev appears incapable of holding the country together.

Soviet Reunion (7 March 2014)

I started reading this opinion piece in The Guardian by Seumas Milne but when I got to the paragraph (in bold) about the 'disastrous' break-up of the former Soviet Union I rather lost interest, I have to say.

Because I could understand why someone like Seumas was a political apologist for the old Soviet Union - lots of people on the left were in those days and saw the world in ideological terms as a battle between unfettered Capitalism and state-controlled Socialism.

But the world has since moved on then and despite the recent problems of the global economic recession, no serious politician is now suggests that anything other than a market based system is the basis for organising a modern, productive economy.

Not even China or Russia disagree these days although their political and social systems leave much to be desired as far as civil rights and freedom of expression are concerned. 

So having been an apologist for the old Soviet Union what puzzles me is why Seumas should be such an admirer of Russia when it is such a repressive capitalist country operating under a harsh political system - where minority groups are harassed and punished on a regular basis? 

If anything, Russia is practising and even more brutal and exploitative version of capitalism under Valdimir Putin and the Russian oligarchs. 

And the fact of the matter is that the former satellite countries of the Soviet Union such as Poland, Latvia, Bulgaria and Slovakia (which borders Ukraine) have all become much more democratic and liberal since shaking off Soviet domination.

Whereas Russia, the member states of the Russian Fedearation and satellites countries like Belarus have all gone the other way - they have all become less democratic and more illiberal.

In the case of Iraq of course, prior to any military action being taken there were years of wrangling at the United Nations in an effort to knock some diplomatic sense into the vile Saddam regime.

Yet Seumas has nothing critical to say about the fact that President Putin has ordered boots on the ground in Ukraine at the drop of a hat under the pretext of fascist political activity - while the Dutch UN special envoy (Robert Serry) was chased our of Crimea after being threatened by armed men, so who's kidding who here?  

If you ask me Seumas Milne is really arguing for the political rebirth of this beloved Soviet Union - a kind of Soviet Reunion if you like, under the aegis of Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation.   

The clash in Crimea is the fruit of western expansion

The external struggle to dominate Ukraine has put fascists in power and brought the country to the brink of conflict

By Seumas Milne


Troops under Russian command fire weapons into the air in Lubimovka, Ukraine. Photograph: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Diplomatic pronouncements are renowned for hypocrisy and double standards. But western denunciations of Russian intervention in Crimea have reached new depths of self parody. The so far bloodless incursion is an "incredible act of aggression", US secretary of state John Kerry declared. In the 21st century you just don't invade countries on a "completely trumped-up pretext", he insisted, as US allies agreed that it had been an unacceptable breach of international law, for which there will be "costs".

That the states which launched the greatest act of unprovoked aggression in modern history on a trumped-up pretext – against Iraq, in an illegal war now estimated to have killed 500,000, along with the invasion of Afghanistan, bloody regime change in Libya, and the killing of thousands in drone attacks on Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, all without UN authorisation – should make such claims is beyond absurdity.

It's not just that western aggression and lawless killing is on another scale entirely from anything Russia appears to have contemplated, let alone carried out – removing any credible basis for the US and its allies to rail against Russian transgressions. But the western powers have also played a central role in creating the Ukraine crisis in the first place.

The US and European powers openly sponsored the protests to oust the corrupt but elected Viktor Yanukovych government, which were triggered by controversy over an all-or-nothing EU agreement which would have excluded economic association with Russia.

In her notorious "fuck the EU" phone call leaked last month, the US official Victoria Nuland can be heard laying down the shape of a post-Yanukovych government – much of which was then turned into reality when he was overthrown after the escalation of violence a couple of weeks later.

The president had by then lost political authority, but his overnight impeachment was certainly constitutionally dubious. In his place agovernment of oligarchs, neoliberal Orange Revolution retreads and neofascists has been installed, one of whose first acts was to try and remove the official status of Russian, spoken by a majority in parts of the south and east, as moves were made to ban the Communist party, which won 13% of the vote at the last election.

It has been claimed that the role of fascists in the demonstrations has been exaggerated by Russian propaganda to justify Vladimir Putin's manoeuvres in Crimea. The reality is alarming enough to need no exaggeration. Activists report that the far right made up around a third of the protesters, but they were decisive in armed confrontations with the police.

Fascist gangs now patrol the streets. But they are also in Kiev's corridors of power. The far right Svoboda party, whose leader has denounced the "criminal activities" of "organised Jewry" and which was condemned by the European parliament for its "racist and antisemitic views", has five ministerial posts in the new government, including deputy prime minister and prosecutor general. The leader of the even more extreme Right Sector, at the heart of the street violence, is now Ukraine's deputy national security chief.

Neo-Nazis in office is a first in post-war Europe. But this is the unelected government now backed by the US and EU. And in a contemptuous rebuff to the ordinary Ukrainians who protested against corruption and hoped for real change, the new administration has appointed two billionaire oligarchs – one who runs his business from Switzerland – to be the new governors of the eastern cities of Donetsk and Dnepropetrovsk. Meanwhile, the IMF is preparing an eye-watering austerity plan for the tanking Ukrainian economy which can only swell poverty and unemployment.

From a longer-term perspective, the crisis in Ukraine is a product of the disastrous Versailles-style break-up of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. As in Yugoslavia, people who were content to be a national minority in an internal administrative unit of a multinational state – Russians in Soviet Ukraine, South Ossetians in Soviet Georgia – felt very differently when those units became states for which they felt little loyalty.

In the case of Crimea, which was only transferred to Ukraine by Nikita Khrushchev in the 1950s, that is clearly true for the Russian majority. And contrary to undertakings given at the time, the US and its allies have since relentlessly expanded Nato up to Russia's borders, incorporating nine former Warsaw Pact states and three former Soviet republics into what is effectively an anti-Russian military alliance in Europe. The European association agreement which provoked the Ukrainian crisis also included clauses to integrate Ukraine into the EU defence structure.

That western military expansion was first brought to a halt in 2008 when the US client state of Georgia attacked Russian forces in the contested territory of South Ossetia and was driven out. The short but bloody conflict signalled the end of George Bush's unipolar world in which the US empire would enforce its will without challenge on every continent.

Given that background, it is hardly surprising that Russia has acted to stop the more strategically sensitive and neuralgic Ukraine falling decisively into the western camp, especially given that Russia's only major warm-water naval base is in Crimea.

Clearly, Putin's justifications for intervention – "humanitarian" protection for Russians and an appeal by the deposed president – are legally and politically flaky, even if nothing like on the scale of "weapons of mass destruction". Nor does Putin's conservative nationalism or oligarchic regime have much wider international appeal.

But Russia's role as a limited counterweight to unilateral western power certainly does. And in a world where the US, Britain, France and their allies have turned international lawlessness with a moral veneer into a permanent routine, others are bound to try the same game.

Fortunately, the only shots fired by Russian forces at this point have been into the air. But the dangers of escalating foreign intervention are obvious. What is needed instead is a negotiated settlement for Ukraine, including a broad-based government in Kiev shorn of fascists; a federal constitution that guarantees regional autonomy; economic support that doesn't pauperise the majority; and a chance for people in Crimea to choose their own future. Anything else risks spreading the conflict.