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There will be no troop pullback until there is a deal reached. Any rumors otherwise are just fantasy.
Fantasy is another way to describe the Russian attempts to blame the West for Ukraine's economic problems in 2014 and 2015 (before the EU agreement went into affect). The problems were caused not by the revolution but by Russia fomenting conflict.
To frame Yanukovych's borrowing and spending on various corrupt schemes for his supporters as the IMF or the EU's fault is just as fantastic. This isn't living in reality, this is living in a warped world view of a time further in the past. But the past is what they cling to since currently Ukraine is entering into its highest standard of living since 1991. Rather than acknowledging the significant improvements since the EU deal went into force, Putin loving Russians have to cling to the problems they created in 2014 in hopes somehow it will convince themselves that overthrowing corrupt autocrats is bad for society.
Uh yes, when the graphs are in your face, keep on denying the obvious.)))
Things however keep on going in the same direction ( the takeover of Ukrainian government and economy by Western powers, but with few curious twists.) There are a lot of interesting things going on simultaneously in that part of the world, however they are only developing, no decisive conclusions yet, so I'll make the general observation of the latest news.
What is already known by now, is that Zelensky has three different groups of people in his *new* government.
First group are the people that are close personally to Zelensky - i.e. people that he brought in the government with him from his "95th Quartal" business.
Second group - people of the oligarch Igor Kolomoysky, starting from Ze's "chief of stuff," Andrey Bogdan (who is unofficially dubbed as "vice president of Ukraine," even though there is no such official position in Ukrainian government.)
Bogdan is a former ( or current - that I don't remember) Kolomoysky's lawyer.
Sorry I can't help it lol but this is the parody of the "95th Quartal" on Bogdan - Zelensky ties, ( Ze's childhood pictures with him are obviously photo-shopped, but the rest of the current ones are real and quite revealing. Bogdan actually comes across as a good sport and is asking for this kind of jokes himself in this video. So the name of this song ( devoted to him and Zelensky) is "I will be forever with you.")
(But you can scroll past all this, straight down to the US-related news of course. )
Actually, the direct ties of Zelensky and Kolomoysky himself are out of the bag at this point and here is their meeting at president's office as Russian TV demonstrates at 1:04. "Businessman Kolomoysky" is there to discuss "business questions," obviously.
So, that's this and that's that, so much for the "getting rid of old corrupt oligarchic system of Yanukovich's Ukraine" as it has been promised after the coup d'etat by oligarch Poroshenko before Zelensky, and now - well, you already know the rest.
So now when we are done with that, let's move to the third ( and biggest) group of people - approximately 50% of them in Zelensky's government. They all have ties to IMF/USAID ( and other American) organizations.
At that, as "StranaUA" reports, all these American entities belong to the camp hostile to Trump, "and that's why the establishment of relations between Zelensky and Trump administration are not going smoothly."
Another thing worth mentioning is that IMF/USAID are rushing to push through the "liberal reforms" ( the sale of Ukrainian lands including,) while the rating of Zelensky is still high. They couldn't accomplish any of these ( potentially unpopular) reforms, since Poroshenko was already complaining about his low approval rating.
(However the more Zelensky is talking about these upcoming reforms, the more I hear the voices out there calling for the public referendum on selling the Ukrainian lands to foreigners.) What will come out of it, I don't know, however I hear the name of George Soros ( and his "Open Society Foundation") attached to all these reforms a lot.
Now this is the name your average American is not familiar with, however when I google "USAID/Soros" - there is definitely a connection there, at that the scandalous one.
Uh yes, when the graphs are in your face, keep on denying the obvious.)))
Things however keep on going in the same direction ( the takeover of Ukrainian government and economy by Western powers, but with few curious twists.) There are a lot of interesting things going on simultaneously in that part of the world, however they are only developing, no decisive conclusions yet, so I'll make the general observation of the latest news.
Actually, the direct ties of Zelensky and Kolomoysky himself are out of the bag at this point and here is their meeting at president's office as Russian TV demonstrates at 1:04. "Businessman Kolomoysky" is there to discuss "business questions," obviously.
Another thing worth mentioning is that IMF/USAID are rushing to push through the "liberal reforms" ( the sale of Ukrainian lands including,) while the rating of Zelensky is still high. They couldn't accomplish any of these ( potentially unpopular) reforms, since Poroshenko was already complaining about his low approval rating.
(However the more Zelensky is talking about these upcoming reforms, the more I hear the voices out there calling for the public referendum on selling the Ukrainian lands to foreigners.) What will come out of it, I don't know, however I hear the name of George Soros ( and his "Open Society Foundation") attached to all these reforms a lot.
The "graphs in my face" only show the result of the decline of GDP. As GDP fell, GDP to debt ratios climbed. You must be thinking its instead a result of new debt. That would be false and deliberatly misleading on your part
The decline of GDP in 2014 and 2015 was the result of the war: Severing some regions of the country was disruptive to the nation's economy, as was the drop in trade between Ukraine and Russia. It wasn't the West's fault that Russia stirred up conflict in Ukraine. No, that is at the feet of Pooty Poot and his dying off minions.
He was successful, in a way, in that attacking Ukraine did harm it and delayed the ability of the post revolutionary government to implement the changes to bring about the DCFTA (which was the root of the conflict). His news media was able to crow for 2 years about all the horrible things going on there and blame it on the West. He didn't consider the longer term effect...The economic boom Ukraine would enjoy after signing the pact. The anger the east of the nation had for being attacked by Russia. The destruction/depopulation of a formerly powerful Russian aligned Donbas region. The sanctions, etc.
Now they are reduced to trying to influence parliament with a 15% "opposition" party and putting out populist anti-reform positions like being against the land reform. And conspiracy theories about Soros, Kolomoisky and USAID. Or crying about gas prices even though Ukraine recently buys gas at half the price Yanukovych got with his "great deal" with Putin in 2013.
The "graphs in my face" only show the result of the decline of GDP. As GDP fell, GDP to debt ratios climbed. You must be thinking its instead a result of new debt. That would be false and deliberatly misleading on your part
The decline of GDP in 2014 and 2015 was the result of the war: Severing some regions of the country was disruptive to the nation's economy, as was the drop in trade between Ukraine and Russia. It wasn't the West's fault that Russia stirred up conflict in Ukraine. No, that is at the feet of Pooty Poot and his dying off minions.
He was successful, in a way, in that attacking Ukraine did harm it and delayed the ability of the post revolutionary government to implement the changes to bring about the DCFTA (which was the root of the conflict). His news media was able to crow for 2 years about all the horrible things going on there and blame it on the West. He didn't consider the longer term effect...The economic boom Ukraine would enjoy after signing the pact. The anger the east of the nation had for being attacked by Russia. The destruction/depopulation of a formerly powerful Russian aligned Donbas region. The sanctions, etc.
Oh DKM, look at this map one more time - it clearly indicates who REALLY stirred the trouble in that so-called country, the whole coup d'etat, without good understanding of historic situation there)))
Hint; and it ain't Russia.
Quote:
Now they are reduced to trying to influence parliament with a 15% "opposition" party and putting out populist anti-reform positions like being against the land reform. And conspiracy theories about Soros, Kolomoisky and USAID. Or crying about gas prices even though Ukraine recently buys gas at half the price Yanukovych got with his "great deal" with Putin in 2013.
Oh... gas/gas price in Ukraine...
Yeah, I didn't get to the latest news on that front, so here it comes;
Things are happening pretty fast, so there are no definite answers (yet) and more details are needed, BUT this is the bottom line:
Apparently the Western economists ( American economists first of all I'd think) figured out that all this coming "Ukrainian economic boom," - no, forget about "boom" because all this "boom" money will go to cover the gas bills that the West will be forced to pay to keep Ukrainian economy afloat, ( and Ukrainians alive.) So here goes the "boom" money. With other words - Ukraine is simply unsustainable without gas coming directly from Russia. And Russia ( knowing that it's a case) was planning to cease the supply, planning to trade directly with Germany as soon as the NordStream 2 was built. ( To which the EU court gave the green light back in 2016.)
So NOW when the project was about to be accomplished ( 80% done,) and everyone realized what's about to happen, Americans sent the Poles to the EU court again, and now the US got what it wanted;
"The available onshore capacity has allowed Russia to go ahead with building a new pipeline, Nord Stream 2, parallel to Nord Stream 1. That project is opposed by the U.S. It argues that Nord Stream 2 would make Germany too dependent on Russia for energy supplies and would allow Gazprom’s exports to Europe to bypass Ukraine’s Soviet-era pipeline system, depriving that country of about $3 billion in transit fees just as Ukraine receives major Western financial assistance. Germany has ignored the criticism: It needs all the gas it can get to enable its simultaneous transitions from coal and nuclear power generation.
...The Polish state company’s goals are twofold. Politically, the strongly anti-Russia Polish government is aligned with the U.S. It’s trying to drive Poland’s imports of Russian gas down to zero. But PGNiG is also vying for higher transit fees from Gazprom than the paltry $5.3 million a year it currently is receiving. It is, therefore, strategically interested in preserving the Ukrainian transit option. That’s why PGNiG challenged the 2016 commission decision in the General Court."
This is the first part, but hold on, here comes the second, even juicer part from Ukraine, that supposedly "got rid of the dependency on Russian gas" - ( Helloooo there DKM)))) )
"The talks will take place in Brussels on Sept. 19, and before the OPAL decision, Russia wanted a short placeholder contract with low guaranteed deliveries, while Ukraine insists on a new 10-year deal with supplies of 60 billion cubic meters guaranteed."
Yeah, that's what Ukraine wants from the *aggressor country.* The supply contract.
You can read the rest here,
meanwhile, when Poland ( being the US obedient servant as it is,) fulfilled the orders of its master, the Germans can't get what they paid for ( no, not only Germans - it was basically a big international project, so other companies - the Austrian, the British, the Dutch and whoever else ( I need to look it up) are losing their investments to the tune of 1 billion euros? ( I need to look it up.)
Oh DKM, look at this map one more time - it clearly indicates who REALLY stirred the trouble in that so-called country, the whole coup d'etat, without good understanding of historic situation there)))
Hint; and it ain't Russia.
Oh... gas/gas price in Ukraine...
Yeah, I didn't get to the latest news on that front, so here it comes;
Things are happening pretty fast, so there are no definite answers (yet) and more details are needed, BUT this is the bottom line:
Apparently the Western economists ( American economists first of all I'd think) figured out that all this coming "Ukrainian economic boom," - no, forget about "boom" because all this "boom" money will go to cover the gas bills that the West will be forced to pay to keep Ukrainian economy afloat, ( and Ukrainians alive.) So here goes the "boom" money. With other words - Ukraine is simply unsustainable without gas coming directly from Russia. And Russia ( knowing that it's a case) was planning to cease the supply, planning to trade directly with Germany as soon as the NordStream 2 was built. ( To which the EU court gave the green light back in 2016.)
So NOW when the project was about to be accomplished ( 80% done,) and everyone realized what's about to happen, Americans sent the Poles to the EU court again, and now the US got what it wanted;
"The available onshore capacity has allowed Russia to go ahead with building a new pipeline, Nord Stream 2, parallel to Nord Stream 1. That project is opposed by the U.S. It argues that Nord Stream 2 would make Germany too dependent on Russia for energy supplies and would allow Gazprom’s exports to Europe to bypass Ukraine’s Soviet-era pipeline system, depriving that country of about $3 billion in transit fees just as Ukraine receives major Western financial assistance. Germany has ignored the criticism: It needs all the gas it can get to enable its simultaneous transitions from coal and nuclear power generation.
...The Polish state company’s goals are twofold. Politically, the strongly anti-Russia Polish government is aligned with the U.S. It’s trying to drive Poland’s imports of Russian gas down to zero. But PGNiG is also vying for higher transit fees from Gazprom than the paltry $5.3 million a year it currently is receiving. It is, therefore, strategically interested in preserving the Ukrainian transit option. That’s why PGNiG challenged the 2016 commission decision in the General Court."
This is the first part, but hold on, here comes the second, even juicer part from Ukraine, that supposedly "got rid of the dependency on Russian gas" - ( Helloooo there DKM)))) )
"The talks will take place in Brussels on Sept. 19, and before the OPAL decision, Russia wanted a short placeholder contract with low guaranteed deliveries, while Ukraine insists on a new 10-year deal with supplies of 60 billion cubic meters guaranteed."
Yeah, that's what Ukraine wants from the *aggressor country.* The supply contract.
You can read the rest here,
meanwhile, when Poland ( being the US obedient servant as it is,) fulfilled the orders of its master, the Germans can't get what they paid for ( no, not only Germans - it was basically a big international project, so other companies - the Austrian, the British, the Dutch and whoever else ( I need to look it up) are losing their investments to the tune of 1 billion euros? ( I need to look it up.)
I am getting my popcorn)))
Thank you Erasure. Thanks for all your effort too. Very interesting.
Donbas has officially declared that it intends to secede and join Russia. Anything else is unthinkable after what has happened.
Oh yeah, that's in the news too...
Denis Pushilin ( a guy who replaced Zakhar(chenko) in DNR made an official statement that that's what they want, ( and that they didn't have hopes for this outcome until they've got offer for the Russian passports.)
However; the "Minsk agreement" is still discussed back and forth ( that's why Avakov disarmed three of his dog battalions ( the "nazi volunteers" you know, ) in preparations ( and hopes) for the upcoming meeting with the French and Germans, hoping to show apparently that they are "ready for the compromise" and that Moscow should give some concessions too.
But even though Moscow is silent now, I don't think Putin will go for any concessions - not the kind Kiev wants. Kremlin wants Kiev to fulfill the POLITICAL obligations first of all, according to the old Frank-Walter Steinmeier's plan ( that is to hold election in Donbass first, and then to change Ukrainian constitution, granting Donbass the special status, and only THEN to give border under the Ukrainian control.)
Which Ukraine refuses to implement ( more than that - Zelensky keeps on talking about the "return of Crimea" non-stop as well.
But the common sense is telling everyone by now I suppose that after the mayhem that Donbass went through, after all the death and destruction, it doesn't make sense for them to go back to Ukraine.
( I remember how "Texas" ( you know that DNR fighter from Texas) was pissed when he heard even the mentioning of such possibility.)
But anyways.
Something else to mention.
First of September was a death anniversary for Zakhar, and Ukrainians were running amok on FB.
You know, Zuckerberg gave them the moderators keys ( or whatever it's called there) in Russian-speaking department, and I almost got in trouble just by posting one of the videos in his memory.
"The talks will take place in Brussels on Sept. 19, and before the OPAL decision, Russia wanted a short placeholder contract with low guaranteed deliveries, while Ukraine insists on a new 10-year deal with supplies of 60 billion cubic meters guaranteed."
No way in hell would I give Ukraine a 10 year contract. 3 maybe 4 years max. Market prices can change, who knows what is going to go on in the next decade either. They have a gun pointed at Russia ffs, why deal with them at all? They aren't good neighbors and they kill their own people.
The prisoner exchange brings to mind that mother who worked in Moscow and was abducted by the SBU on a return trip to visit her son and mother. She was accused of being a spy and detained at the border. The last picture I saw of her was taken by her mother the last time they saw one another. She had been beaten severely, black eye and numerous bruises on her face.
What happened to this woman? It's like she just fell off the face of the earth. I can't find the post I made long ago, I think in was spring of 2017 when she was arrested. I don't remember her name. Anybody hear/remember anything?
Donbas has officially declared that it intends to secede and join Russia. Anything else is unthinkable after what has happened.
Donbas hasn't declared anything. The Russian installed leaders declared this but will not allow a fair vote to even ask the question. In fact they refuse to talk about it, because it brings up the uncomfortable fact that this would fail in a referendum.
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