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I guess I can't skip commenting on this ( just in case it will become an important detail later on.)
So Zelensky made a remark recently, that Russian troops might start with occupation of Kharkov.
Why Kharkov?
As Washington Post explains, "Kharkiv sits less than 30 miles from the Russian border and has deep historical and cultural ties with its more powerful neighbor to the north." https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...arkiv-tension/
And here it is again;
"The Kremlin attempts to exploit the East-West pull in Ukraine with propaganda that accuses the Ukrainian government of oppressing Russian speakers. But many in Kharkiv fiercely objected to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s comments to The Washington Post that the city could be a prime target for Russia.
Realistically, if Russia decides to enhance their escalation, of course they are going to do this on those territories where historically there are people who used to have family links to Russia,” Zelensky said. “Kharkiv, which is under Ukraine government control, could be occupied.”
"But many" - how many exactly in the city of 1. 400 million people?
Zelensky's general-leutenant A. Pavliuk keeps on pointing at possibility of losing to Russia not just Kharkov, but 8 Ukrainian regions, and with them - Odessa, Dnepr ( former Dnepropetrovsk) and some other Russian-speaking cities, where Russian language is currently under attack by that "free and democratic" government in Kiev.
So in their fear, the Nationalists inadvertently keep on referring to the regions of "united and undivided Ukraine," that in their silence still scare them, since the Nationalists know that they never belonged to the kind of *mentality* that lately has been forced upon them.
And they are shaking in their boots.
So in order to get a shot of "self-assurance" and to look good in their masters eyes - the Nationalist Battalions to the rescue.
To do what?
To organize the "unity show" of course. Ukraine's "East and West are united and inseparable" as ever.
And so in the city of 1,400 million people about 2,000 people, led by the Nationalist Battalions are marching ( or rather standing) somewhere in the center of the city, with Ukrainian language bursting through the loudspeakers in recently 100% Russian speaking city.
In all this happiness and excitement, in all this fervor for the "people of Kharkov and their fight with despotic Russia" not a single free and democratic media outlet manages to notice the banners of the ultra-right Nazi organization, the "Right Sector" that are flattering on the streets of the Russian-speaking city during the aforementioned "unity event."
What a three ring circus.
But as I've said already many times, I actually blame Putin and Co for all this disgrace, for the betrayal of these historic Russian cities that he allowed to happen.
I saw that too. Bus in "patriots" and "heros" from far and wide by the hundreds and you have a message to Russia. Okay.
I have watched many videos from bloggers and news in which people are interviewed by western media. 8 of 10 people give those guarded, canned answers about the mess we hear over and over. They know they're being recorded and they know where they live. The wrong words can cost you your life.
As for Putin, yes. He has screwed it all up. Nothing will improve going forward whether it's a path of peace or conflict.
I have watched many videos from bloggers and news in which people are interviewed by western media. 8 of 10 people give those guarded, canned answers about the mess we hear over and over. They know they're being recorded and they know where they live. The wrong words can cost you your life.
...and this is yet another example of propaganda VS reporting;
This Ostrovsky guy sure finds time to stress the miserable fire-fighters salaries in Donetsk, but he doesn't have time to talk to them where the fires take place after shelling, how often, in what districts, the rescue of civilians trapped in fires - none of that. ( The kind of reporting that Henry Langston was doing.)
Instead, Ostrovsky wants us to know about the outhouse, and that the fire-fighters don't know how to set it up properly.
OK, so the reason I am bringing to light the LDNR conflict in Ukraine so much lately, is because it's increasingly becoming the culprit in the current stalemate.
This particular conflict doesn't have ANY adequate coverage in the Western media, and for a good reason I'd say, because if it's going to be acknowledged for what it is, and not just brushed off by the Western establishment as some "Russian aggression," this will HIGHLY complicate the current narrative of the Western media.
But this would make Putin's life much easier indeed.
So after the Russian ultimatum sent to Washington/NATO ( and backed by the *military exercises* of the Russian troops near Ukrainian border,) everyone started running to everyone; Blinken to Moscow ( and Kiev,) Raissi of Iran to Moscow, then Putin ( with his delegation of officials) to Beijin, and since France and Germany don't work as one team as they used to, Macron headed to Moscow ( and then Kiev,) and Scholz- to Washington.
I went through it, and this is what I see through all its howling - the mentioning of Donbass at last.
As in;
"He ( Putin) repeated his claim that Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan Revolution was a “coup d’état.” He accused the Ukrainian government of trying to settle the separatist war in eastern Ukraine by “military means,” and trolled Kyiv by offering to grant political asylum to former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has been charged with treason in connection with sales of coal that prosecutors say helped finance Russian-backed separatists. At one point, insisting that the Ukrainian government should be forced to implement provisions of the Minsk peace accords, Putin even quoted a line that features in an obscene song with allusions to rape and necrophilia: “Whether you like it or don’t like it, bear with it, my beauty,” he said.
To all of this, Macron mustered virtually no response other than to insist that it was important to keep on talking."
I am not sure about the "rape and necrophilia" part, but it looks like someone somewhere expects Macron to pretend that Minsk agreement never happened ( although both France and Germany were the signee to this agreement,) and wants Macron to convince Putin to re-write it, ( or to scrap it all together.)
And if he doesn't, this means that Putin "mauled him."
( That is if to make the long story short.)
I have to say that I am impressed with Macron's patience and his genuine effort to resolve the crisis, that potentially might affect his country economy wise first of all.
In fact - no, I am impressed by Macron period.
I don't know what he is all about on the domestic front in France, but as far as international affairs go, I don't remember any politician as proper and reserved on one hand, and yet genuinely friendly and inviting ( as a host for negotiations in his own country.)
Well-spoken, with depth and substance to his thought, always stylish and elegant, and definitely a devoted peace-maker. With other words - French diplomacy at its best.
Scholz at this points makes an impression of a man who got more than he bargained for. (I.e. a person who didn't expect to be put on a spot like this, as soon as he got his job.)
Yet at the same time, Germany has a lot to lose in this conflict; too many things are at stake.
(Merkel is probably secretly happy by now, that she can watch it all from her retirement peace and quiet. )
But I digress, so back to Donbass.
"Putin insisted that neither he nor Macron wanted such a development, though at no point did he indicate any willingness to pull back his troops and weapons from the positions where Western intelligence analysts say they can launch an incursion into Ukraine at any moment. On the contrary, Putin maintained that Kyiv was engaged in a similar buildup. “Ukraine is also amassing troops around the Donbass and they have tried to solve the issue with military means, ” he said."
But if it did, how come we've never heard of it in Western media and why?
Because I suppose if this very truth would have been acknowledged and scrutinized, THIS would have made the Western media narrative about the "Russian aggression" much, much more complicated, and Macron's words ( I'm quoting him here -
“We are two great European countries … members of the Security Council of the United Nations,” Macron said, adding: “For me it is obvious: Russia is European. If one believes in Europe, he must be able to work with Russia and find ways and means to build the future in Europe and with Europeans" - much, much more valid. As much as this Putin's statement;
“I want to underscore once again even though I have already mentioned it — I’d really love if you really hear me and bring this point to your audience, that if Ukraine is in NATO and if they decided to take back Crimea using military means,” he said, “European countries will automatically be in a military conflict with Russia.”
Think WWI.
Think Balkans.
Only now - it's Donbass.
P.S. I am still waiting on the reports on Macron's visit to Kiev.
They are already available on Russian-speaking sites.
The Western media is apparently still contemplating how to twist and turn the narrative in this case, so it's silent so far.
I hear youtube has shut down accounts from Donbass. Who directs Google to just do this? What's going to happen in Donbass that we are not allowed to see?
I hear youtube has shut down accounts from Donbass. Who directs Google to just do this?
I would say Zelensky personally.
At least the previous closure of three opposition TV channels that were shut down in Ukraine, and then - on Youtube - Zelensky was personally curating this question. From what I remember, he ( or one of his aids) visited Google headquarters in California, during his US visit.
Anything that contradicts his "party line," is proclaimed now as "Putin's propaganda" and is shut down, as a "threat to the Ukrainian state security."
Quote:
What's going to happen in Donbass that we are not allowed to see?
From what I see, the channels that have been shut down so far, were the the governmental channels of the LDNR.
I never used them, and I don't believe they were targeting the international audience in foreign languages.
Since Youtube can't give any adequate explanations to why they were shut down, ( other then generic "not complying with community standards,") I would guess that this move was intended to deprive the LDNR governments of their legitimacy in the light of the latest events.
I don't know how important these channels were for their subscribers in terms of providing specific information, because a lot of Eastern Ukrainians are listening to the Russian channels anyway, which doesn't let Zelensky sleep well.
Last edited by erasure; 02-08-2022 at 07:20 PM..
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