The new Kiev government is content for papers such as Le Monde to describe its
failure to suppress a Russian-backed revolt as humiliating.
failure to suppress a Russian-backed revolt as humiliating.
So far the Ukrainian government has acted enough to satisfy its internal critics,
who are demanding action, without provoking an attack by the thousands of
Russian troops massed on its border.
who are demanding action, without provoking an attack by the thousands of
Russian troops massed on its border.
If talks to end the crisis even begin in Geneva on Thursday, Russia, the European
Union, the Ukraine and the US are unlikely to even be able to agree on an
agenda.
Union, the Ukraine and the US are unlikely to even be able to agree on an
agenda.
Meanwhile, even lean sanctions are already starting to stop any growth in the Russian
economy. The longer this crisis continues the more foreign investors will steer
clear of Moscow.
economy. The longer this crisis continues the more foreign investors will steer
clear of Moscow.
NATO also is moving, but slowly, to counter the Russian threat to its members. Every
week since the Russian force occupied Crimea in February, NATO has increased
the resources it is deploying along the borders with Russia.
week since the Russian force occupied Crimea in February, NATO has increased
the resources it is deploying along the borders with Russia.
Kiev and Brussels might recall the words of Napoleon, who warned his generals never
to interrupt the enemy when it is making a mistake.
to interrupt the enemy when it is making a mistake.
But seen from Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin is winning everything but
the information war.
the information war.
A New York Times headline said: “Russia Is Quick to Bend Truth About Ukraine.”
The Russian media, which has been strangled by Putin’s government in the past year with many journalists and editors fired, showed its complete lack of understanding of the Western
media.
media.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on Russian Television: “We have never seen
anything like this before.” He said the European media was denying
Europeans “the right to the free choice of information,” the French newspaper Le Monde reported.
anything like this before.” He said the European media was denying
Europeans “the right to the free choice of information,” the French newspaper Le Monde reported.
The New York Times, referring to Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev as the good
cop with Putin the bad cop, quoted him as claiming “the threat of civil war
looms.”
cop with Putin the bad cop, quoted him as claiming “the threat of civil war
looms.”
The Times said: “And so began another day of bluster and hyperbole, of the
misinformation, exaggerations, conspiracy theories, overheated rhetoric and,
occasionally, outright lies about the political crisis in Ukraine that have
emanated from the highest echelons of the Kremlin and reverberated on
state-controlled Russian television, hour after hour, day after day, week after
week.”
misinformation, exaggerations, conspiracy theories, overheated rhetoric and,
occasionally, outright lies about the political crisis in Ukraine that have
emanated from the highest echelons of the Kremlin and reverberated on
state-controlled Russian television, hour after hour, day after day, week after
week.”
For
Baby Boomers it truly was the Cold War again. Moscow has shut down the Russian
broadcasting facility of the Voice of America. It remained to be seen whether
Putin, who fears a march on his country by gays and lesbians from Brussels,
will ban Western rock music. Such a prohibition made VOA a must-listen station
for decades.
Baby Boomers it truly was the Cold War again. Moscow has shut down the Russian
broadcasting facility of the Voice of America. It remained to be seen whether
Putin, who fears a march on his country by gays and lesbians from Brussels,
will ban Western rock music. Such a prohibition made VOA a must-listen station
for decades.
“Our Russian neighbors are constructing a new Berlin Wall, and they want to return
to the period of the Cold War,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said
in a nationally
to the period of the Cold War,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said
in a nationally
Sources:
'via Blog this'
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