Stephen Lendman
RINF Alternative News
RINF Alternative News
Russia supports peace and stability. It wants conflicts resolved diplomatically.
America is polar opposite. It wages one war after another. Countries are ravaged and destroyed.
Russian humanitarian intervention is real. More on this below. America’s is pretext to bomb, invade, mass murder, destroy, and plunder.
Permanent war is official US policy. One country after another is targeted. All independent ones are vulnerable.
Washington wants pro-Western subservient ones replacing them. Syria is in the eye of the storm. So are Iraq again and Ukraine.
Iran’s turn is next. China and Russia represent the final frontier. They’re major powers. Unity enhances their strength.
Russia is the only nation able to match America’s nuclear strength blow for blow. Yet S. 2277: Russian Aggression Prevention Act (RAPA) of 2014 was introduced on May 1.
It went to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for consideration before sending it to both Houses of Congress.
Hopefully Govtrack.us is right. It gives it a “2% chance of being enacted.”
It advances things closer to confronting Russia militarily. It barely stops short of declaring war.
Its full title is “(a) bill to prevent Russian aggression toward Ukraine and other sovereign states in Europe and Eurasia, and for other purposes.”
Senator Bob Corker (R. TN) introduced it. It has 26 Republican co-sponsors.
They include Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R. KY), John McCain (R. AZ), Lindsey Graham (R. SC), and 23 other right-wing hawks.
This type legislation is madness. If enacted, it risks the unthinkable. It makes nuclear confrontation with Russia possible.
It provides “major non-NATO ally status for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova for purposes of the transfer or possible transfer of defense articles or defense services.”
It effectively incorporates these countries into NATO. It makes its killing machine more formidable. It lets Washington establish bases on Russia’s borders.
Obama’s Asia pivot advances its footprint east. It challenges China’s economic might and military strength.
It targets Russia at the same time. It means encircling both countries with US military bases.
It assures positioning long-range/multiple nuclear warhead missiles targeting their heartlands. It enhances Washington’s first strike capability. It risks possible global war.
Challenging both countries is madness. So is vilifying Russia. Considering it an existential threat is pure fantasy.
Putin champions multi-world polarity. He goes all-out for peace and stability.
He believes rule of law principles matter. They’re inviolable. So is nation-state sovereignty.
He doesn’t interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. He doesn’t threaten his neighbors. He has no revanchist ambitions. Claims otherwise are false.
His notion of humanitarian aid is real. It’s providing food, clean drinking water, medical supplies and other life essentials for Southeast Ukrainians in dire need.
On August 22, Russia delivered hundreds of tons of these supplies to Lugansk.
Scores or trucks cleared customs. They carried no weapons. They complied with every conceivable Kiev demand.
They entered Ukraine peacefully. They didn’t invade. They violated no international law. They performed a mission of mercy.
On August 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced another convoy to relieve crisis conditions. It “must travel this week,” he said.
“Anyone in need of aid shall receive it,” he stressed. He hopes for greater Ukrainian cooperation this time.
As its dirty war continues, the need for aid grows exponentially. “Concern over the deepening humanitarian crisis has been growing,” said Lavrov.
“The Red Cross has emphasized its intention to expand humanitarian activity in the southeast of Ukraine, especially in Luhansk and its environs.”
“The OSCE called for the continuation of the humanitarian efforts. Moscow will participate” with them.
“We want to co-ordinate our actions with the Ukrainians, with Ukrainian leadership that also plans to send additional humanitarian cargoes to the southeast.”
“We will help ensure security guarantees by the militias. We are ready for the relevant co-operation in the delivery of humanitarian cargoes, promised by the EU and other donor countries.”
“I think international organizations, Including the World Food Program, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees should also make a contribution to this and intend to do so.”
“We have absolutely open approaches to this. We are ready to ensure absolute transparency.”
“The same as with the first convoy,” he said. “We have no secrets here” or ulterior motives.
“Any side’s attempts to speculate on this humanitarian situation and abuse it should be prevented” from doing so.
Lavrov said the first convoy carried nothing but vitally needed humanitarian aid.
“All trucks returned to Russia.” Moscow informed Ukraine’s foreign ministry about its plans to send more aid this week.
“We are ready for the closest cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),” Lavrov said.
Delays in sending new aid won’t be tolerated. Doing so violates international laws, norms and standards.
Misinformation proliferates about “Russia’s (so-called) invasion of Ukraine,” said Lavrov.
“There are reports saying the Ukrainian army destroyed a Russian military convoy, and that airborne assault vehicles carrying certain documents had been seized.”
“Even if one can imagine this as being the truth, who would carry so many documents? This is ridiculous.”
“Neither US special services nor independent sources could confirm this episode.”
“It looks like the West los(t) interest in investigating Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 jet crash in Ukraine.”
“We are basically the only country that is trying to keep attention on this most serious problem.”
“We will press for the truth just as we will do in the ‘snipers case,’ the May 2 Odessa tragedy and similar events in Mariupol.”
He accused Kiev of committing war crimes. They include killing civilians, committing atrocities, and efforts to ethnically cleanse Ukraine’s Southeast.
Lavrov wants conflict ended diplomatically. He expects oligarch president Petro Poroshenko to cooperate.
Moscow is ready to help. “We are ready to work in any form, help Ukrainians to reach agreements with each other, agree on the parameters for creating their single state that would respect all minorities and regions,” Lavrov said.
“The issue of the ways to decentralize powers and what competence should be given to regions should be the subject for negotiations and mutual accord.”
On August 26, Putin and Poroshenko will meet in Minsk, Belarus. Other participants include EU foreign policy chief Catherine Aston, Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger and Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.”
Belarus and Kazakhstan will participate. Bilateral heads of state meetings are scheduled.
According to Putin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, leaders “will discuss the relations between Ukraine and the Customs Union, and there will be a number of bilateral meetings.”
Lavrov hopes talks will advance things closer to resolving “all issues” diplomatically.
Russia is comfortable with any approach “as long as there will be a result,” he stressed.
Poroshenko said they’ll include “stabilizing the situation” in Eastern Ukraine with his Russian counterpart.
At the same time, he wants his military continuing its war without mercy. He wants targeted Southeast areas ravaged and destroyed.
He voiced concern about another Russian humanitarian mission. He did so in talks with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
They’ll discuss the issue with EU heads of state at an August 30 Brussels Council of Europe meeting.
Lavrov said the new humanitarian convoy will take the same route as the first one. No international laws will be violated. Don’t expect less Western outrage than last time.
Prospects for ending conflict diplomatically are slim. Washington supports and encourages mass murder and destruction.
Casualties mount daily. According to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Kiev is using ballistic missiles against Donetsk self-defense forces.”
Its Tochka-U missile is its most powerful weapon. It’s a Soviet era short-range tactical weapon.
It was introduced in 1989. On August 24, a miners’ village was targeted on Donetsk’s outskirts.
Three buildings were damaged. A woman and two other civilians were seriously injured.
The missile has precision accuracy. It can carry nuclear, biological or chemical warheads.
On Sunday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) issued a report on civilian fatalities and damage.
It followed Kiev forces shelling a northern Donetsk residential area on Saturday. It said:
“At the scene, the SMM saw a five-floor apartment block with the ground in front of it littered with debris.”
“Some sixty civilians, mainly elderly and in shock, were standing in the vicinity.”
“Close to a footpath leading to one of the entrances, the SMM observed three bodies covered with blankets, judged by SMM to be two adults and a child, in close proximity to each other.”
“Local residents told the SMM that the three were a mother, father and their child.”
“They said that another child, five years old and the fourth family member, died on the way to the hospital, as a result of head injuries.”
OSCE monitors observed a nearby three-floor building, a garage and a kindergarten. They were damaged by “what appeared to have been shelling.”
Conflict remains ongoing. Efforts so far to settle it diplomatically failed.
It remains to be seen what happens going forward. Russia deserves full credit for going all-out for peace. Washington is its greatest obstacle.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached atlendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.
It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour
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