Ukraine Imbroglio Tightens. Putin and Obama talk. Olga Bogomolets Speaks
Politics / Eastern Europe Mar 07, 2014 - 01:57 PM GMTBy: Michael_T_Bucci
The situation remains "highly precarious, the slightest miscalculation could see it spiral out of control" - UK Prime Minister David Cameron
Each day of the Ukrainian imbroglio further tightens the seat belt. US President Barack Obama urged diplomacy in an hour long telephone call with Russia's President Putin, who said the Ukraine crisis should not damage relations. MPs in Crimea have asked Moscow to allow the southern Ukrainian region to become part of the Russian Federation. Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk held a press conference at EU headquarters in Brussels and The Telegraph (UK) found Olga Bogomolets who said she had not told Mr Paet that policemen and protesters had been killed in the same manner.
EurActiv, the European Union information website, reported on Thursday:
EU gives ultimatum to Russia over its ‘aggression’ against Ukraine
http://www.euractiv.com/global-europe/eu-gives-ultimatum-russia-aggres-news-533973
At their extraordinary summit held today (6 March), called in response to the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine, EU leaders demanded that Russia immediately withdraw its forces from Crimea, grant access to monitors, and begin negotiations. If it does not comply, Moscow has been threatened with travel bans and an assets freeze, which could also hit Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The EU leaders' meeting will also be remembered for the presence of Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk.
"Never before has an EU summit been attended by the leader of a non-EU country. As Van Rompuy (President of the European Council) said, this testified to the seriousness of the situation."
Yatsenyuk gave a press conference at the summit, in which he said that the world was “going crazy” and global security needed an overhaul.
Asked if he thought that “Russia is dangerous” as [Lithuania President] Grybauskaitė had said, he replied: “I would say, Russia is not friendly, as you probably realised. Having Russian boots on the ground, having Russian tanks is unacceptable in the 21st century. What’s happening to the global security? Are we going crazy? Is it acceptable that in the 21st century, with no legal grounds, with no reason, one country which possesses nuclear weapons just decides to invade another? So probably we need to do something with the global security, to overhaul the entire system? As this is not the end. God knows where is the limit, where are the boundaries.”
A 20 second video clip of Yatsenyuk's speech can be found at RT Ruptly (Berlin), full video for subscribers only:
Belgium: 'God knows the limit' - Yatsenyuk
http://ruptly.tv/vod/view/10299/belgium-god-knows-the-limit-yatsenyuk
In Brussels, March 5, Lithuania President Dalia Grybauskaitė said to CNBC (US)
"Russia today is dangerous and Russia today is unpredictable."
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000253376
The quote can also found in an interview with Lithuania Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė, "And an economically weak Russia is dangerous because it may resort to actions that are impossible to predict.” - The Lithuania Tribune, Dec. 24 2011. The interview contains the defense minister's opinions regarding Russian military build-ups as of that date.
http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/9779/military-power-poker-near-the-borders-of-lithuania-by-jasiulionis-20119779
Russia Today (RT.com) responded to Yatsenyuk's EU press conference:
Western-backed PM strikes with 'Russian tanks in Ukraine' fear-mongering, MSM looks away
http://rt.com/news/yatsenyuk-russian-tanks-comment-286
Feeling powerful while standing on stage answering questions amid EU flags, the leader went as far as fiction when he said, “Having Russian boots on the ground and Russian tanks is unacceptable in the 21st century. And who knows the limits, tell me?"
Surprisingly enough, the fear-mongering reference to tanks – which should have been deemed sensational and made the headlines around the world - was widely ignored or censored by Western media.
The strongest quote and accusation towards Russia was left either unreported or edited, with the word "tanks" replaced by “troops” or “military.”
RT is correct: The word "tanks" went unreported or was edited. Only EurActiv and Gannet owned Defense News (US) quote Yatsenyuk saying "tanks".
* * * *
The Crimean parliament voted to join Russia Thursday. The motion was passed by 78 out of 86 MP's.
The Telegraph (UK): "The motion was immediately condemned by Ukrainian authorities and Western powers as illegitimate and in breach of Ukraine’s constitution. Washington responded quickly, mobilising its military assets in the region and placing visa bans on Ukrainian and Russian officials it deemed responsible for destabilising Crimea.
Reuters (UK): "Crimea's parliament voted on Thursday to join Russia, and its Moscow-backed government set a referendum in 10 days, in a dramatic escalation of the crisis over the Ukrainian region that drew a sharp riposte from U.S. President Barack Obama."
The Voice of Russia: "The admission to the Russian Federation and the creation in it of a new subject shall be carried out according to the rules established by the federal constitutional law."
Reference to Article 65 of The Constitution of the Russian Federation is found here:
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_03_07/According-to-Russian-Constitution-desire-of-Crimea-to-become-part-of-Russia-is-legitimate-0387/
"Obama: Crimea secession vote is unconstitutional" -Washington Post (US)
* * * *
"The White House should use exports as a component of a broader energy strategy to undercut Russia’s influence over Ukraine" -The Editorial Board of The New York Times
"Cut Off the Russian Oligarchs and They'll Dump Putin" -Garry Kasparov, Wall Street Journal (US)
"Both the EU Commission and the German government maintain that the Crimea crisis does not endanger gas supplies to the European Union. Germany Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel pointed out that Russia has always honored its contracts with Western Europe. 'There's no reason to be concerned at the moment,' EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said, adding that the gas reserves are actually higher than they were last year due to Europe's mild winter temperatures." -Deutsche Welle
* * * *
Putin tells Obama relations should not suffer over Ukraine and relations between the two countries should not suffer due to disagreements over Ukraine.
Voice of Russia: "The president of Russia emphasised the paramount importance of Russian-US relations for ensuring stability and security in the world. These relations should not be sacrificed due to disagreements over individual - albeit extremely significant - international problems," the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Telegraph (UK): US President Obama urges diplomacy in a telephone call with Russia's President Putin, who says the Ukraine crisis should not damage relations.
Reuters: Obama also held a one-hour call on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, their second phone conversation in six days, and urged him to accept the terms of a potential diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Putin said afterwards that Russia and the United States were still far apart over the crisis. In a statement released by the Kremlin early on Friday, the Russian leader said Kiev's new authorities had imposed "absolutely illegitimate decisions on the eastern, southeastern and Crimea regions".
"Russia cannot ignore calls for help in this matter and it acts accordingly, in full compliance with the international law," Putin added.
M E A N W H I L E
The Telegraph (UK):
US sends fighter jets to Baltic and increases pressure on Vladimir Putin
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10682004/US-sends-fighter-jets-to-Baltic-and-boosts-pressure-on-Putin-over-Ukraine.html
America will also deploy 12 F-16 fighters to Poland next week as part of a military training exercise expanded in response to the Russian incursion in Ukraine
BBC (UK):
The West, in the shape of the EU and the US, is talking about tough action against Russia - but these are threats, not punishment.” - Mark Mardell, BBC North American editor
F I N A L L Y
In the matter of the Paet-Ashton leak and Olga Bogomolets, The Telegraph found her.
(Telegraph Mar 5): Olga Bogomolets said she had not told Mr Paet that policemen and protesters had been killed in the same manner.
"Myself I saw only protesters. I do not know the type of wounds suffered by military people," she told The Telegraph. "I have no access to those people."
But she said she had asked for a full forensic criminal investigation into the deaths that occurred in the Maidan. "No one who just sees the wounds when treating the victims can make a determination about the type of weapons. I hope international experts and Ukrainian investigators will make a determination of what type of weapons, who was involved in the killings and how it was done. I have no data to prove anything.
"I was a doctor helping to save people on the square. There were 15 people killed on the first day by snipers. They were shot directly to the heart, brain and arteries. There were more than 40 the next day, 12 of them died in my arms.
"Our nation has to ask the question who were the killers, who asked them to come to Ukraine. We need good answers on the basis of expertise."
Mr Paet's assertion that an opposition figure was behind the Maidan massacre was not one she could share.
"I think you can only say something like this on the basis of fact," she said. "Its not correct and its not good to do this. It should be based on fact."
She said the new government in Kiev had assured her a criminal investigation had begun but that she had not direct contact with it so far.
"They told me they have begun a criminal process and if they say that I believe them. The police have not given me any information on it."
* * * *
P O S T S C R I P T
To: Olga Bogomolets
Dear Olga, you have found yourself the center of attention away from your calling of saving lives. I have three questions for you based on your statement "Our nation has to ask the question who were the killers, who asked them to come to Ukraine."
I presume the "killers", as you call them, were not recognizable to you. Do you only mean to say they were not familiar to you because you did not recognize them as Maidan protesters, leaders or police?
You define the killers as "them". Who are "them"?
Why do you believe they were "asked" "to come to Ukraine"?
Hopefully, Olga, the truth will prevail. It always does in the end.
* * * *
P O S T P O S T S C R I P T
It is too early to tell who are the Bishop, the Queen and the King on the "Grand Chessboard" in the present phase of the "Great Game". For sure, however, it is becoming clearer who the pawns might be: Yatsenyuk and other members of Ukraine's interim government.
By Michael T Bucci
Contact: mbucci@michaelbucci.com
(c) 2013 Michael T Bucci. All Rights reserved.
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Michael T Bucci is a retired public relations executive from New Jersey presently residing in New England. His essays have appeared at The Market Oracle (UK). He is the author of nine books on practical spirituality including White Book: Cerithous.
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