© Laszlo Balogh / Reuters
Originally appeared at Zerohedge
One of the more troubling geopolitical stories in the past week has been the renewed flaring of fighting in Eastern Ukraine, which culminated yesterday with Kiev accusing Moscow of shooting at its military transport airplane while flying over the Black Sea, an allegation Moscow denied. To some, this has been a test by Putin to gauge US resolve in condemning what the western media is quick to dub Russian provocations; to others this is merely the sad continuation of events unleashed with the violent presidential coup in Ukraine two years ago.
Whatever the ultimate strategy, on Thursday Russian President Vladimir Putin preempted the first argument, and accused Kiev of provoking this week’s flare up in fighting in eastern Ukraine, saying it was a ploy to win the support of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. Putin said that the Kiev government provoked the latest escalation of violence in east Ukraine as it needs money from its Western partners, which is easier to achieve when a nation pretends to be a victim and facing aggression.
“The Ukrainian leadership today needs money, and the best way to extort money is [to do that] from the European Union, from certain countries in Europe, from the United States and international institutions, presenting itself as a victim of aggression,” Putin said.
The Russian leader made the comments during a joint press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest.
Putin also noted that after supporting a particular candidate in the US presidential elections – hinting at Hillary Clinton – the Ukrainian government is now seeking to establish closer ties with the new administration under Donald Trump.
“The Ukrainian opposition has been more active amid clear [government] failures in the economic area and social policy,” Putin said. He noted that the ruling elite in Kiev is now seeking to silence the opposition and “mobilize” people around the government, which is easier to achieve “against the background of a renewal of some conflict.”
For now, the biggest question remains unanswered: what side of the Ukraine-Russian conflict will the new US State Department under Rex Tillerson side with, and will Trump slam the alleged Russian violence as his predecessor was so quick to do on virtually every single occasion.
The Minsk agreement is dead.It is like the moderate rebels in Syria.The question is where from now.Will be the fighting resume or the conflict will continue to be frozen.
I can’t see Donbas going back to Ukraine under Minsk agreement. The Ukrainians are blockading the East and doing everything possible to make their lives miserable. How can they expect them to rejoin the state after abusing them for a full year after reneging on an agreement?
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-01-17/ukraine-has-a-survival-strategy-for-the-trump-era
IMF have boot on Ukraine neck.
Thank you Brad. I read it. Leonid is hard core contra Russia, no matter what Ukraine is doing. He cannot stand President Putin. His latest article today is very heavy on opinion and scare on hard details. Porenshenko is running out of time and is getting dumb at this point, in my view. It´s always been about the money.
The decoupling of the USD $ from oil has caused 1 Trillion dollars loss in the Bond market in mere hours….to many other deliberating of financial instruments which is as the Insurance side marks Risk and loss.
Trump’s Goldman Sachs Jews want to create projects in the USA….including the Night MIC,….and draw wealth from the EU and where ever they can. USD rises …even though Oil is not the main play. US are raiding interest rates. …US dollar comes home and inflation occurs.
The US public…drinking the Kool-aid of Economic Surge will not care about All Those getting clobbered by increased debt…Mortgage, Auto,Student Loan. .Commercial Property. The Zombie Banks can push their liquidity troubles down the road.
Putin’s Financial side are smart to stay at a distance as the above occurs. Oligarchs in the Ukraine will not have much wealth to move after IMF. They are also on the outs** With Eurasia Trade and Silk Roads. Ukraine Criminal trade history will be pissed off…. They could end Poroshenko……as he is not the Golden Goose anymore.
Empire is loosing year after year…. 20 + Trillion in debt are Americans to the Jeckyl Island Federal Reserve.
Putin can smile and taunt Ukraine that they are Whoring for dollars : )
The US and every one else for that matter have tried to raise intrest rates for a number of years – to no avail. The risk/reality of deflation frightens the banksters more than the low rate of return (from the bond mkt) caused by low intrest rates. The unquantifiable risks in the financial sector have not been worked out (since the 2008 crash) only put on the back burner. The market is therefore to a large degree paralyzed with historically low interest rates. The only way out is for them (the criminal bankster’s) to unravel the unquantified credit swap casino capitalism which Greenspan and his merry gang unleashed. Such an undertaking is a bitter pill for them to swallow. All this may provide an an indication as to why the elites have put the wild card (Trump) in charge.
Lehman Bros in 2008…Bankruptcy with 600 Billion in assets. Then the Too big to fail bail outs where US taxpayer covered several financial houses. AIG too…. Several Banks in Europe imploded…. As you mentioned….the Derivatives have not been deleveraged. …simply kicked down the road. Duetches Bank is rumored to be in trouble.
I heard rumors the US could tumble the Saudi and get their Gold/Capital, Or pull Euro out of crippled Europe to America as Investment capital. There’s only some few nations to attack and steal their Gold now.
Numerous countries are culling large bills in circulation….even coins. This effects the criminal street racket, …..yet it signals the Digital contract vs The physical currency.
The US can continue to print money out of thin air, Buy Gold to keep it down and force Investment toward Wallstreet as is occurring. US appears able to break up any South American country they desire on economic side. So….Eurasia and Silk Road get Terror sent at them and economic war.
Venetian Bankers went to far ….even the Pope turned on them. Scattered. …they fled to Holland….and later jumped to London, By late 1800s. …..in NY state and Wallstreet.
If America ever gets attacked……..it’s to end these Vampires. A Few Cobalt 60 warheads. .. To heavy an Isotope to migrate… But the radius zone is terminated to life. Salt Cobalt 60 on Norfolk Naval annex,and a few other key military bases, And Elites are fleeing to start up Wallstreet 2.0…..but where?
The Ukrainian people are SLAVES of the INTERNATIONAL BANKING MAFIA, just as the rest of Europe.
It would be a major mistake for the DPR to conquer Avdeevka now: – it will give credibility to anyone who claims that they are the one consistently starting trouble and not KIev. Don’t be fooled by a few Western politicians who have a more nuanced view. At the moment NATO restarts its propaganda machine they will fall back in line – as they have done previously. Their career is more important than some faraway trouble spot. – it will provide Kiev with the perfect excuse for its mismanagement. – there were some rumors in the German press that Poroshenko had talked about having a referendum about NATO membership – as the latest opinion polls showed 54% support. This might be the final push. – Trump is still orienting himself in foreign policy. This might force him to settle in an anti-Russian mode. Putin made the same error before with Merkel. – Avdeevka’s coke plant is crucial for East Ukraine. It is doubtful whether that plant would survive the battle and the change of ownership. And that would seriously harm the regional economy.
– The propaganda machine is working overtime 24/7, without stops, no matter what is happening in reality. It is foolish to modify your actions in order to meet its expectations. – Who cares about Kiev’s excuses, with them or with out them, Ukraine (what is left of it) is a failed state. – Nobody asks the people do they want to enter NATO or not. If it is to happen there won’t be a referendum for sure. – If Trump is a REALIST, like many of us hope so, he would see the REALITY of the millions of people living in Donetsk like in hell, being constantly under fire of MLRS’s and artillery, asking themselves will they wake up in the morning, or some grenade will fall on their home that night killing them all. And instead of being against liberating (not conquering as you say) Avdeyevka, he would support that, and even help in doing that. So Avdeyevka (along with Pesky, Marinka and few others) must be liberated as soon as possible, and now is the real time to do that. The Ukrops have already made the first attack with some little success which was quickly reversed, and if NAF attack now, their attack will be considered as counter-attack (by any realists of course).
For what the new Secretary of State said recently in the UN it appears that the new administration is under the CONTROL of the COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, the only thing that changed in the State Department was the FACE OF THE VENTRILOQUIST MARIONETTE.