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Thread: Ukraine: Russo-Ukr War (June-December 2015)

  1. #2001
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    80% of Russians anticipate escalation in #Donbass and 50% support Russian military action.
    http://www.ng.ru/politics/2015-08-31/1_crimea.html … pic.twitter.com/2LLcEHS4lA

  2. #2002
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    I have been repeating over and over the mantra that Obama, Hollande and Merkel have actually been forcing the Ukrainian into unilateral appeasement moves WITH absolutely no reciprocal demands being placed on Putin ie simply fulfill Minsk 2.

    Putin has noticed this and just keeps on increasing his demands and the West just keeps on pressuring the Ukraine.

    The last time Europe went down this path in Munich 1938 it did not turn out well at all.

    http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/08/3...tish-diplomat/

    The West is pressuring Ukraine not Russia– British diplomat

    The West is finding it easier to demand the implementation of peace agreements from Ukraine than to increase pressure on Russia, says Ian Bond, the director of foreign policy at the Center for European Reform and a veteran member of the British diplomatic service. According to Bond, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, knowing the position of his partners, finds himself in a very difficult position. Therefore, the solution to the problem of Russian aggression must be sought in the capitals of Western countries, which must be encouraged to take decisive action.

    We begin our conversation with the question that is most frequently asked in Ukraine — is there a problem with the format of the negotiations when the most powerful Western players are not participating, most notably the United States?

    Right now the problem stems from the fact that in this format Russia can pretend that it has nothing to do with the conflict in eastern Ukraine and that it is sitting at the negotiating table on the same basis as France and Germany, as a neutral country with no special interest in the matter, which sincerely wants to put an end to the bloodshed.

    But in reality that is not the case. Russia is a party to the conflict. This is why the format is invalid. The format itself enables Russia to put pressure on the Ukrainian government but to remain on the sidelines, saying that the situation has nothing to do with the Russian government.

    Would the presence of other countries in the negotiations give better results or would it only lead to Russia’s departure from the negotiating table.?

    The questions is what would change if Russia did leave the negotiating process if Russia is not negotiating honestly anyway? I understand the position of President Petro Poroshenko, who is forced to hold on to the so-called “Normandy format” and the Minsk process because he knows the position of his Western partners, who are not yet ready to support him fully and to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capability. But this process is not producing any results because one of the parties is manipulating the process in order to prevent the achievement of any positive results.

    Critics of President Poroshenko have reacted very sharply to his efforts to carry out that part of the agreement that has to do with amendments to the Constitution on the issue of territorial rule. In particular, they say that there is nothing special about the eastern region other than the fact that part of this territory is occupied by troops and mercenaries from neighboring Russia. They say that since Ukraine has no control over this territory and does not control the border, as is called for in the Minsk agreements, any legitimization of the control over this territory by people that Kyiv calls terrorists would be an unjustified concession by Ukraine to Russia and especially to Western partners, who are trying to pressure the victim and not the aggressor in this conflict.

    I think they have grounds for their conclusion. But when it comes to President Poroshenko, I can understand his position, since, as I said, until he has full support of his Western partners, he may feel that he has no other choice than to demonstrate to these partners that he is doing everything in his power to carry out the agreements.

    But the problem, in my opinion, lies precisely in the fact that, as you mentioned, the West is putting pressure on Ukraine, knowing that it has more leverage with Ukraine than with Russia.

    But this can undermine the position of President Poroshenko, whom the (Western partners) assure of their friendship and support, because opposition to him and the way he wants to implement these decisions in parliament keeps growing.

    Of course. But he does not have much choice. If he rejects the Minsk agreements because they are not being fulfilled by Russia, there will be voices in the West stating that they, supposedly, knew all along that this Ukrainian government is filled with unreliable neo-Nazis and that the Russians were right after all. And there will be many politicians in different parts of Europe who will interpret this situation that way.

    But regarding the special status for occupied Donbas territories, it will be necessary to create some special conditions, even temporary ones, whether we like it or not. But here it important to be very careful even on the question of decentralization. Because the local governments have not changed; they continue to be weak and corrupt, so decentralization can only strengthen the corrupt local officials or gangsters. And that way control and the chance for legal structures in these territories will only weaken. Decentralization can be carried out only after cleaning out the corruption in the top leadership. Only that way will it be possible to build a strong society over the next 10-20 years.

    Decentralization is no panacea. Because special status for the occupied Donbas territories means that all kinds of Pushilins, Zakharchenkos and other thugs and Russian agents that have crawled out from who knows what holes over the last eighteen months will receive permanent power in the occupied territories. Because when the Russians say that it is important to decentralize power, they really mean that power over the occupied territories needs to be centralized in Moscow and that they will decide who will govern these areas. And this will be fatal for Ukraine as well as for those people in the occupied territories who dream that sometime in the future there will be an honest government in this territory.

    Actually, this is something many Ukrainian observers would agree with. They say that they could easily find a common language with the inhabitants of the occupied territories themselves if they weren’t fighting with Russia there. This is why they are questioning the German Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who keeps saying that it is necessary to present these arguments to the Russians once again. They see that this approach is not working.

    The German foreign affairs minister has always opted for a soft approach, so his statement does not surprise me at all. There are continuing problems on the German side, although Chancellor Merkel is a bit tougher, but still not enough in my view. However, things are still better than two years ago. But Steinmeier continues to think that if we keep explaining to the Russians they will finally understand they have chosen the wrong way. But I don’t think this will convince Putin.

    If the negotiations do not produce results because of the format or other circumstances, what would be a more effective way to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine, since Western politicians are not ready to agree even to this description (of events)?

    I think the description is completely accurate. The first thing the Western politicians should do is help Ukraine defend itself. This is a sovereign state that has a right to self-defense. I think we do not emphasize this enough. By deciding not to provide military means of defense to Ukraine, we have equated the victim to the aggressor. We need to provide help in training and in the military-industrial sector. And additionally, we can do more in terms of sanctions against Russia.

    Americans are much more advanced in this than the Europeans. They always find the loopholes used by the sanctioned individuals to bypass the sanctions and they close them. We could do more in that direction. When the Prime Minister of Great Britain David Cameron talks about the importance of the fight against money laundering, it is important for all of the EU, for all the countries that have created comfortable conditions for laundering Russian “dirty money” to make the process of hiding money and avoiding sanctions more difficult for the Russians.
    THIS article really does explain the Obama shift to forcing the Ukraine to cave and implement the political pieces of Minsk 2 instead of resolving the military issues first which really was the path set out in Minsk 2--meaning calm down the fighting to a true ceasefire and then move onto to the political solutions.

    I will go back and dig out two posted comments which clearly show this shift in greater detail.

    Never thought I would see US foreign policy shifting to total unilateral appeasement for the sake of one's own "legacy".
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 08-31-2015 at 01:25 PM.

  3. #2003
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    I have been repeating over and over the mantra that Obama, Hollande and Merkel have actually been forcing the Ukrainian into unilateral appeasement moves WITH absolutely no reciprocal demands being placed on Putin ie simply fulfill Minsk 2.

    Putin has noticed this and just keeps on increasing his demands and the West just keeps on pressuring the Ukraine.

    The last time Europe went down this path in Munich 1938 it did not turn out well at all.

    http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/08/3...tish-diplomat/

    The West is pressuring Ukraine not Russia– British diplomat



    THIS article really does explain the Obama shift to forcing the Ukraine to cave and implement the political pieces of Minsk 2 instead of resolving the military issues first which really was the path set out in Minsk 2--meaning calm down the fighting to a true ceasefire and then move onto to the political solutions.

    I will go back and dig out two posted comments which clearly show this shift in greater detail.

    Never thought I would see US foreign policy shifting to total unilateral appeasement for the sake of one's own "legacy".
    Western leaders in their drive to pressure the Ukraine into caving to Russian demands seems to fail to see this development which is getting worse week to week as many Ukrainians are starting to doubt their President can fulfill anything other than letting his forces get shelled and attacks daily and the military loses have been increasing in the last six months not decreasing.

    But the problem, in my opinion, lies precisely in the fact that, as you mentioned, the West is putting pressure on Ukraine, knowing that it has more leverage with Ukraine than with Russia.

    But this can undermine the position of President Poroshenko, whom the (Western partners) assure of their friendship and support, because opposition to him and the way he wants to implement these decisions in parliament keeps growing.


    The drive to create a special zone was a Russian trap to begin with as they know in the end it will split Ukrainian political parties--WHY did the West not see that coming????

    Clashes b/n police & crowd at the Verkhovna Rada b/c of the Constitution changes voting in 1st reading pic.twitter.com/vO1wujFWfo

    The West seems to often forget the Ukrainian civil society has a say in what is ongoing ----
    Every brave person we know who stood and fought at Euromaidan did so for freedom and democracy - not this! #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/duN57Rme3I

    DID anyone notice that Nuland who was in the Rada for the first vote and was one of those applying direct pressure on the Ukrainian leadership--is totally missing in action and there have been no further reports on any back channel meetings with her back channel Russian partner--again a dismal Obama failure.

    The West needs to tread lightly with each move they make so as to not simply be seen as supporting Putin's ever increasing demands that he knows they will implement for him because to many it already in the Ukraine it appears the West has basically caved to Putin's demands.
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 08-31-2015 at 01:47 PM.

  4. #2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    During a right wing nationalist demo being held outside of the Ukrainian Parliament Building someone threw a grenade into the National Guard security force protecting the building wounding at least 50.

    Rada was voting on the new decentralization laws as per Minsk 2 and the right views giving anything to the Russian mercenaries as an act of treason on the part of the Ukrainian government and their caving to US and Russian demands for Russian stealing Ukrainian territory.

    Not known if this was from a demo individual or a true terrorist attack using the demo as an effective covering shield.

    National Guard reporting of 50 wounded http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/31-augu...of-50-wounded- … #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/N3zXg65FF8
    Appears a large number of those demonstrating in front of the Rada today were "paid" demonstrators----

    Buying protester in #Kiev today ...
    =(((
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpbRknCUFqg … pic.twitter.com/lsJ1WjLVTS

    .@5channel vid shows anti-decentralization protestors at Ukraine parliament receiving money. 50 UAH/hour, one says
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 08-31-2015 at 01:44 PM.

  5. #2005
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    http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.de/...-economic.html

    Monday, August 31, 2015

    Protests against Moscow’s Economic Policies Spread across Russia’s Regions

    Paul Goble

    Staunton, August 31 – Demonstrations ranging in size from 300 to 500 people took place in five Russian provincial cities over the weekend, with participants demanding that Moscow change its economic policy in order to prevent a further decline in standards of living and provide real support and not empty promises.

    But one politician says that Moscow has no money or intention of providing real help given its military expansion and so is planning to respond to these and other protests – including one by small businesses against the closing of banks (profile.ru/rossiya/item/99332-rossiya-zovet-tsb-otzyvaet) by banning media coverage of both rising prices and demonstrations.

    Such actions may keep the lid on for a time: they would certainly limit the attention to protests outside of Moscow. But they would not be able to address another potential threat: the possibility that some governors may decide to side with the demonstrators as a way of building their own power in what is for many of them a rapidly deteriorating situation.

    That some of the regional heads may be thinking about that possibility is in fact suggested by a survey of the situation in the Urals region where governors find they are trapped between the demands Moscow is making on them and the failure of the center to provide them with the resources to meet those demands (ura.ru/articles/1036265713).

    As for the demonstrations, “Novyye izvestiya” reports today that Russians took to the streets in Volzhsky, Kalach-na-Donu, Blagoveshchensk, Chita and Birobidzhan not to protest this or that action but rather the decline in living standards as a result of central government policies (newizv.ru/politics/2015-08-31/226365-banalno-net-deneg.html).

    As a result of higher prices and lower incomes, “Novyye izvestiya” writes, “not a small part of the population simply is being impoverished and because no end of the crisis is in sight, those protesting are telling the authorities that it is time to remember the people and change domestic policies.”

    Valery Borshchev, a former Duma deputy and rights activist, says that “the higher leadership of the country receives information about all protest actions and about [this] change in their character. But it is necessary to point out at the present time the Center really doesn’t have a genuine chance to provide help to the regions. For the banal reason that there is no money.”

    Consequently, he continues, the enter plans “’to help’” via “other means.” He says that he has information that the government is preparing a ban on the dissemination of information of prices increases so that the population won’t get agitated. [It] also plans to prohibit the media from reporting about prices and also about protest actions” so that demonstrations won’t spread.

    “But such a policy won’t lead to a good outcome,” Borshchev says. “The crisis is not going to end in the short term, and people already are really feeling its influence.”

    Dmitry Gudkov, a member of the Duma’s constitutional law committee, agrees that the leadership “knows all about this but hardly will do anything in the near term to help the population.” They are “studying the situation,” but small protests like this weekend’s don’t have much effect.

    Moreover, he continues, those who think the center must provide aid assume that this will be possible only if oil is again at 150 US dollars a barrel, something that isn’t going to happen. He notes that the situation is getting worse as well because businesses are shifting capital abroad, but the regime isn’t prepared for radical reforms.

    Boris Kagarlitsky, head of the Moscow Institute of Globalization and Social Movements, says that the issue is not in the number of protesters but in the demands they are making. “A protest against the reduction of the standard of living is one the authorities will listen to,” although they won’t react at least not yet.

    As the situation gets worse, however, “the number of participants at protest meetings will increase significantly,” he says, “and then the Center will have to make concessions. The question is: will it then have the ability at that time to satisfy these demands?” Right now, the country needs serious reforms but Moscow isn’t ready to begin them let alone carry them out.

  6. #2006
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    Massive Russian anti Maidan military exercises are ongoing at the moment—who said Putin is not afraid of the Maidan does not understand Putin and his inner circle of advisors?????

    Russia #CSTO military exercise practicing "eliminating illegal armed formations in the Eastern European region” http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/russi...opes-doorstep/

    The first trains with Belarusian soldiers arrived in Leningrad oblast to participate in exercise Union Shield 2015 https://twitter.com/mod_russia/statu...76110653313024

    Latitude 67N SIGINT @Sigint67n
    RUAF traffic in Baltic Sea - poss fighters enroute for Gulf of Finland

  7. #2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    80% of Russians anticipate escalation in #Donbass and 50% support Russian military action.
    http://www.ng.ru/politics/2015-08-31/1_crimea.html … pic.twitter.com/2LLcEHS4lA
    91% of Russians think US policy toward #Russia either "hostile" or "unfriendly"- up from 42% in 1990
    v @BilyanaLilly pic.twitter.com/6Bzl0zLqdk

  8. #2008
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    Will be interesting to see where this individual sits in the Ukrainian political spectrum and what potential group he belongs to or is he potentially a proRussian supporter.

    He was initially identified out of a video photo and in the middle of the crowd--potentially shielding himself after throwing the grenade.

    Video----youtube.com/watch?v=DinAxLyR7II&feature=youtu …

    The guy who threw the grenade. pic.twitter.com/pc5SzzZW9U

    HAS been arrested.

    Attacker on the police near Rada was detained http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/31-augu...-were-detained

    One dead policemen after an explosion & clashes near #Ukraine's parliament in Kyiv, the mayor confirms to us.
    Roughly 100 injured.


    Avakov: already 30 people detained. "Grenade launcher" is also captured. Police found one more F-1 hand grenade pic.twitter.com/eU2FWn6Ek9

    LIVE VIDEO outside #Ukraine Parliament building https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Siy69o-rKU4 … #Kiev #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/X0rSOowlUw

    LOOKS LIKE the Ukrainian Far Right---they seem to have forgotten just how video footage is used these days.

    Far right Svoboda party top brass photographed at attack on police at Ukraine rada. 100injured http://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/events/vish...sev-66449.html … pic.twitter.com/3cCaR9Kobi

    Here's a video with the live grenade coming in from the protesters' crowd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DinAxLyR7II
    Oleh Tyahnybok, leader of far-right Svoboda party, at Rada riot today.
    via @SputnikATO:
    https://twitter.com/SputnikATO/statu...23253396787200 … pic.twitter.com/CHYMVHJCIo

    Man Who Threw Grenade In Front of Rada Reportedly A Volunteer Soldier On Break From War In Donbass http://bit.ly/1Q3MioH

    Videos Show What Happened Before And After Grenade Attack In Kiev http://bit.ly/1JHaqMM pic.twitter.com/SD7v3yJQQr

    Remember the ex-MP from Svoboda in the first picture? Now says on air: "I was just holding a baton in this pic". pic.twitter.com/LcIDlHlD3D
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 08-31-2015 at 05:50 PM.

  9. #2009
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    Hate using the word cool--but this application in the social media open source world is actually kool...........

    Automatically Discover Website Connections Through Tracking Codes via @bellingcat https://www.bellingcat.com/resources...racking-codes/ … pic.twitter.com/fMlpAbavPu

    Someone looking very much like gay-bashing St Petersburg deputy Vitaly Milonov appears to use firearms in Ukraine http://www.fontanka.ru/2015/08/31/081/

    Volunteers create a single database w/ evidence of Russian military involvement in #Ukraine’s Eas
    http://uacrisis.org/32333-informnapalm

  10. #2010
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    Light humor----

    I shell the sh.......t out of an Ukrainian town with 122mm artillery for three straight 24 hour a day months and not a single MSM article about it--BUT let a loser throw a grenade AND I am swamped with MSM articles.

    What the heck????????

    I am still progressing on my DAY count to see if MSM picks up the massive Russian military in eastern Ukraine intel dump----outside of Business International not a single other MSM and we are now going on DAY Five.

    I am waiting as well on the DAY count for the Russian leaked military loss article--we are now on DAY Three headed to DAY Four.

    Still nothing on either articles from MSM??????

  11. #2011
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    I have been repeating over and over the mantra that Obama, Hollande and Merkel have actually been forcing the Ukrainian into unilateral appeasement moves WITH absolutely no reciprocal demands being placed on Putin ie simply fulfill Minsk 2.

    Putin has noticed this and just keeps on increasing his demands and the West just keeps on pressuring the Ukraine.

    The last time Europe went down this path in Munich 1938 it did not turn out well at all.

    http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/08/3...tish-diplomat/

    The West is pressuring Ukraine not Russia– British diplomat



    THIS article really does explain the Obama shift to forcing the Ukraine to cave and implement the political pieces of Minsk 2 instead of resolving the military issues first which really was the path set out in Minsk 2--meaning calm down the fighting to a true ceasefire and then move onto to the political solutions.

    I will go back and dig out two posted comments which clearly show this shift in greater detail.

    Never thought I would see US foreign policy shifting to total unilateral appeasement for the sake of one's own "legacy".
    IF Obama, Hollande and Merkel spent as much time pressuring Putin as they are applying unilateral appeasement pressure on the Ukraine--this problem would have been resolved months ago.

    SINCE when in the history of Europe has the application of pressure on a country being invaded by a larger aggressor ACTUALLY ever worked--never actually.

    Appears Obama, Hollande and Merkel really do not care what Putin is doing in Central Europe--just do not rock the business boat or actually better the legacy boat. Thus the serious concern on the part of the Baltics that they will simply be abandoned in the name of unilateral appeasement.

    Straight from the mouth today of the Ukrainian President.

    If Parliament didn’t vote, the grim picture of having Ukraine struggling against the aggressor alone would become a real threat – President

  12. #2012
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    This Ukrainian blogsite is well worth tracking----To help understand today’s Rada vote on the decentralization change to the Ukrainian Constitution that led to the volunteer fighter throwing a grenade.

    http://www.odessatalk.com/2015/09/un...lisation-vote/

    Un-decentralisation? Rada passes 2nd “decentralisation vote”

    September 1, 2015 by Nikolai Holmov

    On 17th July, this entry appeared relating to the successful passing of Bill №2217a “On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (concerning the decentralization of power).

    “Having garnered 288 votes (300 being a constitutional majority), the Bill now heads to the Constitutional Court for its consideration.

    It has to be noted that the Venice Commission is generally in favour having seen the amendments, returned them with “recommendations”, and those “recommendations” were by and large acted upon. Thus any constitutional issues are not likely to be with content but with the procedures of the Bill passing through the Rada – if there were any.

    Once given the Constitutional Court’s nod of approval, the amendments must then be returned to the Rada where a majority second, and final third vote on the Bill which must gather 300 or more votes in favour, lest it fail to meet a constitution changing majority, to then be sent to the President to sign these amendments into constitution changing force.

    Ergo the 288 MPs that voted in favour today cannot change or waver in their position over the Bill, and another 12 or more must also be found to vote in favour – a vote probably some time in late September/early October to allow the Constitutional Court sufficient time to ponder the amendments thoroughly. Hurdles clearly remain.”

    Since that entry was published, unsurprisingly the Constitutional Court has given an approving nod. An extraordinary Rada session of 31st August predicatably saw the second reading of Bill №2217a, gathered the simple majority it required to continue along the constitution changing route. The vote, 265 in favour from the 320 MPs registered at the extraordinary session.

    vote machine

    All clearly progressing as outlined above, the plan being to hold the final reading requiring a 300+ vote in favour prior to the local elections of 25th October.

    Immediately prior to the second reading, President Poroshenko changed the plan – or so it appears.

    He announced to MPs that there would be no attempt to adopt the constitutional changes before The Kremlin removes all troops and equipment from the occupied Donbas and returns control of the internationally recognised border to Ukraine.

    Thus as Minsk II deadlines are at the year end, it seems extremely unlikely that there will be a third vote this year, the due date (theoretically) that Ukraine should retake control of its borders per the agreement.

    It clearly shines a new light upon President Poroshenko’s statement regarding more local elections 2 years after the local elections of 25th October and the creation of a “framework” for decentralisation during that period. Whether or not the Kremlin removes its troops, equipment and proxies from the Donbas or not – and one has to suspect not – the final decentralisation vote does not seem likely to occur any time before Easter 2016.

    Indeed if the third reading is dependent upon the Kremlin pulling out its troops, equipment and proxies from the Donbas as President Poroshenko stated, it could very well be several years before the third final (and potentially constitution changing) reading.

    An unpleasant and unexpected surprise for the Europeans, Council of Europe, and in particular Berlin and France and Washington?

    Actually probably not
    .

    Having sat & done a guesstimate vote count for Const amendments on 31 Aug, the 226 votes are there. Final vote (in Oct?) 300 votes not there

    — Nikolai Holmov (@OdessaBlogger) August 30, 2015
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 08-31-2015 at 05:48 PM.

  13. #2013
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    Full text of President @Poroshenko's address following deadly clashes near Ukraine's parliament

    http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/...-radi-zm-35891

  14. #2014
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    HOPE THIS KEEPS UP-----

    Today (6am-6pm) in the zone of ATO, militants committed just one ceasefire violation - ATO press center
    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...26&__tn__=%2As

    Almost no fire along the frontline; all RU media switched to UA politics, is that coincidence?" https://twitter.com/flash19800/statu...47957578895360

    16:27 #Starohnativka @Staroignatievca ...power restored.
    Quiet for 2 days.

    Novozarievka, #Starobesheve raion @Ukr_Che This night all RUS troops and tanks went away.

    20:13 #Luhansk @antonio_fz1 ...I saw columns abt 10 trucks each [moving tow/#Alchevsk] on Hayovoho block & #Yuvileyny settlement

    Russia|ns transported fuel all day towards #Alchevsk, many fuel trucks.

    Preparing for a ceasefire or something else? Russian army fuel trucks resupply 'hybrid' forces
    31 Aug pic.twitter.com/nmX9nJiY7s

    29/30 Aug, OSCE UAV spots surface-to-air missile system, R-330ZH Zhytel mobile jamming station in "DPR" territory
    http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/179246

    After spotting a large number of Russian SPGs and armor the OSCE drone was jammed by Russian troops.

  15. #2015
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    Quiet evening signing off----will check in the morning to see if there were any new shellings or if all is still quiet which the UAF and front line civilians on both sides really need right now.

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    Caught this just before coming off social media this evening--really does show the power of the image of the UAF in the eyes of the Ukrainian civil society.

    Cool photos of what's reportedly a Ukrainian paratrooper stepping in to break up today's parliament clashes https://twitter.com/sodel_vlad/statu...09693862449152

    No weapons to be seen standing in the smoke of a smoke grenade calming down ranting right wingers in front of and protecting the National Guard riot police.

    The UAF has gained much respect since the Maidan and is greatly supported by the Ukrainian civil society something that was not true three years ago.
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 08-31-2015 at 06:14 PM.

  17. #2017
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    Further evidence of the weakness of Obama's foreign policy towards Putin--actually this President is one of the weakest in 40 years when dealing with Putin and actually Putin knows that and is playing that weakness as he knows Obama will cave and cave and cave in order to avoid using anything close to hard power and that includes hard economic power which he definitely has.

    Obama's own words--" we will judge Putin by his actions not his words"--quoted in 2014 in a public statement for the world to see and hear.

    NOW Putin actions are as of yesterday----

    The leader of the LNR and Russia announced a new economic union between Russia and the LNR where the common currency will be the Ruble.

    THIS is in effective a true quasi annexation nothing more and nothing less--and the response from Obama has been--he "urges" Russia to adhere to Minsk 2--just what the heck does "urges" mean---I mean I often "urge" the parking meter woman here in Berlin to not give me a parking ticket--do I get the ticket yes I do--well so much for the word "urge".

    So again we see actions being carried out by Putin and all we hear from Obama is words---let's be blunt and to the point--that is the very definition of weakness--no response.

    Literally one of the weakest Presidents and his NSC in the last 40 no 50 years and we seem to not see it.

  18. #2018
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    Perfect example of the total disconnect between the US/Obama administration and the Russian reality inside the Ukraine---during the just ended Russian slow stepped offensive the UAF lost over 160 KIAs, over 600 WIAs AND this does not count the civilians ie children that were KIAs/WIAs and the sheer destruction of Ukrainian physical property and residences.

    NOT a single word or utterance out of Obama, Holland and or Merkel.

    BUT let a grenade fly AND we get this statement from the DoS—just how strange it that???—silence on one hand and outrage on the only AND that is not supporting Putin’s demands?????

    US-EuropeanMediaHub ✔ @USAandEurope
    .@statedept Dep Spox: We deplore violence outside #Ukraine's parliament that reportedly resulted in at least 1 death & dozens of injuries.


    ALL we got out of Obama and his NSC at the very end of the fighting five weeks ago was the word "urges"--at least they could have said something along the lines of "we deplore the heavy fighting/shellings that is being led by Russian troops" at the very beginning of the fighting---nothing though along these lines was done--WHY at the end??

    It is all about the legacy.....stupid.

  19. #2019
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    Horlivka
    Russian "aidconvoy" for some reason brought office equipment. Some printers are sealed with such stickers https://twitter.com/Gorlovec/status/638438217176514560

    For those who can't read russian - it's FSB seal

  20. #2020
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    Am really happy to post the following social media account from this morning-----
    19 #Russia|n ceasefire violations yesterday. From midnight till 6am this morning there was not a single shot. Sep 1st, #ceasefire working.

    Although this morning was also reported the following---

    Latest Russian equipment spotted near Donetsk airport. https://twitter.com/BuTaJIu4eK/statu...00406189375488

    A true “ceasefire” under the Minsk 2 agreement is the complete pull back into controlled areas under OSCE monitoring/registering ALL and I mean ALL heavy weapons and tanks down to the 100mm caliber.

    THAT has not happened so this so called “ceasefire” has to be intently watched.

    All this reminds me of the so called "fake war of 1939" right after the Germans had rolled over Poland and there has a quiet phase before they rolled westward to the English Channel.

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