Russia vs. Ukraine

The United States, EU and NATO are in disarray! Outmanoeuvred by Putin, they are perplexed about how to deal with the new Ukraine crisis reality smack in the middle of Europe. Unless the conflict is handled prudently, it has the components of getting out of hand and possibly starting a Third World War!

While the propaganda machine is in full gear, the killing fields of Ukraine are now soaked in blood of the young, the old, women and children. Accusations and counter accusation complete with bravado rhetoric between the Power Elite factions-attempting to justify the unjustifiable-display not a sliver of consideration for the tragedy and suffering of innocent victims of their viciousness. The American term "collateral damage” conceived during the Iraqi and Libyan wars were aimed to justify the deaths of thousands of civilians. Today, it's an accepted term applied as a price worth paying for "freedom and democracy” through war brutalities.

Not too long ago friendly relations between the NATO military alliance and the Russian Federation established in 1991 were in good terms. Within the framework of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, Russia was an active Council Member (NRC) free of animosity between them.

In 1994 Russia joined NATO's Partnership for Peace programme and signed several agreements of cooperation. On 6 June 2011, NATO and Russia participated in their first ever joint fighter jet exercise, known as "Vigilant Skies 2011” and "Bold Monarch 2011” the second being a joint submarine NATO-led exercise on 30 May 2011.

The US, Canada and several Western European countries established the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949 as a defensive military arrangement to: provide collective security against the Soviet Union.

Tied to deep-rooted ideologies, NATO's duplicitous expansion by the incorporation of the former Eastern Bloc and Soviet Union countries has been the main cause of increased tension between NATO and Russia. NATO has broken its commitments "not to expand” in the Eastern Bloc and by doing so tension between the two super-powers have triggered the present Russian retaliation.

On 1 April 2014, NATO unanimously decided to suspend all practical co-operations with the Russian Federation in response to the Annexation of Crimea and Russia is now treated as the "evil enemy of freedom and democracy”.

Referring to the current chaos in Ukraine, NATO has miscalculated assessing Russia's military exercises and Putin's manoeuvre has in fact outwitted the West alliance.

During military exercises, Russian troops successfully blockaded all possible openings for retaliation attacks by Ukraine nationalists into Russia. Putin then announced a bombshell; Russia officially recognised the two breakaway states of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent sovereign states.

Was this a calculating pretext by Putin to offer military assistance to both of those Russian-speaking states being at war with the Ukrainian nationalists for the past eight years at the death of 14,000 Russian Ukrainians or an excuse to attack the ethnically divided Ukraine? The Western regions predominately share Polish/Germanic roots and the Eastern regions Russian.

As the war continues nobody can truly read Putin's mind! But the decision to place Russian nuclear missiles in readiness as a threat and a deterrent offers grave concerns for mankind. Insanity comes to mind!

Ukraine has been encouraged to join the NATO alliance for years-a move that Putin emphatically opposes-not prepared to allow NATO to threaten Russian sovereignty. In fact Russia has accused NATO of trying to use the Ukrainian army as its proxy to enlarge NATO's military domination in the region to include Finland and Sweden.

NATO's unwavering support for the Volodymyr Zelensky's regime — which Putin calls a neo-Nazi regime — by offering billions of loans, stockpiling of NATO weaponry, missiles, tanks and armaments including army advisors to train the Ukrainian army and mercenaries has now come to fruition. Ironically none have objected to Ukraine's plans on re-starting its nuclear missiles programme! NATO's support for Ukraine has now come at a high price; it has triggered the wrath of the White Bear!

Putin's written demands for a free demilitarized Ukraine without NATO forces and nuclear weapons fell on deaf ears. NATO and the West ridiculed Russia's proposal for a demilitarized Ukraine on the pretext that "an independent sovereign state has the right to decide its own future”. No country can ignore such valued principles provided "the right to decide” does not pose a threat to others.

The conduct of the West not to recognize Russia's security concerns has ultimately triggered the current war madness in the heart of Europe. It was foolish to assume that Russia would not retaliate and allow Ukraine to become NATO's springboard to nuclear missiles and armed troops facing Russia's borders! Consequently, the brutalities of war ruled over common sense and world-order now faces a maze of quagmires.

Meanwhile innocent people and thousands of civilians face an uncertain future as homeless refugees because of war games played by the Power Elite-the dark forces hidden within-and dictated by power-hungry people in white collars! The tragedy of political manipulation in Ukraine for power and control by "civilized nations” has now sunk to rock bottom. The threat of a nuclear incident becomes real in a mad world controlled by mad people!

The crisis in Ukraine should have never been allowed to start in the first place; but where there is no justice there is no wrong!

Meanwhile, for each day passing citizens have difficulties trusting what they read or what they hear coming from both the warring factions or the mass media; a media that's synchronised to spread propaganda and fake news of convenience. The victim out of the deplorable tragedy-apart from the death of the innocent-its truth itself!

The Western Powers have now enforced radical sanctions against Russia as a way of punishment! Those sweeping sanctions will certainly cause severe hardship to Russian civilians, civilians that never approved Putin's actions in their name! There is a fear that the indiscriminate measures imposed against Russia could in fact boomerang with devastating results against the West.

Yet, those same Western Powers including the UN demanding sanctions against Russia refuse to impose similar sanctions against Turkey (a NATO ally) for its 1974 brutal military invasion and occupation of 40% of EU — Cyprus. Using napalm bombs (illegal) the Turkish army killed more 7,500 Greek civilians and displaced 230,000 Greeks as refugees in their own country. Today's hypocritical practice of such double standards practiced by the West has no place in a civilized society.

For Ukraine this is a sad, sad period in its history but also sad for the EU bankers' institution which has failed to ensure peace and security in Europe as promised. Under duplicity, EU enlargement was established based on "promises” for prosperity and create "one happy family”. NATO's current expansion was based on similar promises for "security”, while the UN's promises for "peace” has provided none of the above.

The chaos in Ukraine and the shedding of blood could have been avoided. Western powers have to accept a share of the responsibility for their failure to stop the current crisis from starting. For mass consumption, misinformation and faked leaks played a major role to generate the 'good side' and the 'evil side' the same way the U. S. and Western Powers did in Iraq and Libya.

Without a doubt, negotiations for peace are more desirable than the ravages of military actions, but such noble ideas, do not dissuade autocrats, dictators or power — hungry states controlled by a Power Elite!