Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
June 27, 2014
Ukraine: The Association Agreement Is Likely To Fail

The temporary truce in Ukraine will soon be over and the Ukrainian army will then try to squash the insurgency by all possible means. It is unlikely to achieve that.

Today the coup president signed an EU association agreement in Brussels. The preferred trade status with Russia will thereby be over and the Ukraine will fall into a deep depression. Its industry is not competitive against western European ones and it can not be sustained without the Russian markets. The most knowledgeable engineers and workers, especially from the big weapon producers, will move to Russia and leave the Ukrainian industry to rot.

As Mark Adomanis correctly remarks:

The association agreement has always been seen in highly politicized and symbolic terms as a “civilizational choice” in which Ukraine would be able to leave behind its dark, eastern past and march forward into the safety and comfort of the European Union. This was a huge mistake. In reality the association agreement has nothing to do with culture or history and is much more basic: a highly technocratic bit of economic liberalization. There is no “European” way to end gas subsidies, and no “civilized” way to cut pensions. These steps are either taken or they are avoided. Since economic liberalization is not very popular in Ukraine, since Ukrainians continues to express extremely left-wing economic views, the struggle to implement free trade is likely to be long and nasty.

The agreement will still have to be signed off, and then implemented, by a new Ukrainian parliament. I seriously doubt that will happen.

Meanwhile the fighting in the east will continue and, when the coming push by the army fails as it is likely to do, will see further steps towards more independence for the eastern regions.

Comments

Posted by: Demian | Jul 4, 2014 2:51:41 AM | 200
It is reinforced as a wedge issue – to make it possible that normal people kill each other. To insist on a “higher Russian” culture versus a “peasant Ukrainian” culture is doing the same. We don’t know how representative that one youtube video is. You can show Germany as a fascist country if you concentrate on Neo Nazi incidents.
German stuff on the media war – the creation of different realities
SWR on Russian media in Germany – and private youtube stuff
The interesting part is where the guy from Rheinische Merkur states that ten years of trying to get German-Russian media cooperation similar to German-French television “Arte” had come to nought – part of Petersburg Dialog
ZDF – Die Anstalt – Deutscher Qualitätsjournalismus
on German MSM journalists being part of transatlantic think tanks writing government proposals which they then review in their papers
Russian/German journalist saying she can no longer write for Zeit online as she has worked for Russian media before

Posted by: somebody | Jul 4 2014 7:40 utc | 201

Posted by: Demian | Jul 4, 2014 2:51:41 AM | 200
“Somehow, I do not think that American Girl Scouts walk in procession shouting, “USA! USA! USA!”. Of course, I could be wrong, but I hope I’m not.”
Yeah, but they sell cookies. We all saw what cookies led to in Kiev.
—————
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7TScRvpwqo Ukraine Crisis Today: Punitive Operation in Eastern Ukraine – Interviewing civilians [Eng subtitles]
“Opinions on the punitive operation by the people who have to live through it.”
One wont see this documentary on western television.

Posted by: scalawag | Jul 4 2014 9:08 utc | 202

http://translate.yandex.net/tr-url/ru-en.ru/voicesevas.ru/news/yugo-vostok/2454-na-territorii-chaes-postroyat-kladbische-dlya-yadernyh-othodov-evropy.html On the territory of the ChNPP will build a cemetery for nuclear waste of Europe
“No sooner had the US and the EU to occupy Ukraine, as already actively promote their terrible projects: now in the zone of the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant will build the burial of nuclear waste, and there will be svoditsya spent fuel from nuclear reactors of the entire European Union.
The Ukrainian state enterprise NNEGC Energoatom and Holtec International (USA) have signed an additional agreement to the contract for the construction of a Centralized storage facility for spent nuclear fuel (cheat) in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl atomic power station, reports the press service of “NAEK “Energoatom”.
According to the press service, last week in Kiev the agreement was signed by presidents of companies Yuriy Nedashkovskiy and Chris Singh. The investment will be 127,750 million euros. These funds are intended for the design, licensing, construction and commissioning of the first stage of the storage.
The document refers to the resumption of work under the contract in 2005 for the development of the project of the centralized storage. Be postponed to 9 years of implementation of the construction was necessary due to the fact that the Ukrainian government has allocated a land plot in the zone of alienation.
To begin a new stage has enabled the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, under which the project has allocated two land plots with the total area of 45.2 hectares in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl atomic power station.”

Posted by: scalawag | Jul 4 2014 9:48 utc | 203

Realities are beginning to converge now. This here is “pro-Kyiv” Kyiv Post

For weeks Ukrainian forces have bombarded the separatist bastion of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast with small arms, mortars and heavy artillery.
In doing so they say they have “liquidated” hundreds of rebel fighters (though dozens is more likely, based on the Kyiv Post’s observations). But the battle here and elsewhere in Ukraine’s two eastern provinces has come at a steep price.
There have been more than 200 civilian casualties, including at least 15 children, in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. More than 200 Ukrainian servicemen have also been killed.
Tens of thousands have been displaced. Speaking with several of them in nearby Sviatohirsk, where about 15,000 have fled, no one voiced support for the government’s military campaign, even those who said they do not approve of the Kremlin-backed separatists. Most of them, however, admitted that they were leaning toward the insurgents’ side, raising the question of how well Ukrainian forces would be received in the east.
Elsewhere, the stories are similarly tragic.
On July 2, shells hit the village of Stanytsya Luhanska in Luhansk Oblast, killing as many as 12 civilians, including a five-year-old boy, according to Russian state media and rebel fighters the Kyiv Post spoke with.
A 200-meter stretch of homes was destroyed and the mangled bodies of residents scattered around the area, which was marked with four-foot-wide craters from the shells. Locals and rebels allege Ukrainian fighter jets carried out an airstrike. Kyiv says it had no planes in the area on July 2.
Earlier this week in Kramatorsk, some 10 kilometers south, five civilians were killed when a mortar exploded near a passenger bus…
Then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Koval said the armed forces are banned from using rockets and artillery near residential areas. He said the event in Kramatorsk was “a rebel provocation” and an attempt to discredit the Ukrainian army.
“The armed forces of Ukraine and National Guard are banned from employing rocket artillery in residential areas,” he said in Kyiv on July 3.
Addressing the incidents during his press conference on July 3, Koval denied claims against Ukrainian forces in Luhansk Oblast, adding that there was no military action there.
While the Kyiv Post did not see or hear any planes flying overhead in several hours spent in Luhansk Oblast on July 2, Ukrainian forces were present at ground locations within striking distance of the shelled villages.
Moreover, Koval’s comments conflict with what the Kyiv Post has seen over the course of several weeks in eastern Ukraine and what a video released on July 2 by Ukraine’s Military TV purports to show: heavy weapons are being fired in the direction of residential areas.
Koval was dismissed by Poroshenko on July 3 and replaced by 46-year-old Valeriy Heletey, a former police officer and chief of security for ex- President Viktor Yushchenko.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a warning to Ukraine on July 2, citing the rise of civilian casualties in the country’s war-torn eastern regions, demanding that the government reinstate a ceasefire abandoned by Poroshenko on July 1 and stop the military offensive.
“Again we resolutely demand that the Ukrainian authorities — provided they are still able to evaluate sensibly the consequences of the criminal policy they conduct — to stop shelling peaceful cities and villages in their own country, to return to a real ceasefire in order to save human lives,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The insurgents also have been seen using heavy weapons. And to provoke the Ukrainian forces, they have launched mortars from within cities’ limits, and even from the courtyards of apartment buildings, including that of Yelena Laskova, 19, a second-year university student from Sloviansk, who was studying Ukrainian language and literature before evacuating the city on May 29.
She told the Kyiv Post on June 26 that rebels had fired several mortars from that position. In return, Ukrainian forces fired nearby, nearly hitting her while she walked to work.
Over the course of two months, Kyiv Post reporters have witnessed Ukrainian and insurgent fighters firing heavy weapons, including mortars and howitzers – weapons that are notoriously inaccurate – toward their targets.

War crimes tribunal, anyone?

Posted by: somebody | Jul 4 2014 10:20 utc | 204

Regime just declared big sucess in Slavyansk @Russian media

Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 4 2014 14:58 utc | 205

@198 demian. i appreciate you sharing that. thanks.

Posted by: james | Jul 4 2014 15:55 utc | 206

Gay parade banned in ukraine under poroshenko.
http://www.ukrinform.ua/eng/news/klitschko_against_gay_parade_in_kyiv_323416

Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 4 2014 16:41 utc | 207

those who defend Putin on the grounds that to defend the Donbass would be to fall into a western trap overlook the obvious fact that Putin could bring the slaughter to a stop immediately by cutting off gas shipped via Ukraine

Posted by: Cu Chulainn | Jul 4 2014 19:26 utc | 208

@208 cu chulainn,
interesting observation and one which one could make towards europe and the usa too, if they were really interested in stopping the bullshit.. to blame putin only addresses one part of this and seems rather selective.

Posted by: james | Jul 4 2014 19:40 utc | 209

thank you james
we know who the instigators are, in US and Eurostan; I mention Putin’s complicity only to disabuse those of us who had hoped an alternate capitalist power center might uphold common decency

Posted by: Cu Chulainn | Jul 4 2014 20:17 utc | 210

Cu chulainn
Gas to ukraine stopped 2 weeks back didnt it?

Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 4 2014 20:20 utc | 211

new leak: US think tank war plans for poroshenko
http://rt.com/news/170572-rand-east-ukraine-plan/

Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 4 2014 21:20 utc | 212

Very informative op-ed about how the Ukraine is an absolute failure as a country:
Ukraine, the country no one cared about
I predicted this. At the time of the breakup of the USSR, I told my Russian friends that the idea of an independent Ukraine was totally crazy, since the Ukrainians had absolutely no experience at governing themselves.
On a side note, the reason Chernobyl happened was that the Ukrainians running the reactor decided to run a little experiment by themselves, instead of following instructions given to them by Moscow to the letter, as they were supposed to do. It’s not by chance that the one major nuclear disaster that occurred in the Soviet Union happened in the Ukraine.

Posted by: Demian | Jul 5 2014 0:12 utc | 213

Another way in which the Ukraine has turned into a fascist, totalitarian country:
The maniacal delirium of the SBU (Ukrainian security agency)

Power structures of Ukraine has undergone a remarkable cleaning. All decent officers were declared traitors, all the scum – patriots.
Not without a persecution of dissidents in social networks. In the language of the SBU this is called “to oppose the saboteurs who runs misinformation… to discredit employees, opposing terrorists-separatists”. In other words, you are not allowed to boldly and openly to express in a social network of their disagreement with the policy of Kiev. You can immediately enter into “saboteurs who runs misinformation.” You, so to speak, discredit the brave Ukrainian lads-enforcers.

Posted by: Demian | Jul 5 2014 1:34 utc | 214

http://translate.yandex.net/tr-url/ru-en.ru/novorus.info/news/policy/24661-v-aeroportu-borispol-podgotovleny-samolety-dlya-evakuacii-vip-person.html At the airport “Borispol” prepared the aircraft for the evacuation of the President of Ukraine and other VIP-persons”
“At Kiev airport “Borispol” in hastily prepared four aircraft for anonymous VIP-persons. This is reported by the Russian media citing sources in the new Russia.
The flight time is not yet appointed. The crews located in the building of the airport will not be allowed.
Earlier, Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Moldova to Ukraine ion Stavila in an interview to Prime said that, foreign embassies in Ukraine are preparing for evacuation in Chisinau.
According to him, officers of diplomatic missions not feel safe since the escalation of events on “evropidan”when in the center of Kiev blood was shed.”
http://translate.yandex.net/tr-url/ru-en.ru/voicesevas.ru/news/yugo-vostok/2476-v-aeroportu-borispol-nagotove-samolety-dlya-evakuacii-prezidenta-ukrainy-i-prochih-glavarey-hunty.html At the airport “Borispol” at the ready aircraft for the evacuation of the President of Ukraine and other leaders of the junta
“According to unconfirmed reports, in Kiev airport “Borispol”, urgently prepared four aircraft for anonymous VIP-persons.
It is assumed urgent the flight of the leaders of the junta, headed Poroshenkoin case of unsuccessful for them development scenario in Ukraine.
The exact time of departure will be specified.
Rescue crews pilots and technicians located in the building of the airport, departure to them is prohibited.
Earlier, Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Moldova to Ukraine Ion Stavila said that, foreign embassies in Ukraine are preparing for evacuation in Chisinau.
According to ion, members of diplomatic missions not feel safe since the escalation of the events on the Maidan”, when in the center of Kiev the first blood was shed.
You can specify that no one in Ukraine has never feels safe.
And President Of Somalia stated that they will not allow turning Somalia into Ukraine.”
Sounds like something is up. And what about Moldova? More rumors?

Posted by: scalawag | Jul 5 2014 2:35 utc | 215

Slavyansk. 07/04/2014
Strelkov was not online today.
Comment: Given rumors from media, the government forces succeed in pressing on finally well organized offensive, while the overwhelmed combatants inevitably struggle to hold the resistance together.

Posted by: Fete | Jul 5 2014 3:34 utc | 216

What can we expect to happen if the regime manage to take back all regions? will the resistance just die or will it “go underground” etc?

Posted by: Anonymous | Jul 5 2014 12:35 utc | 217

@Anonymous #217:
I think it’s too early to ask that question.
Here’s an interesting take on a site I’ve only visited a couple of times before. (A comment at the Saker gave the link.)
Joaquin Flores: Analysis of July 5 Slaviansk Developments

Posted by: Demian | Jul 5 2014 19:20 utc | 218

http://translate.yandex.net/tr-url/ru-en.ru/lifenews.ru/news/136057 SBU called LifeNews his biggest problem
“The Deputy head of the Ukrainian special services have accused reporters of TV channel that they are part of a “combat units”.
According to Andrei Levoca, the biggest problem for the security Service of Ukraine is the channel LifeNews. He also noted that the TV journalists hold “information operation”.
– The biggest problem – channel LifeNews. It’s not the journalists, not the media, and specific combat unit of information operations. Find – expelled. Now be careful – masked, – said Deputy head of the SBU in the interview to one of the Ukrainian media.
He also noted that out of 200 detainees during the so-called ATO people most part “took” counterintelligence. According to Andrei Levoca, SIZO SBU overcrowded.
– When people say that intelligence is not, is nonsense. You would be surprised if this activity was advertised in the press releases. Has its own specifics. This is chess, not checkers, ” said Levus.
Prior to his appointment as the Deputy head of the SBU, he headed the election headquarters of his incumbent chief Valentyna Nalyvaychenko at the parliamentary elections of 2012. He also is a longtime ally of the NSDC Secretary Andrew Parubiy and one of the organizers of the self-defense of the Maidan.
Earlier the editorial office LifeNews got a Memorandumaimed SSU heads of departments of the interior Ministry of Ukraine, Kiev, Sevastopol and Crimea, which lists the names of the persons put on the wanted list. Among them were the names of Russian journalists.
In the list, in particular, were the journalists LifeNews Olga Voronyanskaya, Anna Voropai, Sergey Golyandin, Natalia Bakhmina, Eugene Panichkina and Hermine Kotanjyan – they are wanted, along with the leaders of the Donetsk and Lugansk national republics Paul Gubarev, Valery Bolotov and Denis Pushilin.”

Posted by: scalawag | Jul 5 2014 19:56 utc | 219

@scalawag #219:

“This is chess, not checkers, ” said Levus.

That’s one clever Yukie.

Posted by: Demian | Jul 5 2014 20:36 utc | 220

The Israelis have picked up a trick from the Banderites:
Autopsy shows Palestinian teen was burned to death

Posted by: Demian | Jul 5 2014 22:26 utc | 221

Major victory for Ukrainian forces in area held by rebels

“But the liberation of Slovyansk from the armed-to-the-teeth gang of subhumans has a tremendous symbolic importance,” the president said.

Posted by: Demian | Jul 5 2014 22:36 utc | 222

Interview with Strelkov 05.07.2014

This night we executed a breakthrough out of Slavyansk, located in the ring of the Ukrainian army. This was organized through diversionary attack on the enemy’s position. It was made by our armed group. A large part of it, unfortunately, died.
This was due to a mistake by the commander of the group. 80% to 90% of personnel and 90% of arms of the city were rescued. We also evacuated families of soldiers and sympathizers to recruit people for whom it was extremely dangerous to stay in the city.
Before the breakthrough were organized camouflage activities: part militias conducted continuous fire and demonstrated their presence to the enemy positions.
The seventh of July I intend to create by my order of the Central military Council, which will include all the main field commanders. In this body we will agree on the issues of further defense DPR and possibly parts LPR.
Also, before a military commander of Donetsk is appointed, I will carry out all his responsibilities, and take on the role of the commander garrison. The National Guard is taking out is numerous losses on on peaceful residents of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and Artemovsk. This confirms once again that people who believe that if militia leaves without a fight, this will save them from repression, are dead wrong.

I had wondered how most of the freedom fighters were able to get out. A Russian columnist observed that when Chechen rebels tried to get out of a city that was surrounded, the Russians were able to destroy their group.

Posted by: Demian | Jul 6 2014 3:32 utc | 223

http://translate.yandex.net/tr-url/ru-en.ru/voicesevas.ru/news/yugo-vostok/2516-semchenko-uchastvoval-v-vyemkah-organov-u-soldat.html Semchenko participated in the hollows of the bodies of the soldiers
“05.07.2014 the correspondence between the lawyer Tymoshenko Vlasenko with the German surgeon Olga Weber and the commander of a battalion “The Donbas” Semyon Semenchenko.
Now it is clear why they found bodies without organs. [1] Even discussing the possibility to improve the quality taking bodies not dead, and “heavy” and “hopeless” [wounded, injured conditions].
*SOG-heart, nep(hrone)-kidney; hep(ar)-the liver; pan(creas)- pancreas, pul(mon)-easy”
Examples of their dialog:
“Judging by the news, events for us)) As I think the course will not change?
Sergiy Vlasenko
15.04.2014 21:31
Sergiy Vlasenko
Not expected, will work with anything! “Our Western partners” its policy we create good conditions, and the main thing – the number!
Olga Wieber
15.04.2014 21:36
Olga Wieber
Are you and the Western partners. Diabetics have a lot,so there is a demand..
10 may
Olga Wieber
10.05.2014 22:04
Olga Wieber
can we, then, it is better to work as before? Heavy and hopeless at least have access to normal, and the conditions are not much worse?
Sergiy Vlasenko
22.05.2014 22:05
Sergiy Vlasenko
Yes, right now, more Israel will gather and ship immediately!
Olga Wieber
08.06.2014 12:43
Olga Wieber
Well, Simon. Our fellow Germans and Jews you provided?
Semyon Semenchenko
18.03.2014 20:24
Semyon Semenchenko
We had problems with the last batch!!! Lots of low-quality goods, our customers dissatisfied! You all need to do quickly! Accelerate, promo that if you do not keep within 14 hours from the moment of confiscation and we get only 30% of the cost! So you don’t get your outfit, you know?
Semyon Semenchenko
26.05.2014 17:33
Semyon Semenchenko
I know, Sergey Vladimirovich. We try, we have a lot of losses, that’s the last time more than 20 children have lost!
Sergiy Vlasenko
26.05.2014 17:34
Sergiy Vlasenko”
[1] Outside of Mariupol a mass grave, or graves, was found with dozens (maybe 100s) of bodies with with abdomen and chest cavities cut open and empty.
The Israeli mafia is running a similar human organ “business” in the Ukraine now, as the one they ran during the break-up of Yugoslavia.

Posted by: scalawag | Jul 6 2014 5:32 utc | 224

http://translate.yandex.net/tr-url/ru-en.ru/api-x.livejournal.com/17619.html The Ukrainian government will spend five million dollars to a party on the occasion of independence day of the USA
“Almost five million dollars, half of which will go to the fee famous pop singer Riana, plan to spend the Ukrainian authorities to the party on the occasion of US independence Day. The party will be organized as a gift to the son of the Vice-President of the USA hunter Biden, a member of the Board of Directors of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings. About it to Agency of Political Investigations (API) has told the assistant to one of the Ministers of the Ukrainian government.
“The party will be devoted to the independence Day of the 4th of July and will be presented by our government as a gift to his son Biden. The exact amount you will spend the government, is unknown, but speak about the sum of five million dollars. Just know that, at the invitation of the singer Riany will spend no less than two million. Also visitors will be able to use the services of 50 prostitutes. Their selection was ordered himself Petya to Listerman.
Information about the place and time of the party kept in strict secret. All members of the government have warned that they will tell the exact time and venue an hour before. It is not surprising that our government is concerned that if our people know about the party, you can simply make a riot, being indignant with such spending,” shared information source API.
Experts API believe that the Ukrainian government is making a big mistake, organizing such events.
“About this party and expenditures on her already know many people who are against the government. So learn and write about it to the journalists. Hardly the Ukrainian people, which is well aware that the country is in debt, will approve such expenses on pleasing to the Americans,” says one of the experts API.”
They probably used the bandera nazi feminist front FEMEN to supply them the hookers.

Posted by: scalawag | Jul 6 2014 5:56 utc | 225