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Putin throws down the gauntlet - takes aim at US, calls Poroshenko ''puppet" [+Video]
August
11th, 2016 - Fort Russ News -
- R&U
Vid - J. Flores with R. Quintanilla
Fort
Russ,11
August, 2016
Video
Below
The
Russian Federal Security Service prevented terrorist attacks in the
Crimea, planned by the General Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of
Ukraine.
A
surprising public statement
In
yesterday's public statement, which took many by surprise, Russian
President Putin has thrown down the gauntlet, and openly revealed
Moscow's actual assessment: The present government in Ukraine is
illegitimate, was installed by a violent coup backed by the US, and
Poroshenko is but a puppet of the US, who acts both blindly and
foolishly in carrying out acts of terrorism against the Russian
Federation.
Putin
also went on to characterize the assassination attempt upon the
life of Igor Plotnitsky, head of the Lugansk People's Republic, as
an act of terrorism. While it is consistent with Russia's policy to
date to consider any acts of violence against the Russian
Federation directly as an illegal aggravation, this is the first
time since 2014 that Putin has characterized violence against
Novorossiyan leadership as a de facto 'international' event (as
opposed to an internal police action within Ukraine), and of
terrorism at that.
In
light of all of this, Putin publicly expresses something almost
approximating incredulity, that Poroshenko cannot create a rational
policy on Russia. Is he simply envious of Putin's successes in the
many countries he deals with, including in the EU and the US, and
their sanctions? Putin clarifies, of course, that it is because
Poroshenko is but a puppet, entirely beholden to the US who placed
him in power following a violent and illegal coup.
Ukraine
and Russia both make military moves
Poroshenko
now has Ukrainian troops at maximum alert over this Crimea incident
on Russian borders, after being caught red handed with terrorist
plans by the FSB. Immediately after this Putin has stated that the
Minsk agreements, because of Ukrainian actions, are senseless and
without value, and - apparently - there is no need to have any
further talks.
This is a pressure point for Europe and Ukraine who immediately said it is ready (again?) to "talk" on the subject.
But
the west might have turned the key to infuriate Russia, and make
Putin's Russia an open weapons supplier for Donbass, missiles and
all. Ukrainian soldiers know - because everybody knows - that they
would go to a certain death and no one believes their families are
in any way happy about this. The military answer the Donbass gave
to Ukraine with the militia surprised the world. That militia is
now gone and instead they have an even better, professional army,
declared to the public openly on Victory Day of 2015, supplied and
supported by Russia. The results have been outstanding for the
Donbass, winning every battle brought to them by Ukraine.
We
also cannot overlook the fact that on August 8th, just days before
this announcement, we reported the following:
Russia has just moved four divisions, nine brigades and 22 regiments along with two missile brigades with complexes "Iskander-M" into the south-west of the Russia, toward Ukraine, under Shoigu's orders.
The Ukrainian army is preparing for a new offensive in the Donbass, Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said recently. Typically, high-ranking officials don not give such warnings unless they are based on carefully gathered intelligence. Churkin is no exception.
Therefore,
it is difficult not to conclude that these events are connected.
In
this case, Russia is using a pretext - which in the grand scheme of
things may even seem a bit small (two soldiers killed at a border
shootout) - to take the initiative in the information/media war,
and give themselves a publicly moral footing for something which,
clearly, has been planned in response to Ukraine's army build up,
which even Churkin just publicly raised at the UN.
The
situation on the ground
Ukraine's
society is desperate, broke, humiliated by the EU, with their necks
under a very repressive government who has broken all of the few
promises of wealth and greatness promised during the Maidan coup.
The
Donbass is ready, alert, alive and ready to fight, as the few
videos we get show a society that is under serious pressure from
this war and Ukrainian terrorism, but still looking forward to a
better future, and hope for a final victory against a derailed
Ukraine, that today is totally erroneous in the plans they have for
the Donbass region.
[video]
All
the events over the last several weeks are likely to be all
connected
It
is much more common for Putin to speak softly, and carry a big
stick. This Teddy Roosevelt approach to geostrategy has worked well
for him, even if superficially pro-Russian detractors and critics
would like him to engage in fare more chest beating than would be
appropriate for a statesmen having this level of caliber and
international respect.This
is why yesterday's statement can only be interpreted as an
ultimatum that will be followed by some no-doubt history making,
and serious action.
It
is important to take note that Putin makes this address following
his bi-lateral talks with Serzh Sargsyan, President of Armenia. The
context of this is a week of high-level and historical meetings
with the leaders of Iran and Azerbaijan in Baku, followed by a
serious agreement on ending sanctions and energy market development
with Erdogan.
But
what was discussed behind closed doors is something that may not be
known for decades to come, if ever. It is likely, regardless of
official statements and claims, that these meetings included the
status of the CSTO, Armenia's conflict with Azerbaijan, and
Turkey's relationship both with that and the Eurasian Union.
There
have been any number of provocations, including the shelling of
Russian support positions, by the Ukrainian Army, on Russian
territory, which Putin could have seized as a pretext to make the
sort of definitive and game-changing statement that he made today.
This
leads us to conclude that this weeks meetings, the possibility of a
shift in Turkey's orientation (or at least triangulation), and the
failures of the US's side at Aleppo this past week, are all factors
which contribute to the timing of this major statement.
The
US also may have timed the provocation itself, perhaps to escalate
tensions with Russia in the run-up to the elections. It would
perhaps bode poorly for Trump if a heated or even hot exchange with
Russia made Ukraine a major focus, and was the focus of media
during an election where clearly Clinton is favored among
imperialists and hawks.
This
would certainly distract from the US failures to topple the
government in Syria, and would also detract from Russia's successes
against terrorist groups there, which the US (despite their actual
aims at arming said terrorists) has apparently 'failed' to make any
traction against.
Russia
is certainly in the position to take all of Ukraine, if this was
their short-term or immediate goal. But the consequences would only
result in a diplomatic disaster, and would nix whatever progress
Russia has made in softening up Europe's attitude to Russia and
sanctions. Despite much news coverage on the subject, Russia has
been able to make some significant progress in the economic sphere
in relation to European banking, and has already struck deals with
numerous EU states which, only technically, work around the
existing sanctions.
For
these reasons, we should expect a response from Russia that is
aimed at making an example of the Ukrainian regime over its recent
provocation, while at the same time doing so in a fashion which
carries forward their long-term diplomatic aim of keeping at least
a portion of European elites skeptical of (and hedging against)
Trans-Atlantic designs on Russia.
