Tag Archives: Ukraine

Europe’s black hole: How much of the more than $185 billion given by the West to Ukraine has been stolen?

This article first appeared on RT, but as most ISPs block RT in the UK, we have reproduced it here so Brits can read it.

The fate of huge amounts of aid sent to Ukraine is uncertain amid endemic corruption and a lack of accountability

As a result of last week’s NATO summit in Vilnius, the US-led military bloc promised Ukraine fresh tranches of financial and military aid. This was despite the fact that by the beginning of the summer, Kiev had already received a total of €165 billion ($185.6 billion) from Western countries.… Click here to continue reading this article

The Military Situation in Ukraine

The Military Situation in Ukraine: This article first appeared in The Postil Magazine in April 2022 and is republished here as Twitter prevents linking to the original citing it as “unsafe”. You may think that is because it goes against the mainstream narrative – we couldn’t possibly comment. The author is Jacques Baud, a former colonel of the General Staff, ex-member of the Swiss strategic intelligence, and specialist on Eastern countries. He was trained in the American and British intelligence services.

Part One: The Road To War

For years, from Mali to Afghanistan, I have worked for peace and risked my life for it.… Click here to continue reading this article

Dedollarisation and Reducing Dollar Hegemony Following the Russian Military Operation in Ukraine

We’ve been writing about dedollarisation here for some time.

Russia and much of the world have been seeking to dedollarise for a while. In the wake of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, one of the outcomes of countersanctions by Russia against the US and the rest of the west is them being forced to use the Russian Rouble to buy oil and gas.

This does something Russia has wanted to do for a while: reduce US dollar hegemony.

When it comes to what we often call dollar hegemony one can get all technical (and often wrong) or we can make things much more simple.… Click here to continue reading this article

Russian Ukrainian Adventures Forum Newsletter – Autumn/Winter 2019

Russian Ukrainian Adventures Forum Newsletter – Autumn/Winter 2019.

This is our first newsletter in quite some time, and first we want to take a moment to welcome again our many new members to the conversation forums who perhaps never had a newsletter from us before.

So What’s Happening?

Our forum is now twelve years old, and we have just passed our half millionth post milestone. That’s a lot of people doing a lot of talking the last decade or so!

The forum was started back in the tail end of the Russian and Ukrainian so-called ‘mail order bride’ phenomenon, and our subject matter was a one-trick pony in that regard back then.… Click here to continue reading this article

UK Petition: Lift EU/US sanctions on Russia to increase trade now the UK is leaving the EU

As we all know, the UK has chosen to exit the EU.

We call this bid for freedom BREXIT.

This means once again we can become an independent country making our own decisions.

The UK has sanctions on Russia.

Russia has reciprocal trade sanctions on the UK.

This means much trade is blocked between Russia and the UK.

Why?

Because the warmongering USA has the EU as its bitch. The US says “jump” and the EU says “how high?”

The US has almost no trade with Russia. So it doesn’t hurt the US.… Click here to continue reading this article

A new Swiss humanitarian convoy for the city of Donetsk

This article first appeared in French on the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation website.

On 22 May 2016, two humanitarian convoys Confederation carrying chemicals for treating water and medical supplies left for Ukraine in the conflict zone.

Part of the convoy with medical equipment and medicine was awarded to the Kurakhove hospital this morning.

The products have been transported by road but also, for the first time by rail .

Sunday morning, a train ferrying chemicals for water treatment left Switzerland to Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.

The cargo is for waterworks of Donbass, which supply the population with drinking water on both sides of the line of contact.… Click here to continue reading this article

War Returns to Ukraine

This article first appeared on Russia Insider.

Whilst all eyes are on Syria there has been a steady deterioration of the situation in Ukraine.

In violation of the ceasefire shelling of the territories of the two people’s republics has resumed, and the OSCE has confirmed that the Ukrainian military has moved heavy weapons back to the contact line.

The Ukrainians meanwhile have extended their ban of commercial flights to and from Russia by banning also transit flights.

Ukraine has placed Crimea under food blockade. To the intense embarrassment of its Western backers (see this editorial in the Financial Times, headlined “Kiev should act to end the blockade of Crimea”) it has enlarged this to an energy blockade.… Click here to continue reading this article

America Is Using Bulgaria to Supply Arms to Ukraine

This article originally appeared at Novinite – Bulgarian news agency

The United States is delivering arms to Ukraine via Bulgaria, an article on RIA Novosti reads.

Bulgaria is also “producing ammunition for the Ukrainian army” with US money, and Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic are ready to take part in similar schemes, the text argues further.

Washington is doing so “despite official declarations” and has so far transferred about 200 sniper rifles and 400 assault rifles and 200 grenade launchers, the author, Aleksandr Hrolenko, notes [RU], arguing this “transit country” has been used for not less than 20 years “when necessary to hide traces”.… Click here to continue reading this article

Ukraine and Putin: How the West May Walk into War

This is a long story. That should then but, for once, because it is a matter of life and death, war and peace. The story is about the conflict in Ukraine, and about how “we” – the West – a war sucked in danger of being with Russia. Because this happens, if we are not careful, though many Dutch it still will not even notice, busy as it is the quiet life to live in freedom that we take for granted, but so may come to an end.

To understand what is happening in Ukraine, which geopolitical game in the region is being played, who the key players – in politics, diplomacy and media – and what their goals are, we need to delve deeper into the details.… Click here to continue reading this article

Russian Ukrainian Adventures Forum Newsletter – Summer 2015

Russian Ukrainian Adventures Forum Newsletter – Summer 2015.

Hello,

It has been over a year since we sent out a newsletter, so we thought one was long overdue.

We would like to bring you up-to-date on the changes at RUA the last year.

The Forum Has Changed Direction a Little to Include More Travel, Culture, News and Politics.

The site was stuck in what is a dying and declining niche. When the site first started back in the mid naughties, it was firmly aimed at what some termed the “mail-order bride” niche.… Click here to continue reading this article

Russian “Threat” Proves American Ignorance, Arrogance and Hypocrisy

A recent story headlined on CNN.com asked the question, “Why is Russia sending bombers close to U.S. airspace?”, after several Russian military aircraft flew near U.S. airspace along the coasts of Alaska and California. Perhaps a better question would be why has Russia waited so long to do so?

The story includes a smattering of ominous, juvenile-level rhetoric from Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Republican Congressman from Illinois, who describes what Russia is doing as an “act of aggression.” He compares Vladimir Putin to a diminutive school bully who acts overly tough, no doubt an allusion to Russia’s reduced influence in world affairs since the end of the Cold War.… Click here to continue reading this article

Poroshenko Is Wondering When He WIll Be Deposed by Coup.

They say that what goes around comes around.

It seems a while ago now that President Yanukovych of Ukraine was ousted in an illegal US and EU led coup d’etat and the softly-spoken Poroshenko installed in his place as American puppet.

Readers can be forgiven for not understanding that what happened in Ukraine as a coup d’etat, as it is hard to get to the facts sometimes above the constant – yet incorrect – western media propaganda drone of Russian Aggression we hear daily.

The United States and the ever-pliant EU have been earnestly telling us that Mr Yanukovych’s removal was alright really as he was a not nice bloke who was more concerned in filling his pockets than helping Ukraine prosper.… Click here to continue reading this article

NATO is using Ukraine crisis to advance towards Russian borders

NATO is using the situation in Ukraine to push closer to Russia’s border, according to the Russian deputy defense minister. He says the Alliance’s activities have expanded considerably over the past years.

In their push, Anatoly Antonov says Allied forces are ignoring diplomacy.

“We’ve noticed that NATO member states are using the situation in southeastern Ukraine as a pretext to discard all diplomatic conventions, tricks and slogans and push forward, closer to the Russian border.”

According to the minister, what NATO is doing is completely out of proportion with what NATO commanders call the build-up of Russian forces on its side of the border in Ukraine.… Click here to continue reading this article

The Cabinet of Ukraine plans to nationalize bank deposits of Ukrainians

The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine intends to take a decision allowing wartime involvement in the country’s budget, bank deposits of citizens of more than 200 thousand. UAH ($8000 US).

It is reported by Ukrainian edition ZN.UA citing its own sources.

The Ministry of Finance has prepared a draft law “On the financial system of Ukraine in the special period”, one of the points which concerns bank deposits of citizens and organizations.

“In the event of martial law and imposing a moratorium on the payment of bank deposits from customers who are on deposit (deposit) accounts with banks.… Click here to continue reading this article

More on Russia, The Rouble, Sanctions & Gas.

The western media likes to howl about how sanctions are affecting Russia. But who do they really effect?

The effect of US trade sanctions on Russia and vice versa is minute as their total annual trade value was about $5-6 billion. If this halved to $3 billion neither the US or Russia would notice. That is pocket change…

The effect of trade sanctions on Europe is much more severe. Putin has always said that trade sanctions cuts both ways. It appears that these trade sanctions are now tipping continental Europe into a “triple dip” recession.… Click here to continue reading this article

Russia’s Cunning Plan on Sanctions, Europe and the US.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin has implemented a cunning plan in relation to Europe and their sanctions on Russia.

I call it “Right back at ya – watch this!”

“Russia is finished! Sanctions from Obama and the European Union will finish the Russian economy and now it will become the poorest country in the world! Russia can not do anything to answer the West! They will all die”

So love to scream those in the west who do not know about Putin’s cunning plan and underestimate Russia.

Europeans believed that Russia does not respond to sanctions; but Russia has.… Click here to continue reading this article

American “Democracy”, Russia, Ukraine and the EU.

I read an article today I thought so excellent I wanted to republish it here.

Written by a gentleman by the name of Timothy V. Gatto on a website called MWC News – Media with Conscience.

I hope MWC agree to us republishing it here with a citation and a backlink to source.

We very seldom publish the work of other people here unless we think it particularly incisive and noteworthy.

Another Successful American Propaganda Effort

American political figures like to talk about “American Democracy”. The truth is there is no “American Democracy”; it is something that our rulers like to foist upon the World stage much like parents like to tell their children about Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny.… Click here to continue reading this article

Why is the Western Media so Biased Against Russia?

The British media and especially the BBC are anti-Russian.

The language they use is always purposely misleading. The Russian point of view is never considered. The western media on the whole start from an assumed point that Russia is always in the wrong, always the aggressor, and every item reported is in the same vein. British media is like a mouthpiece for America.

The BBC even has its own propoganda channel in Russian: http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/

Take turning the gas off to Ukraine: That has always been framed as nasty Russia spitefully turning the gas off on poor little helpless Ukraine.… Click here to continue reading this article

What is the real story with Ukraine, Russia, the EU and America?

What is the real story with Ukraine, Russia, the EU and America?

Anyone who reads Western media might feel that they have a handle on what is going on in Ukraine.

You have been misled by the Western media to hold one, and only one view: There is ‘terrorism’ perpetrated by ‘pro-Russian separatists’, armed by Russia, and Vladimir Putin is the main culprit. Especially with flight MH17.

End of story. Anyone who believes differently is a Russian propaganda merchant.

Vladimir Putin is the evil bogeyman (white cat optional). America wants to spread democracy across the world.… Click here to continue reading this article

Why would Ukraine purposely shoot down flight MH17?

The story goes – and I am only repeating the theories I have read here – that a large number of Ukrainian forces were hemmed in near the Russian border and faring very badly and something drastic needed to happen before they were toast.

Ukraine is low on manpower and has resorted to conscription again; they don’t have much juice left.

This was a manoeuvre to try to drag in the international community to do the job in the east for them. If the world buys the tale that the rebels did it, backed up by some fabricated audio and video, opinion turns against the rebels and Russia would have to throw them under the bus too in order to save face.… Click here to continue reading this article