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One might say that what is happening in Brazil are just democratic protests against government corruption. The thing is that many on Kiev Maidan also naively thought it was just a democratic protest against government corruption. But the foreign interests interfered in order to turn these protests into a force that would destroy the country. Before anyone knew what hit them, the protests turned into a bloody mess and a full-blown civil war, coupled with brutal fascist regime – something that many of us thought was impossible in Ukraine.

I have warned about the heavy consequences of what is happening in Brazil for the future of the country, especially in view of the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics. The Olympics are likely to be seriously compromised when the country is destabilized.

The destabilization is THE goal. Brazil has gotten too ambitious, too proud of its recent successes and too independent for the liking of the US. The drunkenness from past success played a bad joke: Brazilian government got careless both nationally and internationally.

Destabilization of Brazil is payback to Dilma for rebelling against US domination and for her attempt to form an international coalition against NSA wiretapping. Having learned she had been a victim of NSA wiretapping, Rousseff also attempted to rally international support for the creation of the internet, independent of the US. She and Lula are now paying for all that.

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What else they are supposed to do? How the Americans would feel if Russian frigates and aircraft carriers were prowling the San Francisco Bay Area? My advise to the Americans is to mind their own business and get the hell out of Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Antarctica. We don't need the Americans playing world police.

The infamous, long-suffering USS #DonaldCook got buzzed again – this time in Baltic Sea! Donald Cook has been snooping around 70 nautical miles off the coast of Kaliningrad, not too far from a Russian Baltic Navy base. On April 13, 2016 two unarmed Russian jets said hello by making 20 passes at an extremely low altitude, almost touching the water. They flew repeatedly right over and around the ill-famed American destroyer.

One notable thing: not by accident, this happened practically on the second anniversary of the first incident. On April 12, 2014 USS Donald Cook got buzzed 12 times by a single Russian Su-24, which didn’t carry any arms, except a mysterious device dubbed Khibiny. The electronic jamming device disabled ‘USS Donald Duck’s’ advanced AEGIS systems, causing panic on board and resulting in 27 sailors resigning commission.

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The Kiev junta is being exhorted by EU leaders to fully implement the Minsk 2 peace agreement which involves a constitutional amendment giving the DPR and LPR special ”decentralized status” within Ukraine. The old adage he who pays the piper calls the tune comes to mind. After all the EU has loaned 11 billion euros to Ukraine and formed a free trade agreement with Ukraine that effectively gives the EU control over Ukraine’s economy. You would expect the Kiev junta to act like obedient puppets after hearing their masters voice and fully implement the Minsk 2 peace accords and get on with rooting out the corruption that is endemic within Ukrainian society.

However, the Kiev junta is getting a different message from its American sponsor. Last year the U.S. Congress passed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act that increased sanctions against Russia and gave Obama the authority to increase U.S. military aid to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF). There is strong bipartisan support within Congress to greatly increase military aid to the UAF to include so-called ‘lethal aid’ and ‘defensive’ weapons.

Obama claims that he does not want to provide such military aid to Ukraine for fear of escalating the situation and provoking Putin into further acts of ‘aggression’. Yet Victoria Nuland Assistant Secretary of State, who helped organise the coup that overthrew Yanukoich in 2013, told Congress in March of this year that the U.S. has already provided $266 million in military aid which includes non-lethal aid such as 30 armoured Humvees. Nuland said that the U.S. Army has plans to increase the training and equipping of the Ukrainian army over the next year. It is worth bearing in mind that in February 2015 Lieutenant General Ben Hodges revealed that a battalion of U.S. troops was in Poland training the UAF in how to operate against Russian artillery fire and electronic warfare.

Poroshenko has made it clear that he has no intention of implementing the Minsk 2 peace accords. He recently declared that,” Returning of Donbass under Ukrainian control is crucially important. No compromises will be accepted.” He has stated unequivocally that the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk will be returned to Kiev’s control by the end of 2016.

The ultra-nationalist groups that make up the fight club otherwise known as the Ukrainian parliament may well be divided and bicker incessantly amongst themselves over the spoils of state. One wonders where have all the billions in aid from the EU-IMF-U.S. disappeared? However, there is one issue that they all can unite upon and that is the desire to crush the DPR and LPR and return the whole of the Donbass to Kiev’s control.

The gangster capitalists, who pull the strings in the Rada, are keenly aware that the Ukrainian public is getting very impatient with the grim reality facing them on a daily basis. The collapse in living standards, with much worse to come as the global economy enters a downturn, is creating the conditions for an explosion of public anger and an uprising against the gangster capitalists looting the country.

The Kiev junta face a dilemma. Toe the line from their EU-IMF masters and face a suspension of the cash flow or go to war to stave off revolution from below. The threat from an angry, impoverished populace combined with its ultra-nationalist agenda is leading the junta in the direction of all out war against the breakaway republics in the Donbass region.

Analysis of the daily monitoring reports from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe suggest that not only is the Minsk 2 ceasefire in tatters but also that the Kiev junta is mobilising its forces for a possible offensive against the DPR and LPR.

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This is the same reason I opened this thread, was hoping to read some current run down on the situation.
Swear the news has ran the same stupid stories for the last four days, panama papers, Ukraine, North Africa, North Korea and South America all quiet.
Pulling the plug on cable, such a farce.
Seems to be Russia was being drawn into multiple fronts.

So is Yatsenyuk heading happily to London now with his black plastic bags full of cash money?

Kremlin should have taken the decision to ban all of the Ukrainian and Turkish vessels from the Russian territorial waters long back. But I understand why they haven't taken the decision. Large number of Russian ships do use the Bosphorus waterway, and the Turks are likely to ban Russians using this route as a retaliation. Still, I was surprised at the complete lack of security along the Kerch region.

The title of the video below in Russian is: ‘Dear Ukrainians, this video is especially for you: Crimean tourism infrastructure flourishes.’ Such title because Kiev MSM and politicians insist that Crimea is falling apart under ‘Russian rule.’ Of course, this is silly and reality cannot be further from the truth. But some people in Ukraine, completely zombified by propaganda, actually believe this. In fact, Crimea was falling apart and dying a slow death under Kiev. Presently, even despite excruciating water, food, transport and energy blockade, Crimea is being fixed up and rebuilt.

It is surfacing every day that those navy and army officers who believed Kiev and left Crimea in 2014 to continue serving in Ukraine army, are now little by little defecting and returning to Crimea. Sometimes whole units defect.

Crimean attractions are world-famous: Yalta’s beaches, gorgeous nature and imperial palaces (say, Levadia Palace where Stalin, Rosevelt and Churchill met in 1945); Swallow’s Nest; world’s largest children’s recreation resort/summer camp Artek,; Sevastopol’s Black Sea fleet base and underground Soviet mega-submarine base; various historic palaces, beaches, parks, rock climbing, natural caves and ethnic food.

On this short video: Crimea is being fixed up from the neglect and abuse it endured during 23 years of being looted by Kiev oligarchs/ nationalistic politicians, and re-styled as an all-year round sea resort with emphasis on rejuvenation spa, health tourism and all-inclusive tours that Russians prefer.

Some gorgeous Black Sea views on this video!

On video: Crimean Bridge projected look – the construction has begun, to be completed by the end of 2018. February off-season Crimean hiking and famous Marble Caves, where natural stalagmite castles and palaces have been built by nature itself.

Next on video: various hotel accommodations with off- and on-season all-inclusive pricing. Next: budget/ inexpensive private sector pricing. Simferopol Airport now receives 5 mln passengers a year, more than during Soviet times. After reconstruction scheduled for 2018 more flights from Russia and abroad will be received.

Kerch Strait option by car or by plane from mainland: you can leave the car in designated parking on mainland side and buy 1/2 price subsidized ticket to a city in Crimea: Yalta, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Feodosia, etc. The bus takes you to ferry and then to your destination. Tickets really do sound very cheap: from Krasnodar to Sevastopol/Yevpatoria/Yalta – about 810 rub.

In the end: Bakhchisarai (the capital of Crimean Tatars) has a park of minis: main architectural attractions of Crimea, with various historic palaces, etc. Crimean Tatar national cooking is shown. Crimean tourist expo in Yalta will choose the best all-inclusive tour route for Crimean season 2016. These are offered by various tour operators. Winner will be chosen by tourist vote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHqRfj9w1Yw

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DNR and LNR military officials have been warning of the possibility of Kiev renewing its offensive on the republics as soon as the weather turns warm enough. Poroshenko can’t afford not to restart Donbass war amid worsening of the economic and social situation and in order to distract Ukrainians’ from political crisis, per analysts’ opinion.

DNR and LNR are warning that Kiev amassed 90,000 troops on the border and that attack is coming soon.

I agree that Poroshenko and a some others in Kiev are itching to re-start a war. But as I had told you all before, I don’t believe Poroshenko has the guts to authorize an offensive. First, he gets huge pressure from EU to stay within Minsk framework; EU won’t like it if he broke peace agreement that blatantly. EU/Merkel/Hollande , in turn, get pressure from Russia to pressure Poroshenko. Obama administration/Democrats also get pressure from Merkel and Russia. But besides that they have lots on internal pressure due to the upcoming elections. One wrong move and any hope for Hillary is gone. And Poroshenko/Kiev are bound to make lots of wrong moves.

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If Kiev can’t attacks directly, what can Ukraine do? Instead, they are attempting to provoke DNR and LNR. To accomplish that they continuously shell peaceful citizens and villages near frontline. The idea is to anger the republics so much that they lose their cool and begin retaliating, thus breaking Minsk 2 agreement. After that Kiev, US and EU get to blame DNR/LNR and, of course, Russia in violating cease-fire. If that should happen, Kiev and US will immediately demand new sanctions against Russia and attempt to vilify Russia and Putin yet again.

This is why DNR/LNR can’t respond to obvious provocations. The especial cruelty of the situation is in the fact that innocent people and animals suffer under shellings, with no recourse. All villagers normally keep a lot of animals, who are also forced to suffer under bombings. Those who left to escape the horrors of war were forced to leave their animals behind!

When will these poor people and innocent animals get justice? Why is the so-called ‘civilized’ world blind and deaf? Where are US/UK/Canada/Australia and EU when obvious violations of human rights are perpetuated by Kiev, Poroshenko, nationalists and ukro-nazis in power? How do they justify their continued political, financial and ideological support of war criminals in Kiev and Ukraine army, while the international tribunal is what they truly deserve?

This is the latest from Donbass, near frontlines…

Citizens of Zaitsevo village, located near frontline, are among many on DNR/LNR side who complain that as soon as OSCE monitoring mission moves to Ukraine side, Kiev army renews the shelling. In other words, Kiev military is quiet, seemingly observing the cease-fire while OSCE mission is on DNR or LNR side. Then, monitors call Ukrainian command to advise that they are leaving DNR/LNR controlled territory to inspect the other side. As soon as their cars leave, Ukraine army and ukro-nazis begin shelling residential areas, schools, churches and hospitals with renewed vigor.

Villagers all around DNR and LNR have been complaining about this devious scheme since the beginning of the truce. It appears, finally OSCE is beginning to pay attention. Head of OSCE mission in Donbass Alexander Hug announced that they would install a 360 view camera in Zaitsevo.

On video below a local DNR commander says that he has had a camera installed for a while, and this camera has registered violations by Kiev. But OSCE doesn’t seem to accept local video proof.

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Videos below show how terrible this violent spring is in Donbass. It’s especially striking when you see destroyed houses and schools next to the blossoming trees. Videos are in English and Russian.

Zaitsevo local: They’ll begin shelling as soon as you leave. This man says that very few people are still left in the village. He miraculously still has water, but no gas and no electricity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBTtyNdj4M8

Shelling begins as soon as OSCE has left. April 12, 2016:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhlmCgdEzkE

Old lady to OSCE’s Hug: We are preparing for Paskha (Russian Easter) but don’t know if we’ll survive till then:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUNNRgQqTpM

OSCE plan to install a camera in Zaitsevo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bKJQqWGdV0

The Kiev junta is preparing to shoot down planes over Crimea. Two S-300 systems were installed in the Henichesk district, Kherson region. Residents, as well as the military, reported that these systems are on alert and are supplied with everything needed to ensure the smooth operation of these SAMs. Officially, the regime claims that the deployment of the systems is supposedly designed to protect the territory of Ukraine on the border with Crimea. However, this is not true, according to Kherson politician Aleksey Zhuravko.

Activist warned, with reference to its sources, that there is a high probability that the S-300 can be used for provocations similar to the downed Malaysian Boeing over Donbass. The politician wrote this on his social network, attaching a photo of the area where the SAM is deployed.

"From serious sources: SAM is not installed to protect the territory of Ukraine, but to commit provocations against the Russian Federation. The whole situation with the advent of SAM in the Kherson area reminds me of the preparation for the implementation of the scenario according to the example of the downed Boeing 777 flight MH-17 over Donbass. According to a high-ranking military source, these systems will not be operated by local Kherson troops, but by the Ukrainian military personnel brought here from another area.

I am extremely worried about the situation on the border with Crimea in connection with the arrival of SAM systems. I want to warn everyone that today's bloody Kiev government is ready for anything and will stop at nothing. If a plane is shot down in the skies over Crimea, you know that the responsibility for this will fall on the current leadership of Ukraine: the President, the government, and Parliament," said Zhuravko.

"I appeal to the entire European community, including europarliamentarians. Please work pro-actively and prevent new casualties," said the politician, summarizing his message.

https://www.rt.com/news/339139-media-putin-panama-papers/

 

Yeah, that´s true. Maybe that´s supposed to be something to fall back on. But that can´t replace Crimea and Sevastopol. I think that was the big idea from the start in the undermining of the Yanokuvych government.. Which also made me suspicious of the Russians back there. After all the coup gave them the perfect opportunity to reunite with Crimea. And that takeover was such a masterful and flawless operation. It must have been prepared. I think they had their hand in the coup in some ways. They are extremely dangerous, strategically speaking, and always underestimated.

Yeah, I´ve suspected this for a long time. With Crimea and Donbass gone, there´s really nothing left of interest for U.S./NATO as regards the first and German industrial interests regarding the second. They had very high hopes of dominating Russia´s southern flank and also of a new Czechia in the east. But all they got was a very expensive headache. Russia only needs to wait, eventually they´ll come hat in hand and ask for her help in sorting this mess.

This is a dispassionate chronological look at the history of Galicia and Malorossia, and how those Russian lands were being gradually turned into Ukraine. The film presents a trove of documents, citations, documentary footage and lives it to the viewer to draw conclusions. The documentary also takes an introspective look at where Russia went wrong with its handling of the budding extreme nationalism in those lands at the turn of the 19th-20th century, and introspection is a good sign – a nation, which does not view itself as exceptional, which has the capacity to understand its mistakes, has a hope for the future…

Russia like a bear cornered.
Decreased oil prices caused a big economic crisis in Russia.
But at same time Russia has never given up its Pan-slavist aspiration. Russia wants war because it wants to descent to hot waters. Russian economy is in a bad situation and a war machine gives economy a new fresh breath.  

The Armenians seems to have lost some territory. The RNK officials are claiming that the maximum retreat from the frontline was 300 meters, but even this retreat could yield a loss of several tens of sq.km of territory. Right now the Armenians seems to be giving more importance to preserving the lives of their soldiers, rather than holding on to the territory.