Sanction against Russia for West-choreographed conflict in Ukraine

[Nemo1024]

It looks like now the US may try to escape their escalating war through the excuse that the EU will not support war in Europe.

Yes, that may indeed be a face-saving way out.

[BitMos]

It looks like now the US may try to escape their escalating war through the excuse that the EU will not support war in Europe.

Yes, that may indeed be a face-saving way out.

and then bashar could be get the nobel peace price and be named general secretary of the un.

A few precautions about the suitcases, then.

"you have set foot on the American Continent, I hope you enjoy the show, be aware some part are so dark than even the light doesn't dare to venture." a very good advice that wasn't listen to a long time ago... how could they understand... the few that did were impressive and shared much.

[rosh]

It looks like now the US may try to escape their escalating war through the excuse that the EU will not support war in Europe.

At least the EU is not behaving like an offshore extension of the US.

[Nemo1024]

Interesting infographics here:
http://tass.ru/en/infographics/7239



Oh, and Cyprus is not happy:
http://tass.ru/en/world/779613

"I believe that our European counterparts have a growing feeling the measures against such a great country as Russia will merely entail Russia’s retaliation, and these countermeasures have negative results not only for Cyprus, but for a number of other EU countries, too," Anastasiades told a news conference following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And the ratings war continues:
Moody’s lowers rating of 5 Russian companies, including Transneft
http://tass.ru/en/economy/779678

Moody’s rating agency downgrades 12 Russian banks
http://tass.ru/en/economy/779641

[Nemo1024]

And while the jackals are yapping, Russia continues to do what it does best: quietly rebuilding relations and diplomatic bridges:

Putin’s New Ally: Pope Francis
https://futuristrendcast.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/putins-new-ally-pope-francis/

During his visit to Italy two days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pope Francis at the Vatican. It has to be noted that, while the Pope is obviously not fooled about what’s happening in the world – undoubtedly, his Argentine roots play a role in his clear vision – Italy as a state also is trying to find a way to quietly mend relations with Russia outside of the EU. It’s interesting that Putin’s visit took place directly after the G7 bash in Germany, during which Merkel and Obama sang a lot of anti-Russian songs in-between of sips of banana-flavored beer (not kidding) and vowed more anti-Russian sanctions.

It is also happening against the backdrop of the US trying to sneak its mid-range nuclear missiles into the EU, targeting Russia, and many other ugly things that signal the fresh push for World War IV (WWIV because, in all truth, we should really consider the Cold War as WWIII). But more about that in another piece.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s third meeting with Putin in the past year is a signal that Italy is attempting to distance itself from Germany and the US. Italy is obviously trying to wiggle its way out the crippling anti-Russian, and return Russian, sanctions. Italians have told me that Italian agriculture is hard hit by the quid pro quo sanctions.

...

Still the Pope’s main interest at this point is geopolitics and the diplomacy of peace. And that’s where it gets interesting.

During Putin and Pope’s behind-the-closed-doors visit, which lasted 50 minutes – longer than prescribed – Pope Francis gave Putin the “Angel of Peace” medal. This medal is said to have the ability to create peace and protection, as well as the solidarity among peoples. The choice of words is very interesting: a symbol – ‘talisman,’ ‘wish’ – of protection and peace is being given to Putin by the head of the Catholic church. ‘Solidarity’ is the word feared terribly in the US, but used broadly in socialist and left-leaning societies, including South America and Pope’s native Argentina. Pope Francis has also mentioned that the Bible addresses not just spiritual matters, but also geopolitics as one of the important aspects of human co-habitation. The above language of symbols and hints, typical for the Vatican, thus reflects an important message.

...

Putin and Erdogan Troll EU at Baku’s First European Games
https://futuristrendcast.wordpress.com/2015/06/13/putin-and-erdogan-troll-eu-at-bakus-first-european-games/

I just couldn’t pass this up! Guaranteed, you won’t see this exhange on BBC, CNN or Euronews.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Erdogan met in Baku, Azerbaijan, which is hosting the first ever European Games under the auspices of the IOC.

While there are African, Asian and other continental games, there were no European games till now. This was of course due to the fact that Olympics as such were born in Europe, therefore, the Olympics proper were till recently perceived as ‘European Games,’ if you will.

And all the while, Russia is counting the factories/productions it had to open to replace the imports, and rolling its eyes at the losses Europe is incurring upon itself with those self-destructive sanctions...

[Balthazar]

And all the while, Russia is counting the factories/productions it had to open to replace the imports, and rolling its eyes at the losses Europe is incurring upon itself with those self-destructive sanctions...

From Merkel's diary:

[Nemo1024]

Choreographed? Russia admittedly annexed territory of Ukraine. Of course if you watch Russian news they will tell you they are somehow "the victim" in this story...

The sanctions should be lifted if Russia restores Crimnea and pays reparations.

Have you been living in the hole all the last year?
Crimea returned home as a result of a democratic process (unlike the dictatorial way it was torn away from Russia by Hrushov). Just like Novorossia (dating back to Peter the Great), Crimea (dating back to Catherine the great) was never a part of Ukraine (which dates back to Lenin). To forcefully "restore" Crimea is equivalent to ignoring the will of 2.5 million people, ignoring democracy and subjecting people to subjugation and destruction. What you suggest is enticing genocide.

And, yes, choreographed - the legitimate government was replaced as a result of a violent coup d'etat in February last year and with full support (admitted by Vicky "here are the cookies" Nudelman) of the USA.

[Souldream]

Crimea returned home as a result of a democratic process (unlike the dictatorial way it was torn away from Russia by Hrushov).

About as democratic as Hitler when Nazi Germany annexed Poland... (returning Poland home to Prussia)

Of course, do not waste the time with Nemo1024 is just paid to troll pro-kremlin propaganda .... only US/Europe Bashing ... 

And for sure he will deny that -> When crowds of people, under the orders of commanders in armored, transport vehicles, and with heavy weapons, are on the territory of another country, crossing the border, it is in my opinion invasion

Russian beleive the lie of Poutine and then they are proud of it ... what to think about ?

Does i am proud when my president act badly , no -> but i have democratic way of voting for change ....

In russia, not only they are proud of lie of their president ... but as well .... all others competitors are either killed .... haa no more news about the so called "chechen" who killed boris nemtsov.

Moscow (AFP) - The eldest daughter of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov has left Russia, slamming the climate of hatred whipped up by pro-Kremlin propaganda in an apparent "farewell letter" published Tuesday.

"Russian propaganda kills," Zhanna Nemtsova, a 31-year-old journalist, wrote in a column published by Russia's liberal business daily Vedomosti.

"Many of the texts of Kremlin-controlled media recall the rhetoric of African propagandists," she said, stressing that state propaganda played a crucial role in the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

"Putin's information machine -- similar to those in Nazi Germany and Rwanda -- is using criminal methods of propaganda and sowing hatred which generates violence and terror."

She compared state-controlled media to Rwanda's notorious Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines, a broadcaster which incited hatred against the Tutsi minority, saying media bosses in Russia should be brought to justice.

Nemtsova, herself a journalist with Russian business news TV channel RBK, warned that aggression towards dissenters fanned by state media could spin out of control and claim new victims in the future.

"People infected with hatred begin committing new crimes on their own initiative."

- Stop 'information terror' -

"The information terror must be stopped, otherwise its consequences could be even scarier," she said.

"There is nothing more dangerous than the spontaneous combustion of the huge potential of hatred accumulated in Russia society."

Nemtsova's lawyer said she had left Russia for Europe and had no immediate plans to return.

"She's currently abroad," Vadim Prokhorov told AFP. "I think that she won't be back in the near future." He declined to be more specific about her whereabouts.

Prokhorov said that staying in Russia was not safe for Nemtsova, pointing to the harassment of opposition activists.

"Essentially an atmosphere of terror is being created," he added, stressing that those who masterminded her father's assassination were still at large.

In a terse message to AFP, Nemtsova said that her lawyer was right and declined further details.

"This is my private life," she said.

Boris Nemtsov, one of the most prominent critics of President Vladimir Putin, was shot dead as he walked on a bridge near the Kremlin in late February.

Authorities have detained five Chechen men suspected of killing the 55-year-old.

Critics say Putin has been steadily suppressing freedoms since coming to power in 2000 but the crackdown against dissenters reached new heights after the annexation of Crimea in March 2014.

On Tuesday, investigators said they had opened a criminal probe into the only lawmaker who voted against Moscow's annexation of Crimea, accusing him of embezzlement.

The Investigative Committee, which reports directly to Putin, accused MP Ilya Ponomaryov of complicity in embezzling 22 million rubles ($394,000, 351,000 euros) from the Skolkovo Foundation, a high-tech project that the Kremlin hoped would be its answer to Silicon Valley.

The 39-year-old, who remains a sitting lawmaker, currently lives in the United States, saying he was pressured not to return to Russia. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Investigators said that they would seek Ponomaryov's extradition.

Activists say the Kremlin is tightening the noose around the opposition, indicating that anyone remotely critical of Putin's policies could be next in the line of fire.

A widely-respected 82-year-old philanthropist, Dmitry Zimin, has recently left Russia after coming under criticism for financing scientific research from his overseas accounts.

A host of opposition-minded figures including environmental activist Yevgenia Chirikova and author Boris Akunin have left Russia over the past months.

[Nemo1024]

Crimea returned home as a result of a democratic process (unlike the dictatorial way it was torn away from Russia by Hrushov).

About as democratic as Hitler when Nazi Germany annexed Poland... (returning Poland home to Prussia)

You are doing the wrong historical parallel. The correct one, is the reunification of Southern Denmark with Denmark after 60 years under German rule, as a result of a peaceful referendum.
Your parallel of Germany's annexation of Poland, is more appropriate to the year's earlier annexation of Chechoslovakia by Poland and Germany with the blessing of GB and USA.
(By the way, when mentioning "Prussia", I hope you see the linguistic roots - it means "flat Russia" )

Now, the case of Crimea, apart of being a closed historical event, is also a very simple one.

All you need to do is to answer one question: Which of the two historical events do you endorse:
1) 19th of February 1954, Krushov seeking to gain favour of the tops of the Ukrainian Communist Party, in a voluntaristic dictatorial move, breaking the constitution of the USSR and the legislation of RSFSR, and in opposition to the popular opinion of the residents of Crimea, transfers the peninsular from the jurisdiction of Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and into Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

2) 11th of March 2014, after a violent coup d'etat in Ukraine, having been threatened for life by the new ultra-nationalist powers, Crimean population decides, as the result of a democratic referendum and in accordance to the international law (UN's charter on self-determination of peoples), to secede Ukraine and reunite with their historical motherland.

USA and EU, apparently being Communist dictatorships, judging by their actions, are backing event #1. Russia, being a democratic state observing international law, supported case #2. What is your stance?


And yes, Russia is a victim. Has been for the the last century of attacks on it, starting with 1914, when it was drawn into WWI (Nikolai II was a fool for allowing himself to fall into a trap and be drawn into somebody else's war, something, 100 later Putin tries to avoid so as not to repeat the history), continuing with coup d'etat of 1917, when large chunks of Russian land were bitten off it, going on to WWII, through various intra-Soviet nibbles at Russian lands - like Crimea, and culminating in 1990, when Russia was all but broken down.

[Balthazar]

http://rt.com/business/266527-medvedev-asia-sanctions-business/

I think that russian counter-sanctions should be extended without taking any EU actions into account. No actual changes would be required. Just set some random expiration date from the distant future, e.g. 28 August 2199.

[Nemo1024]

It's not democratic if there are Russian troops in the country throughout the vote.

If Russia is a victim then do you honestly think Crimneans would want to become victims too by joining them? Even Belarus is stepping back and the BRICS partnership is falling apart.

What percentage of the votes are going to Putin in the next election? Like 140%? You don't seem to have any understanding of the words you are using (democracy, communist, etc)

Crimeans are Russians. They are not joining "them". They were coming home. If you home is burning, you don't simply walk away (well, maybe you do), you stick together with your family and try to extinguish the flames.

And you clearly have no grasp of Russians, of what it means to be Russian, of what it means to stick together and defend your land. That's why there is still such a large country called Russia, despite 600 years of the West's mighty efforts to destroy it, and despite further 300 years of Tatar-Mongol occupation before that.

American sanctions against the Russians of Crimea are peanuts, compared to what Russians had to endure:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sevastopol_(1854-55)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sevastopol_(1941-42)
http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=214

EDIT: The residents of Sevastopol were only half-joking, when they said that the third and longest Siege of Sevastopol lasted from 1992 till 2014. Crimea has nothing good to look back from the period of the rule of the foreign Ukrainian regime. Plundering of the peninsula, forced Ukrainisation, crumbling houses, closed factories, struggling agriculture, closed Yalta film studio...

EDIT 2: One shouldn't view the events of 2014, when Crimea reunited with Russia as a separate a event - it was a predestined and logical conclusion to a prolonged process, a fight that lasted for 60 years ever since Khrushov made that despotical decision and the head of the Crimean branch of the Russian Communist Party tried to protest against it.

And Belarus is not stepping away, despite your wishful thinking and despite what Cartoon News Network is asking you to believe...

Oh, and you avoided the question of which of the two historical events that you endorse.
Clearly, judging from you responses, you'd have nothing against it, if Obama would for example make a personal present to California in the form of Hawaii... Never mind what Hawaiins would think about such a triviality.

http://rt.com/business/266527-medvedev-asia-sanctions-business/

I think that russian counter-sanctions should be extended without taking any EU actions into account. No actual changes would be required. Just set some random expiration date from the distant future, e.g. 28 August 2199.

Brilliant quote!

“In economic terms, of course, all those sanctions, introduced against us, stimulated us to ensure more active cooperation with Asian countries. Thank you very much to all those states that have adopted them,” Medvedev said to reporters at XVII World Congress of Russian Press Thursday.

...

"Sixty percent of the world GDP is there. The whole global growth is mainly in the Asia-Pacific region and in the BRICS countries. Therefore, it is essential for us to gain a foothold in the partner states of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Asia-Pacific region,"said Medvedev.

Someone above said something about BRICS falling apart. More wishful thinking.  

[bryant.coleman]

http://rt.com/business/266527-medvedev-asia-sanctions-business/

I think that russian counter-sanctions should be extended without taking any EU actions into account. No actual changes would be required. Just set some random expiration date from the distant future, e.g. 28 August 2199.

Great. The sanctions should be there permanently. At least it is helping the Russian domestic agricultural sector to rebound. In the initial few years, there will be problems such as inflation and lack of supply to meet the demand. But if the sanctions remain in place, Russia will attain self-sufficiency in agricultural products within 2-3 years time.

[Nemo1024]

The upside down- theatre of absurdity, called sanctions, continues its show.

It looks like the open season on Russian property abroad has been opened. Using Yukos case as an excuse (when Khodorkovskij and Co stole billions of dollars from Russia and avoided taxes for billions more and then sued Russia for damages and got endorsed by Europe), Belgium, France and Austria froze Russian state accounts. Russian Foreign Ministry calls it for unprecedented violation of international law.

http://www.gazeta.ru/business/news/2015/06/18/n_7300721.shtml?osas
http://www.gazeta.ru/business/2015/06/17/6845321.shtml
http://tass.ru/politika/2053573

Moscow summons Belgian envoy over seizure of state assets, threatens retaliation
http://rt.com/business/267964-yukos-belgium-state-assets/

France freezes Russian state assets, Moscow plans to appeal
http://rt.com/news/268024-vtb-accounts-france-frozen/

The news comes amid developments from Belgium, where Russian state assets are facing seizure to secure payment of a contested Russian debt to the former owners of Yukos. The company went bankrupt after the Russian government demanded that it paid due taxes that it had been evading for years.

The former Yukos CEO, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who spent more than a decade in prison for embezzlement and tax evasion from 2003 to 2013, said he was satisfied by the decision of Belgian authorities to seize Russian assets.

So, guys, and girls, it's official. STOP PAYING YOUR TAXES NOW! It's the new European norm. You don't pay your taxes, and you can demand a few grand in compensation from the state.  

USA State Senate will be sending $300 million worth of war equipment to Ukraine to keep the Civil War there going,...
http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/2054262

...and at the same time threatens with more sanctions on Russia for not being a party in the internal US-aided Ukrainian conflict:
http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/2054357

EU will impose new sanctions against Russia on the 21st of June - the day before the commemorative date when Nazi Germany attacked USSR. Symbolic.
http://lenta.ru/news/2015/06/18/sanctions1/

And EcoFin, the unelected EU's economical body will prolong sanctions against Crimeans for taking democracy too literally from the 19th of June without discussing the matter:
http://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/2054399?osas

Meanwhile, German experts came to the conclusion, that sanctions have strengthened Russian economy.

So, thank you, Obama and Co. More of the same, please.

[bryant.coleman]

It looks like the open season on Russian property abroad has been opened. Using Yukos case as an excuse (when Khodorkovskij and Co stole billions of dollars from Russia and avoided taxes for billions more and then sued Russia for damages and got endorsed by Europe), Belgium, France and Austria froze Russian state accounts. Russian Foreign Ministry calls it for unprecedented violation of international law.

This is just an unwanted provocation. If the Western nations are confiscating Russian property abroad, then Russia should retaliate by nationalizing the Western assets in Russia. Western corporations such as Shell, Exxon, Eni and Total are having tens of billions of USD worth of investment in Russia. If these idiots want war, then give them war.

[Balthazar]

It looks like the open season on Russian property abroad has been opened. Using Yukos case as an excuse (when Khodorkovskij and Co stole billions of dollars from Russia and avoided taxes for billions more and then sued Russia for damages and got endorsed by Europe), Belgium, France and Austria froze Russian state accounts. Russian Foreign Ministry calls it for unprecedented violation of international law.

This is just an unwanted provocation. If the Western nations are confiscating Russian property abroad, then Russia should retaliate by nationalizing the Western assets in Russia. Western corporations such as Shell, Exxon, Eni and Total are having tens of billions of USD worth of investment in Russia. If these idiots want war, then give them war.

Already practicing this approach in the Republic of Crimea

http://tass.ru/en/russia/734890

[bryant.coleman]

Already practicing this approach in the Republic of Crimea

http://tass.ru/en/russia/734890

That is a good approach but it is not clear whether the Russian banks will be affected by this measure or not. I have read somewhere that Ukrainians have taken out loans worth as much as $25 billion from the Russian banks. If Russia nationalize the properties of the Ukrainian oligarchs, then Ukraine will refuse to pay back the loans to Russian banks.

[Nemo1024]

Great! sanctions continue to be working as designed by US.

Bigger and faster: Russia unveils designs to replace marooned Mistrals
http://rt.com/news/268504-mistral-replacement-avalance-lavina/

A St. Petersburg navy design bureau says it is ready to build a Russian-made alternative to the troubled Mistral carriers, which remain moored in France. The intended new ship dubbed Lavina (‘Avalanche’) promises to be bigger and faster than the Mistrals.

The technical specifications of the helicopter carrier were revealed in a presentation given by the Krylov State Research Centre, at the Army-2015 military expo near Moscow.

[Nemo1024]

EU is timing the prolongation of sanctions (in itself an act of war) against Russia with the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, when 74 USSR was attacked by Nazi Germany.
http://tass.ru/politika/2061548
Russia will continue to apply the tit-for-tat principal, prolonging its own sanctions against EU.

One can only guess if such timing is intentional and symbolic of another military aggression to come from the West.

[Nemo1024]

Stealing of Russian assets continues.

France freezes accounts worth millions of Euro, citing the "Magnitskij" case. Magnitskij was arrested on charges of tax avoidance in Russia, and died in prison while awaiting investigation in 2009. In 2012 USA imposed an Act of Magnitskij, prohibiting 24 people, who investigated and arrested Magnitskij from entering USA:
http://www.forbes.ru/news/292343-frantsiya-zamorozila-scheta-na-milliony-evro-po-delu-magnitskogo
(Looks like tax avoiders and traitors like Magnitskij, Hodorkivskij, Nemcov, Berezovskij, Gusinskij are in high regard in the West. \Must have something to do with European Values [tm])

[BillyBones]

I agree with you, this is purely west choreographed, there were fears of the Russian economy going into recession from early 2014 - mainly as a result of the falling oil prices, the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine and the subsequent capital flight. However, the 2014 GDP growth remained positive at 0.6%.