Ukraine postpones 'trade suicide', halts talks with EU

[ice berg]

Ukraine looks to China for money as debt crunch looms
By Pavel Polityuk
KIEV Mon Dec 2, 2013 6:11pm EST

(Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich will head to China on Tuesday looking for loans and investment, despite the massive protests unleashed by his decision not to sign a trade pact with the European Union.

Protesters blockaded the main government building in Kiev on Monday and brought traffic to a halt, seeking to force Yanukovich from office, after hundreds of thousands demonstrated on Sunday against his decision to turn away from the EU towards Russia. Ukraine's currency and bonds came under pressure, along with share prices.

But the tug-of-war between Brussels and Moscow for influence in Ukraine has so far done little to alleviate its looming debt crisis, and Yanukovich confirmed on state television on Monday that the visit would go ahead.

"Yanukovich is trying to show that the European Union and Russia are not the only possible partners for Ukraine," said Volodymyr Fesenko of Ukraine's Penta think-tank.

However, he said Beijing may now demand assurances over Ukraine's political and economic stability, adding: "Ukraine is unlikely to secure direct financial aid (from China)."

Beijing has already provided the former Soviet republic with loans worth $10 billion, but the government must find more than $17 billion in 2014 to meet gas bills and debt repayments.

Including the private sector, Ukraine must make debt repayments of more than $60 billion next year, equivalent to a third of its gross domestic product.

Opposition leaders called on Sunday for Yanukovich and his government to resign. A pro-Europe rally of about 350,000 people, marred by clashes between protesters and riot police, was the biggest protest in the capital Kiev since the "Orange Revolution" of nine years ago.

"BAD TIME TO GO"

"It is a very bad time to go abroad. The president's absence may make talks with the opposition much more difficult," said another Ukrainian political analyst, Gleb Vyshlinsky.

Russia wants to draw Ukraine into a Moscow-led customs union and prevent it drawing closer to the EU, a move that would signal a historic shift towards the West and away from Kiev's former Soviet masters in Moscow.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who backs closer economic ties with Russia, said at least 20 economic and trade agreements should be signed during the visit to China, including a treaty on friendship and cooperation.

Ukraine had a $15-billion standby agreement with the International Monetary Fund, but this was frozen in 2011 over Kiev's refusal to end subsidies and raise household gas and heating prices.

During a visit to Kiev last month, the IMF once more urged Ukraine to raise gas prices for domestic consumers and introduce a flexible exchange rate for the hryvnia currency, steps that the government has rejected.

A high-ranking Ukrainian government delegation visited China in September, when China's Export-Import Bank provisionally offered a $3 billion loan to help restore Ukraine's irrigation system.

The loan has to be repaid over 15 years. Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said the loan would be used to install and repair irrigation systems in southern Ukraine, with the aim of increasing grain output by 12 million metric tons, or around 50 percent.

Last year, China loaned Ukraine $3 billion for the agriculture sector and $3.7 for projects in the energy sector. As part of the deal, Ukraine exports around 4 million metric tons a year of maize to China.

(Reporting By Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Richard Balmforth and Kevin Liffey)

 

[Razor]

From Russian invasion to colored Statue of Liberty: Hoaxes fuel Ukrainian protest

Although they have lasted for two weeks, the protests in Ukraine are far from losing their steam. Among the things keeping the crowd's anger alive are media hoaxes. With tensions running high in Kiev, their consequences are ever harder to predict.

Having to endure freezing temperatures on the streets of Kiev is not the worst the protesters and police have been through since the rallies broke out in the Ukrainian capital in late November, following President Yanukovich's refusal to sign an integration agreement with the EU.

A violent crackdown on the rally participants by the Berkut special police forces on the night of November 30, instead of suffocating the protest only multiplied the number of its participants and strengthened their resolve.

Standoffs between police and protesters have become a daily routine for the Ukrainian capital, which is looking like a war zone with its camp of protesters in the very center and barricades around major government buildings. Each side claims dozens of injured in the clashes.

"Every few hours Ukraine's opposition reports police have begun an assault on the protesters, so every few hours the tension is ratcheted up another notch," RT's Paul Scott reports from Kiev.

In a situation as precarious as this, any news might become explosive - fertile ground for hoaxing.

Like the one, that emerged straight after the December-6 meeting between Viktor Yanukovich's and Vladimir Putin. Media reported that the Ukrainian president had agreed to join Russia's Customs Union. The reports hardened the resolve of many on Independence Square (Maidan Nelalezhnosti).

The story was immediately denied by Moscow and Kiev, but among the protesters it fell on deaf ears.

The rumor of the Russia-Ukraine agreement was followed by more outrageous ones. One minute it was claimed that Russia was going to cross the border and help stamp out the protests. The next stated that special forces were being shipped in from all over Ukraine, and tanks were rumbling their way into central Kiev.

Mark Almond, Professor of history at Oxford University told RT, that he had seen it all before.

"Those who remember the so-called orange revolution in 2004 would remember we were told then that there were Russian special forces lurking in the woods near Kiev, waiting to crack down. There weren't, nothing happened," Almond said. "So we're seeing a kind of a propaganda war"¦ psychological war taking place, using these rumors of crackdown and even foreign interference".

On Monday, several Ukrainian news outlets reported on foreign countries' acts of support for the protesters out on the streets of Kiev. It was said that Washington's Statue of Liberty and Rio's Statue of Christ the Redeemer had been lit up by blue and yellow lights, representing the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The pictures of the events jumped from a personal Facebook account to the official Twitter of a major opposition political party and then to news agencies.

Only it wasn't news. Rather an experiment to show how easy it was to manipulate public opinion. The pictures were actually photoshoped by a Ukrainian blogger and occasional online prankster, Den Alampiev.

"I decided to see how people are consuming hoax news," he wrote on his web-page. "It took me two minutes to make fake photos of the Statue of Liberty and the Statue of Christ. I wrote a short description and posted on Facebook, Vkontakte [famous Russian network], Twitter and LJ. In exactly 24 hours the photo spread across the social media."

The effect actually exceeded Den's expectations. Hundreds of Facebook likes were one thing, but the "lighting trick" soon led to a much more serious result.

"It was even retweeted on the official twitter page of the opposition party Fatherland as real news, with a comment that the whole world is supporting Ukrainian protesters", Alampiev told RT.

"People camping out on Maidan don't check this information. Such hoaxes are spread to instigate people, not to let protesters run out of steam, to draw more support for a certain political power."

For more on the fake news, which adds fuel to protests in Kiev, watch RT Paul Scott's report from the Ukrainian capital.

http://rt.com/news/hoaxes-fuel-ukrainian-protest-006/

Western forces at work, trying to destroy a nation and make it a puppet.

 

[Akim]

Yanukovych won the election in January 2010, with a small margin of 4% of the voices of voters. Industrial regions in the South-East of the country, support for Yanukovych, but less politically active than the Center and West of the country, although they have a larger population. Now the opposition appeals to the people who were against him in the elections, creating an image of nationwide anger. Although, this is not really so. Besides, Ukraine's economy has suffered greatly from the highest prices for russian gas in Europe and from" trade wars" with Russia. The EU, just promise Association, but doesn't say where to direct the flow of goods, if Russia will execute the threat and refuse from Ukrainian goods, in revenge for the signing of an agreement in the EU. And Europe and the United States take advantage of this financial instability and "stick a knife in the back", in the form of financial support for these protests.

 

[Razor]

After US Assistant secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland distributing cakes to protesters encouraging them to protest, now it's John "Older than dirt" McCain telling Ukrainians "I am proud of what the people of Ukraine are doing".

Sen. McCain, interventionism's 'Energizer Bunny'

If there are US-backed groups anywhere seeking the overthrow of their government, you will find John McCain in their midst. He is the Energizer Bunny of interventionism.

Fresh off his trip to Libya, where he was granted an award by the military on the same day the Libyan parliament declared Sharia law, McCain was this weekend on the streets of Kiev.

McCain walked among the protestors, giving encouragement to those who have occupied and trashed government buildings in attempt to overthrow the Ukrainian government. "I am proud of what the people of Ukraine are doing," he said.

Of course, when peaceful antiwar protesters showed up at McCain's own Senate office in 2007, he promptly had them arrested.

For those who may not know, McCain is the long-time chairman of the US government funded International Republican Institute, which spent millions supporting the Orange Revolution 1.0 in 2004. Now McCain (and his IRI) is back for 2.0.

Along with IRI's parent organization, the government-funded National Endowment for Democracy, and USAID, you can find the material and organizational support for the current uprising in Ukraine. Glance at the websites of opposition-oriented "NGOs" like the Institute of Mass Information, Internews, Uniter, and many others and you will see the ubiquitous logos indicating US government funding of the Ukrainian opposition. You can also see the US government funded – and CIA-affiliated - Freedom House among the most prominent opposition supporters in Ukraine.

Senator McCain always seems to find himself in awkward meetings when he travels - remember the kidnappers he met in Syria who he claimed were good moderates? So it is unsurprising that upon landing in Kiev he rushed to meet Oleh Tyahnybog, a representative of one of the leading opposition political parties, Svoboda. An extreme nationalist party, Svoboda members are fond of wearing t-shirts with slogans such as "Beat the zhids!" using a derogatory term for Jews. Did they give McCain a t-shirt?

McCain also spent time with the US-favored "Fatherland" party leader, boxer-turned-politician, Vitaly Klitschko. Fatherland is in fact an ally of Svoboda and closely coordinated their activities in the most recent Ukrainian presidential campaign. They are considered no less anti-Semitic than Svoboda but perhaps less outwardly so.

McCain's visit to the barricades in Kiev closely follows the visit of another US official, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Victoria Nuland, who made her way through the opposition compound with the US Ambassador to Ukraine, openly expressing US official support for their actions. In a show of support for those seeking to overthrow their government - and in blatant violation of diplomatic norms - Nuland was even seen handing out cookies to the opposition supporters in the street.

Later, she issued a statement in which she characterized the move to overthrow the Ukrainian government as "historic", going on to state:

"I hope the people of Ukraine know that the United States stands with you in your search for justice, for human dignity, for security, for economic health and for the European future that you have chosen and you deserve."

Not to be outdone, McCain released his own statement saying of the protestors:

"Those brave men and women should know that they are not alone. Their friends across the world stand in solidarity with them."

It was an echo of McCain's infamously idiotic statement at the start of the Georgia-initiated war with Russia that "we are all Georgians now".

Whether or not we non-Ukrainians support the opposition's attempts to force that country into the EU bloc, one thing should be indisputable: the steady stream of US and European politicians and government officials openly encouraging Ukrainian citizens to revolt against their government is an outrageous violation of Ukrainian national sovereignty.

What would the reaction have been in the US had Russian President Vladimir Putin and the president of Iran at the time, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, flown in to the "Occupy Wall Street" protests a few years ago and encouraged the protestors to overthrow the US government? Would the president - and the US military - have stood idly by in such a situation?

Author: Daniel McAdams is Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. He served as foreign affairs advisor to US Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) for 12 years.

"‹Sen. McCain, interventionism's 'Energizer Bunny' — RT Op-Edge


Unwanted meddling in Eastern Europe and in Russia's backyard, trying too hard to rip Ukraine away from Russia

 

[Akim]

From hand feeding as pets. Absolutely no respect for the people. And the protesters happy. Shame !!!

 

[Razor]

From hand feeding as pets. Absolutely no respect for the people. And the protesters happy. Shame !!!

The Ukrainian government should take a stance and kick out these deceptive politicians and arrest those protesters/traitors/fools.

 

[Akim]

The Ukrainian government should take a stance and kick out these deceptive politicians and arrest those protesters/traitors/fools.

Ukrainian government must balance. If they behave themselves more firmly, the U.S. imposes sanctions on the government as well as for country, and behind it, Europe. If not for the open support of the West opposition,,there was no confrontation. They themselves would extinguished, without external funding.

 

[Akim]

Please post your comments. The main thing to create the show. People see the picture of many thousands of protests and think that all Ukraine is the mood.

 

[Austin]

I wonder how Ukrainian government can all EU officials and American Senators to come and join these protest as its an internal matter of Ukranian people.

 

[Razor]

Please post your comments. The main thing to create the show. People see the picture of many thousands of protests and think that all Ukraine is the mood.

People in general are not as intelligent as generally thought and most people on the planet Earth have what is known as herd mentality.
So when they see protests etc at some place they just simply say "Oh we support you all the way, bros", without even analyzing what is happening and why it is happening.
This is sad. I hope the pro-government people in Ukraine (which I know are larger in number) start taking a stance before Ukraine becomes another footstool of the Western overlords. The pro-government forces seem to be sleeping. Wake up.

 

[cobra commando]

These dumbazz protesters wanna hang out with those same Eurowussies who treat Ukraine like a brothel ! wtf

 

[Meriv90]

Re: Indian diplomat arrested, handcuffed in US for visa fraud

These guys will go only down from now.they have more enemies than friends.They dont even trust their own citizens.

Thatz why germans are moving close to russias after markels issue.

... moving close to Russia....

wordless, probably you havent seen the 200k protesters in Kiev, who do you think is behind them? where do you think the leader of the opposition has lived until now?

 

[pmaitra]

Re: Indian diplomat arrested, handcuffed in US for visa fraud

... moving close to Russia....

wordless, probably you havent seen the 200k protesters in Kiev, who do you think is behind them? where do you think the leader of the opposition has lived until now?

I am interested in the answers to the legitimate questions you have raised.

 

[Razor]

Ukrainian protesters set up catapult to fire at police

Anti-government protesters in Kiev have set up an improvised catapult, launching stones and firecrackers at police cordons. Ukraine's Interior Ministry has accused the opposition of arming aggressive protesters with dangerous weapons.

Follow live updates.

Sunday's violent riots have raised the spirits of some Ukrainian protesters to the point they no longer feel besieged by the police – rather, they think of themselves as the besiegers. Makeshift weapons and "crusader" shields that were earlier used in clashes with the police have now been joined by a "real" siege engine.

Practice is over in Kiev: Protesters fire stones from catapult - YouTube

Basically it is a case of criminal hooligans vs. police.

http://rt.com/news/ukraine-catapult-protesters-arming-903/

 

[Razor]

'It's a huge embarrassment for the West to ignore Ukraine's neo-Nazis'

The West has been turning a blind eye to all these neo-Nazis operating in Kiev, just like they were saying that there were no jihadists among Syrian opposition, Dmitry Babich, political analyst at the Voice of Russia, told RT.

The Ukrainian protesters clashed with police in Kiev after nearly 10,000 people took part in an anti-government demonstration at Maidan, or Independence Square, on January 18-19. What started as a peaceful demonstration turned into violent clashes with the police later Sunday. The most aggressive group of protesters, known as nationalists from Oleg Tyahnybok's party, started throwing stones, debris and Molotov cocktails directly at the police, and using bats to beat the policemen.

RT: We are seeing some serious violence against the police in Ukraine. Why are they the victims here? What's the crowd's problem with them?

Dmitry Babich: I think that some people in the opposition decided that they could use the occasion that they had with this vote in the Ukrainian Parliament, the Rada, on January 16. At that time the majority of Rada deputies, despite the attempts by the minority opposition to block the session of the Rada, voted for the country's budget which is needed urgently. This was condemned without real reason by a lot of Western governments so the opposition felt reassured, they decided to step up the protests and then these neo-Nazis got in because I think we should call a spade a spade. The ultranationalists from Western Ukraine, they are neo-Nazis.

RT: What these nationalists are campaigning for? Do they want closer ties with the West?

DB: Just like in 1941 they wanted closer ties with Adolf Hitler's Germany and they expected Hitler's help in fighting the Soviet Army, in the same way now they want to establish their government and their control over Ukraine. [But] they are actually a small minority in Ukraine.

RT: But the majority of the peaceful protesters are here in the square tonight, they have different names, different arguments.

DB: I'm not sure, because these so-called peaceful protesters have been for months putting up with nasty slogans that these ultranationalists from Western Ukraine brought to Kiev. Slogans like "Україна — понад усё!" which is just the Ukrainian translation of "Deutschland über alles" – "Germany above everything," the famous nasty Nazi slogan. This is the only part of the European population which is not repentant about their ancestors' support for Adolf Hitler. Even in Latvia or in Finland, which were allied to Nazi Germany at certain periods in their history, even there you don't have politicians and the mainstream media saying openly that what was done in 1941-42 was right. In Western Ukraine from these people you can hear direct support for Adolf Hitler. They say that Ukrainians are anthropologically superior to Russians, you can read all these terrible stuff in their newspapers and in their Internet messages.

RT: That's not what the people of Vitaly Klichko are standing for, is it?

DB: Unfortunately, Vitaly Klichko is ready to use them. He doesn't condemn [them]. And in this situation, I'm sure that Klichko will find a way out and say that these are provocateurs sent by Yanukovich or he'll just say that this is a small radical part of the opposition that doesn't really represent it. The problem is that both Klichko and Yatsenyuk stood side-by-side with these people, they stood side-by-side with their leader Oleg Tyahnybok, an open anti-Semite.

RT: Publicly, Vitaly Klichko's people are very distant from those nationalists. But you are not saying that Klichko is actually agreeing with this clashes tonight, are you?

DB: The problem is that when the violence first erupted last year, Klichko failed to really condemn it – they always blame everything on the government. And this time again they are going to blame everything on the government, instead of admitting that they have some very bad people among them on Maidan. And I think it's a huge embarrassment for the West because it's just like with the Syrian opposition: the West has been saying that there are no jihadists among the opponents of Mr. Assad until we saw public executions and we suddenly found out that the most combat-ready forces in the Syrian opposition are the jihadists. In the same way the West has been turning a blind eye to all these neo-Nazis now operating in Kiev.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

http://rt.com/op-edge/ukrainian-nationalists-attacked-police-888/

 

[Meriv90]

Re: Indian diplomat arrested, handcuffed in US for visa fraud

I am interested in the answers to the legitimate questions you have raised.

Vitali Klitschko used to live in germany to the point that (if i remember well) the costitutional court had to rule if he could candidate himself having still his residence in Germany. In this moment the protest is fueled by german far right wing parties.

Just read the titles of the Spiegel to feel the condition of the international relations between GER and RUS

German-Russian Relations - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten

or from DW

http://www.dw.de/berlin-and-moscow-at-odds-over-ukraine/a-17281884

that explains most of it.

Plus there is the problem of the gas and petroleum to make it cross the black sea and reach europe trought Kiev leaving Moscu without one of its triumph cards in international politics.

 

[Razor]

Re: Indian diplomat arrested, handcuffed in US for visa fraud

I am interested in the answers to the legitimate questions you have raised.

Vitali Klitschko used to live in germany to the point that (if i remember well) the costitutional court had to rule if he could candidate himself having still his residence in Germany. In this moment the protest is fueled by german far right wing parties.

Just read the titles of the Spiegel to feel the condition of the international relations between GER and RUS

German-Russian Relations - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten

or from DW

http://www.dw.de/berlin-and-moscow-at-odds-over-ukraine/a-17281884

that explains most of it.

Plus there is the problem of the gas and petroleum to make it cross the black sea and reach europe trought Kiev leaving Moscu without one of its triumph cards in international politics.

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/...rade-suicide-halts-talks-eu-3.html#post843620
@pmaitra (maybe shift the posts to that thread)

 

[pmaitra]

Re: Indian diplomat arrested, handcuffed in US for visa fraud

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/...rade-suicide-halts-talks-eu-3.html#post843620
@pmaitra (maybe shift the posts to that thread)

Done. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[SajeevJino]

US imposes Ukraine sanctions, EU voices 'worry'​

The US has imposed sanctions on Ukrainian officials deemed guilty of ordering violence against pro-EU protesters.

Its embassy in Kiev said on Wednesday (22 January): "In response to actions taken against protestors on the Maidan in November and December of last year, the US embassy has revoked the visas of several Ukrainians who were linked to the violence."

It added: "We are considering further action against those responsible for the current violence."

Its decision comes amid reports that three demonstrators were killed in fighting with police on Wednesday morning.

The American visa ban list is confidential under US law.

But EUobserver understands it includes Ukrainian interior minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko and up to 19 others.

It is likely to include Andriy Kluyev, President Viktor Yanukovych's national security chief, said to have ordered riot police to beat up demonstrators last November.

EUobserver.com / US imposes Ukraine sanctions, EU voices 'worry'

 

[Razor]

'Warzone': Open street battles in Kiev as rioters, police face-off

Pro-Euro protesters aka criminal hooligans firing rockets at the police.

Riot police brutally dispersed radical protesters from central Kiev in the largest operation since the latest outbreak of violence. Almost 200 officers have been injured over four days of scuffles. Two people were reportedly killed amid the crisis.

Read RT's live updates from Ukraine.

The police cleared Grushchevskovo Street, the scene of intensive confrontation with radical anti-government activists in the vicinity of the Ukrainian parliament building. They proceeded to the neighboring European Square, where opposition activists have been camping for weeks.

Radical activists tried to stop police advance with a tried tactic of tossing stones and petrol bombs at them. However they were overpowered by security forces.

Ukrainian authorities have lifted a ban on the use of water cannons when the temperature is below zero.

"Water cannons are being used by police to prevent mass disorders and violations, to repulse attacks" on buildings and means of transport, regardless of their affiliation, to protect civilians and for self-defense, reads the amended decree.

Police have also been permitted to use smoke, tear gas and stun grenades. Law-enforcement bodies have received permission to restrict the movement of vehicles as well as temporarily prevent citizens' access to particular areas in the city.

Retreating activists set alight what appears to be a heap of tires in the center of European Square.

The crackdown was launched on mid-day and followed a smaller police action in the morning in Grushchevskovo Street, in which they dismantled a protester barricade and retreated back to initial positions. A similar hit-and-retreat was performed the previous day.

The police advances probably came as no surprise. Earlier on Tuesday Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov warned that the authorities would use "force, as prescribed by the law," unless "the provocateurs stop."

Police taking cover.

A pro-European protester holds a pneumatic gun during clashes with Ukrainian riot police in Kiev

Pro-European protesters take cover behind a burnt bus during clashes with riot police in Kiev

The escalation of violence on Wednesday comes on the fourth day of confrontation between riot police and radical activists. Previously, police were mostly holding their ground and preventing the protesters from storming governmental buildings.

According to latest casualty reports from the Interior Ministry, 195 officers have been injured during the entire period of scuffles, including 84, who had to be admitted to hospitals. There were no immediate accurate reports about the number of injured among the opposition.

Kiev is continuing its diplomatic effort to deflect criticism from foreign governments and international organizations over Ukraine's handling of the political crisis. The latest of such statements came on Tuesday from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who blasted the new laws in Ukraine which triggered the new round of violence as a dramatic step away from democracy.

"Such provisions will roll back the enjoyment of human rights for the people of Ukraine, stifle debate and dissent, and jeopardize the democratic achievements of the past two decades," she said in a statement.

Ukrainian government on Wednesday tried to convince foreign diplomats stationed in Kiev that their support of the opposition forces is only aggravating the situation.

"We are deeply concerned with the visits of representatives of foreign diplomatic missions of the seized administrative buildings," Justice Minister Elena Lukash told the ambassadors.

She alleged that "militants are cooking incendiaries" in those buildings and called on the foreign nations to condemn extremism and violence on the part of the rioters.

The minister stressed that Ukrainian police have been remarkably restrained in their reaction to the mass disturbances.

"Judging by the experience of UN nations responding to attempts to organize rioting in your countries, one can say with certainty that no European country, let alone the United States, has shown more tolerance than Ukraine did," she said.

More @ Source: http://rt.com/news/ukraine-riot-police-diplomats-013/