by Rostislav Ishchenko
Source: https://ukraina.ru/opinion/20210723/1031902943.html
Translated by Eugenia
As we all know, to sell soothing useless one first has to buy something useless. At some point, Washington bought Ukraine – for a high price. The process of buying took a long time, as Ukraine was bought part by part.
When finally in 2014 all of Ukraine became the property of the US, White House quickly realized, to its horror, that several US administrations had been investing significant amounts of money in a completely useless product.
The Americans did not feel it necessary to hide their emotions. That is why as far as in 2015 some of the “Maidan heroes” guided by some emotional reactions of their American owners, overheard but not understood a proposed theory that Putin organized Maidan himself with the aim to take Crimea and burden the Americans with the rest of Ukraine. While the residents of the controlled territory entertained themselves with the conspiracy theories, the Americans were thinking about who they could unload Ukraine on.
At first, they though that Russia absolutely had to show interest in Ukraine. The reasons were obvious:
Long common history;
Personal and family connections;
Importance of cooperation in the industry and of the Ukrainian gas transit for the Russian economy;
Solution of the Crimea problem (with the disappearance of Ukraine, the claimant for the peninsula would disappear as well).
The US intended to trick Russia into buying Ukraine at the exchange for a free hand in Syria and the Middle East. They thought that the sanctions introduced for “the occupations of Crimea” would be left in place, this time under the guise of the sanctions for “the occupations of Ukraine”. In short, Washington planned to exchange something useless for something quite useful, preserving at the same time all the means of pressuring Russia. The Americans would not be the Americans if they did not manage to make money, even when faced with a potential loss.
However, this time the US was doomed to disappointment. Moscow did not show any interest in that useless product. It was not even clear whether Moscow would take Ukraine if it were paid to do so. As to paying something to get Ukraine – that was out of question. The next series of sanctions, aimed at creating a situation for Kremlin when annexing Ukraine would be less ruinous than keeping the status quo, also did not solve the problem. It turned out that Russia, although suffering short-term financial losses from the sanctions, learned how to use them to win strategic victories in the long-term game.
In 2016, Ukraine stopped playing a significant role in the American initiatives with regard to Russia. Ukraine was kept ready for sale, but it was understood that it was necessary to look for a new buyer. Furthermore, since by that time even pigmies in Africa realized just how useless Ukraine really was, it was critical to find a buyer that would not be able to refuse the offer. The sale of the Kiev colony of the US empire entered the mode “buy a brick” (1), which allowed to present an ordinary robbery as a voluntary purchase.
Obama during his term failed to find an appropriate “buyer”. Trump was not much interested in the Ukrainian problem, preferring to intrigue against China and fight against Nordstream-2 for the benefit of the US gas industry. However, in the end it were the Trump policies that helped the Biden administration to bind a “buyer” that would not be able to refuse the offer of a brick.
Fighting against Nordstream-2 and trying to minimize the cost of the American global hegemony, Trump seriously damaged the relationships with Germany. The Germans, finding themselves in an unexpected situation when the US turned from an ally to an economic competitor and stopped guaranteeing the military and political protection, had not dared to sharply change gears and go under the Russian wing. Besides, that could have easily caused an irreversible split in the EU. Berlin started to look for ways to restore the good relations with the US.
As a result, the Biden administration was able to execute a turnaround. Not being bound by the interest of the US oil and gas industry (Biden favors “green” energy instead of the traditional one) and with full understanding that the Germans were determined to complete Nordstream-2 at all costs, Washington pretended that it was super-concerned about the fate of Ukraine. A talk with Germany on the subject was presented as essentially a prerequisite for the normalization of relations. At the same time, the US made an unusual move refusing to impose sanctions against the German politicians and companies involved in the Nordstream-2 project.
Normally Washington never yields anything first during negotiations demanding concessions from its partners instead. In this case, however, the Americans were remarkably constructive. The real reason for that attitude was soon revealed: the Americans made Germany sign onto a deal purportedly serving the interests of Ukraine.
The celebrations in Kiev turned out to be short. When the details of the deal were revealed, it became quite clear that nobody guarantees anything to Ukraine or intends to compensate it for anything. Germany made a vague promise to fight for the interests of Ukraine and to push Gasprom to negotiate with Ukraine the extension of the transit contract. This, by the way, the Russian government never refused to do, provided Ukraine could offer competitive transit conditions. But this is precisely what Kiev does not want to do dreaming about continuing to profit from the “exclusiveness” of its transit capabilities. That is why Ukraine is fighting so fiercely against Nordstream-2. But nobody promised to force Moscow into an unprofitable deal. This was finally understood in Ukraine, and loud whine about betrayal immediately followed.
Ukraine is mistaken: it has not been betrayed; it has been sold. Furthermore, in spite what Biden’s opponents say, Biden did not sell it to Putin. Putin is using the Ukraine situation to serve Russian interests quite effectively, but he has not paid a dime or made a single political concession. On the contrary, Gasprom and Russia are planning to make a profit from all this, compensating for forced losses of the previous period. Biden sold the Ukrainian “brick” to Merkel.
In order to go away in style and leave her party a chance to remain in power, Bundeskanzlerin needed to restore mutual understanding with the US. However, the Nordstream-2 was such an important project that in this case Merkel was not prepared to make a single concession. The Americans are tough negotiators, though, so they did manage to make her an offer she could not refuse.
They have removed Nordstream-2 from the equation. The existing sanctions were left in place, for they did no harm, whereas no new sanctions, particularly against the Germans, will be imposed. All Germany’s obligations towards Ukraine would be expressed as vaguely as possible. It would be up to Berlin to decide what exactly these obligations are.
The only specific promise was that the US would collect money in the West in the amount of 1 billion dollars, which would be given to Ukraine to develop “green” energy in order to be able to compensate any potential problems with natural gas supplies. Germany would serve as a manager of the “green” energy development in Ukraine contributing 150-200 million dollars to that 1 billion (a tiny sum for Germany).
Biden killed two birds with one stone. First, he demonstrated to his supporters in the US how effectively he fights for ecology introducing “green” energy even in such a distant and God forsaken place as Ukraine.
Second, the Germans that have been fighting nuclear and coal power stations at home for years, could apply their experience in Ukraine at the same time making use of a billion dollars. They would, of course, have to share some with the aboriginies, but not that much. Besides, the Germans would be in a position to solve the problem of a dozen of nuclear blocks in Ukrainian nuclear plants all potential Chernobyls – that are still in the playful Ukrainian paws.
Thirdly, since after this “support” and “reforms”, Ukraine would inevitably face a deficit of electric power, the EU would be able to sell it not only natural gas “via reverse”, but also electricity.
Fourthly, the US finally got rid of the Ukrainian “suitcase without the handle” successfully forcing it onto Germany. Now it is time for the Merkel’s successors to think how to sell Ukraine back to Russia even if with added financial compensation.
Merkel herself has no cause to complain. She bought a “brick”, of course, but a brick nicely packaged in golden foil. While the purchase is being unwrapped, the elections will be over and the Chancellor will retire. If CDU/CSU fail to remain in power, that would definitely not be her fault. Merkel is passing on a solid well cared for country without debt or problems. The promises, which Kiev troublemakers would cling to, will surface later when the fate of the elections and the coalition will have been decided.
We have to give the honor where the honor is due: the Americans never discard anything and manage to get their pennies for the most useless and unattractive product.
As far as Ukraine is concerned… Well, nobody concerns himself with Ukraine anymore. The Ukrainian citizens are left with the only hope that at some time in the future, after a series of re-sales, this invalid, which is Ukraine, in spite of its obnoxious personality, a habit to gnaw at the owner’s furniture, damage wallpaper, and crap all over the place, would end up an good hands.
But this is very unlikely.
(1) “Buy a brick” – a common Russian joke. A big guy holding a brick approaches a passerby: “Ah, dude, buy this brick”. The person responds: “No, thank you, I don’t need it”. When the big guy waives the brick menacingly over the head of the other: “You’d better buy this brick and not tempt your fate”.
Genialna analiza….
Takich krajow ktore trzeba było opuscić, pozostawiając je na łasce innych- zainteresowanych, Amerykanie maja na koncie kilkanaście co najmniej.
Łatwo im przychodzi stwarzanie problemow, ich rozwiazanie jest niewykonalne.
Przedostatnim problemem byli Kurdowie, ostatnim, kolaborujący z Amerykanami Afgańczycy.onaniu, ewakuujący się z Ukrainy amerykańscy kolaboranci będą następnym problemem do rozwiązania.
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Google-translate from mod:-
A brilliant analysis ….
Such countries who have had to be left, leaving them on the grace of other interested, Americans have a dozen or so least at their account.
Easily comes to creating problems, their solution is unfeasible.
The penultimate problem was Kurdów, the last, collaborating with the Afghan Americans. American, evacused from Ukraine, American collaborators will be the next problem to solve.
Remember, as the Saker loves to say, this is the AngloZIONIST Empire. Zionists have always had the hots for Ukraine. What is now Ukraine and southern Russia, was the old Khazar stomping ground. Back to 965, Sviatoslav I destroyed the Khazar city of Sarkel and its capital of Atil in the Caspian Expeditions of the Rus’. As the Khazars morphed into being the European Ashkenazim who eventually migrated to the UK and the USA, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Ukraine was the birthplace of Zionism.
Most Zionists in the USA are Christian. They are the heart and soul of the ReTrumplican Party. But the Ashkenazim also are the backbone of organizations like Project for the New American Century (PNAC) that back in 1998 predicted “…some catastrophic and catalyzing event, like a new Pearl Harbor” that would be the pretext for the US “taking out seven countries in five years” starting with Iraq and Syria and ending up with Iran. That event, of course, was 9/11. The only nation which actually benefited from that horrible attack was Israel.
PNAC was founded by neocons William Kristol and Robert Kagan. Kagan’s wife is Victoria “f-ck the EU” Nuland. This brings us back around to Ukraine in 2014. She was doing a lot more than passing out cookies to Nazi thugs in Kiev. In fact, she was instrumental in bringing down the legitimate government of Ukraine. Biden has tasked her with that ongoing project right up to the present day. The old enmity that the Ashkenazim have always had for Russia played out in making sure that Ukraine would be a basket case for the foreseeable future, just like Iraq and Syria are for exactly the same reasons.
@Tommy Apeiron
It might be true that the Zionazi neocons have some very old, outlandish grudges of their own but, if anything, they strike me as militant parasites in the strictest Nazi sense. Like Nazi Germany before them, they find themselves incapable of exterminating the peoples of Russia by imposing unrestrained raping and pillaging — the key aim that was to keep the Exceptional & Indispensible rubbish afloat. Now, their prospects for the future look even worse as they are about to botch ”Ukraine” as well. Certified Human Garbage loathed by an ever growing global majority.
US neocons are indeed, “militant parasites” as they’ve wheedled their way into the halls of power. I’m reminded, The Scorpion and the Frog, which I’m sure you’re familiar with. As the scorpion stings the frog in mid-stream dooming them both, it can only reply “I couldn’t help it. It’s in my nature.”
Zionism is after all a European invention, based on the racist notion that certain Europeans were “chosen” by God to range around the planet, displacing the indigenous, stealing their land and resources, and eventually bringing human history to an end in an apocalyptic final battle between “good” (them) and “evil” (everyone else). As Israeli poet, Itamar Yaoz-Kest, put it, “And yet, there is a right reserved only to us Jews (if indeed any human on Earth has this right): to be destroyed and to take the weary and sated world with us into non-existence, along with its wondrous libraries and heart-stirring tunes – just so, after we descend to the grave, while the ground emits radioactive rays to all four winds…”
The spiciness of Nuland-Kagan collaboration with the self-proclaimed Neo-nazis (Banderites) during the “most blatant coup d’etat” had several flavors:
1. The Kagans, Krystolls, and the likes from AIPAC have been known for their (profitable) whining about the “holocaust,” yet they had no problems with fraternizing with Ukrainian neo-Nazis. The Israeli State itself was arming the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion (involved in the auto-da-fe of the civilians in Odessa) by providing Israel-made rifles.
2. The Banderites had no problems with collaborating with the tribesmen of Lazar Kaganovich, who was First Secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine and who was directly involved in the Ukrainian genocide (Holodomor).
The incessant squealing about “Hitler” was invalidated by the Zionist-Banderite cooperation in Ukraine.
The same people who see “holocaust revisionists” everywhere pretend to be blissfully unaware about the Zionists-Banderites cooperation in Ukraine.
Remember, Anna, the AngloZionist Empire has always been about expansion and exploitation. American journalist John O’Sullivan wrote in 1845 that it was “our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us.”
This is very much like what the European Ashkenazim are now doing in Palestine. They dress it up with some fancy words from the Bible, but the notion that they are the “chosen ones” is exactly the same. Manifest Destiny equals Zionism equals racism, pure and simple.
Matthew 5: 13-16 You are the salt of the earth. If the salt is no longer salting, what should you use to salt? It is no longer of any use than to be thrown away and let people crush it. You are the light of the world. The city that lies on a mountain (Capitol?) Cannot be hidden. One does not light a light and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; so it shines for all who are in the house. So let your light shine before people so that they can see your good works and praise your Heavenly Father. So go into the world and subdue the earth. Hence the missionary zeal. There you go! A cheap copy and likeness of the above-mentioned Gospel, instrumentalized to justify the oppression subjugation of other gentiles, peoples deemed inferior by them.
The Bible always speaks of God’s chosen people as superior, whereby the rest of humanity is not granted any right to exist, or if only as slaves and servants at all.
Ishchenko has X-ray vision. He can see through the most opaque situations and come with a clear insight.
The bill to keep Kiev perking each year is 2 billion dollars. To keep the society alive is another 5 billion dollars. Ukraine is one of the lowest standards of living in the world. Its gas company is 120 billion dollars in the hole.
It is unlikely Gazprom and Russia will give it an extension past 2024 for more gas through the pipeline.
Their hardest working people have left and clean toilets or pick strawberries in Poland. Their brightest people left long ago, most of them are now in Russia.
Their military is led by kleptomaniacs and their ranks are littered with psychopaths. The life expectancy of the Ukie military if it starts a war again will be numbered in days, some units will last but hours.
No one in EU wants to be involved with Kiev. They expect the Ukies to agitate against the Russians. That’s all they are good for.
And no one wants to feed them, pay them or loan them any more money.
The best thing they can do is formally announce their end as a unified nation and break themselves into pieces.
High Honorable larchmonter445 at 3.03 pm 28 Jul 2021
“…Formally announce their end as a unified nation…”
It won’t take that long even. Poland is already drooling like Pavlov’s Dogs at the prospect of acquiring northwestern ukie territory for “kopecks on the dollar.” Moscow has already considered it. Ukraine is already a hanging corpse flailing in the wind and reddened by the setting sun. It’s really sad but the rada and associated oligarchs have already laid their cards on the table by pushing through the sale of ukrainian lands to the highest bidders by dint of parliamentary legislation.
Exactly. Especially when considering, that the Lwów region was inhabited by Polish until the 1940ies.
And Transcarpathia was part of the ČSSR. When Tomáš Masarayk established Czechoslavakia it was always a part of it. Ukraine is basically Frankenstein’s monster with part of different countries (mostly Russian territories mixed up with other territories) and its time to stop project Ukraine…
And yes, wipe out the “aboriginals”—turn them all into fertilizer. They’re only bandits, who should not be around at all and should not be occupying land rightfully belonging to others.
Perhaps all of the Ukraine’s neighbors should hold a summit (without inviting the Ukraine) and formally discuss boundaries and which part of the Ukraine each of them will be acquiring. That might focus some Ukrainian minds.
There is a precedent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-WO73Dh7rY
It might go a bit deeper than that, it appears the Russians were not able to stop the ukrainians from stealing the gas as it passed through its country, so the alternate route was chosen. Now just what can the ukies do about the loss? Be quite about it all and freeze to death.
Exactly.
Finally someone here is getting this right.
The idea of “cutting in” Ukraine in Russia’s future pipeline politics is laughable.
The Ukes cut themselves well before the Maidan.
The faster Russia/Gazprom can be rid of dealing with Uke in the context of gas pipelines and the accompanying international politics the happier they will be.
Check out
Gazprom: An Energy Giant and Its Challenges in Europe 2014th Edition
chapters 3, ” A Struggle for Pipelines: Attempts at Strategic Expansion
in the Near Abroad ”
and 6
“The New Export Routes and Gazprom’s Strategic Opportunities in Europe”
among others.
https://econpapers.repec.org/bookchap/palpalchp/978-1-137-46110-0_5f7.htm
Abstract
In the 1990s the chaotic market transition in Russia and underinvestment in new gas projects prevented Gazprom from benefiting from the growth of gas demand in western Europe. Competitors of Gazprom captured new European market niches, while Gazprom lost significant market share. In response, in the 2000s Gazprom developed an “energy empire” strategy whose core idea was to regain its former position and improve it through investment in downstream assets in Europe. This proved to be futile, so ***Gazprom came up with a new strategy: to compensate for the earlier missed opportunities and mistakes by making huge investments in large-scale transportation and production projects. Crucial to this strategy are the new export routes, the Nord Stream and South Stream pipelines, which are being constructed by Gazprom. *****Bypassing the transit states of Ukraine and Belarus, *** these pipelines eliminate transit costs and transit risk. They are also a strategic response to the new challenges of the European gas market. Gazprom’s main challenge is not only to prevent further decline of its European market share but to achieve a 33% target for this share, a dream cherished by Gazprom’s top managers since the early 2000s.
”/…/ proposed theory that Putin organized Maidan himself with the aim to take Crimea and burden the Americans with the rest of Ukraine.”
With the sole exception of the Donbass, which really deserves much better, that’s what I call leaving the garbage where the garbage truly belongs: to be managed by Pindos and Euro-trash. The Ukros (minus Crimea and the Donbass) dearly yearned for European values and, boy, did they get European values!
With Germany’s purchase of ”Ukraine” and with the Empire coming a cropper meddling with NS2, i’d say that unless some kind of ”Green Hitler” succeeds Merkel, NS2 will see to it that Russia has Germany on a rather tight leash and, by extension, also ”Ukraine”. Fortunately, ”Ukraine” wasn’t sold by the US to what in my view would have been the pretty damn obvious choice: Gównopolska. Don’t the Pindos believe their own Polish jokes? Really, the Poles would have been salivating immensely at being catapulted into a power vacuum adjacent to Russian territory. Now that Gównopolska can’t do much in ”Ukraine” either, it means that the depopulation there will continue unabated until Russia decides it is time to take it back — without paying anybody.
Noble Nussiminen,
Darn right that the Poles can’t do much with ukie territory even if it was given to them for a song and a dance in downtown Lvov and Warsaw. Just look at the unholy mess that is Polish Agriculture. Ever since the yanquis blew hot wind into the ears of the Poles and agitated them against Russsia, Moscow then said: alright then, keep your apples, meats, and other agricultural products that are exported to Russia in great quantities. Apple farmers, meat producers and others went bankrupt – causing a major migraine for Warsaw!
In conclusion: I would not be too concerned about a power vacuum, just a lot more misery for the EU citizenry…
Dear friend Tikhon,
The Poles are a funny breed as are their ”Freedom Apples”, LOL. But at least they can take some pride in hosting CIA torture dungeons on their soil. This alone has me wondering sincerely how the US could possibly ignore the staunch, Russophobic Poles as guardians of Ukraine — they are coveting the place, for crying out loud.
I think both the US and Russia would see it as a major strategic win if Poland grabbed a slice of Ukraine. The resulting turmoil would deadlock the EU as a cohesive political quasi-state, and cause it to revert to just being a single-market.
Noble Nussiminen,
Yep, Poles are a funny lot – “Pride in hosting CIA torture dungeons on their soil” – Hmmm, if that is something to be proud about…Well then, there might be a psychopathic streak with them Poles. I honestly did not think they would stoop so low…
And the plot thickens with Polish resistance to LGBTQI+ and the assorted freak-shows marching up and down the various streets, boulevards, and avenues of the larger towns and cities in Poland. If one includes the resistance in Hungary towards LGBTQI+ and that the Eurocrats in Brussels want to sue Poland and Hungary – Oh boy, the great EU crack-up is looming on the horizon…
@Tikhon Bogomolov
Haha, I admit it was quite unexpected that Gównopolska and Hungary would end up trashing the horrid You’re_a_Peon Union because of EU’s weak spot for sexual perversions. Now, while Hungary under Orbán shows a good deal of plain common sense, Gównopolska is totally lost with all its delusions of grandeur, taking for granted its undisputed, flawless top class reputation globally as the defender of Europe against the Russian hordes. Brexit and all the tensions over NS2 with Russia clearly on the winning side are not of any concern to Hungary, but to the foolish Poles it’s a painful symptom of the fact their government is not up to the supreme noble tasks of Gównopolska in this troublesome world. Really, if Gównopolska ends up not just breaking with the EU (”Pshexit”) but indeed contributes to breaking it up, it’s a Polish joke on a cosmic scale!
Regarding their psychopathic streak as you say, I suspect the Poles might not be totally happy about these CIA hellholes. Latin Christianity, at least in Poland, would rather focus on teaching Russians about matters of substance, a.k.a. European values. That would also make it possible to turn these Polish Guantánamos into profitable venues; to wit domestic tourist magnets.
To Tikhon Bogomolov
In my opinion the whole problem with so-called Ukraine lies in the fact that most americans are not only stupid but totally ignorant of the history, let alone geography. Lots of them cannot point out USA on the world map! The only time they hear the name of some other country in the world, is when their criminal “administration” is bombing it or “regime-changing” it. Ukraine fell under the latter category. And this is where that ignorance has extracted the high price. I am sure that lots of them are now cursing this polish twat called Zbignev Bzezinski, who sold them the “snake oil” garbage that by “grabbing Ukraine they will deal a death blow to Russia”! Well, they followed that to the letter, grabbed it and suddenly discovered that what they got is, according to Rostislav, a pile of stinking, steaming dunk on their hands. And, boy! did they tried to offload it quickly. Again, according to
Rostislav and myself, Russia said – thanks, not interested. In fact I can tell you exactly what President Putin response was, he said it in Russian but of course, I can translate it for you, word for word – ” YOU crapped in there, YOU clean it up”. Exact translation. After that the imbecils tried to palm it off to their faithful flunkey – the UK. That is why we have seen the MI6 goons, the UK “intelligence” and now the British Navy all trying to meddle in there.
With not much success. This latest thing with Merkel is just another attempt to try and get rid of this “suitcase without the handle”, called Ukraine. Merkel can mouth off whatever it takes and whatever she likes – she will not be there in the next month, someone else will have to deal with it. But here is the problem – the Germans are a lot more pragmatic and able at money making than imbecils in Washington DC, in fact they can probably teach these a thing or two about wise investments, and therefore will not be interested in the slightest to pay for something that brings them no value. After 2024 I see Ukraine(if it lasts that long) without Russian gas – even for their own consumption, without any other alternatives and without any more money handouts. Basket case indeed. As I said before – Russophobia carries with it a VERY high price.. The rest of Europe – pay attention!
”Russophobia carries with it a VERY high price. The rest of Europe – pay attention!”
Indeed.
Today, as opposed to the West’s 30 golden years (1945 – 1975), Russophobia has nothing to show for it. In those days, Western Europe was totally saturated with anti-Communist Russophobia accompanied by sharply rising living standards made possible by a thriving industry in the West proper and continued ruthless exploitation of the Third World under a reign of Global Apartheid. The West’s social cohesion and confidence were rock-solid. Voting seemed to matter. It was the legacy of this by-gone era which appealed to the dullards in Eastern Europe.
Enter neoliberalism and the West’s victorious conclusion of the Cold War (late 1970s up to the early 1990s). Suddenly, social concessions gave way to austerity, deindustrialization, privatizations. The West’s Russophobes extended their rule to all of Europe, wreaking untold havoc in what used to be Socialist Eastern Europe. In 2015, they gave the ultimate middle finger to the 99% of Western Europe by unceremoniously ditching Global Apartheid, bringing the refugee torrents they created in the MENA right into the imperialist heartlands — deliberately.
Regarding ”Ukraine”, the question is whether the Russophobic carnival of fascist reaction known as Euromaidan would have brought some tangible benefits in case its goals had been achieved: turning Crimea into a NATO stronghold. At least, it would then have been possible (but not a certainty) to raise living standards in ”Ukraine” at the expense of a seriously weakened and blackmailed Russia (very much a certainty).
The Ukronazis are clinically insane being forever high on Russophobia. To them, what really happens to ”Ukraine” doesn’t seem to matter that much. The Euro-trash at least has a rudimentary perception that their 1% is destroying their cozy lifestyles, offering Russophobia and all kinds of imbecilities, perversions and degeneracy as a substitute. And now the subjugation of Russia and China is little more than a silly joke. Interesting times ahead, especially for the Russophobes.
To Nussiminen
The interesting times ahead indeed. We all know that what is now called Ukraine, is disintegrating. EU will follow. The Hegemon is collapsing as we speak. I would like to say that “grabbing Ukraine” has been a turning point to all of that to happen. Little did he know what his, meaning “Zbig”, delusion would unleash all of that! I hope he is getting it all in his hell, together with the likes of John McCain and soon to be joined by Soros, Gates and the others. There is a special place for them there, called PERFIDY and the price you pay for that..
Katerina,
Yes, it’s playing out just as you described. Can’t help noting a propos Mr. ZB that he strikes one as an inverted Midas: Whatever he touches turns into excrement in a heartbeat. Alongside ”Ukraine”, ZB can certainly also take pride ih his monumental fiasco which is spelt ”Political Islam”.
”Ukraine” = Suitcase with no handle.
ZB = Nutcase with no candle.
But ZB should be able to do without any candle. There should be enough fire to shed light around him methinks.
Don’t forget the three bad people from Europe: M. Albright, H. Kissinger from Bavaria and Zbigniew from GownoPolska, they may burn forever!
I agree that it was just bad luck (or sheer stupidity) that when the socialist bloc decided to give up its system for what thy thought would be something soooo much better – not realizing that the capitalist system in the west they so admired had irretrievably changed into neoliberal TINA right around that very moment.
The smart ones there (and there are a few) regret what happened… for the rest, the bribed ‘press’ reinforce the view of a totalitarian system (forgetting all of the good stuff that existed, including the rapid industrialization and infrastructure building, helped by cheap energy resources provided by USSR).
I think you’re off about the possibility of raised standards in Ukraina – not an option, when you’re ruled by greedy oligarchs – not even remotely. OTOH, the republic thrived as part of USSR (I spent a lot of time there back then).
@Gora Koshka
Yes, you’re most likely 100% correct about ”Ukraine” under outright NATO ”protection”. Crimea in particular would have become rife with prostitution, child abuse, drug addiction, and similar Western blessings offered to lesser peoples in need of ’wokeness’. Similar to any Gulf sheikhdom, there also would be pockets of modern opulence and splendor enjoyed by Western corporatocracy and its local quislings surrounded by gut-wrenching squalor and misery.
The experience of Western Europe 1945 – 1975 stands out convincingly as an exception. Today, Western imperialism doesn’t buy off whole populations to obtain social peace. This is what facilitates the growing prestige of the resistance countries. ”Ukraine” is particularly embarrassing given its epic downfall from a prosperous, developed, industrialized constituent republic of the USSR to the depopulating Bandernazi asylum which it is today.
Noble Katerina,
I live in the Russian Federation, Moscow to be more precise, and with relatives in different corners of Russia and a very close friend just outside of Kiev whose life is threatened by the the banderanazis, I am painfully aware of the situation around Russia.
I thank you for filling in the holes in my knowledge base. Oh yes, Mutti Merkel made darn sure that she will be remembered for bringing home Nordstream 2. We should remember that she fobbed off Ukraine for 175 million or so bucks and maybe getting Moscow to give Ukraine at least a hand until 2034 with lower gas prices. But it looks very much like ukie territory west of the Dnieper will be part of two other constellations. East of the Dnieper but also including Odessa and Nikolayevsk will most likely rejoin the Motherland.
Respectfully yours,
Tikhon
LOL! Excellent post! On the other hand, the US “paid” for its acquisition in soon to be worthless US dollars where the presses are always running 24/7/365 to produce more, so it’s even money exactly who the sucker is in this deal. To update the old “a fool and his money…” folk wisdom, a fool and his country are soon parted. Ask any US citizen about that, and the few that are still awake will attest to that fact. Ukraine wasn’t the first to learn this lesson the hard way and it’s highly likely that it won’t be the last.
The Fed said today that printing 24/7 was not a problem as long as prices didnt rise sharply year after year after year, I know we are only a year into the years of price inflation, but in theory the “inflation” printing/prices is/are not a problem until it meets that criteria, and then and only then does the system collapse and the black hole of nothingness replaces it.
And that official full faith and credit my friends.
So much for “theory,” eh? As for “full faith and credit;” write that one down for future reference. That’s gonna be the punch line to a whole lot of near future sardonic jokes.
Removed. Off topic. Mod.
Finally you draw you attention to Rostislav! I always wondered who is this Ostashko you love so much but the real thinkers in the Russian content are out of your scope. Would advise you another one smart guy – Timophey Sergeytsev
Millions of people, the majority, in the Ukraine are ethnic Russian who don’t deserve the anti-Russian regime they live under, and will be happy once normality is introduced.
Ukraine has always been a “country” (not a nation) composed of at least 7 areas that have little relation to each other: 1) the original “the Ukraine”, a small area around Kiev, the “mother of Russian cities”; 2) the area south, added later; 3) Galicia, northwest, under Austrian rule for centuries, added 1939; 4) Carpathian Rus’, under Hungarian rule for centuries and annexed by Stalin from Czechoslovakia, 1945; 5) Bukovina, next to Romania and also once under A-H rule, added 1945; 6) Novorussia, the entire Black Sea coast, moved by Lenin in 1922; 7) Crimea, moved by Khrushchev, 1954. A minority thinks of themselves as “Ukrainian and therefore not-Russian” while most think of themselves as “living for now in the Ukraine.”
Therefore, any claim that ” the Ukrainians” deserve some fate ignores the fact that the Communist regime of the USSR actually did more than the inhabitants to build the Ukraine into its current boundaries. I know for a fact that the Carpatho-Russians would have much preferred being added to Russia, but Stalin decreed otherwise.
Well, you don’t know or deliberately ignore history.—So who devised the borders of the Ukrainian National
Republic which was a briefly independent Ukrainian state existing around 1918-1920? This was before Lenin or Stalin or assorted others, the communist regime of USSR, supposedly cobbled together and set the borders
of the present-day Ukraine, since back then the communists of USSR did not yet have the power or jurisdiction
to do that.
Two corrections on “Carpathian Rus,’ under Hungarian rule for centuries and annexed by Stalin from Czechoslovakia” – it is not true that it was under Hungarian rule for centuries, though Hungarian presence was very strong. Hungary only received semi-equal status with the Habsburg empire in 1867, after which it set up its rule.
Also, it is not true that “Stalin annexed the region.” One side of my family has deep roots in the region – and a parent remembers well what happened in 1945, when it became a part of Ukraina/USSR. The main reason lay in CZ president Benes’ desire to rid CZ of nationalistic minorities, given that Sudeten Germans led to a lot of trouble pre-1938 (and post). Also, on account of the Hungarian minority in the south of what is now Slovakia, Hungary annexed large swaths of southern Slovakia after Munich (reversed later via the Vienna agreement).
Benes offered the region to USSR, and Stalin/USSR accepted. From oral history, it seems that many people there agreed with the decision. Keep in mind that in USSR, “nationalities” were de-emphasized, and most people viewed themselves of citizens of USSR (or at least acted as such).
Prof. Fursov has a great 30min video on the origin of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The story is so complex, it’ll give one a headache.
Very interesting analysis, thank you. As far as “The US intended to trick Russia into buying Ukraine at the exchange for a free hand in Syria and the Middle East” Russia has taken a new direction and a free hand for the US in Syria looks even more unlikely.
Moscow has decided to adopt a new strategy in Syria, pro-Syrian newspapers in Lebanon reported, in a move expected to severely impact Israel’s security interests.
In recent years, Israel enjoyed almost complete freedom of operations in Syrian airspace, conducting airstrikes on targets that posed a threat to national security, according to foreign reports.
News of the change in Syrian policy was reported in Lebanese media outlets whose senior political commentators have close ties to the Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime as well as senior officers in Russian military headquarters stationed in Syria.
According to the reports, the mechanism used by the Israeli security system and Russian forces for coordination inside Syria is no longer in use.
A Russian source told the London-based pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Moscow had already begun to aid the Assad regime in “closing off Syrian airspace to Israeli planes.”
The source said Russian military experts were already assisting Syrian anti-tank teams in intercepting Israeli missiles in the field through the use of the Buk missile system.
https://hamodia.com/2021/07/27/reports-russia-israel-no-longer-tandem-syria/
Also a budding competition concerning supplying hydrogen to Europe with Russia probably a sure supplier and Ukraine a possible maybe. A whole new thing for the US to complain about in case the natural gas situation dies down.
Russia has chance to take over European hydrogen market — special envoy
According to Anatoly Chubais, Russia’s share of the European hydrogen market could amount to $20-30 bln
MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. Russia will be able to occupy the developing European hydrogen market, if it creates an efficient hydrogen industry, special envoy of the Russian President for relations with international organizations on achievement of sustainable development goals Anatoly Chubais said on Monday.
https://tass.com/economy/1317923
Ukraine,
04 May 2021, 12:12 Julian Wettengel
Ukraine could become important part of Europe’s hydrogen supply chain – German MPs
Hydrogen Security
Handelsblatt / Clean Energy Wire
German politicians have said that Ukraine could have “a key role” in Europe’s future supply with hydrogen, reports business daily Handelsblatt. Germany and Europe had an interest in stabilising Ukraine politically and supporting its economic development, said Michael Theurer, deputy head of the pro-business FDP parliamentary group. “Including the country in European hydrogen planning is therefore progressive in terms of climate policy and smart in terms of geopolitics.” It would also help calm the dispute Germany has with other European countries surrounding the Russian-German Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline currently under construction in the Baltic Sea. Ukraine had good conditions for renewable electricity production and its existing natural gas grid could be used to transport hydrogen in the future, providing the country with a continued source of revenue through transit fees.
@Lodestar
Please stop parroting the Zionazis’ slurs such as ”Assad regime”. By the looks of it, it is you who are using this vocabulary — not some source which you are quoting.
Andrei Martyanov – September 2018
” Russia is working overtime to beef up Syria’s defences”
Almost 3 years later and US pet mongrel Israel can strike at Syria willy nilly. FFS They built the Kerch Bridge in only 7 months.
Next, outside CIS, to the best of my knowledge, no leader visited, held audience with Putin more than Mad Dog Netanyahu in this last decade.
Furthermore, IMO, Russia is protecting its own interests (Oil, Port ) in Syria first and foremost and I’m not even convinced without the visits/prompting of the Martyred General Soleimani, Russia’s intervention would have came too late. For certain, without Iran’s sacrifice/support Syria could’ve been a goner.
I am not underplaying Russia’s role in present day Syria, it’s been vital, however, it is Iran’s Axis-Of-Resistance, Blood Sacrifice, Boots On The Ground, that has made the difference, and given Freely as a Brother would.
It sickens me to read that the Zionists & US Duals, the very same who attack Putin/Russia in the MSM daily are given military cooperation/consultation when deciding to bomb targets inside Syria.
Assad/Iran should be asking Putin “IS YOU IN OR IS YOU AIN’T”
PS Like ZATO’s modus operandi, an attack on an ally/member is an attack on all. If Russia didn’t have an inferiority complex, they’d be telling Uncle Sham that they have 72 hours to pack up and leave NE Syria before they carpet bomb Conoco’s stolen Syrian Energy Assets. YES, the ones that should be supporting the starved Syrians and not the ZATO Brotherhood.
The Ukraine’s gas transit system hasn’t been maintained for 30 years. It leaks natural gas and would be like a sieve for the much smaller hydrogen molecule. Neither the Ukraine, nor the EU are going to pay for the necessary repairs.
”Ukraine is mistaken: it has not been betrayed; it has been sold.”
Makes sense. But has it been completely abandoned as well? I mean, if even the Russian Liberals don’t care about ”Ukraine” anymore, then it’s time to stop pretending it has any significance whatsoever. ”404” comes across as a spot-on metaphor.
Well it looks like Zelensky the Russified Jewish Russophobe who plays at being the President of Ukraine is waving another “brick” at Russia. In answer to the Putin article about Russians and Ukrainians being one people. He claims the heritage of so called “Kievan” Rus is solely Ukraine’s. And that “distant relatives” shouldn’t try to claim them as part of theirs as well. Proving how low historical scholarship has fallen in Ukraine. And that even the ability to use a map is a lost art in Bandera Ukraine. Looking at a map of the territory of ancient Rus shows that the section of it that is in today’s Ukraine is less than a third.The other two-thirds are in Belarus and Russia combined. As well as a small bit in today’s Poland and Moldova.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Principalities_of_Kievan_Rus%27_%281054-1132%29.jpg
Not all Ukrainians are brainwashed by the Bandera worshiping fascists.Even after almost 30 years of anti-Russian propaganda. Even a Kiev based NGO poll found that 41% of Ukrainians agreed with Putin that Ukrainians and Russians are one people,with 55% disagreeing. Just how many would have agreed with Putin in a poll not conducted by a pro-Ukie government group is hard to say,but I suspect a lot more. If 41% were brave enough anyway,that tells me a sizable number if not afraid, would have spoken out in support of the one people argument . And as it was in the Novorussian regions the numbers of even that poll were 65% that agreed with Putin. If that poll didn’t cover free Donbass and Crimea.Then the numbers in agreement with Putin are even more impressive.
https://www.rt.com/russia/530489-zelensky-historic-kievan-rus-relatives/
The US really only wanted to take control of Crimea and let Ukraine burn. Then the US failed to take Crimea but ended up with the burning Ukraine and spent the last 7 years throwing a fit. So now it’s accepted that it won’t be taking Crimea, and will just walk away from the flaming pile of shiet for Europe to deal with.
As they say in Washington DC… Fuck the EU!
The EU was an American construct from the very beginning. It resulted from the Marshall Plan and aimed to create a large market for American products and services. Though the EU has become autonomous in some aspects and disagrees occasionally to American foreign policies. Out of control sometimes. That’s when Victoria Nuland has to yell things like “Fuck the EU”. When the EU is not submissive enough for them.
That’s why Washington does everything to keep as many critics of the US out of EU-offices, and put as many pro-Americans as possible in those positions. Marshall Plan is still alive…
That’s more or less what I’ve written here before – Nuland said “F*** the EU” in 2014 because the EU was not completely on board with what the US wanted in Ukraine. Looks like I’m not the only one who sees it that way, assuming the interpretation matches yours, but I’m not sure if anyone else finds it ironic when ‘Icky Vicky’ is referred to for every time the EU caves in to the USA’s demands.
I wonder what possesses those who otherwise condemn imperial activity by NATO and the EU, especially on a pro-Russian site, to give the goons in Washington DC, or Nuland in this case, authority on anything.
I hv a different Q:
?did the rus sold Ukraine (to the dumbfwannaB w da money printer and not shy to use and abuse it like it is their god-given-rights and that they will not owe nothing and hv no intention/prepareness to pay it back – a strategy the other ‘commies’ use too to ‘suck’ ’em dry)
if it cost sam billions to keep it ‘stay alive’ then rus must also saved billlions for other purpose, to dev, say, new toys? which would use to defend her borders, which rus already factor in the ‘sale’ will tempt ‘the babarians at the gates’ but rus also already know sam can never ‘get closer’, not to mention ‘get in’…. could it be that? rus win (by offloading Ukies++)-win (again, by building new toys, now unchallenged BigBro of the firepower world – not just europe but alantic africa and asia)??? offload Ukies++ and win the rest of the world – good deal? xD
what say you? what calculations was/is in VVP mastermind show? xD Ha 2late2late
bwbs
A great article, and amusing too. Thanks!
I understand the limitations of translating from Russian; it has been done well. But sometimes there are little idiomatic things…
“We have to give the honor where the honor is due…”
The more common English idiom is “Credit where credit is due”. As it happens, that is also far more appropriate to the Americans, who are deeply interested in credit and intesrest – less so in honour.
@ Tom Welsh
Eugenia does magnificent translation work for the Saker.
What you are asking for is localization of idioms and vernacular expressions. The Vineyard speaks to the whole world, so localization to just American readers is a bit provincial.
We accept Eugenia’s judgment. And we thank her profusely. She gives us the English equivalent of the Russia words. Precisely what we want.
@Larchmonter445
If you were to read my comment carefully, you might notice that I did not criticise the translation. What I did say was, “I understand the limitations of translating from Russian; it has been done well”.
Having given due credit to the translator, I then offered a small additional piece of specialised information for those who might be interested. (Possibly even Eugenia herself, if she is more open-minded than you seem to be).
And I am not American: I am Scottish. Both my parents were teachers, so I grew up accustomed to being informed when I said or did anything that was slightly incorrect. I took that as a favour.
Since you have been kind enough to inform me that The Saker’s blog does not welcome such suggestions, I shall make no further ones.
”Merkel is passing on a solid well cared for country without debt or problems.”
As much as I appreciate Ishchenko’s opinion on Ukraine and Russia, I have to say though that he doesn’t seem to know Germany very well.
While Germany has less debt than most other European nations, its debt has been exploding recently. Also there are plenty of problems, like decaying infrastructure, loss of competitiveness and demographic issues. The energy situation is becoming increasingly problematic because of the madness to get out of nuclear and coal based electricity generation at the same time.
Merkel has done nothing to improve the country during her 16 years as chancellor.
And then there’s Germany’s role as the EU creditor to consider:
Target 2 trouble for the Eurozone
August 20, 2020
If there is one chart that underlines the difficult challenges now posed to the Eurozone by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that of the growing imbalances in the European Central Bank’s (ECB) Target 2 settlement account.
Target 2 chart
That chart shows that Germany now has a Target 2 credit balance exceeding EUR 1 trillion, which corresponds to a combined Italian and Spanish Target 2 debtor position of roughly the same amount. Troubling as this imbalance already is, there is every prospect that it will now widen substantially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. That in turn is bound to give political ammunition to Germany’s Eurosceptics.
The ECB’s Target 2 account is its settlement system of transfers between the Eurozone member countries’ central banks. Individual central banks’ cumulative balances in that account are the result of accumulated net cross-border financial flows. In principle, those latter flows can be the result of trade-related payments. However, since the 2010 Eurozone debt crisis they mainly have been the result of capital account related flows.
Thanks for translation of this interesting analysis.
So, Ukraine basically becomes a colony of Germany?
Is this how Ukrainians envisioned their participation in the EU?
Anonymous at 09:21 said:
“…Ukraine basically becomes a colony of Germany…”
Germany and especially the EU don’t want a non-productive colony like ukiestan who only demands more and more social benefits and living off the dole courtesy of the EUTaxpayer.
Nope! Ukiestan is a “cordon sanitaire” between Russia and Western Europe.
Is Uke’s black earth agricultural areas of any value to Germany or other EU?
I should think it would be.
@Tikhon Bogomolov
Historically, it is of interest to note that both Imperial and Nazi Germany were itching badly to grab Ukraine which they saw as Germany’s settler territory (in much the same way the Anglo settlers saw North America). I should feel disposed to say that the Euromaidan in 2014 was the last waning spasm of conquering Ukraine, but Russia’s victory in Crimea trashed the effort totally and irretrievably. The ”idea” here was that the Nazis should kill off/evict Crimea’s entire Russian population and hand over the crucial naval base in Sevastopol along with any other defences to NATO. This was essentially what took place in Diego Garcia in the mid-1960s except that there was no military presence there. It was brutal terror visited upon an entirely peaceful part of the planet by the usual suspects.
Now ”Ukraine” is left to rot, deindustrialized and depopulating under grossly incompetent and evil Bandernazi rule. Understandably, the EU doesn’t see the point in throwing any more money at it. The Pindos might still do, but they are losing out just about everywhere, similarly obsessed by evil, rot, greed, and Russophobia. But unlike their kith and kin in ”Ukraine”, the Pindos are ’woke’, ha!
Bottom line: The Bandernazis are a lost cause who are even too stupid to understand their own worthlessness. Russophobia is great fun, sure, but coming a cropper right at the decisive moment won’t convince anyone of your ”use value”. C’est la vie.
How hilarious the truth can be.
What if the Germans do not sell Ucraina back to Russia but discover it is much better to manage it together?
Germany hat the economic and technical know-how to turn-over Ukraine, plus the support of the rest of EU.
Russia instead has not the money, but she knows how to handle recalcitrants oligarchs, which are not ready to toe the line.
Furthermore Ukraine will be extremely valuable in the future: with climate change and extreme weather the prices of food with increase so the black land of Ukraine will be considered a valuable assets when it comes to the European food security.
If this scenario will become a reality, the sell of Ucraina will be the biggest failure of US foreign policy in the 21. century.