The main development in the Ukraine is the sharp increase in the number of visible signs of the economic collapse taking place. Prices are sky-rocketing, more and more salaries are simply unpaid, shortages are becoming more frequent and as a direct result, so are social protests. The interesting thing is that these protests are not limited to the eastern Ukraine, but are also taking place in western regions of the country. These protests includes strikes and street protests. The IMF has agreed to $17.5bn in loans to Ukraine but that will clearly not be sufficient, if only because whatever money is not stolen will be used for war. The situation is now so dire that the Ukraine purchases gas from Russia only for a couple of days in advance.
The situation is also sharply deteriorating along the line of contact where the junta forces have resumed sporadic shelling all along the frontline. It is becoming evident that the junta forces have not withdrawn their heavy weapons. DNR Foreign Minister Alexander Kofman has declared yesterday that he expected a full scale junta attack within the next two weeks. Needless to say, such an attack has exactly zero chance of success, but if it is executed in response to a false flag atrocity somewhere near the line of contact it will at least serve to distract the public from the economic disaster taking place in all of the Ukraine.
Since the Hrivna is in free fall and since Kiev has stopped paying pensions and bank operations in the Donbass, the two Novorussian republics have now switched to a multi-currency system in which the Hrivna, the Ruble, the Dollar and the Euro are all legal tender.
As was easily predicted, the Minsk 2 Agreement has now basically stalled because the junta is apparently unable (or unwilling) to withdraw its heavy weapons or engage in constitutional reforms. As a direct result of this, Russia and Novorussia are now the legal “owners” of the border between the two countries.
US military aid is slowly coming in, and officially it is limited to non-lethal aid. As I said many times, no amount of military aid will make any real difference in the military balance between the junta and Novorussia.
Finally, I am happy to announce that a representative of the Saker Community has been chosen to travel to the Donbass as part of the trip organized by the agency Europa Objectiv. God willing, this will allow us to get a daily travel report with photos and interviews. My thanks to all those who applied and sorry that you were not chosen.
The Saker
sitrep 3/12/15 Yes, an they will have to up the ante either out of desperation to achieve something or under orders from their CIA handlers. Looks like a partisan bomber is operating in Odessa.
http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/03/12/4370
The same US Liberal bozos (part of a ruling elite that is a truly a cult) running the show in Kiev have destroyed the US economy and before that the incredible, dynamic State of California economy with policies that are insane and self-defeating.
When you have those two “successes” on your awards mantle, Kiev and the Ukraine “economy” was a slam-dunk.
Ukraine will be left with no assets of any value and 35 million starving citizens. One of the great travesties in history and a monumental disaster to unfold as the entire society, except Donbass, caves in.
Dress rehearsal for the USA?
Imagine the irony: as a result of the actions of the U.S/U.K, millions of Ukrainians starve and Russia becomes their savior. What would Stalin say?
Stalin would tell Putin not to expect any gratitude whatsoever. Ukros prefer horrors “made in Germany” to Russian/Soviet magnanimity. European values never cease to amaze.
Gratitude?—Most Ukrainians would of course accept the aid, but they would also see through the entire situation,—which would be the same thing that you and most of the folks here accuse the West of doing all the time, over and over,—namely, Russia creates or substantially helps create a crisis and then rushes in with the supposed solution, so as to gain dominance and control.
—I think all that Putin has to do is place a few telephone calls, put the “voientorh” on hold, and those Novorussians would signal readiness for serious negotiations and as I said before, they would suddenly realize that Ukrainian culture is not evil or “fascist” after all and might serious think of rebuilding Ukraine instead of tearing it down. And that would be the real solution to this entire “dumbest war of the 21st century thus far.”
Except for one little thing… they have asked for, and gone to, and signed up to, negotiations and agreements. And KIEV side is not keeping to them. They have not withdrawn a lot of the Armour., They are still regularly ( like 50 to 120 times a day) shelling the airport and nearby suburbs. They are still blocking FOOD from coming in, when the agreement said humanitarian aid must be let in. They have not even talked about resuming pension payments, which was also in the agreement. And so on……
The big problem in Ukraine is the poverty being forced on them by the IMF, which the government invited in and has nothing to do with anything Russia did. .
Yes, Ukrainian Culture, Bandera, Volyn, Babi Yar, Odessa, Lugansk, teaching children to knife the Moskals and creating recipes for the exquisite gourmet dish of “Blood of Russian Babies”.
A Soldier from The Ukie Ministry of Information has stepped in to teach us about the kindness of
the Maidan regime. Yes, Killing with kindness the people of Donbass. You should get an education and research the opinion of Bismarck regarding the culture of the Ukrainians.
Stop the Voentorg, and it becomes Duck hunting season in Donbass for the kind people of Azov regiment and assorted lot.
Rebuilding Ukraine? Ukraine is fine and dandy, in Galicia, for the time being.
If you have any influence in your Ukrainian Ministry of Information, first forward your piece of advise to your bosses.
Your words : “dumbest war of the 21st century thus far.” Then you know who is the Dumb ass that has been promoting wars in this 21st century thus far? Need a reminder?
The Novorossians didn’t start this war , they have no obligation to stop resistance.
That’s what happens when you let then Nazi take the power. Usually, people don’t want the Nazi to rule over them and will fight back.
What did you expect?
Stalin, on hearing such a thing, would likely suffer a very massive stroke and drop dead on the spot.
He would never get a single word out.
Let Europe feed Western Ukraine, perhaps give them an outlet for all their sanctioned produce not going into Russia. There should be video documentaries of the hardships being experienced throughout Ukraine but especially in the West, to illustrate the hollow U.S. and UK and EU promises of the great life style they would all gain through cooperation with U.S. aims and strategies. IMF money, what a joke, sheep to be shorn year after year slaves to the ruthless banking system; just like so many other places, the money gets stolen and salted away by the ruthless folk in positions to do so, the politicians and etc., and the public gets to give up pensions and their self esteem to pay it all back with interest. What a joke this system is, numbers on a page and people suffer miserably. These bankers had better have their private armies of mercenaries in place, because they are going to need them.
yeah, now that you mention it….its probably the same cabal that destroyed Russia in the ’90’s too.
Dear The Saker,
Firstly, what wonderful news that a Saker community member is going to travel to Donbass. Congratulations to the member :).
Secondly, In regard to Ukraine – they are already on the line of engagement with troops doing combat training:
http://tass.ru/en/world/782265
No doubt getting ready for the next attack on Donbass.
IMF privatisation to begin and Naftogaz to be broken up and sold to “respectable” EU and US companies.
http://tass.ru/en/economy/782390
Apparently this will be done by the end of the year. Yats really is the man.
Rgds,
Veritas
“The Ministry of the Economy will cease to exist, but Ukraine’s economy will remain”–Yatsenyuk
http://fortruss.blogspot.ca/2015/03/the-ministry-of-economy-will-cease-to.html
is he losing the plot?
Rgds,
Veritas
Probably not. Fort Russ comments that there was talk a while back of folding the functions of the Ministry of the Economy into the Ministry of Finance. The minister of finance is former State Dept. employee Natalie Jaresko. When I read about her appointment, I figured that she would be the point person to interact with the IMF.
So yes, there appears to be a plot, and Yats knows. But he likely doesn’t have any control over it.
I think he has it reversed!
:-)
ROFL.
The breakup of Naftogaz and opening to foreign investment was a condition that the IMF placed on the loan way back, so this isn’t Yats’s idea. My take on his announcement is that it’s just to “show” the IMF that he really is doing something so they can get the $17.5 B.
That said, Yats has spearheaded the changes to the law clearing the way for the breakup of Naftogaz. Last July the Rada refused to approve all the reforms required by the IMF, the foreign ownership of Naftogaz being a major bone of contention. Yats “quit” in protest and pretty much forced the Rada to take a new vote. Of course they approved it second time around.
http://tass.ru/en/world/742373
once this horrible rape of a country dies down, it’s going to be that much harder if the US or EU owns the state gas company….
These “reforms”,selling of the national companies to foreigners.Should act as a demonstration to all Russians of their fate.If or when the 5th column fully gains power in their country.Hopefully the Russian media is working to explain that fact to Russia’s citizens.That should be a number one priority of the news media there.
Does anyone know what has happened to Bezler? There hasn’t been any news from / about him and he was one of the bright lights last year.
Bezler was asked to go to Russia, months ago. Around Minsk1. I don’t recall any problems with him not wanting to join the united DPR Army or anything like that, but perhaps there was something. He was career military (Soviet Union) and only moved to Donbass in retirement; I think he’d have been an asset to them if he’d stayed. But around that time they were removing Russian citizens from leadership positions. and Bez was that, having been born in Crimea in pre-Ukraine times.
About a month after going he did a video interview in which he detailed how Poroshenko himself had sold him arms and tanks for cash (and still owes him stuff). https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bezler
There’s a vague touch of a rumour that he’s around and involved in underground stuff, but it’s just a rumour and best not investigated.
For Defender of Fatherland Day he made a short video (not translated) congratulating everyone in his former main stomping ground, Gorlovka, no refere4nce to where he was or what doing. .
Read Col.Cassad’s “The return of “Gloomy”:
http://cassad-eng.livejournal.com/136416.html
Rgds,
Veritas
“… The interesting thing is that these protests are not limited to the eastern Ukraine …”
This says that it is mainly the inhabitants of eastern Ukraine – including the liberated territories – who are now protesting!… If indeed so, not a very good sign for the liberation.
Or perhaps you mean only the portion of eastern Ukraine that is not liberated?
Indeed: is anyone paying pensions & salaries to the people in liberated territories?
What is actually going on?
This was a question specifically to The Saker, who wrote the quoted statement. Clarification, please.
I know of no protests in Novorussia. When I spoke of the eastern Ukraine I meant Dnepropetrosk, Kharkov, Zaporozhie.
Thank you Saker! That is relief to know.
And I hope that the pensions and salaries in Novorussia are paid somehow by DPR and LPR authorities (presumably with the help of Russia?).
I doubt the salaries are really being paid…with what ? Pensions…I saw a video of an east ukrainian lining up at the food truck…sandwiches only…and he said that the Ukraine (Junta) wasn’t paying his pension, even though he had worked his whole life for the state. There’s no money anywhere…Russia neither…
According to the Minsk 2 agreement,pledged to by Ukraine.Ukraine was required to restart the payments and lift the economic blockade.As from what I read from Donetsk,those are two more of the agreements Ukraine has broken.Another and vastly important one,about to also be broken by Ukraine.Was the 30 days Ukraine had to officially pass in the Rada a grant of autonomy for the peoples republics.Ukraine’s violation there should end any hope they might have of regaining control of the republics.
great news!
So the batles is on Team Russia vs Team U.S.A my money is on Russia.
http://postimg.org/image/7u6oqd4vf/
http://barkingdog.altervista.org/
Amazing how the deprivations and shortages show up in the MSM toilet regarding Venezuela but conspicuously are absent from the MSM are these same issues in the Ukraine.
Most encouraging to hear about the coming trip to the Donbass. If this kind of initiatives keeps spreading, it will pose a mortal threat to the Corporate Presstitutes. Expect the brilliant folks at Charlie Hebdo and our dear old BHL to go absolutely bonkers too :-)
Kat, Veritas; Thank you for the information.
Also, Here is a very good analysis article on the bigger picture of the conflict, ie the US, EU, Russia intertwining and long view of where it is heading.
English translation here:
http://slavyangrad.org/2015/03/12/what-does-putin-want/#more-4970
Russian original here:
http://actualcomment.ru/chego-khochet-putin.html
Thanks for that link, Dean. Very dispassionate and thoughtful analysis.
However, I would like to have read the author’s view of how the fight for control over resources factors into the bigger picture. It doesn’t seem to me that any commentary can be thorough if it does not include a discussion of oil and gas — control over which is more important than the resources themselves. Also, the global financial system that backs the multinational energy companies is a major player. Putin may be Russia, but he’s also Gazprom. It’s no coincidence that the IMF is requiring the breakup of Naftogas as a condition of its bailout for Ukraine. Foreign investment (which supposedly will be limited to 49%) in Ukraine’s gas transportation system essentially removes Russia’s control not only of Ukraine but of the energy supply to Europe. It’s also no coincidence that the United States, thanks to fracking, has now become the world’s largest energy producer, with designs on exporting gas to Europe — for their own good, of course, so that they can get out from under the “threat” of Russia.
There’s also the whole question of the NGOs, especially those backed by USAID, NED, and Soros. USAID has been in Ukraine since 1991 (as have many of the big multinationals), “supporting” the “people’s desire” for “democracy.” According to Nuland, the U.S. spent $5 billion in that time. And that’s just “official” government spending. The real total is likely much higher.
Lastly, he mentions the Western elites that have gained strength in the past 25 years. In fact, they have been there for most of the 20th century. There is a terrific two-part article on Consortium News about the career of Ben Bradlee, the iconic editor of The Washington Post. It’s a long read, but it lays out how the “mainstream” Western media developed as an arm of the “ruling class” in the United States. Bob Parry, who had the guts to go up against that establishment in the 1980s and 1990s, learned firsthand how much power they had and how they could crush dissent.
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/03/10/ben-bradlees-not-such-a-good-life/
https://consortiumnews.com/2015/03/10/ben-bradlees-not-such-a-good-life-part-2/
Putting together a “big picture” is a major undertaking, because there are so many players with competing interests and motivations. The author of the article in your link contributes to a broader understanding of the political considerations. So again, thanks for finding it.
Those Consortium News articles were written by the historian Jim DiEugenio.He has an excellent web page mostly concerning the JFK assassination.Check it out below….
http://www.ctka.net/
Thanks for the clarification. The comment above was mine (forgot to put my name on it). Sorry if I gave the impression that Bob Parry was the author or that the articles were base on his experience alone. I meant only to point out what happened to Parry, who had been a highly respected reporter in the MSM until he, along with some others, began to uncover the truth about the Iran-Contra affair. The Washington establishment, including their own colleagues, did everything possible to intimidate them into silence, and failing that, to discredit them and ruin their reputations. There’s a lot about it in Part II.
But there also is much more. My major was journalism, and I worked as a reporter in Washington for a few years. And still I learned a lot in this excellent report. In fact, I need to go back and read it again, after I check out DiEugenio (thanks for the link).
Just to plug Di Eugenio–he wrote what I think is the definitive book on the JFK assassination: Destiny Betrayed. His prose is good but the thoroughness of his research extraordinary.
The Empire needs to break up the anti-war unity of EU/Rus. A false flag attack on Europe w the Russian flag planted on it? Or the nuclear power plant in Ukraine? I can’t think of any other “next step” to reverse their losing trend. Can you?
“… Or the nuclear power plant in Ukraine? …”
With the on-going incredibly moronic stuffing of the old Soviet nuclear power plants in Ziobanderastan with the mismatching Westinghouse nuclear rods will certainly result in a nuclear disaster, sooner or later… And then it will be blamed on Russia…
If anyone still wonders who/m benefited from the downing of MH17 over Ukraine, the following statement might be of interest;
“The downing of the plane was a turning point in the conflict in Ukraine, in which around 6,000 people have been killed since last April. It persuaded many Western governments that the Russian-backed rebels were a dangerous threat and stiffened their resolve to impose new sanctions on separatist leaders and on Moscow” – Link to the Rakyat Post.
That explains their motive!…
Check also this piece from Monday: http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/03/09/4222
When things are quiet on the military front, things can be very successful on the diplomatic front. I understand that Russia has a seat on the board of directors of SWIFT – the banking exchange system that Britain threatened to kick them off of. Eye are switching to China which is openly promoting its currency as the reserve currency of the world. So it seems, rather than kick Russia out, Russia is in in Europe. The end game is supposed to be the “new reserve currency” that comes about after… the fall. It seems China is openly making its case. What we need is just an open system that will accept any currency, all currencies – into the big open marketplace on the net. This seems obvious. If SWIFT did the deed, and became the system guaranteeing all currencies and people’s access, then they would rule forever – but no, some one has to have the advantage. So we make a swift of our own. Is it Paypal? or ???
Thank you for your excellent work Saker! I’m German and just wanted to let you all know that many, maybe even a majority of Germans do not support the suicidal course of our US-puppet government. Just keep in mind, we are no sovereign state. Germany has always fared well when she was allied with Russia. When not we faced the biggest humiliations in history. Keep up the good work!
You are totally correct there.The natural pardner in Europe for Germany is Russia.Russia has the resources that Germany needs,and Germany has the industrial technology that Russia needs.Whenever in the past they were friends it had benefited both nations and peoples.Germany shoots itself in the foot being anti-Russian.And falling into line with the US.Just as an American ex-NSA chief said in an interview recently.Germany will never be accepted as a real pardner by the US.And that Germany should stop complaining over over US spying on them,and just accept it.While with Russia,Germany has always been an important friendship with them.They care about having a good relationship with Germany.
wow, lucky person.
Iceland dropping their bid to join EU…finally getting smarter…hopefully this is a trend
http://rt.com/news/240221-iceland-drop-eu-member/
See also: “The IMF Ukraine $17.5 Billion Bailout Linked to “Reform” and the Impoverishment of the Ukrainian Population”
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-imf-ukraine-17-5-billion-bailout-linked-to-reform-and-the-impoverishment-of-the- ukrainian-population/5436216
It appears that the creditors will have to take a haircut (donation) to help re-arm Ukraine in preparation for the next assault on Novorussia. In my opinion, the 3B US$ Euroloan through the City (London) will not be subject to the haircut.
I am very interested in how China will respond as they also loaned Ukraine 3B US$ for corn that has not been delivered. With the projected reduction of Ukraine grain production of about 10% for 2015, with corn production dropping about 19%. I somehow doubt that Ukraine will make good on the contract they missed last year:
“Ukraine Crisis to Spur Biggest Losses to Corn Crop Since ’05”
http://www.agweb.com/article/ukraine-crisis-to-spur-biggest-losses-to-corn-crop-since-05-blmg/
China also loaned Ukraine another 3.5B US$ this year to rebuild coal fired power plants and pipelines (60% will be in the form of Chinese equipment). I expect that China will own a portion of the Ukraine thermoelectric generation capacity.
In case no one noticed the recent 300 million US$ loan from Japan it is more of a bribe for long term rights to resupply the Ukraine nuclear reactors with fuel from Westinghouse, which is now owned by Toshiba. What could go wrong???
“Westinghouse and Energoatom have agreed “to significantly increase” nuclear fuel deliveries to Ukrainian nuclear power plants until 2020.”
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Westinghouse-significantly-expands-fuel-supply-in-Ukraine-31121401.html
It is not hard to guess what the EU, Germany, and Sweden will get out of the deal. As for the US, Monsanto and Biden’s son and Kerry’s stepson have grabbed some scraps from the fracking table.
A modern record for looting of a country may be set in the case of Ukraine. The NWO vampire population has grown and is hungry for the real thing.
Sorry, the China loan to Ukraine for thermoelectric generation was actually from 2012:
“China Loans Ease Ukraine Strain”
http://www.rfa.org/english/commentaries/energy_watch/gas-12242012133049.html
For an in-depth report on the colonial takeover of Ukrainian agriculture see:
“THE CORPORATE TAKEOVER OF UKRAINIAN AGRICULTURE COUNTRY FACT SHEET | DECEMBER 2014”
http://www.oaklandinstitute.org
The 17.5 B US$ IMF loan is on top of the 4.5B US$ loan last year, for a total of 22B US$. The other “contributors must come up with the remaining 18B US$ for to meet the 40B US$ in loans that the IMF mentioned.
http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/12/news/economy/ukraine-imf-international-monetary-fund-bailout/
The World Bank plans to loan another 2 B US$ for a combined total of 24B US$
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31436656
The EU plans to chip in about 2B US$ (at current exchange rates)
Germany adds another 0.5B US$ line of credit.
Other creditors are expected to contribute another 16B US$ from their portion of the Ukraine foreign debt (22% haircut):
“Ukraine’s foreign debt currently stands at $72.9 billion”
http://itar-tass.com/en/world/764808
The 10B US$ per year under this IMF sponsored program will only be enough pay some of the creditors. The money for the increased Ukraine military spending will be extracted from the people. I have no idea how the common people can afford to live given the Junta austerity program, especially when one considers that about 50 people control about 80% of the Ukraine economy.
Ukraine just allocated 3.8B US$ of the 5B US$ IMF loan to military spending:
http://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2015/03/11/ukraine-plant-milliarden-ausgaben-fuer-waffen-kaeufe/
This will only increase the rate of economic collapse. The recent anti-government protests in Kiev, Karkov and Odessa are only the beginning of the next Ukraine revolution.
Russia has long known that the collapse of the Ukraine government would be due to economic collapse rather than war. Let’s see how the Western propaganda spins the upcoming Ukraine civil war.
On 3-11-2015 the radio show Coast to Coast in California featured a guest named Catherine Austin Fitts, who mentioned some interesting possibilities, basically that after World War ii the USA was
involved in creating this kind of “shadow government” which would be essentially multinational,
multiractial, a kind of elite over other elites, and would be private,—therefore favoring privatization
and eventually the elimination of governments and sovereign state structures altogether. Almost
everything would become “corporate” and would be ruled by the essentially dictatorial systems
within private business organizations,—unless, of course, those non-governmental global entities
can be reorganized that rank and file employees, workers, the lowest rung people, would be given some mechanisms to hold the leaders accountable and if need be force the leaders/executives
to serve the followers and not just lord it over the followers.
Maybe that is where most of the “evil” resides,
Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic article.Much thanks again. Awesome.