Historically the nation’s largest trading partner by far, Russia has been Ukraine’s go-to financier in times of trouble, a role that has often been criticized by Western nations as giving them undue influence over Ukraine’s internal affairs.
Having just gone through an apparent regime change, which sent long-time Russian ally President Yanukovych into hiding, the United States and Britain are hoping to establish ties with the “new Ukraine” and, unsurprisingly, they’re going the exact same route Russia has.
US and British officials were quick to promise financial aid to “cushion the impact of reforms” by the new government, with Britain’s Chancellor George Osborne saying he was “ready with a checkbook” to rebuild Ukraine.
Bizarrely, US officials interspersed their promises for aid with warnings to Russia not to “intervene militarily,” even though there has been no indication anyone had even raised that as a possibility.
The UK warning Russia not to intervene? Hahaha the island Empire of Yesteryear, eager as ever to meddle in it's risible role as the little shameless junior lickspittle of the United States. Get over the old days, stick to movies and music we all like and stop punching above your weight. Perpetual, shameless, meddling, murderous limeys – will they ever stop? Maybe when they finally become more Arab or Pakistani and less Anglo? Can't come soon enough.
As always, ready to instigate / disrupt / kill/ terrorize / overthrow on command, the US/UK/EU Adventures in Bankster / Gangster Capitalism show rolls on…
They probably think Putin will trade Syria for Ukraine. My guess is that Putin would more than likely gladly surrender Kiev and take the Crimea and the East with access to the Black Sea Oil.
Russia's cash $$$bil won't be burning a hole in his pocket while Ukraine waits for the EU and US to start writing them checks instead.
Best part of the deal is that whoever gets Kiev also gets Chernobyl.
That's in the "western" pro-Nazi portion of Ukraine.
You are right about modern-day Britain being the lickspittle of the USA (and Israel, I might add). How will it be any better when the white population of the British Isles is replaced with Arabs, Pakistanis and other Moslems? Or the US, for that matter? Or Russia? It's not "murderous limeys", it's their alien-controlled government, just like the USA's.
I like the way Gideon refers to a chequebook – the only thing the United Kingdom has left is a Capital One credit card and that's already maxed out. Perhaps he'll pass round the begging bowl the next time he meets his chums in the City.
They're just having a very difficult shedding the white man's burden.
In 1946, after Churchill's so-called "Iron Curtain" speech, Josef Stalin gave an interview to Pravda in which he aired his concerns about Western imperialism. He was right then and is still right today:
http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/Stalin/prav…
The old drunken war criminal Winnie Churchill talking out of both sides of his mouth one year after the war in which he fought on the wrong side and oversaw the bankrupting of the British Empire (Hitler was right and prophetic about that), and sided with the worst mass-murderer in history, Josef Stalin, his heroic RAF incinerating a half-million German civilians in aerial firebombings, the destruction of European cities and culture, and handing half of Europe over to the communists at Yalta.
and while Winnie was steaming over to US begging for money, the US was handing out billions to Chang Kai Chek through the Soong sisters Ching Ling and Mae Ling. Look up the Soong Dynasty. The US has been going stupid and erratic over communists for a LONG time.
You'll pardon me, but I find you affection for Hitler, National Socialism and their cause during WWII more than simply repellant, its utterly nauseating.
Beside the business aspect of the matter, what people should know is that Neo and old Ukrainian fascism taking over ukrain. Swedish bankers with BP money will pour into control the ukrain economy, and with next year or so you will start hearing the economical problems and people's suffering which will face the nation, as Swedish-English and other European bankers have done in Balkan countries, the only problem is where is all this efford by EU-USG is heading, democracy! Not at all, in Syria they support Saudis barbarians, in ukrain the old and Neo fascis, democracy, where and what democracy.
The militarily as spect is all about encircling Russia, economically is for Europe, not having shoot a built, expending the European territories taking control of another Eastern European independence and its economy. Expention of central Europe into Eastern Europe is what Hitler was doing, this time is done by Neo fascism, no matter how you slice the cake.
Obama promising financial aid to Ukraine? How about a little financial aid to the U.S.A. ?
Well, we just saw on TV how to get his attention. And all those lovely words he spoke about how a government should respect the rights of protestors.
The Ukrainian story is not over yet, so no need to celebrate. In the West of Ukraine, Oleg Tyahnibok the leader of neonazi Svoboda and the Right Sector, their more militant wing — have taken over all of their local governments with jet to be named agenda, but it is very pro-catolic and anti Russian and anti Jewish. In the East and South of the country, Russian speaking regions are ready to seceede, as they do not trust the pro-nazi sentiment of new government. In Kyev, monasteries are being taken over, and the monks were forced to "negotiate" the "surrender" of their places. Weird things are happening, and if anyone thinks that the Russian-speaking population is just going to cave in to Kyev, that is unrealistic.
Kyev has been passing laws like candy, even though it has no legitimacy. Who gave them the majority since many deputies left Kyev. Some deputies that belonged to Yanukovic and who had not managed to escape had their families held hostage, so that they will stay in Rada to provide "majority". Videos from Rada show intimidation of these people, even as they had no choice but to "vote" for whatever Tyahnibok ordered. He opened sessions with Glory to Ukraine, the standard Nazi era greetings of Galicia.
Naturally, this is all shown washed up and with good make-up, but it is not over. In the end, Russia may have to intervene should the violence continue against Russians, and if they are not allowed to keep their autonomy in the same way Galicia has established its own separatism. This can all still end in war.
Portraying Yanukovic as ALLY OF RUSSIA is absurd. He has been taking Ukraine to EU all these years, and has literally destroyed Ukrainian economy through neoliberal IMF rubbish. When he realized that EU has no money to give — he ran to Russia for help! That was extent of his Russian ties. Otherwise, Ukrainian leadership was nothing but a pain in the neck to Russia. In fact, let west pay for Ukraine, it will save Russia some money and plenty of headache. But should UK imagine that Russia will just let them terrorize Russian regions that were gifted to Ukraine during communist era, they better think again. UK went around the world to defend Faukland islands. Russia can defend its nationals that are now defenseless in a dodgy state.
Well said, Bianca. But perhaps it was not as much that EU has no money to "give" but more that they wouldn't give enough of it, fast enough or unconditional enough. See also for example Volatile Ukraine teeters on brink of bankruptcy. Russia would like Ukraine perhaps back after some financial restructuring which always gets the people to march the streets. The "revolution" might never stop that way, see Egypt as closest similarity currently.
I'm sure the Brits undergoing Osborne's austerity will be relieved to see there is a bottomless pit of money available for supporting foreign countries.
The thing is the "people" are hardly ever asked for their opinions nor their approval…the same here as in the UK.
I know that this is off-topic but it is very poor of AW that it does not open with the proposal of our Secretary of Defense to drastically cut the size of our armed forces. That may not happen, yet it is prime news.
"Ready with a checkbook?"
That's very generous of the tightwad. At home he's cutting everything back because they are broke. Which is the lie, they're broke, or they're ready with a checkbook?
Ukraine president WAS ELLECTED and those who took over are War criminals and US agents, then all are TRAITORS and the majority of countries execute TRAITORS.
From US war crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Venezuella and more, it is obvious that
Ellected president means nothing to war criminals and baby killers in Washington. Only the job of the presidents who are selected by the zionist bankers, like Soros and Inc., is secure like the zionist puppet OBAMA and his extension, Rice, Samantha power, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and the rest. All ARE WAR CRIMINALS WHO SHOULD BE SHIPPED TO ICC, a whore house.
I usually do not agree with Spengler, but his post on Ukraine at Asia Times is spot on. Ukraine is a black hole that is ready to explode. The leadership on both sides of its internal disputes are corrupt and/or delusional. The best approach Russia could take would be to withdraw all financial support to Ukraine and instruct Russian companies to no longer purchase Ukrainian products. If he does this, the Ukrainian economy will collapse, and there will be widespread unemployment and, yes, hunger in the country. As in Egypt, the new "revolutionary" government will quickly find itself facing a massive popular backlash. If the European Union thinks it has problems with Greece, it is about to take on a problem more than ten times that.
That will send the EU/US/Britain packing Putin might just do this.
how about Putin and Obama rubble in the boxing ring, whoever wins, wins Ukrain lol
guess who is going to win hahaha. we all know who….